Methods for implanting a soft gel shunt in the suprachoroidal space
AssigneeAqueSys, Inc.
InventorsChristopher Horvath, Ronald D. Bache, Laszlo O. Romoda, Guenther Grabner, Herbert A. Reitsamer, John R. Samples
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention generally relates to methods for implanting a soft gel shunt in the suprachoroidal space. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve inserting into the eye a hollow shaft configured to hold a soft gel intraocular shunt, deploying the soft gel shunt from the hollow shaft such that the shunt forms a passage from the anterior chamber of the eye to the suprachoroidal space of the eye, and withdrawing the hollow shaft from the eye.
Claims31
A method of deploying an intraocular shunt into an eye, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting into the eye a hollow shaft, having a curved configuration and a less curved configuration, less curved than the curved configuration, and holding a soft gel intraocular shunt;
- exposing the soft gel shunt, out of the shaft along a scleral spur of the eye while the shaft is in the curved configuration along the scleral spur such that the shunt forms a passage with a proximal portion of shunt residing in the anterior chamber of the eye and a distal portion of the shunt residing in the suprachoroidal space of the eye;
- and
- withdrawing the shaft, in the less curved configuration, from the eye.
A method of deploying an intraocular shunt into an eye, the method comprising the steps of:
- inserting into the eye a hollow shaft, having a curved configuration and a less curved configuration, less curved than the curved configuration, and holding an intraocular shunt, wherein the shunt comprises a material;
- exposing the shunt out of the shaft, while the shaft is in the curved configuration, such that the shunt forms a curved passage with a proximal portion of shunt residing in the anterior chamber of the eye and a distal portion of the shunt residing in the suprachoroidal space of the eye;
- and
- withdrawing the shaft, in the less curved configuration, from the eye.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.