US 9,427,311 B2Granted

Corneal inlay with nutrient transport structures

AssigneeAcuFocus, Inc.

InventorsBruce Christie, Edward W. Peterson, Corina van de Pol

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Abstract

Corneal inlays and masks and methods of improving vision of a patient with corneal inlays and masks are provided. Masks with an aperture can improve the vision of a patient, such as by increasing the depth of focus of an eye of a patient. For example, a mask can have an annular portion with a relatively low visible light transmission surrounding a relatively high transmission central portion, such as a clear lens or aperture. This provides an annular mask with a small aperture for light to pass through to the retina to increase depth of focus. The mask may also include nutrient transport structures that provide nutrient flow through mask to prevent nutrient depletion. These nutrient transport structures can be configured to concentrate nutrient transmission near a center region of the mask to provide more nutrient flow near the center region.

Claims33

Dependent claims

A corneal inlay comprising:

an anterior surface configured to reside adjacent a first corneal layer;
a posterior surface configured to reside adjacent a second corneal layer;
an opening configured to transmit light therethrough, the opening sized to increase depth of focus sufficiently to treat presbyopia in a human patient;
an outer zone adapted to substantially prevent transmission of light therethrough, the outer zone having nutrient transport structures disposed therein, the outer zone being configured to provide a peak nutrient flow at locations having nutrient transport structures that are spaced away from an inner periphery of the outer zone compared with locations having nutrient transport structures that are adjacent to the inner periphery of the outer zone;
an inner peripheral region disposed between an inner periphery of the corneal inlay and the inner periphery of the outer zone, the inner peripheral region being substantially devoid of holes;
an outer peripheral region disposed between an outer periphery of the outer zone and an outer periphery of the corneal inlay, the outer peripheral region being substantially devoid of holes;
wherein the outer zone comprises a plurality of annular bands, each of the plurality of annular bands having nutrient transport structures, at least some of the plurality of annular bands having different rates of nutrient transport;
and
wherein the peak nutrient flow is located in an annular band of the plurality of annular bands that is closer to the inner periphery of the corneal inlay than the outer periphery of the corneal inlay.

6 more elements

A mask configured to be implanted in a cornea of a human patient to increase the depth of focus of the human patient, the mask comprising:

an anterior surface configured to reside adjacent a first corneal layer;
a posterior surface configured to reside adjacent a second corneal layer;
an aperture configured to transmit light therethrough, the aperture sized to increase depth of focus sufficiently to treat presbyopia in the human patient, an inner periphery of the mask forming the aperture;
a substantially opaque portion extending from the aperture toward an outer periphery of the mask, the opaque portion comprising an inner region, an outer region, and a central region disposed radially between the inner and outer regions, each of the inner region, central region, and outer region having nutrient transport structures, the inner region being spaced apart from an inner periphery of the substantially opaque portion and the outer region being spaced apart from an outer periphery of the substantially opaque portion;
wherein the central region comprises a first nutrient transport rate between the posterior and anterior surfaces, the inner region comprises a second nutrient transport rate between the posterior and anterior surfaces, the outer region comprises a third nutrient transport rate between the posterior and anterior surfaces, and the first nutrient transport rate is greater than the second and third nutrient transport rates;
and
wherein the central region comprises an inner periphery and an outer periphery, a distance between the inner periphery of the mask and the inner periphery of the central region being less than a distance between the outer periphery of the mask and the outer periphery of the central region.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/390,080Filed 13 Aug 2010 · us provisional application
Priority: 13 Aug 2009
Published: US 2012/0143325 A17 Jun 2012
Granted: 30 Aug 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A61F 2/15
Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes: implant having one or more holes, e.g. for nutrient transport, for facilitating handling
A61F 2/1451
Corneal inlays, onlays, or lenses for refractive correction: inlays or onlays
G02C 7/046
Contact lenses for the eyes: contact lenses having an iris pattern
G02C 7/165
Shades; shields; Obturators, e.g. with pinhole, with slot: with stenopaeic apertures