Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090099654 | SCLERAL PROSTHESIS HAVING CROSSBARS FOR TREATING PRESBYOPIA AND OTHER EYE DISORDERS - A scleral prosthesis includes a prosthesis body having first and second side surfaces and a cavity extending through the prosthesis body from the first side surface to the second side surface. The scleral prosthesis also includes a crossbar configured to be inserted into the cavity, where the crossbar is wider than the prosthesis body. The cavity could define a narrower central opening and wider end openings, and the crossbar could have a narrower central portion and wider end portions. Also, the prosthesis body could include multiple cavities, and the scleral prosthesis could include multiple crossbars configured to be inserted into the multiple cavities. Each of the cavities could be located proximate to an end of the prosthesis body. The crossbar could be substantially straight with a cylindrical cross section. | 04-16-2009 |
20090157109 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING INCISIONS IN OCULAR TISSUE - A surgical tool includes a surgical blade configured to be moved to form an incision. The surgical tool also includes a wire configured to cause movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool further includes an actuator configured to shorten a length of the wire to cause the movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction and then in a second direction in response to a single shortening of the wire. Also, the wire could represent a first wire, the surgical tool could include a second wire, and the surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction in response to shortening the first wire and to move the surgical blade in a second direction in response to shortening the second wire. | 06-18-2009 |
20090254071 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING A POSITION TO INSERT A SCLERAL PROSTHESIS INTO AN EYE - A method includes identifying an actual location of a ciliary body in a patient's eye. The method also includes identifying a position for a scleral prosthesis to be inserted into scleral tissue of the patient's eye based on the identified location of the ciliary body. The method could also include forming a scleral tunnel in the scleral tissue of the patient's eye based on the identified position and inserting the scleral prosthesis into the scleral tunnel. Identifying the actual location of the ciliary body could include illuminating a first portion of the patient's eye using illumination provided at a second portion of the patient's eye. The illumination provided at the second portion of the patient's eye may be provided through an eyelid of the patient and may travel under a cornea of the patient's eye to the first portion of the patient's eye. | 10-08-2009 |
20100152848 | ARTIFICIAL INTRAOCULAR LENS, ALTERED NATURAL CRYSTALLINE LENS, OR REFILLED NATURAL CRYSTALLINE LENS CAPSULE WITH ONE OR MORE SCLERAL PROSTHESES FOR IMPROVED PERFORMANCE - A system includes an intraocular lens configured to replace a natural crystalline lens of an eye. The system also includes one or more scleral prostheses configured to be inserted into scleral tissue of the eye. The one or more scleral prostheses are configured to modify a structure of the eye to improve an accommodative ability of the eye with the intraocular lens. The intraocular lens could represent an accommodating intraocular lens, and the one or more scleral prostheses could be configured to increase an amount of accommodation achievable using the accommodating intraocular lens. The intraocular lens could also represent a non-accommodating intraocular lens, and the one or more scleral prostheses could be configured to provide an amount of accommodation achievable using the non-accommodating intraocular lens. | 06-17-2010 |
20120035637 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING INCISIONS IN OCULAR TISSUE - A surgical tool includes a surgical blade configured to be moved to form an incision. The surgical tool also includes a wire configured to cause movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool further includes an actuator configured to shorten a length of the wire to cause the movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction and then in a second direction in response to a single shortening of the wire. Also, the wire could represent a first wire, the surgical tool could include a second wire, and the surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction in response to shortening the first wire and to move the surgical blade in a second direction in response to shortening the second wire. | 02-09-2012 |
20120078280 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING INCISIONS IN OCULAR TISSUE - A surgical tool includes a surgical blade configured to be moved to form an incision. The surgical tool also includes a wire configured to cause movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool further includes an actuator configured to shorten a length of the wire to cause the movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction and then in a second direction in response to a single shortening of the wire. Also, the wire could represent a first wire, the surgical tool could include a second wire, and the surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction in response to shortening the first wire and to move the surgical blade in a second direction in response to shortening the second wire. | 03-29-2012 |
20120078281 | APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING INCISIONS IN OCULAR TISSUE - A surgical tool includes a surgical blade configured to be moved to form an incision. The surgical tool also includes a wire configured to cause movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool further includes an actuator configured to shorten a length of the wire to cause the movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction and then in a second direction in response to a single shortening of the wire. Also, the wire could represent a first wire, the surgical tool could include a second wire, and the surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction in response to shortening the first wire and to move the surgical blade in a second direction in response to shortening the second wire. | 03-29-2012 |
20130103143 | SCLERAL PROSTHESIS FOR TREATING PRESBYOPIA AND OTHER EYE DISORDERS AND RELATED DEVICES AND METHODS - A system includes a scleral prosthesis and an insert. The scleral prosthesis includes an elongated body having a first free end and a second free end opposite the first end. A maximum width of the body at each end is wider than a maximum width of the body between the ends. The body includes multiple first portions that form the first end of the body and a part of the body between the ends. The first portions are separated lengthwise along a substantial portion of a total length of the body. The first portions are biased so that they maintain separation from one another without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other. The insert is configured to be placed between the first portions to maintain a separation of the first portions. The body and/or the insert could be formed using one or more magnetic materials. | 04-25-2013 |
20140107776 | PROSTHESES FOR OCULAR DRUG DELIVERY AND OTHER TREATMENTS FOR GLAUCOMA, MACULAR DEGENERATION, AND OTHER EYE DISORDERS OR DISEASES - A scleral prosthesis includes an elongated body that is narrower in a middle and wider at opposing first and second ends. The body includes multiple first portions that form the first end of the body, where the first portions separated lengthwise along the body. The first portions are biased to maintain separation without external interference but are configured to be pushed towards each other in order to narrow a width of the first end. The body could also include second portions that form the second end of the body. The body could further include a cavity configured to receive a material and an eluting surface configured to release the material from the cavity. In addition, the body could include a cavity configured to receive a material and a protrusion that extends away from the scleral prosthesis, where the protrusion is configured to release the material from the cavity. | 04-17-2014 |