Novartis Ag

Alcon, Inc.

Andrew David Johnson

Nicholas Max Gunn

Pooria Sharif Kashani

Tammo Heeren

Cesario Pereira Dos Santos

Casey Lind

Ronald T Smith

Alireza Mirsepassi

Brian William McDonell

Gerald David Bacher

Andrew Mason Hahn

Ryan Makoto Takakawa

Joshua Dean

Methods and systems for performing an ophthalmic surgical treatment procedure include one or more wicking members to secure a volume of treatment fluid to a distal end of a surgical instrument. Such a surgical instrument may include an elongate tubular member having a proximal end, a distal end, and a lumen extending therebetween, the elongate tubular member being configured to penetrate a body cavity of a patient. The instrument may further include a wicking member extending beyond the distal end of the elongate tubular member. The wicking member may be configured to secure a volume of treatment fluid delivered through the lumen to the wicking member for application from the wicking member to target tissue in the body cavity.

Devices and methods for a cannula-delivered treatment material application device

Ophthalmic surgical devices, systems, and methods for automatically controlling the injection or extraction of viscous fluids from a patient's eye are provided. A syringe pump connected with an actuation line and a powered syringe provides pressures for viscous fluid injection or extraction in a vitreous chamber of the eye. A sensor disposed adjacent to or inside the eye determines sensor data relating to an intraocular pressure (IOP). The controller receives the sensor data and regulates the injection or extraction of the viscous fluid in response to the detected IOP, such as by controlling the syringe pump. The controller may determine whether the IOP is above an upper threshold or below a lower threshold and may control the syringe pump to regulate the injection or extraction of viscous fluid to maintain the IOP between the upper and the lower thresholds.

Automated viscous fluid control in vitreoretinal surgery

Ophthalmic surgical devices, systems, and methods for regulating aspiration from a patient's eye are provided. A vacuum pump in fluid communication with an aspiration line provides fluid aspiration from a vitreous chamber of the eye through the aspiration line. A sensor disposed adjacent to or inside the eye determines sensor data relating to an intraocular pressure (IOP). The controller receives the sensor data and regulates the aspiration in response to changes in the IOP, such as by controlling the vacuum pump. The controller may determine whether a fluid infusion to the vitreous chamber through an infusion line is below a maximum infusion level, regulate the infusion in response to the IOP being below a threshold value and the infusion being below the maximum infusion level, and regulate the aspiration in response to the IOP being below the threshold value and the infusion being at or above the maximum infusion level.

Automated aspiration throttling in vitreoretinal surgery

The present disclosure provides illumination apparatus for ophthalmic surgery comprising a light that provides planar field illumination, as well as methods of using the illumination apparatus. The illuminators of the present disclosure can be used in intraocular refractive and vitroretinal surgery to better enable visualization of anatomical structures of the eye currently difficult to view, capturing detail that would normally be obscured using conventional illumination apparatus.

Planar illuminator for ophthalmic surgery

A handheld reciprocating surgical tool may contain an inertial damper to counteract the momentum of a diaphragm assembly of the reciprocating surgical tool. A momentum of the inertial damper may be tuned such that the momentum of the inertial damper is comparable in magnitude and opposite in direction to a momentum of the diaphragm assembly. The diaphragm assembly may include a cutting tool. The combined momentum of a diaphragm assembly and the inertial damper may result in a reduced net momentum, which may reduce vibration of the reciprocating surgical tool haptically experienced by a surgeon, thereby improving surgeon comfort.

Reciprocating surgical tool with inertial damper

Ophthalmic implants and methods of use that provide structural support to the optic nerve are disclosed herein. An adhesive and/or ophthalmic implant may be delivered to an optic nerve of an eye to relieve pressure on the optic nerve. The ophthalmic implant may include a base portion that includes a first surface and a second surface opposing the second surface and a protrusion from the second surface for extending into a cup of an optic nerve in an eye.

Optic nerve support implant

A method and system assist a physician in controlling pressure in a line during a surgery. The method includes filtering a vacuum signal such that portions of the vacuum signal having a frequency greater than a threshold frequency (e.g., ten Hz) are not passed. Thus a filtered vacuum signal is provided. The method also includes providing a control signal to a vacuum source. The control signal is selected from the vacuum signal and the filtered vacuum signal. The vacuum source provides a vacuum having a level based on the control signal.

Apparatus for controlling vacuum during ocular surgery

The present disclosure provides a vitreous visualization system including a vitreous illuminator including a vitreous visualization light source and a vitreous visualization tool that transmits lights from the vitreous visualization light source into an eye having vitreous, a pupil, and a vitreous-pupil axis. The vitreous visualization system further includes a general illuminator, which may include a general light source and a general illumination tool that transmits light from the general light source into the eye. The present disclosure further provided a vitreous visualization system including only a vitreous illuminator that transmits light from the vitreous visualization light source into an eye having vitreous, a pupil, a vitreous-pupil axis, and a retina at an angle B with the vitreous-pupil axis of the eye such that the brightness of vitreous in the eye is higher than the brightness of the retina of the eye.

Vitreous visualization system and method

Described herein is an extension device to extend ocular tissue within an irideocorneal angle of an eye of a patient, comprising a flexible body and a plurality of tensioning features disposed on the body. The body is sized and configured to be disposed within the irideocorneal angle. The body has a curved longitudinal axis, a channel extending from a first end to a second end, an inner convex side, and an outer concave side. The body is flexible between a first flexed condition and a second unflexed condition. The body has a first radius of curvature in the first flexed condition and a second radius of curvature in the unflexed condition. Each tensioning feature is shaped and sized to grasp the ocular tissue within the irideocorneal angle.

Devices, systems, and methods for trabecular meshwork extension

A method includes forming a conjunctival incision in a patient's eye, attaching a synthetic flap to the patient's eye within the conjunctival incision, forming a scleral tunnel underneath the synthetic flap, the scleral tunnel extending from an exterior of a sclera to an anterior chamber of the patient's eye, and closing the conjunctival incision.

Synthetic flap for trabeculectomy procedures

An ophthalmic surgical system enabling pressure measurements proximal to the eye may include an illumination probe having a probe tip configured for insertion through an incision in an eye of a patient. The probe tip may include a distal end of an optical fiber, wherein the distal end of the optical fiber includes a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface. The first and second reflective surfaces being separated by a cavity, wherein the second reflective surface is provided by a partially transparent wall forming an exterior surface of the distal end of the optical fiber.

Intraocular pressure sensing systems, devices, and methods

A microfluidic pump for implantation proximate an eye of a patient is disclosed herein. The microfluidic pump includes a first substrate with a microfluidic actuator that includes a first chamber and a second chamber coupled by a channel, an electrode in each of the chambers, and a slug positioned within the channel. The slug is displaceable by an electric potential. The microfluidic actuator of the microfluidic pump includes a reservoir aligned with the chamber, a membrane portion separating the reservoir and the chamber, and a second reservoir aligned with the second chamber. A second membrane portion separates the second reservoir and the second chamber. Each of the reservoirs has an inlet and an outlet; each of the inlets has a valve that prevents backflow. A second substrate of the microfluidic pump includes a flow path coupling the outlet of the first reservoir to the inlet of the second reservoir.

Systems and methods for an electrocapillary positive displacement pump for an intraocular implant

A microfluidic valve for implantation in an eye of a patient is disclosed. The valve may include a chamber formed between a substrate and a flexible membrane. The valve may also include a boss disposed in the chamber and having a top edge in selective contact with the flexible membrane. The top edge includes a relief portion and a non-relief portion, with the relief portion being structurally arranged so that a pressure required to separate the membrane from the relief portion is less than a pressure required to separate the membrane from the non-relief portion. The valve also may include an inlet extending through the boss and the substrate through which fluid enters the chamber and an outlet configured to allow fluid to exit the chamber. Methods for priming a microfluidic valve are also disclosed.

Bubble-free microfluidic valve systems and methods

Described herein is a method of implanting a glaucoma drainage device in an eye having a vitreous chamber and a drainage site. The glaucoma drainage device comprises a tube including a lumen extending from an inlet end to an outlet end, and includes a control element that regulates the amount of fluid flow through the glaucoma drainage device. The method comprises implanting the glaucoma drainage device into pars plana tissue from the vitreous chamber, such that the device extends between the vitreous chamber and the drainage site.

Growing community of inventors

Laguna Niguel, CA, United States of America

Andrew David Johnson