IDiyas

For the Inventor, By the Inventor

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Patent No.:

US 10952896 B1

PDFFull Text
Date of Patent:
Mar. 23, 2021

Filed:

Nov. 23, 2016

Methods and apparatuses for treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction

Applicant:

Tearscience, Inc., Morrisville, NC (US);

Inventors:

Stephen M. Grenon, Durham, NC (US);

John Martin Jans, Hillsborough, NC (US);

Jordan W. Hutchinson, Durham, NC (US);

Keith Gausmann, Cary, NC (US);

Donald R. Korb, Boston, MA (US);

Assignee:

TearScience Inc, Morrisville, NC (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:

Gary Jackson

Assistant Examiner:

Sebastian X Lukjan

Int. Cl.
CPC ...
A61F 9/007 (2006.01); A61F 7/00 (2006.01); A61H 7/00 (2006.01); A61F 7/12 (2006.01); A61B 17/22 (2006.01); A61F 7/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61N 7/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/04 (2006.01); A61B 18/12 (2006.01); A61H 15/00 (2006.01); A61B 18/08 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
A61F 9/00772 (2013.01); A61B 17/22 (2013.01); A61F 7/007 (2013.01); A61F 7/02 (2013.01); A61F 7/12 (2013.01); A61H 7/00 (2013.01); A61B 18/08 (2013.01); A61B 18/12 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00084 (2013.01); A61B 2017/22082 (2013.01); A61B 2018/046 (2013.01); A61B 2018/048 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0004 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0059 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0071 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0086 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0091 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0096 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0249 (2013.01); A61F 2007/0282 (2013.01); A61H 2015/0014 (2013.01); A61N 7/00 (2013.01);
Abstract

Apparatus and methods for treating dry eye include an energy source configured to apply energy to an obstruction located in a meibomian gland of a patient's eyelid. The apparatus also comprises an insulator configured to be positioned between a rear portion of the patient's eyelid and a surface of the patient's eyeball. An inner surface of the insulator has a curvature greater than that of the patient's eyeball such that an air pocket is formed between the inner surface of the insulator and the patient's eyeball, wherein the air pocket provides additional insulation to reduce or eliminate an amount of heat due to the applied energy from the energy source from being conducted to the surface of the patient's eyeball, such that the applied energy does not cause the temperature to reach a temperature sufficient to cause damage to a corneal or scleral portion of the patient's eyeball.

Find Patent Forward Citations

Loading…