Corneal Denervation for Treatment of Ocular Pain

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for the treatment of the eye to reduce pain can treat at least an outer region of the tissue so as to denervate nerves extending into the inner region and reduce the pain. For example, the cornea of the eye may comprise an inner region having an epithelial defect, and an outer portion of the cornea can be treated to reduce pain of the epithelial defect. The outer portion of the cornea can be treated to denervate nerves extending from the outer portion to the inner portion. The outer portion can be treated in many ways to denervate the nerve, for example with one or more of heat, cold or a denervating noxious substance such as capsaicin. The denervation of the nerve can be reversible, such that corneal innervation can return following treatment.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 279,612 filed Oct. 23, 2009; the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT[0002]NOT APPLICABLEBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]People like to see. The eye comprises several tissues that allow a person to see, and these tissues include the cornea, the lens and the retina. The cornea and lens focus light rays on to the retina so as to form an image on the retina. The cornea comprises an outer tissue of the eye that is coupled to air with a tear film, such that a majority of the focusing power of the eye is achieved based on the shape of the cornea. The retina comprises photoreceptors that generate neural signals in response to the light image formed on the retina, and these neural signals are processed and transmi...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent is about a system and method for treating the eye to reduce pain. The treatment can be applied to an outer region of the tissue to denervate nerves extending into the inner region. For example, the cornea of the eye may have a defect and the outer region can be treated to reduce pain. The treatment can be applied using heat, cold, or a denervating substance such as capsaicin. The denervation is reversible and can occur naturally as the neurons return to their normal state. The outer region can be any shape, such as annular, oval, or disc. The technical effect is to inhibit pain for a plurality of days without inhibiting epithelial healing.

Problems solved by technology

However, this innervation of the cornea, may result in substantial pain following surgery in at least some instances.

Many surgeries and therapies of the eye are directed to the treatment of the cornea, and in at least some instances significant pain can occur.

Unfortunately, many of the corneal surgeries result in pain in at least some instances.

However, in at least some instances LASIK can result in complications related to the cutting of the LASIK flap and the LASIK ablation of the exposed stromal bed that extends deeper into the cornea than PRK and LASEK ablations.

Although LASIK can result in complications in at least some instances, many patients prefer the risks of LASIK to the pain of PRK.

For example, although the use of anesthetics such as lidocaine and proparacaine have been proposed, use of these anesthetics in amounts that significantly reduce pain may delay reepithelialization, such that the safely prescribed dosage does not sufficiently reduce pain in at least some instances.

Even with the use of safe amounts of analgesics with PRK and LASEK, patients can still report undesirable pain in at least some instances.

Although the systemic use of opioids such as morphine can reduce pain, the patient may be subjected to side effects of the systemic opioid medication.

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