Push rod mechanism for docking the drive mechanism handpiece with the intraocular lens box

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for inserting an intraocular lens (IOL) into an eye are provided. The apparatus includes an IOL case comprising a nozzle, a compartment, a plunger, and a plunger barrel. The nozzle is in fluid communication with the compartment, and the plunger barrel is in fluid communication with the compartment. The plunger is disposed within the plunger barrel. The plunger barrel includes a flexible member extending from an outer surface of the plunger barrel. The IOL case is configured to be removably attached to a handpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to ophthalmic surgery, and more particularly, some embodiments may generally relate to systems, methods, and apparatus for removably attaching a drive mechanism handpiece to an intraocular lens (IOL) cartridge. Background Art

[0002] The human eye can develop numerous conditions that can lead to mild deterioration or even complete vision loss. While contact lenses and glasses can compensate for some conditions, others may require eye surgery. Generally, eye surgery can be categorized as either posterior segment surgery, such as vitreoretinal surgery, or anterior segment surgery, such as cataract surgery.

[0003] For cataract surgery, the procedure may require making an incision in the eye and inserting a tool into the eye to replace the cloudy lens with an IOL. An insertion tool can be used to deliver the IOL into the eye. As an example, the insertion tool can include a plunger for pushing the IOL out of the mouth of the insertion tool. In some cases, the IOL can be pre-loaded into the insertion tool. In other cases, a separate carriage can be loaded into the insertion tool. The plunger can engage the IOL to advance the IOL from the carriage through the mouth and into the eye. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In an exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a device for delivering an intraocular lens (IOL) into an eye. The device may include an IOL box comprising a nozzle, a compartment, a plunger, and a plunger barrel. The compartment may be configured to receive an IOL. The nozzle may be in fluid communication with the compartment, and the plunger barrel may be in fluid communication with the compartment. The plunger may be arranged in the plunger barrel. The plunger barrel may include a flexible member extending from the outer surface of the plunger barrel. The IOL box may be configured to be removably attached to a handpiece.

[0005] In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a device for delivering an IOL into an eye. The device may include a handpiece comprising a housing and a push rod disposed within the housing. The housing may include a flexible clip. The distal end of the push rod may be configured to be removably attached to an IOL cartridge.

[0006] In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a method for delivering an IOL into an eye. The method may include inserting a plunger barrel of an IOL cartridge into a housing of a handpiece. The plunger barrel may include a flexible member extending from an outer surface of the plunger barrel. The IOL cartridge may further include a nozzle, a plunger, a housing, and a compartment containing an IOL. The compartment may further include an IOL and an IOL folding mechanism. The nozzle may be in fluid communication with the compartment. The plunger barrel may be in fluid communication with the compartment. The plunger may be disposed within the plunger barrel. The method may further include receiving a distal end of a push rod of the handpiece between flexible prongs of the plunger, further inserting the plunger barrel into the housing of the handpiece, causing internal features of the housing to move the flexible prongs inward to release the plunger from a locked position and secure the distal end of the push rod between the flexible prongs. The method may further include receiving a portion of the flexible members within an aperture in the housing of the handpiece to lock the IOL cartridge to the handpiece.

[0007] In another exemplary embodiment, the present disclosure provides a device for delivering an IOL. The device may include an IOL box including a compartment for receiving the IOL, a plunger barrel having a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the compartment, and a plunger disposed within the plunger barrel. The plunger barrel may include a flexible member extending from an outer surface of the plunger barrel. The device may further include a handpiece configured to be removably coupled to the plunger barrel and including a housing and a push rod disposed within the housing and configured to releasably couple to the plunger barrel.

[0008] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory in nature and are intended to provide an understanding of the present disclosure without limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In this regard, additional aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art through the following detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] These drawings illustrate certain aspects of some embodiments of the disclosure and should not be used to limit or define the disclosure.

[0010] Figure 1 shows a top perspective view of an IOL cartridge and handpiece according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0011] Figure 2 shows a top perspective view of a plunger according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0012] Figure 3 shows a side view of a plunger disposed within a plunger barrel according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0013] Figure 4shows a cross-sectional view of a plunger barrel of an IOL cartridge removably attached to a handpiece according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0014] Figure 5 shows a side cross-sectional view of an IOL cartridge locked to a handpiece according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0015] Figure 6 shows a side cross-sectional view of a plunger barrel disposed within a handpiece according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0016] Figure 7 shows a side perspective view of a plunger receiving a push rod according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0017] Figure 8 A top perspective view illustrating an insertion tool according to some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

[0018] Figure 9 and Figure 10 IOL implantation according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is demonstrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to promote the understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the implementations shown in the accompanying drawings, and specific language will be used to describe them. However, it should be understood that it is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art in the technical field involved in the present disclosure are generally fully able to envision any changes and further modifications to the described devices, instruments, methods, and any further applications of the principles of the present disclosure. Specifically, it is fully conceivable that the features, components and / or steps described with reference to one or more implementations can be combined with the features, components and / or steps described with reference to other implementations of the present disclosure. For simplicity, in some cases, the same reference numerals are used in all drawings to refer to the same or identical parts.

[0020] Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a variety of pre-loaded IOL box designs. These pre-loaded boxes can be used with handpieces that include different types of drive mechanisms. Specific embodiments of the present disclosure allow for interchangeability between different handpieces (such as disposable and reusable handpieces) and various pre-loaded IOL box designs. Disposable handpieces can include non-electric, unpowered drive mechanisms. Reusable handpieces can include non-powered drive mechanisms (e.g., simply manually pushing or twisting; manually actuated via fluid or elastic members such as springs) and electric drive mechanisms (e.g., stator windings). It should be noted that these types of handpieces are examples, and other types of handpieces or drive mechanisms can be utilized according to specific embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Certain embodiments of the present disclosure include a standard interface mechanism that utilizes a push-only function to assemble a handpiece with a preloaded IOL cartridge, deliver the IOL, and disengage the handpiece from the used cartridge when needed. The standard interface allows different types of handpieces to be easily paired and used with the preloaded IOL cartridge for IOL implantation. After IOL implantation, the preloaded IOL cartridge can be easily removed from the reusable handpiece.

[0022] The handpiece can be fixed to a preloaded IOL cartridge by sliding the end of the handpiece over the plunger barrel of the IOL cartridge. In certain embodiments, the plunger barrel can have a flexible member that engages a clip on the handpiece to secure the handpiece around the plunger barrel.

[0023] In addition, the internal features of the handpiece can engage with the elastic fork of the tail spring of the plunger arranged in the plunger barrel of the IOL box and press it inward. The elastic fork can be pressed inward and the plunger is released from its initial locking position in the plunger barrel. The plunger can be locked to prevent movement during transportation or storage. When the fork of the plunger tail spring is compressed, the fork can engage with the push rod of the handpiece. Once engaged, the push rod and plunger are ready to advance to deliver the IOL contained in the IOL box. Once the IOL delivery is completed, the handpiece can be disconnected from the used IOL box by pressing the clip on the handpiece inwardly and sliding the IOL box out of the handpiece.

[0024] Figure 1 A partially exploded view of an IOL insertion tool 11 according to a particular embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, which can be formed by assembling a handpiece 10 and an IOL cartridge 12. The handpiece 10 and the IOL cartridge 12 can be removably attached to each other. In operation, the handpiece 10 can be actuated to eject the IOL 14 from the IOL cartridge 12.

[0025] The IOL case 12 may include a compartment 15 for housing an IOL 14. The IOL 14 may include a lens 16 and a haptic extension 18. The haptic extension 18 may be a side strut (or other suitable extension) extending from the lens 16 that may stabilize the IOL 14 when it is positioned within the patient's eye. It should be understood that the IOL 14 is merely exemplary and that the technology disclosed herein may be used with any suitable IOL. For example, a modular IOL (not shown) may also be used that includes a lens portion that may be positioned within a base having a haptic extension.

[0026] The IOL cartridge 12 may further include a mouth 19 in fluid communication with the compartment 15. The IOL cartridge 12 may include a folding mechanism (not shown) for folding the IOL 14. For example, the IOL cartridge 12 may include a caliper or arm (not shown) to fold the IOL 14 for delivery into the eye. The plunger 24 may be movably disposed within a plunger barrel 26 of the IOL cartridge 12. In the illustrated embodiment, only the tail 25 of the plunger 24 is visible, extending from the plunger barrel 26. The plunger barrel 26 may be a hollow, rigid member that is removably attached to the handpiece 10. The plunger barrel 26 may include flexible members 28 and 30 extending from an outer surface 32 of the plunger barrel 26. Protrusions 34 and 36 may extend outwardly from the flexible members 28 and 30.

[0027] The handpiece 10 can be a tubular rigid member and can be used in conjunction with the IOL cartridge 12 to deliver the IOL 14 into the eye. The handpiece 10 can include a variety of materials, such as plastic and / or metal. It should be noted that various handpieces can be used with different types of IOL cartridges. The handpiece 10 can include an electric or non-electric drive mechanism that can include a push rod 20 movably disposed within a housing 22 of the handpiece 10. The push rod 20 can be manually actuated via a rotatable knob 23 that can cooperate with a fluid or elastic member (such as a spring 27) or another actuating mechanism. The push rod 20 can be removably coupled to a plunger 24 that is movably disposed within a plunger barrel 26 of the IOL cartridge 12.

[0028] The housing 22 of the handpiece 10 may include slots 38 and 40. The slots 38 and 40 may be adjacent to flexible clips 50 and 52. The clips 50 and 52 may extend from opposite sides of the handpiece 10. To assemble, the plunger barrel 26 may be inserted into the housing 22 of the handpiece 10 such that the protrusions 34 and 36 extend into the slots 38 and 40 to removably couple the IOL cartridge 12 to the handpiece 10 to form an insertion tool. Generally, for purposes of discussing and describing the various components and features of the handpiece 10 and IOL cartridge 12 of the IOL insertion tool 11, reference to a proximal or proximal direction may refer to a direction closer to the end of the handpiece 10 including the rotatable knob 23, as indicated by directional arrow 13. Similarly, reference to a distal or distal direction may refer to a direction closer to the end of the IOL cartridge 12 including the mouthpiece 19, as indicated by directional arrow 17.

[0029] Figure 2A top perspective view of a plunger 24 according to a specific embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. The plunger 24 can be an elongated member with a plunger tip 65 positioned at the distal end of the plunger 24. The tail 25 can be positioned on a proximal end 66 of the plunger 24 opposite the plunger tip 65. The proximal end 66 can include the tail 25. The tail 25 can include a first flexible fork 56 and a second flexible fork 62. The opening 59 positioned between the first and second flexible forks 56 and 62 can be configured to receive a portion of the push rod 20 (e.g., as shown in Figure 1). In some embodiments, for example, the first end 54 and the second end 60 of the first and second flexible forks 56 and 62 can be inclined, respectively.

[0030] Figure 3 A side view of the plunger 24 positioned within the plunger barrel 26 in an initial or locked position according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The plunger barrel 26 may include a first hole 58 and a second hole 63. The second hole 63 may be positioned opposite the first hole 58. As shown, the plunger 24 may be positioned in the plunger barrel 26. The first end 54 of the first flexible fork 56 of the plunger 24 may protrude through the first hole 58 of the plunger barrel 26. The second end 60 of the second flexible fork 62 may protrude through the second hole 63 of the plunger barrel 26. With the first flexible fork 62 and the second flexible fork 64 received in the first hole 58 and the second hole 63, respectively, the plunger 24 may be locked in a locked position within the plunger barrel 26 with limited axial movement. The plunger barrel 26 may include a proximal opening 64 adjacent to the tail 25 of the plunger 24, and a distal opening 67 adjacent to the plunger tip 65. The proximal opening 64 allows the push rod 20 (e.g., Figure 1 59 ). As previously described, the push rod 20 can be received within the opening 59 between the first flexible prong 56 and the second flexible prong 62. The first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 can be configured to flex inwardly when the plunger barrel 26 is received into the housing 22 due to interaction with one or more features on the interior of the housing 22 of the handpiece 10. As the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 move inwardly, the plunger 24 is released from the locked position within the plunger barrel 26. As the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 flex inwardly, the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 can contact and lock the push rod 20 because the push rod 20 is received within the opening 59. The push rod 20 can then drive the plunger 24 through the plunger barrel 26, causing the plunger tip 65 to move through the distal opening 67.

[0031] Figure 4 The IOL cartridge 12 is shown locked to the handpiece 10 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 4 As shown, a portion of the handpiece 10 can be positioned over and around a portion of the IOL cartridge 12, which portion can include the plunger barrel 26. Figure 1 As discussed, the handpiece 10 can include a housing 22, a flexible clip 52 formed as part of the housing 22, and a slot 40 disposed in the housing 22. The slot 40 can be adjacent to the flexible clip 52. As shown, the IOL cartridge 12 can be at least partially positioned in the housing 22 of the handpiece 10, with the protrusion 36 of the IOL cartridge 12 extending into the slot 40, thereby locking the IOL cartridge 12 to the handpiece 10. The protrusion 36 of the IOL cartridge 12 abuts the clip 52. Although not shown, on the opposite side of the handpiece 10, the protrusion 34 of the IOL cartridge 12 can also lock into the slot 38 on the housing 22, similar to how the protrusion 36 locks into the slot 40.

[0032] Figure 5 A cross-section of a portion of an IOL cartridge 12 locked to a portion of a handpiece 10 is shown, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown, the IOL cartridge 12 is at least partially disposed within the handpiece 10. The IOL cartridge 12 may include a plunger 24 and a plunger barrel 26. The IOL cartridge 12 may be positioned within the handpiece 10 such that protrusions 34 and 36 of the plunger barrel 26 extend into slots 38 and 40 of the housing 22 to lock the IOL cartridge 12 to the handpiece 10. Protrusions 34 and 36 may be formed on the ends of flexible members 28 and 30 and may abut against flexible clips 50 and 52 of the handpiece 10. In certain embodiments, the plunger barrel 26 may be attached to the handpiece 10 via protrusions 68 and 69 of the plunger barrel 26, which may extend into internal slots 70 and 71 adjacent to first and second internal latches 53 and 55 of the handpiece 10. As shown, the push rod 20 of the handpiece 10 may be removably attached to the plunger 24.

[0033] Figure 6 Another more proximal portion of the plunger barrel 26 disposed within the more proximal portion of the handpiece 10 is shown in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 5 The plunger barrel 26 can accommodate a plunger 24 having a first flexible prong 56 and a second flexible prong 62. As shown, the first end 54 of the first flexible prong 56 and the second end 60 of the second flexible prong 62 can extend to contact the first and second internal protrusions 72 and 74 of the handpiece 10. During installation of the plunger barrel 26 into the handpiece 10, the first and second internal protrusions 72 and 74 can contact the first and second ends 54 and 60 and squeeze or move the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 inwardly. The inward movement of the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 can be achieved by releasing a portion of the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 from the first hole 58 and the second hole 63 of the plunger barrel 26, respectively (as previously described). Figure 310) to unlock or release plunger 24 from a locked position (e.g., locked for transport and / or storage, as previously discussed). When first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 are pushed inwardly by first and second internal protrusions 72 and 74 of handpiece 10, distal end 76 of push rod 20 is received in opening 59 at proximal end 66 of plunger 24 and locked in place between the inwardly displaced or depressed first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 of plunger 24.

[0034] Figure 7 Provided Figure 6 Further illustration of the interaction between the distal end 76 of the push rod 20 and the proximal end 66 of the plunger 24 is shown. For example, Figure 7 The push rod 20 is shown secured to the plunger 24 according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 7 As further shown, the opening 59 at the proximal end 66 of the plunger 24 is located between the first flexible prong 56 and the second flexible prong 62 of the plunger 24. The distal end 76 of the push rod 20 can be received within the opening 59 of the plunger 24 between the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62. In some embodiments, the distal end 76 of the push rod 20 can include a first side protrusion 77 and a second side protrusion 79 that can be sized to fit within the opening 59 of the proximal end 66 of the plunger 24 between the first flexible prong 56 and the second flexible prong 62. When the distal end 76 of the push rod 20, including the first side protrusion 77 and the second side protrusion 79, is inserted into the opening 59 of the plunger 24, the first and second side protrusions 77 and 79 can push against and pass over the first end 54 of the first flexible prong 56 and the second end 60 of the second flexible prong 62, respectively. As a result, the first and second side projections 77 and 79 of the push rod 20 can be disposed away from the first end 54 of the first flexible prong 56 and the second end 60 of the second flexible prong 62, respectively. Then, the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 62 of the plunger 24, including the first and second ends 54 and 60, respectively, can be clamped inwardly onto the distal end 76 of the push rod 20, with the first and second ends 54 and 60 positioned proximate to the first and second side projections 77 and 79 of the distal end 76 of the push rod 20. As a result, the distal end 76 of the push rod 20 can be secured within the opening 59 of the plunger 24, thereby locking the push rod 20 to the plunger 24.

[0035] Figure 8 The handpiece 10 is shown removably attached to an IOL cartridge 12, thereby forming an IOL insertion tool 11, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure. The IOL cartridge 12 can be at least partially disposed in the handpiece 10. The IOL cartridge 12 can be positioned such that the projections 34 and 36 (e.g., Figure 510 . As shown, the protrusions 34 and 36 extend into the slots 38 and 40, respectively, of the handpiece 10. As shown, the protrusions 34 and 36 extend into the slots 38 and 40, respectively, and abut against the flexible clips 50 and 52, respectively, of the handpiece 10. For example, to remove the IOL cartridge 12 from the handpiece 10, the flexible clips 50 and 52 can be depressed and held while the IOL cartridge 12 is pulled away from and out of the handpiece 10. By depressing the flexible clips 50 and 52, the protrusions 34 and 36 of the flexible members 28 and 30 can be pushed inward, respectively, and removed or released from the slots 38 and 40 of the housing 22 of the handpiece 10. The plunger barrel 26 (including the flexible members 28 and 30) can then slide freely in the distal direction according to arrow 81 through the interior of the housing 22 and ultimately out of the distal end of the handpiece 10.

[0036] refer to Figures 1 to 8 , an exemplary technique for assembling an insertion tool, such as the IOL insertion tool 11, according to certain embodiments of the present disclosure is described below. First, the plunger barrel 26 of the IOL cartridge 12 can be inserted into the handpiece 10. When the plunger barrel 26 is inserted into the handpiece 10, the distal end 76 of the push rod 20 can be received into the opening 59 of the proximal end 66 of the plunger 24 (e.g., Figure 6 ). As the housing 22 of the handpiece 10 passes over the plunger barrel 26 during insertion of the IOL cartridge 12 into the handpiece 10, the first and second internal protrusions 72, 74 on the inside of the housing 22 of the handpiece 10 pass along the first end 54 of the first flexible prong 56 and the second end 60 of the second flexible prong 62, respectively, which causes the first and second flexible prongs 56 and 60 to be pushed inward. The first and second ends 54 and 60 are then positioned around the first and second side protrusions 77 and 79 of the pushrod 20, respectively, to secure the distal end 76 of the pushrod 20 between the flexible prongs 56 and 62 of the plunger 24 (e.g., Figure 6 and Figure 7 ). At this point, the plunger 24 has been unlocked from the plunger barrel 26. When the housing 22 of the handpiece 10 is moved to its final position about the plunger barrel 26, the protrusions 34 and 36 of the flexible members 28 and 30 of the plunger barrel 26 can then extend into the grooves 38 and 40 of the handpiece 10, respectively, as shown. Figure 5 As best shown, the outer housing 22 of the handpiece 10 is thus locked to the plunger barrel 26 and assembly of the IOL insertion tool 11 is completed. The push rod 20 of the handpiece 10 can then be actuated or advanced in the distal direction to drive the plunger 24 axially forward through the plunger barrel 26 and compartment 15 of the IOL cartridge 12 to move the IOL 14 from the IOL cartridge 12 into the eye.

[0037] To disassemble the assembled IOL insertion tool 11 (e.g., Figure 8), the flexible clips 50 and 52 can be depressed and held, thereby unlocking the plunger barrel 26 from the handpiece 10. Next, the IOL cartridge 12 can be pulled away from the handpiece 10, thereby sliding the plunger barrel 26 out of the handpiece 10 to thereby separate the IOL cartridge 12 and the separate handpiece 10 from each other (e.g., as shown in FIG. Figure 1 Best shown).

[0038] Now refer to Figure 9 and Figure 10 An exemplary technique for implanting an IOL (e.g., IOL 14) into a patient's eye 80 is described. A surgeon can create an incision 82 in the eye 80. For example, the incision 82 can be created through the sclera of the eye 80. The incision 82 can be of a suitable width or length. After creating the incision 82, the mouth 19 of the IOL insertion tool 11 can be inserted through the incision 82 into the interior 88 of the eye 80. The IOL insertion tool 11 can be actuated to dispense the IOL 14 into the capsular bag 90 of the eye 80.

[0039] In some embodiments, the IOL 14 can be delivered in a folded manner (or rolled configuration) and allowed to unfold after being ejected from the IOL insertion tool 11. After dispensing, the IOL 14 should unfold and seat within the capsular bag 90 of the eye 80, as shown in FIG. Figure 10 For example, haptic extension 18 can be manipulated to engage the equatorial portion of capsular bag 90. Haptic extension 18 can engage capsular bag 90 to secure IOL 14 within capsular bag 90.

[0040] Using the methods and systems described herein can provide numerous benefits and advantages compared to other IOL delivery systems. For example, as previously described, certain embodiments enable interchangeable use of different drive mechanisms with various preloaded IOL cartridge designs. This interchangeability provides a simplified and unified process for pairing drive mechanisms with preloaded IOL cartridges. Consequently, various handpieces employing different types of drive mechanisms can be used with each of a variety of different IOL cartridges, and therefore, with different types of IOLs. For example, depending on the type of IOL and / or IOL cartridge, a user can easily select between multiple types of drive mechanisms they wish to use. Furthermore, while one user may prefer to use a first type of drive mechanism handpiece with a given IOL cartridge, a different user may choose to use a second type of drive mechanism handpiece with the same given IOL cartridge. Importantly, by allowing a universal or standardized interface for securing the handpiece to the IOL cartridge, the user experience of securing the handpiece to the IOL cartridge can be substantially the same, regardless of the type of drive mechanism or IOL cartridge, and therefore, the type of IOL, used. This can also improve operator usability and simplify the IOL delivery procedure.

[0041] It is believed that the operation and construction of the present disclosure will be clear from the foregoing description. Although the apparatus and methods shown or described above have been characterized as being preferred, various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for delivering an intraocular lens, comprising: An intraocular lens case comprising: Mouth; a compartment for receiving the intraocular lens, the mouth being in fluid communication with the compartment; a plunger barrel in fluid communication with the compartment, the plunger barrel comprising at least one flexible member extending from an outer surface of the plunger barrel; and a plunger disposed within the plunger barrel; wherein the plunger barrel is configured to be removably attached to a handpiece; and A handpiece, comprising: a housing; and a push rod disposed within the housing, the push rod including a distal end configured to be removably attached to the plunger, wherein: The plunger includes a tail portion including a plurality of flexible prongs extending to form an opening configured to receive the distal end of the push rod. A portion of the flexible fork extends through the bore of the plunger barrel, and The housing includes an internal protrusion configured to contact the portion of the flexible tines and move the flexible tines inwardly to lock the distal end of the push rod within the opening of the plunger.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein The housing of the handpiece includes at least one flexible clip configured to engage the at least one flexible member of the plunger barrel.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The portion of the flexible fork is inclined.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: The flexible fork is configured to clamp and secure the push rod.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The compartment contains the intraocular lens.

6. An apparatus for delivering an intraocular lens, comprising: A handpiece comprising: a housing including a flexible clip; and a push rod disposed within the housing; wherein the distal end of the push rod is configured to be removably attached to an intraocular lens cartridge; and An intraocular lens box, comprising: a compartment for receiving the intraocular lens; a plunger barrel in fluid communication with the compartment, wherein the plunger barrel is configured to be removably attached to the handpiece; and a plunger disposed within the plunger barrel, wherein The plunger includes a tail portion including a plurality of flexible prongs extending to form an opening configured to receive the distal end of the push rod. A portion of the flexible fork extends through the bore of the plunger barrel, and The housing of the handpiece includes an internal protrusion configured to move the flexible tines inwardly to lock the distal end of the push rod within the opening of the plunger.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein: Portions of the flexible fork are inclined.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein: The flexible fork is configured to clamp and secure the push rod.

9. An apparatus for delivering an intraocular lens, comprising: An intraocular lens case comprising: a compartment for receiving an intraocular lens; a plunger barrel having a proximal end and a distal end coupled to the compartment; and a plunger disposed within the plunger barrel, the plunger including a tail portion including a plurality of flexible prongs extending to form an opening; and a handpiece configured to be removably coupled to the plunger barrel and comprising: housing; and a push rod disposed within the housing and configured to releasably couple to a plunger of the plunger barrel, wherein: the opening of the flexible yoke being configured to receive the distal end of the push rod, the housing including an internal protrusion configured to contact a portion of the flexible yoke, wherein the portion of the flexible yoke extends through a bore of the plunger barrel, the plunger barrel including a flexible member extending from an outer surface of the plunger barrel; and The internal protrusion of the housing is configured to move the flexible fork inwardly to release the plunger from a locked position and lock the distal end of the push rod within the opening of the plunger.

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