Microneedle for corneal crosslinking

Abstract

The utility model relates to the field of medical apparatus and instruments, and discloses a microneedle for corneal crosslinking, which is characterized by comprising a mounting sheet; the microneedles are arranged at the bottom of the mounting piece, the multiple microneedles are distributed in an array mode, each microneedle is in a triangular pyramid shape, and the needle length is larger than the thickness of the cornea epithelium and smaller than the thickness of the cornea; and the handle is arranged at the top of the mounting piece and is convenient for an operator to hold and press. The microneedle for corneal crosslinking can uniformly and effectively destroy the corneal epithelium barrier; the needle length design avoids penetrating the cornea; due to the needle number design, the epithelium destruction process can be completed through one-time pressing operation, the operation time is saved, and the comfort level of a patient is higher; and uniform microneedle penetration points can bring a more stable cross-linking effect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly, to a microneedle for corneal cross-linking. Background Art

[0002] Corneal cross-linking uses riboflavin as a photosensitizer and irradiates the cornea with ultraviolet light to induce collagen cross-linking in the corneal stroma in the irradiated area, thereby improving the biomechanics of the cornea. It is used to treat keratoconus and secondary corneal ectasia after refractive surgery and is the preferred surgical treatment in clinical practice. Epithelial-preserving corneal cross-linking promotes the penetration of riboflavin by destroying the epithelial barrier. Compared with epithelial removal, it has a shorter epithelial healing time, a shorter time required for vision recovery, less damage to corneal nerves and stromal cells, and better patient comfort. The currently available epithelial disruptor is a titanium instrument with 40 needles at the bottom, but the needles are long and excessive force may damage the stroma or even puncture it. Moreover, due to the limited number of needles, repeated punctures are required, resulting in unstable results. Therefore, it is necessary to design a stable and effective instrument that can even destroy the corneal epithelial barrier, has a suitable needle length, and is easy to operate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues in the prior art, the present invention proposes an epithelial disruption microneedle device for use in epithelial-preserving corneal cross-linking, designed to uniformly disrupt the epithelial barrier while maintaining a safe, long needle length and ease of operation. Therefore, the present application provides a microneedle device for corneal cross-linking that disrupts the corneal epithelial barrier, enhances penetration of the cross-linking agent riboflavin, and simultaneously achieves rapid healing with minimal corneal damage.

[0004] This application provides a microneedle for corneal cross-linking, which adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] A microneedle for corneal cross-linking, comprising:

[0006] Mounting piece;

[0007] A plurality of microneedles are provided at the bottom of the mounting plate, the plurality of microneedles being distributed in an array, the microneedles being in the shape of a triangular pyramid, and the needle length being greater than the thickness of the corneal epithelium but less than the thickness of the cornea; and

[0008] A handle is provided on the top of the mounting plate to facilitate an operator to hold and perform pressing operations.

[0009] Furthermore, the microneedle has a needle length of 200 microns.

[0010] Furthermore, the total number of the microneedles is 228.

[0011] Furthermore, the diameter of the microneedle base is 200 microns, and the distance between the needle tips is 400 microns.

[0012] Furthermore, the mounting piece is a single crystal silicon wafer.

[0013] Furthermore, the diameter of the mounting piece is 8.5 mm.

[0014] Furthermore, the handle is 10 cm long.

[0015] The working process of the microneedle device provided by the present invention is as follows: after corneal anesthesia, the device is aimed at the center of the cornea, pressed and then lifted, the formation of the corneal microneedle array is observed under a microscope, riboflavin is evenly dripped on the corneal surface, and after continuous perfusion for 30 minutes, standard or high-irradiance corneal cross-linking is performed.

[0016] In summary, this application has the following beneficial effects:

[0017] The corneal cross-linking microneedles of this utility model can evenly and effectively disrupt the corneal epithelial barrier. The needle length is designed to avoid penetrating the cornea. The number of needles is designed so that epithelial disruption can be completed with a single press, saving surgical time and increasing patient comfort. Furthermore, the uniform microneedle penetration points result in a more stable cross-linking effect. In summary, this utility model effectively overcomes the shortcomings of existing technologies and has high industrial value. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the overall structure of the microneedle used for corneal cross-linking in the embodiment of the present application.

[0019] Figure numerals: 1. mounting plate; 2. microneedle; 3. handle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The structure and effects of the present application are further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments. It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely for explaining the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, the accompanying drawings only show portions, not all, of the structure relevant to the present invention.

[0021] Example

[0022] The present application embodiment discloses a microneedle 2 for corneal cross-linking, referring to Figure 1The microneedle 2 used for corneal cross-linking surgery includes a mounting plate 1, a microneedle 2 and a handle 3. The mounting plate 1 is a wafer carved from single-crystal silicon using nanotechnology. The surface of the mounting plate 1 is an array of microneedles 2 with a diameter of 8.5 mm, corresponding to the irradiation area of ​​ultraviolet light in corneal cross-linking surgery. The microneedle 2 array is composed of 228 microneedles 2. The microneedles 2 are triangular pyramid-shaped and 200 microns long. The thickness of the human corneal epithelium is about 50 microns, which means that a 200-micron-long microneedle 2 can effectively penetrate and destroy the corneal epithelial barrier, and the length of the needle tip will not completely pierce the cornea. The base diameter of the microneedle 2 is 200 microns, and the needle tip distance is 400 microns. The handle 3 is set on the side wall of the mounting plate 1 away from the microneedle 2, and the handle 3 is perpendicular to the surface of the mounting plate 1. The length of the handle 3 is 10 cm, which is convenient for the operator to hold and press.

[0023] The working process of the microneedle 2 device provided by the present invention is as follows: after corneal anesthesia, the device is aimed at the center of the cornea, pressed and then lifted, the formation of the corneal microneedle 2 array is observed under a microscope, riboflavin is evenly dripped on the corneal surface, and after continuous perfusion for 30 minutes, standard or high-irradiance corneal cross-linking is performed.

[0024] The microneedles 2 used for corneal cross-linking in the present application can evenly and effectively destroy the corneal epithelial barrier; the needle length is designed to avoid penetrating the cornea; the number of needles is designed so that the epithelial destruction process can be completed with one press operation, saving surgical time and increasing patient comfort; and the uniform penetration points of the microneedles 2 can bring about a more stable cross-linking effect.

[0025] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of the present application and is not a limitation of the present application. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art may make non-creative modifications to the present embodiment as needed, but as long as they are within the scope of the claims of the present application, they are protected by the patent law.

Claims

1. A microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking, characterized in that: include: Mounting piece (1); A plurality of microneedles (2) are provided at the bottom of the mounting plate (1), the plurality of microneedles (2) being distributed in an array, the microneedles (2) being in the shape of a triangular pyramid, and the needle length being greater than the thickness of the corneal epithelium but less than the thickness of the cornea; as well as A handle (3) is provided on the top of the mounting plate (1) to facilitate an operator to hold and perform a pressing operation.

2. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The microneedle (2) has a needle length of 200 microns.

3. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total number of the microneedles (2) is 228.

4. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base diameter of the microneedle (2) is 200 microns, and the distance between the needle tip and the needle tip is 400 microns.

5. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting piece (1) is a single crystal silicon wafer.

6. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 5, characterized in that: The diameter of the mounting piece (1) is 8.5 mm.

7. The microneedle (2) for corneal cross-linking according to claim 1, characterized in that: The handle (3) is 10 cm long.

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