IOL injector with telescopic mechanism and / or lever-driven rack and pinion

Abstract

The present invention provides an IOL injector having a telescopic mechanism and / or a lever-driven rack and pinion. [Solution] An IOL injector having an extension mechanism and / or a lever-driven rack and pinion; an extendable injector body; and an extendable portion (800) forming a telescopic cylinder, comprising at least a first sleeve (801) having a proximal end and a distal end, and a second sleeve (804) slidably connected to the first sleeve and formed from the distal portion of the main part, having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein in the non-retracted state the distal end of the second sleeve is adjacent to the proximal end of the first sleeve, and in the retracted state the distal end of the second sleeve is adjacent to the distal end of the first sleeve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems, devices, and methods for an intraocular lens (IOL) injector.

Background Art

[0002] Put simply, the human eye functions to provide vision by transmitting and refracting light through a transparent outer portion called the cornea and further forming an image on the retina at the back of the eye by means of the lens. The quality of the image formation depends on many factors including the size, shape, and length of the eye, as well as the shape and transparency of the cornea and lens. When the transparency of the lens is reduced due to trauma, aging, or disease, the amount of light that can be transmitted to the retina decreases, resulting in a decline in visual acuity. Such disorders of the eye lens are medically known as cataracts. Treatment for such conditions is the surgical removal of the lens and the implantation of an intraocular lens (IOL).

[0003] Many cataract lenses are removed by a surgical technique called phacoemulsification. In this procedure, an opening is made in the anterior capsule of the eye, and a phacoemulsification resection tip is inserted into the diseased lens and vibrated with ultrasound. The vibrating resection tip liquefies or emulsifies the lens, whereby the lens can be aspirated out of the eye. Once the diseased lens is removed, it is replaced with an IOL.

[0004] The IOL can be injected through a small incision, and the same incision used for removing the diseased lens may be used. An IOL injector can be used to deliver the IOL into the eye.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to a first aspect, the disclosure relates to an IOL injector, which may include a main part having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal portion including the distal end. The IOL injector may also include an extendable portion, which forms a telescopic cylinder and includes at least a first sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, and a second sleeve slidably connected to the first sleeve, formed from the distal portion of the main part, and having a proximal end and a distal end. In the non-contracted state, the distal end of the second sleeve may be adjacent to the proximal end of the first sleeve, and in the contracted state, the distal end of the second sleeve may be adjacent to the distal end of the first sleeve. The IOL injector may further include a nozzle having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of which is connected to the distal end of a first sleeve of an expandable portion, and the nozzle further including an IOL storage position and an IOL standby position distal to the IOL storage position; a bore including a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end of the main part to the distal end of the nozzle; and a plunger concentrically movably connected within the injector body and centered within the bore, including a plunger tip made to contact an IOL. In the non-contracted state, the plunger tip may be in a first position adjacent to the IOL storage position on the proximal side, and in the contracted state, the plunger tip may be in a second position adjacent to the IOL standby position on the proximal side. The IOL injector may have a length in the contracted state that is 10-20% shorter than in the non-contracted state. The second sleeve may be concentrically slidably connected within the first sleeve. The first sleeve may be connected to the second sleeve so as to be slidable in a concentric manner.

[0006] In a second aspect, the disclosure relates to an IOL injector, which may include a lever-driven rack and pinion system. The IOL injector may include an injector body, which includes a main part having a proximal end and a distal end; a nozzle having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of the nozzle being connected to the distal end of the main part; and a bore including a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end of the main part to the distal end of the nozzle. The IOL injector may also include at least one pinion having a plurality of teeth. The IOL injector may further include a lever, which has a distal end; a pivot point located between the proximal and distal ends of the lever, rotatably connected to the injector body to allow rotational movement of the lever about the pivot point; a pushable surface accessible to the user and located between the pivot point and the distal end of the lever; and a proximal end including an arc-shaped rack, the arc-shaped rack having a plurality of teeth which, in response to the movement of the arc-shaped rack, mesh with a plurality of teeth of a pinion and cause the pinion to rotate. The IOL injector may further include a plunger that is concentrically movable within the injector body and centered within a bore, the plunger body further including a plunger rack having a proximal end and a distal end and having a plurality of teeth configured to mesh with a plurality of teeth of a pinion, wherein the plunger rack is configured to be linearly movable toward the distal end of a nozzle in response to the rotational motion of a pinion; a plunger rod having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of which is connected to the distal end of the plunger body; and a plunger tip formed at the distal end of the plunger rod, which is configured to contact the IOL in response to the surface of a lever being pressed down and to move the IOL from a standby position.The IOL injector may include one pinion, and the teeth of the arcuate rack may be configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion, and the teeth of the plunger rack may be configured to mesh with the teeth of the pinion, and in response to the pushable surface of the lever being pushed down, the lever may rotate in a first rotational direction about a pivot point, moving the teeth of the arcuate rack in the first rotational direction, the pinion may rotate in a second rotational direction, and the plunger rack may be configured to move linearly toward the distal end of the nozzle in response to the rotational motion of the pinion in the second rotational direction. The IOL injector may include two pinions, wherein multiple teeth of an arcuate rack may be configured to mesh with multiple teeth of a first pinion, multiple teeth of the first pinion may be configured to mesh with multiple teeth of a second pinion, and multiple teeth of a plunger rack may be configured to mesh with multiple teeth of a second pinion, and in response to the pushable surface of the lever being pushed down, the lever may rotate in a first rotational direction about a pivot point, moving the multiple teeth of the arcuate rack in the first rotational direction, the first pinion may be configured to rotate in a second rotational direction, and the second pinion may be configured to rotate in the first rotational direction, and the plunger rack may be configured to move linearly toward the distal end of the nozzle in response to the rotational movement of the second pinion in the first rotational direction. The first pinion may further include a stopper, and the second pinion may further include a ratchet, the stopper may engage with the ratchet to prevent the plunger rack from moving toward the proximal end of the nozzle. The first pinion may have a circumference R1, and the second pinion may have a circumference R2, the ratio of the values ​​of R2 to R1 may be 1:1 to 1:5. The IOL injector may further include a return spring having a first end connected to a lever and a second end connected to the injector body, the lever may rotate in a first rotational direction in response to the pushable surface of the lever being pushed down, and the return spring may rotate the lever in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction.The nozzle may have an IOL storage position and an IOL standby position, the IOL standby position being distal to the IOL storage position, the distance between the IOL standby position and the distal end of the nozzle may be length r, and the plunger rack may be configured to move by a distance of length r in response to the lever being pressed down 1 to 10 times. The injector body may be retractable, and the IOL injector may further include a main part having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal portion including the distal end, a telescopic cylinder and a first sleeve having at least a proximal end and a distal end, and a retractable part slidably connected to the first sleeve and formed from the distal portion of the main part and having a second sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the second sleeve may be adjacent to the proximal end of the first sleeve in the non-retracted state, and the distal end of the second sleeve may be adjacent to the distal end of the first sleeve in the retracted state. Multiple teeth of the plunger rack may engage with multiple teeth of the pinion when the IOL injector is retracted, but not when the IOL injector is unretracted. The plunger body may further include a flange made to contact the proximal end of the plunger body, and the plunger body may be made to move axially in response to an axial force applied to the flange, and the plunger tip may be made to move the IOL from a storage position to a standby position in response to an axial force applied to the flange. The IOL injector may further include a ribbed damping mechanism, which includes at least one rib on the plunger body and at least one rib on the inner wall of the bore, and at least one rib on the plunger may be made to contact at least one rib on the inner wall to provide frictional resistance to the axial movement of the plunger. One or more ribs on the plunger body may form a ridge, and one or more ribs on the inner wall may form ridge-engaging teeth, and the ridges and ridge-engaging teeth may be configured to prevent the plunger from moving toward the proximal end of the main part of the IOL injector.One or more ribs on the inner wall may form a ridge, and one or more ribs on the plunger may form ridge-engaging teeth, and the ridges and ridge-engaging teeth may be configured to prevent the plunger from moving toward the proximal end of the main part of the IOL injector. The IOL injector may be configured to inject the IOL base, the IOL optics, or both separately. The IOL injector may be configured to inject the IOL base and the IOL optics simultaneously.

[0007] To better understand this disclosure, please refer here to the attached drawings, which are not drawn to an exact scale, and the following explanations to be read. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary IOL injector. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the IOL injector shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an exemplary one-piece IOL. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an exemplary two-piece IOL including the base and optical section. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of an exemplary nozzle of an IOL injector. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of the IOL injector shown in Figure 5. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an exemplary cross-sectional shape of the nozzle of the IOL injector shown in Figure 5. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is another perspective view of the nozzle of the IOL injector shown in Figure 5. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows the distal end of an IOL injector with the IOL placed inside and positioned in standby mode. [Figure 10A]Figure 10A is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary IOL injector having an extendable portion of the injector body and a lever-driven rack and pinion system, where the extendable portion is not retracted and the plunger has not been advanced to the distal end of the IOL injector by the lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 10B] Figure 10B is another cross-sectional view of an exemplary IOL injector having the injector body and lever-driven rack and pinion system shown in Figure 10A, with the retractable portion of the injector body retracted and the plunger not advanced to the distal end of the IOL injector by the lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 10C] Figure 10C is yet another cross-sectional view of an exemplary IOL injector having the injector body and lever-driven rack and pinion system of Figure 10A, with the retractable portion of the injector body retracted so that the plunger is advanced to the distal end of the IOL injector by the lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion system but without an extendable section. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view of the rack and pinion portion of an exemplary IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 13A] Figure 13A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 13B] Figure 13B is another schematic diagram of an exemplary lever-driven rack and pinion system. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a detailed view of an exemplary ribbed damping system. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary non-circular plunger-bore interface. [Figure 16A] Figure 16A is a schematic diagram showing the mounting configuration of an IOL injector having a slide advanced to the standby position and a lever-driven rack and pinion mechanism. [Figure 16B] Figure 16B is a detailed view of an exemplary unidirectional gear system of an IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion mechanism as shown in Figure 16A. [Figure 16C] Figure 16C is a further detail view of an exemplary one-way gear system of an IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion mechanism as shown in Figure 16A. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] To facilitate understanding of the principles of this disclosure, the implementations depicted in the drawings are referred to and described here using specific terminology. However, it should be understood that this does not intend to limit the scope of this disclosure. Any modifications and further improvements to the described apparatus, equipment, methods, and any other application of the principles of this disclosure are readily conceivable, as would be commonly conceived by those skilled in the art to which this disclosure relates. In particular, features, components, and / or steps described in relation to one implementation may be readily conceived in combination with features, components, and / or steps described in relation to other implementations of this disclosure.

[0010] Figures 1 and 2 are exemplary schematic diagrams of an exemplary IOL injector 10 that is operated by force applied by the user by hand. The IOL injector 10 includes an injector body 20, a plunger 30 configured to reciprocate through a bore 40 formed in the injector body 20, a folding mechanism 80, and a nozzle 25 located at the distal end 60 of the injector body 20.

[0011] The IOL injector 10 also includes a longitudinal axis 75. The longitudinal axis 75 extends along the plunger 30 and defines the longitudinal axis of the plunger 30.

[0012] The IOL injector 10 includes a main body 21 including a proximal end 50 and a distal end 22. The distal end 22 of the main body 21 is connected to the proximal end 23 of the folder 80. The distal end 24 of the folder 80 is connected to the proximal end 26 of the nozzle 25. The nozzle 25 defines a passage 31 through which the folded IOL may be advanced and delivered to the eye through an opening 29 at the distal tip 27 of the distal end 60. The delivery path of the folder 80 may be aligned with the bore 40, thereby allowing the IOL, such as the IOL 70, to be advanced within the delivery path of the folder 80 and the passage 31 of the nozzle 25 and delivered into the eye through the tip 27.

[0013] The folder 80 may include a door 90 that allows access to the interior of the folding device 100. The door 90 may include a hinge 100, whereby the door 90 pivots around the hinge 100 to open the folder 80, for example, to allow the installation of the IOL 70. In other implementations, the folder 80 may not have a door for installing the IOL 70. In such an example, the IOL 70 may be incorporated into the folder 80 during the assembly of the folder 80. Therefore, in such an example, the IOL injector 10 becomes a preloaded IOL injector.

[0014] The injector body 20 may also include a tab 110 formed at the proximal end 50 of the injector body 20. The tab 110 may be operated by a finger of a user, such as an ophthalmologist, an ophthalmic surgical assistant or a nurse, or other medical personnel, to advance the plunger 30 within the bore 40. The plunger 30 may include a body portion 200, a plunger rod 210 extending distally from the body portion 200, and a plunger tip 220 formed at the distal end 230 of the plunger rod 210 and arranged to contact, for example, the folder 80 of the IOL injector 10 and the folded IOL. When the plunger 30 is displaced distally in the direction of arrow 78 within the bore 40, the plunger tip 220 of the plunger 30 engages and advances the folded IOL, such as IOL 70, housed within the folder 80. The plunger 30 may also include a flange 240 formed at the proximal end 250, which may be operated by a finger or hand of the user to displace the plunger 30 distally in the direction of arrow 78 within the bore 40, thereby advancing the plunger 30 within the bore 40.

[0015] In some implementations described herein, the various components of the plunger 30 may be physically separated or severed from each other within the injector body 20 of the IOL injector 10. For example, in some implementations, the plunger body 200 may be physically separated or severed from the plunger rod 210. In various implementations, when the various components of the plunger 30 are physically separated or severed from each other, an additional component of the IOL injector 10 may actuate the movement of one component of the plunger 30 in response to the movement of another component of the plunger 30, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure.

[0016] In some implementations, the IOL 70 may be a one-piece IOL. That is, in some implementations, the IOL 70 may include an optical section 460 and a support section 450, as shown in Figure 3. Each of the support sections 450 includes a tip 452. In some implementations, the optical section 460 and the support section 450 may be integrally formed from a single piece of material. In other implementations, the optical section 460 may be formed from one piece of material, and the support section 450 may be formed from another piece of material, and the optical section 460 and the support section 450 may be connected to each other before being delivered into the eye. In some examples, the optical section 460 and the support section 450 may be inserted into an IOL injector and firmly fixed to each other before being delivered into the eye.

[0017] In other implementations, the IOL 70 may be a multi-piece IOL, as shown in Figure 4, for example. For example, in some implementations, the IOL 70 may include two or more separate components. Figure 4 is an exemplary IOL 70 including two detachably attached components. As shown in Figure 4, the IOL 70 includes an optical section 460 and a base 461 including a support section 450 and having an upper section 498 and a lower section 499. The optical section 460 and the base 461 may be connected to each other to form a single IOL, and then separated to become separate components as needed. In some examples, one or more components of a multi-piece IOL, such as the two-piece IOL 70 shown in Figure 4, may be injected separately into the patient's eye. Once inside the eye, the components may be assembled into a complete IOL. For example, in the two-piece IOL 70 shown in Figure 4, the optical section 460 and the base 461 are injected separately into the eye. Once injected, the optical unit 460 is connected to the upper part 498 of the base 461 and rests on top of it.

[0018] Occasionally, patients may require IOL replacement, and the procedure for IOL replacement can result in eye damage. For example, by using a two-piece IOL, the replacement procedure only involves replacing the optical portion, while the base remains in place within the eye.

[0019] As mentioned above, in some implementations, the IOL 70 may be a two-piece IOL, with the base 461 and the optical part 460 being injected separately into the patient's eye. Therefore, in the case of a two-piece IOL, the base 461 and the optical part 460 may be housed in separate IOL injectors 10 for insertion into the eye. In other implementations, the two components of a two-piece IOL may be inserted separately into the eye using a single IOL injector. In the case of a one-piece IOL, the optical part 460 and the support part 450 form a single IOL, which is inserted simultaneously into the eye using a single IOL injector.

[0020] Therefore, in some implementations, the user may set a single IOL by loading it into the IOL injector, for example, into the IOL storage chamber of the IOL injector, for example, the IOL storage chamber 80 of the IOL injector mentioned above. As also mentioned above, the storage chamber may be accessed through a door, for example, door 90. In some implementations, the IOL may be folded and compressed by hand, or in a folded state.

[0021] In the case of a two-piece IOL, in some configurations, the user may load the base (which may be similar to base 461) into the IOL storage chamber of the IOL injector, for example, through a door. The optics (which may be similar to optics 460) may be introduced into the IOL storage chamber of another IOL injector, for example, through a door. In some examples, the IOL storage may be accessed through a door similar to door 90. In some configurations, one or both of the base and the optics may be folded and compressed by hand, or in a folded state.

[0022] In some implementations, the IOL may be preloaded into the storage chamber of the IOL injector, for example, during manufacturing or otherwise before sale to the end user. Therefore, in the case of a one-piece IOL, the one-piece IOL may be preloaded into the storage chamber of the IOL injector before the end user receives it. In the case of a two-piece IOL, the base may be preloaded into the storage chamber of one IOL injector, while the optics may be preloaded into the IOL storage chamber of another IOL injector. The term "preloaded," as used herein, means that a one-piece or multi-piece configuration (including, for example, a two-piece configuration) of IOL is not loaded into the IOL injector by the user, but rather the IOL is pre-installed in the IOL injector and is already housed within the IOL injector when the IOL injector is received by the user. The IOL injector may be packaged in sterile packaging material when received by the user.

[0023] As those skilled in the art will know, pre-loaded IOLs in an IOL injector offer advantages over manual installation and folding of IOLs by the user. For example, manual installation and folding of IOLs increases the chance of errors, which can lead to unnecessary secondary operations or corrections in an already complex procedure. Manual installation and folding of IOLs also increases the possibility of IOL contamination, for example, due to human error or inadequate sterilization techniques. Contamination of IOLs can compromise the sterile environment for the patient and pose a risk of infection or other harm to the patient.

[0024] Figures 5-8 show details of an exemplary nozzle 25. In some examples, the nozzle 25 has a tapered outer surface. Furthermore, the nozzle 25 may include a portion of the bore 40 that forms a passage 64 that narrows toward the opening 29. The distal tip 27 is made to be inserted into the eye and implant the IOL 70. The IOL 70 is pushed into the eye through the opening 29 formed in the distal tip 27. As shown in Figure 7, the distal tip 27 may have an elliptical cross-section 120. In addition, the distal tip 27 may include a sloping tip 130. The folder 80, passage 64, and opening 29 may define the delivery passage. The size of the delivery passage may vary along its length. For example, in some examples, the height H1 of the passage may vary along the length of the delivery passage. The variation in the size of the delivery passage may contribute to the IOL folding through the folder 80 as it is advanced along it.

[0025] In some examples, the injector body 20 may include an insertion depth guard 140. The insertion depth guard 140 may form a flange surface 150, which is made to abut against the outer surface of the eye. The insertion depth guard 140 abuts against the ocular surface and thereby limits the amount to which the distal tip 27 can extend into the eye, as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 15 / 049,315, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0026] Figures 8 and 9 are detail views of a part of an exemplary nozzle 25. The nozzle 25 may include a tapered portion 62 and an insertion depth guard 140. The distal tip 27 may include a boundary 1900, which visually indicates the standby position 809 of the folded or partially folded IOL 70. The term “standby position,” as used herein, refers to a position adjacent to the distal tip 60 of the nozzle 25. For example, the standby position 809 may be located 2 to 10 mm from the distal end 60. For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, the boundary 1900 is a narrow ridge or line surrounding all or part of the nozzle 25. In some examples, the boundary 1900 may be located between the tapered portion 62 and the insertion depth guard 140. At least a portion of the injector body 20 may be formed from a transparent or translucent material so that the IOL inside the injector body 20 is visible to the user. In particular, the nozzle 25 of the injector body 20 may be formed from a transparent material such that the IOL is visible while it is being moved through it by the plunger 30.

[0027] Figure 9 shows a diagram of the distal end 60 of the IOL injector 10, where the IOL 70 is in a standby position 809 within the nozzle 25. As shown in Figure 9, the standby position 809 of the IOL 70 may be defined as the position where the distal edge of the optical part of the IOL 70 is substantially aligned with the boundary 1900. The support portion 450 or a part thereof may extend beyond the boundary 1900.

[0028] In the implementations described herein, the IOL injector 10 may include a foldable injector body that shortens the length of the IOL injector when the IOL 70 is advanced, typically from a storage position in a folder 80 to a standby position 809.

[0029] Figures 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams of an exemplary IOL injector 10, in which the main part 21 includes a foldable portion 800, which forms a telescopic section such as a telescopic cylinder.

[0030] The exemplary IOL injectors in Figures 10A-10C show an IOL injector 10 which also has a lever-driven rack and pinion system as described herein, although the lever-driven rack and pinion system is not required for the IOL injector 10 having the retractable portion 800. Figure 10A shows the IOL injector 10 in its non-retracted state, and Figure 10B shows the same IOL injector 10 in its retracted state.

[0031] As those skilled in the art will know, the term “telescoping” generally refers to the movement of a first part sliding out of or into a second part, where the two parts are connected and have an extended, or non-contracted, state and a shortened, or contracted, state. More specifically, with respect to a “telescopic cylinder,” the first and second parts may be tubes or cylinders, which are referred herein as “sleeves” of different diameters, where the smaller diameter sleeve is concentrically connected or nested within a larger diameter outer sleeve. Two or more concentrically connected sleeves may be used as a telescopic cylinder. The movement of one sleeve sliding out of or into another sleeve can make each telescopic cylinder longer or shorter. The lengthened, or extended, state may be referred to as “non-contracted,” and the shortened state, for example, where the length of the smaller diameter tube is entirely or almost entirely within the larger diameter tube, may be referred to as “contracted.”

[0032] For example, as shown in Figure 10A, the expandable portion 800 has at least a first sleeve 801 having a proximal end 802 and a distal end 803. The distal portion of the main part 21 forms a second sleeve 804 having a proximal end 805 and a distal end 22. The proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801 is slidably connected to the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804. In some configurations, as can be seen, for example, in Figure 10A, the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804 may be concentrically slidably connected within the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801, thereby allowing the distal portion of the main part 21 to slide concentrically within the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801. In other configurations, the first sleeve 801 may be concentrically slidably connected within the second sleeve 804, thereby allowing the first sleeve 801 to slide concentrically within the distal portion of the main part 21. In some examples, the first sleeve 801 may slide into a cylindrical space defined between the outer surface of the main portion 21 and the bore 40. Other configurations of the foldable portion are also possible.

[0033] The first sleeve 801 may be slidably connected concentrically to the second sleeve 804 using any suitable coupling attachment known to those skilled in the art. For example, the first sleeve 801 and the second sleeve 804 may be slidably connected by a slip joint that connects the opposing coaxial surfaces of the first sleeve 801 and the second sleeve 804.

[0034] In the non-contracted state, the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804 is adjacent to the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801. In the contracted state, the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804 is adjacent to the distal end 803 of the first sleeve 801.

[0035] The main portion 21 may have one or more protrusions 807 on its outer surface, the protrusions 807 being located on the proximal end 805 of the second sleeve 804 and being in contact with the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801 when the expandable portion 800 is in a contracted state.

[0036] In an exemplary IOL injector 10 having an extendable portion 800 as shown in Figure 10A, the proximal end of the nozzle 25 is connected to the distal end 803 of a first sleeve 801. The injector body has a bore 40 which has a longitudinal axis 75 extending from the proximal end 50 of the main portion 21 to the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25. The IOL injector 10 also has a plunger 30 which is concentrically movable within the injector body 20 and centered within the bore 40.

[0037] The nozzle 25 has an IOL storage position 808 and an IOL standby position 809 distal to the IOL storage position 808. In the non-contracted state, the plunger tip 220 has a first position adjacent to the IOL storage position 808 on the proximal side. In the contracted state, the plunger tip 220 has a second position adjacent to the IOL standby position 809 on the proximal side. In particular, the plunger tip 220 is typically located 5-20 mm proximal to the IOL in the storage position 808 when in the non-contracted state, and the plunger tip 220 is typically located adjacent to, in contact with, and engages with the rear, i.e., proximal support of the IOL in the standby position 809 when in the contracted state.

[0038] As described herein, for example, the position of the standby position 809 may be indicated by the positioning of the IOL or a part thereof with respect to the boundary. In addition, for example, the standby position may be indicated by the engagement of the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801 with the projection 807 when the plunger 30 is in the initial proximal position before an axial force is applied to the plunger 30.

[0039] Therefore, the length of the contracted IOL injector 10 may be 10-20% shorter than the length of the non-contracted IOL injector.

[0040] Accordingly, this disclosure also relates to a method for advancing the IOL 70 from a storage position 808 to a standby position 809 within the IOL injector 10. This method includes the step of retracting the expandable portion by sliding the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804 axially from the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801 to the distal end 803 of the first sleeve 801. As shown in Figure 10, the sliding step is performed in the direction of arrow 78. The method should be understood to include, for example, the step of sliding the main part 21 of the injector body 20 into the first sleeve 801 of the expandable portion 800 of the main part 21, without including the step of sliding the plunger 30 relative to the main part 21. Thus, in retracting the injector body, the plunger 30 does not move, or substantially moves, relative to the second sleeve 801. In addition, by contracting the IOL injector 10 in this manner, a shortened IOL injector 10 is obtained for use when injecting the IOL into the eye from the standby position 809. The retractable feature improves ergonomics by shortening the overall length of the IOL injector 10.

[0041] Figure 10B shows the IOL injector 10 in the retracted state after the second sleeve 804 of the expandable portion 800 of the injector body 20 has been slid into the first sleeve 801. In the retracted state, for example as shown in Figure 10B, the distal end 22 of the second sleeve 804 is adjacent to the distal end 803 of the first sleeve 801, the projection 807 of the main portion 21 is in contact with the proximal end 802 of the first sleeve 801, and the plunger tip 220 is in a second position adjacent to the IOL standby position 809 on the proximal side.

[0042] As those skilled in the art will understand, given the sensitivity and delicacy of the eye's tissues and structures, it is crucial that the user can advance the IOL at an acceptable peak speed and force. As is inherent in the mechanisms of some existing IOL injectors, when the IOL is folded and advanced into the eye, a high peak axial force and large pressure release occur as the IOL passes the distal tip exit, sometimes causing the IOL to be ejected rapidly and uncontrollably. Some existing IOL injectors include springs, and the increase in force is felt by the user throughout delivery. Such higher peak forces have been characterized by some users as being too large, making the device uncomfortable to use consistently. These pressure and force fluctuations make it difficult for the user to control the IOL injector and ultimately IOL delivery. Challenges in IOL delivery include ensuring that the mechanism and magnitude of the force applied through user manipulation are appropriate and repeatable. It is also important to have an IOL injector that is intuitive and usable by users of any skill and technical level.

[0043] The disclosure also relates to an IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion system configured to produce axial motion of a plunger in response to a lever being pressed down.

[0044] As those skilled in the art will know, a rack and pinion is a type of linear actuator that includes a pair of gears that convert rotational motion into linear motion. A circular gear called a "pinion" engages with the teeth of a linear rod-shaped gear called a "rack." When a rotational force is applied to the pinion, the rack moves relative to the pinion, thereby converting the rotational motion of the pinion into linear motion of the rack.

[0045] For example, Figures 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams of an exemplary IOL injector 10 having a lever-driven rack and pinion system. In Figures 10A to 10B, the plunger 30 is not advanced to the distal end 60 by the lever-driven rack and pinion system. In Figure 10C, the plunger 30 is advanced to the distal end 60 by the lever-driven rack and pinion system. The exemplary IOL injectors in Figures 10A to 10C also show an IOL injector 10 having an extendable portion 800, although the extendable portion 800 is not required for an IOL injector 10 having a lever-driven rack and pinion system. Figures 11, 12, and 16A to 16C are also schematic diagrams showing various aspects of an exemplary IOL injector having various implementations of a lever-driven rack and pinion system.

[0046] In Figures 10A-10C, 11, and 12, the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 has a plunger rack 601 containing a plurality of teeth 602. The IOL injector 10 also has a first pinion 603 which contains a plurality of teeth 604 that are made to mesh with or engage with the teeth 602 of the plunger rack 601, thereby enabling the plunger rack 601 to move linearly in response to the rotational motion of the first pinion 603. The IOL injector 10 also has a second pinion 611 which contains a plurality of teeth 612 that are made to mesh with the teeth 604 of the first pinion 603. The IOL injector 10 also has a lever 605 which has a proximal end 606 and a distal end 607, and the lever has an arcuate rack 608 at the proximal end 606 of the lever 605. The arc-shaped rack 608 has a plurality of teeth 619 that mesh with the teeth 612 of the second pinion 611, thereby allowing the second pinion 611 to rotate in response to the motion of the arc-shaped rack 608.

[0047] Lever 605 is positioned between its proximal end 606 and distal end 607, and its pivot point 609 is rotatably connected to the injector body 20, allowing rotational movement of lever 605 around the pivot point 609. The lever has a pushable surface 610 accessible to the user, which is positioned between the pivot point 609 and distal end 607 of lever 605. In response to the pushable surface 610 of lever 605 being pushed down, lever 605 is configured to rotate around the pivot point 609 in a first rotational direction indicated by arrow 77, and the second pinion 611 is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction, and the first pinion is configured to rotate in the first rotational direction, thereby advancing the plunger rack 601 toward the distal end 60 of the IOL injector 10 in a linear direction indicated by arrow 78.

[0048] In some implementation configurations, there may be only one pinion, in which case the lever 605 may be oriented in the opposite axial direction to that shown in Figures 10A to 10C.

[0049] In some implementations, the plunger rack and pinion may include three or more pinions, which are rotatably connected so as to actuate the axial motion of the plunger 30 in response to the lever 605 being pressed down. The lever 605 may have an axial orientation suitable for achieving the desired axial motion of the plunger 30.

[0050] In some implementations, such as shown in Figure 10A, the lever-driven rack and pinion system may further include a return spring 615, which has a first end 616 connected to the lever 605 and a second end 617 connected to the main part 21, and the return spring 615 is configured to rotate the lever in a second rotational direction. In some implementations, such as shown in Figure 10A, the return spring may be a torsion spring.

[0051] In some implementations, the lever-driven rack and pinion system may further include a unidirectional gear system, as shown in Figure 12, for example, where the first pinion 603 further includes a rotary chock 613, and the second pinion further includes a rotary ratchet 614. The rotary chock 613 engages with the rotary ratchet 614 to prevent the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 from moving toward the proximal end 50 of the injector body 20. Thus, the exemplary rotary ratchet 614 and chock 613 shown in Figure 12 enable an operational reset, which causes the lever 605 to return and disconnect from the motion of the plunger 30. In other words, the unidirectional gear system allows the lever to rotate in a second rotational direction, for example by a return spring 615, to disconnect from the operational motion of the plunger rack 601, thereby preventing the plunger 30 from moving toward the proximal end 50 of the injector body 20.

[0052] In several implementations, this disclosure relates to an IOL injector having a slide-advancing lever-driven rack and pinion injection mechanism. Thus, in several implementations, the IOL injector 10 described herein is configured such that the IOL is advanced from a storage position 808 to a standby position 809 by the user sliding a plunger 30 axially, which is actuated by the user applying an axial force to a flange 240. When the IOL is advanced to the standby position 809, a lever-driven rack and pinion mechanism is engaged, which is configured to advance the IOL axially from the standby position 809 into the patient's eye.

[0053] Figures 16A-16C show exemplary configurations of an IOL injector 10 having a slide-forward lever-driven rack and pinion injection mechanism. The IOL injector 10, having a slide-forward and rack and pinion injection mechanism, has an injector body 20. The injector body 20 includes a main body 21 having a proximal end 222 and a distal end 50. The injector body 20 also includes a nozzle 25 having a proximal end 23 and a distal end 60, the distal end 223 of the nozzle 25 being connected to the distal end 222 of the main body 21. The injector body 20 has a bore 40, which has a longitudinal axis 75 extending from the proximal end 50 of the main body 21 to the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25. The IOL injector 10 also has a plunger 30, which is movably connected within the injector body 20 and centered within the bore 40. The plunger 30 has a plunger body 200 having a proximal end 250 and a distal end 230, and a plunger rack 601 including a plurality of teeth 602. The plunger 30 also has a plunger rod 210 having a proximal end and a distal end 230, the proximal end of the plunger rod 210 being connected to the distal end of the plunger body 200. The plunger rod has a plunger tip 220 made to contact the IOL, the plunger tip 220 being formed at the distal end 230 of the plunger rod 210.

[0054] The exemplary IOL injector 10 shown in Figures 16A-16C also has a first pinion 603, which has a plurality of teeth arranged to mesh with or engage with the teeth 602 of the plunger rack 601, and the plunger rack 601 is linearly movable in response to the rotational motion of the first pinion 603. The IOL injector 10 also has a lever 605 having a proximal end 606 and a distal end 607, the lever having an arcuate rack 608 at the proximal end 606 of the lever 605. In some implementations, the arcuate rack 608 may have a plurality of teeth arranged to mesh with the teeth of the first pinion 603, and the first pinion 603 is rotatably movable in response to the motion of the arcuate rack 608. The lever 605 has a pivot point 609 located between its proximal end 606 and distal end 607, the pivot point 609 being rotatably connected to the injector body 20 and configured to allow rotational movement of the lever 605 around the pivot point 609. The lever has a pushable surface 610 accessible to the user, the pushable surface 610 located between the pivot point 609 and the distal end 607 of the lever 605. In response to the pushable surface 610 of the lever 605 being pushed down, the lever 605 is configured to rotate around the pivot point 609 in a first rotational direction indicated by arrow 77, the first pinion 603 is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction, and the plunger rack 601 is configured to move toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in a first linear direction indicated by arrow 78.

[0055] For example, in some implementations as shown in Figure 16A, the lever-driven rack and pinion system may further include a second pinion 611 which meshes with the teeth of the arcuate rack 608 and the teeth of the first pinion 603, and in response to the pushable surface 610 of the lever 605 being pushed down, the lever 605 is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction indicated by arrow 77 around a pivot point 609, the second pinion 611 is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite to that indicated by arrow 77, the first pinion 603 is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction indicated by arrow 77, and the plunger rack 601 is configured to move toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in a first linear direction indicated by arrow 78.

[0056] In the exemplary IOL injector shown in Figure 16A, the flange 240 is configured to contact the plunger body 200. For example, the flange may be configured to contact the proximal end 250 of the plunger body 200. The flange 240 is configured to move axially within the main body 21 in response to an axial force applied in the direction of arrow 78. Thus, the plunger body 200 is configured to move axially in response to the movement of the flange 240. The IOL injector 10 may also include a channel 1705 configured to allow the axial movement of the flange 240 in response to an axial force applied to the flange 240.

[0057] In particular, as shown in Figure 16A, for example, the channel 1705 may be an opening at the distal end 50 of the main portion 21, which allows axial movement of the plunger 30 in response to an axial force applied to the flange 240, the plunger 30 being slidably positioned within the channel 1705, and the flange 240 being accessible to the user.

[0058] The plunger 30 is movable in response to an axial force applied to the flange 240. This moves the IOL from the storage position to the standby position. The first pinion 603 is rotatably connected to the plunger rack 601, and the plunger 30 is movable in the axial direction in response to the lever 605 being pushed down, which acts to rotate the first pinion 603. This moves the IOL from the standby position 809 to the eye.

[0059] In several implementations, as shown in Figure 16A, the plunger tip 220 is movable from a first position adjacent to the IOL storage position 808 proximal to a second position adjacent to the IOL standby position 809 proximal to an axial force applied to the flange 240 in a first direction indicated by arrow 78, and the plunger tip 220 is movable from the second position to the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in response to the lever 605 being pushed down in a first rotational direction indicated by arrow 77.

[0060] In particular, the plunger tip 220 is typically located 5-20 mm proximal to the IOL in the storage position 808 when in the first position, and the plunger tip 200 is typically located adjacent to, in contact with, and engages with the support portion immediately proximal to the rear of the IOL in the standby position 809 when in the second position.

[0061] In some implementations, the IOL injector 10 may include a hard stop mechanism having a barrier 1704 configured to prevent the flange 240 from moving toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in a first axial direction indicated by arrow 78. In particular, the barrier 1704 may be configured to prevent the flange 240 from moving toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in a first axial direction indicated by arrow 78 when the plunger tip 220 advances axially to a second position adjacent to the standby position 809 proximal to it. For example, the barrier 1704 may be configured to contact the flange 240 when the plunger tip 220 moves to a second position adjacent to the standby position 809 proximal to it, thereby preventing the plunger 30 from moving toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 in a first axial direction indicated by arrow 78. Therefore, the hard stop mechanism is designed to interrupt the movement of the plunger tip 220 from a first position adjacent to the IOL storage position 808 proximal to a second position adjacent to the standby position 809 proximal to the IOL standby position 809 proximal to the movement of the plunger tip 220 toward the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 from the second position adjacent to the IOL standby position 809 proximal to the IOL standby position 809 proximal to the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25 proximal to the lever 605 depressing.

[0062] In some configurations, the flange 240 may be detachable from or cut off from the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30, for example, at a detachment point 1713. In some configurations, the flange 240 and the proximal portion of the plunger body 200 may be detachable from the distal portion of the plunger body 200 at the detachment point 1713, and the distal portion of the plunger 30 includes a plunger rack 601. Thus, in various configurations, at the detachment point 1713, when an axial force is applied to the flange 240, the proximal portion of the plunger 30, which is slidable within the bore 40, detaches from the distal portion of the plunger 30, which has a plunger rack 1703 that is movable in the direction of arrow 78 in response to the lever 605 being pushed down. The removal point 1713, where the proximal portion of the plunger 30 detaches from the distal portion of the plunger 30, is configured such that in some implementations, the distal portion of the plunger 30 advances in response to the lever 605 being pressed down, thereby allowing the plunger tip 220 to move from a second position adjacent to the standby position 809 proximally to the distal end 60 of the nozzle 25. For example, the cross-sectional view shown in Figure 16A shows an exemplary IOL injector 10 before the plunger slides in the direction of arrow 78 when an axial force is applied to the flange 240. In Figure 16A, for example, the plunger tip 220 is in a first position adjacent to the storage position 808 proximally.

[0063] Details of other exemplary implementations of the unidirectional gear system are shown in Figures 16B and 16C.

[0064] The exemplary one-way gear system shown in Figures 16B and 16C is configured such that when the lever 605 is pushed down in the direction of arrow 77, the second pinion 611 is rotated. The second pinion is fixedly coupled to the first circular ratchet 622. In response, the first chock 618 engages with the first circular ratchet 622, which rotates the one-way gear 619, which is fixedly coupled to the first chock 618 by a fixed axle 623. The first chock 618 is concentrically positioned within the first circular ratchet 622 and is configured to rotatably engage with it. In response, the first gear 619 engages with the first pinion 603 and rotates it. The second chock 620 is fixedly or immovably coupled to the injector body 20 by a second axle 621. The term "fixed in a non-rotatable manner" means that the second circular ratchet 624 is made to rotate around the second chock 620, rather than the second chock 620 being made to not rotate. The second chock 620 is concentrically positioned within the second circular ratchet 624 and is made to rotatably engage with it. Thus, the second circular ratchet 624 slides within the second circular ratchet 624 fixedly connected to the first pinion 603, causing the plunger rack 601 to advance in the direction of arrow 78, thereby advancing the plunger body 200 axially, thereby advancing the IOL to a waiting position for delivery into the patient's eye.

[0065] For example, when the lever 605 is reset by the return spring, when the lever 605 rotates in a second rotational direction opposite to the rotational direction of arrow 77, the plunger rack 601 is prevented from moving toward the proximal end of the main part 21 of the injector body 20 by a second circular ratchet 624 made to engage with a rotatably fixed second chock 620. Thus, the one-way gear 619 is prevented from rotating by the first pinion 603. The first circular ratchet 622 is made to slide along the first chock 608, thereby preventing the lever 605 from moving in a second rotational direction opposite to the rotational direction of arrow 77 and advancing the plunger 30.

[0066] Figures 13A and 13B are schematic diagrams of an exemplary lever-driven rack and pinion system. In particular, Figures 13A and 13B show exemplary parameters relating to the lever-driven rack and pinion system described herein, where F is the force applied to push down the lever 605, and f is the force for rotating a pinion, for example, a first pinion 603 rotatably connected to the arc rack 608, in response to the motion of the arc rack 608, the first pinion having a circumference R1 of a certain value. The distal end of the lever 605 has a rotational distance H, which is the rotational distance measured from the outer surface of the injector body 20, where H has a maximum value when there is no lever pushing force F, and a minimum value when the lever 605 is fully pushed down. The proximal end of the lever 605 has a travel distance h of the arc rack 608, where h has a value that changes inversely to the value of H. The plunger rack 601 has a length r, which is equal to the distance the IOL moves from the standby position 809 into the patient's eye. The lever 605 has a distance d1 from the pivot point 609 to the distal end 607 of the lever 605 and a distance d2 from the pivot point 609 to the arcuate rack 608.

[0067] In the various implementations of the lever-driven rack and pinion system described herein, variations may be provided, by changing the values ​​of the system parameters, to obtain mechanical benefits through the effect on the force F required to push down the lever 605 to move the plunger rack 601 axially, and / or the number of times the lever 605 is pushed down to move the plunger rack 601 axially by a distance r. For example, in the exemplary lever-driven rack and pinion system of Figure 13A, the following exemplary parameter values ​​may be applied: H=15mm, h=6mm, d1=25mm, d2=10mm, R1=5~6mm, and r=35mm. Thus, by applying such exemplary values, F / f ≈ 2 / 5, thereby reducing the force required to push down the lever to move the plunger 30 in response. In the example shown in Figure 13A, r / R1 ≈ 6, thereby requiring the lever 605 to be pushed down approximately 6 times to move the plunger rack 601 by a distance r.

[0068] In other implementations, for example as shown in Figure 13B, a second pinion 627 may be included together with the first pinion 603 to form a gear pair as a compound gear, also known as a concentric gear, or a double gear as shown in Figure 13B, or as can be identified by reading this disclosure to those skilled in the art, in order to reduce the number of times the lever 605 is pressed down to move the plunger rack 601 by a distance r. In the exemplary gear pair shown in Figure 13B, the arcuate rack 608 is rotatably connected to the first pinion 603, and the teeth 609 of the arcuate rack 608 are configured to rotatably mesh with the teeth of the first pinion 603. The second pinion 627 may be fixedly connected to the first pinion 603, so that the first pinion 603 and the second pinion 611 share a center of rotation, and as a result, one rotation of the first pinion 603 is fixedly connected to one rotation of the second pinion 611. Therefore, the second pinion 627 may have a circumference R2 of a certain value. In some implementations, the ratio of the values ​​of R2 to R1 may be 1:1 to 1:5. Therefore, the ratio of the values ​​of R2 to R1 may provide a mechanical benefit. For example, as shown in Figure 13B, the following parameter values ​​may be applied: if the ratio of R2 to R1 is approximately 1:4 to 1:5, then R1 = 5 to 6 mm and R2 = 24 mm. Those skilled in the art will see that a gear ratio like the example shown in Figure 13B may reduce the mechanical benefit of the lever in reducing the force F that needs to be applied to the lever 605. For example, the force f'' required to rotate the smaller second pinion 627 of the gear pair in the figure may be smaller than the force required to rotate the larger first pinion 603. In other examples (not shown), the force f'' required to rotate the larger second pinion of such a gear pair may be greater than the force required to rotate the smaller first pinion. For example, the following exemplary parameters may be applied: d1=30mm, d2=5mm, H=24mm, h=4mm, so f'' / f=5, F / f''=1 / 6, and therefore F / f=5 / 6, which reduces the force required to push down lever 605 by 20%.In addition, these parameters reduce the number of times the lever 605 needs to be pressed down, so that one press of the lever 605 moves the plunger rack 24 mm forward in the axial direction. For a plunger rack with a distance r = 40 mm, such a gear pair allows the plunger rack to move axially by distance r after two presses of the lever 605, which is preferable to the case where the lever 605 needs to be pressed down approximately six times to move the plunger rack 601 by distance r.

[0069] Therefore, in some implementations, the lever-driven rack and pinion system may be configured to move the plunger rack 601 by a distance of length r in response to the lever 605 being pressed down 1 to 10 times.

[0070] As those skilled in the art will understand, in various mounting configurations, the values ​​of R1 and R2 may be optimized by those skilled in the art to provide an appropriate balance between the force F required to push down the lever 605 and the number of times the lever 605 is pushed down to move the plunger rack 601 by a distance r.

[0071] In some implementations, the IOL injector 10 may also include a ribbed damping mechanism designed to provide frictional resistance to axial forces.

[0072] Figure 14 is a detail view of an exemplary ribbed damping system. Among the main components, the bore 40 may also include a ribbed damping mechanism configured to provide frictional resistance to axial forces. The ribbed damping mechanism includes at least one rib 1201 on the plunger body 200 and at least one rib 1202 on the inner wall 1203 of the bore 40, wherein the at least one rib 1201 on the plunger body 200 is configured to contact the at least one rib 1202 on the inner wall 1203, thereby providing frictional resistance to the axial movement of the plunger 30. The ribbed damping mechanism may be made of a flexible material such as deformable plastic, so that the contact between the ribs 1201 and 1202 during the axial movement of the plunger 30 creates resistance to axial movement in the direction of arrow 78, but does not prevent axial movement in the direction of arrow 78.

[0073] As shown in Figure 14, in several implementations, one or more ribs 1201 on the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 may form a ridge, and one or more ribs 1202 on the inner wall 1203 may form ridge-engaging teeth, the ridges and ridge-engaging teeth being configured to prevent the distal end 220 of the plunger 30 from moving in a second axial direction toward the proximal end of the main part of the IOL injector. For example, the ribs 1201 on the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 may form a ratchet, and one or more ribs 1202 on the inner wall 1203 may form a stopper.

[0074] In other configurations, one or more ribs 1201 on the inner wall 1203 may form a ridge, and one or more ribs 1202 on the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 may form ridge-engaging teeth, the ridges and ridge-engaging teeth being configured to prevent the distal end 220 of the plunger 30 from moving toward the proximal end of the main part of the IOL injector in a second axial direction. For example, the ribs 1202 on the inner wall 1203 may form a ratchet, and one or more ribs 1201 on the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 may form a stopper.

[0075] In some implementations, one or more ribs 1201 and / or 1202 may be multiple ribs 1201 and / or 1202, and the distance between each of the ribs 1201 and / or 1202 may decrease as the distance from the distal end of the main section decreases. Therefore, by bringing the ribs 1201 and / or 1202 closer to the distal end of the main section 200 and / or the inner wall 1203 of the bore 40, greater resistance may be provided to counteract the high peak axial force and large pressure release typically when the IOL passes through the distal tip exit.

[0076] In any of the implementations described herein, the components of the IOL injector may be combined with each other. For example, an IOL injector having a lever-driven rack and pinion system may further include a ribbed damping mechanism. The injector body having a lever-driven rack and pinion system and / or a ribbed damping mechanism may include an extendable portion, the main part being an extendable portion that forms a telescopic cylinder having a proximal end and a distal end and at least two sleeves, the first sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal part of the main part forming a second sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, the first sleeve being a extendable portion slidably connected to the second sleeve, and a nozzle having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the nozzle being connected to the distal end of the first sleeve of the extendable portion.

[0077] Therefore, in some implementations, the IOL injector 10 includes a lever-driven rack and pinion system and an extendable portion, and the IOL injector may be configured such that the teeth of the plunger rack contact the teeth of the first pinion when the IOL injector is in a retracted state, but not when it is not retracted. Accordingly, the plunger body 200 of the plunger 30 may have a distal portion which does not have a plunger rack 601 having teeth 602 that contact the first pinion 603 or the second pinion 611, thereby allowing the distal portion of the plunger body to move freely axially with the main part 21 of the injector body 20 during the extension and retraction of the extendable portion 800 and does not engage with the lever-driven rack and pinion system.

[0078] In some implementations of the IOL injector 10 described herein, in order to increase the stability of the plunger 30 within the bore 40, the axial interface between the plunger 30 and the bore 40 may have a non-circular cross-section to prevent the plunger from rotating in the direction of arrow 76 within the bore. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary non-circular plunger-bore interface viewed in a transverse plane of the plunger 30 and the bore 40. For example, in the plunger body 200 of the plunger, the plunger 30 may have a wing 1301 which extends along the length or part of the length of the plunger 30 and is made to contact a groove 1302 along the length or part of the length of the inner surface 1203 of the bore 40. Other non-circular shapes are also possible and can be identified by those skilled in the art who have read this disclosure, such as a D-shaped cross-section.

[0079] The IOL injector 10, which has a lever-driven rack and pinion system, may be held with a three-point grip, for example, with the thumb in contact with one side of the retractable portion, the middle finger in contact with the opposite side of the retractable portion, and the pushable surface 610 of the lever 605 being pushed down by the user's index finger. This may provide greater stability for the user to firmly hold the device while delivering the IOL 10 into the eye.

[0080] The various configurations of IOL injectors described herein and included within the scope of this disclosure may be configured to deliver IOL bases and / or IOL optics of multi-piece IOLs, or single-piece IOLs. The various configurations of IOL injectors and related methods described herein may be used for IOL bases and / or optics that are manually loaded into the IOL injector by the user or pre-loaded by the user before delivery.

[0081] Non-limiting examples of IOL injectors that may be used with the IOL compressors described herein include those described in U.S. Patent No. 7,156,854 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0256316, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0082] The advantages of the IOL injectors described herein include, but are not limited to, the following: Optionally, the lever-driven rack and pinion system described herein, including the ribbed damping mechanism described herein, provides a solution for generating axial forward motion for the IOL in a smooth and controlled manner. The lever-driven rack and pinion mechanism may be made to provide mechanical benefits by driving the plunger in one direction using a lever-driven gear system. The ribbed damping mechanism provides improved control for a better surgical experience. The retractable feature improves ergonomic aspects by reducing the overall length of the instrument.

[0083] The initial movement of the IOL to the standby position is achieved via a retractable slide. This feature reduces the overall length of the device, improving its usability and ergonomics. The shorter device is more comfortable to hold in one hand and provides a better center of mass for the user's controlling hand compared to existing IOL injectors that have either a conventional syringe or tripod grip.

[0084] To deliver IOLs to the eye using a lever-driven rack-and-pinion system, the IOL injector may be held with a three-point grip, also known as a pencil grip, where the user presses the lever with their index finger, requiring less muscle use than a typical syringe-type grip.

[0085] In several implementations, the lever-driven rack and pinion system may use the compression of the lever in combination with the pinion, sometimes used as a gear to provide further mechanical benefits to the gear for axial movement of the plunger compared to some existing IOL injectors that use a conventional syringe-type mechanism to apply a direct axial force for injecting IOLs. In conventional syringe or push-type mechanisms, the force applied by the user to the plunger is typically directly proportional to how quickly the IOL moves. By applying an IOL delivery mechanism using the lever-driven rack and pinion system described herein, there are mechanical benefits in terms of more controlled and consistent IOL movement. This consistency reduces incidents of the IOL suddenly ejecting and reduces user fatigue associated with applying a constant force for longer periods. The IOL injector can be held in one hand like a pencil. The lever is actuated by pressing and releasing it several times to advance the IOL. In some implementations, pre-loading the IOL helps maintain the sterile condition of the IOL injector and IOL during the procedure, and eliminates the user's preparation step.

[0086] The subject matter disclosed above should be considered illustrative and not restrictive, and the accompanying claims shall cover any changes, improvements, and other forms of implementation that fall within the actual intent and scope of this disclosure. Therefore, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the scope of this disclosure shall be defined by the broadest possible interpretation of the following claims and their equivalents, and shall not be limited or restricted by the detailed description above.

Claims

1. In an intraocular lens (IOL) injector having a retractable injector body, A main part having a proximal end, a distal end, and a distal portion including the distal end, A telescopic cylinder is formed, comprising an expandable portion including at least a first sleeve having a proximal end and a distal end, and a second sleeve slidably connected to the first sleeve, formed from the distal portion of the main part, and having a proximal end and a distal end, A plunger concentrically movable within the injector body, the plunger having a plunger tip adapted to contact the IOL, Includes, In the non-contracted state, the distal end of the second sleeve is adjacent to the proximal end of the first sleeve, and in the contracted state, the distal end of the second sleeve is adjacent to the distal end of the first sleeve. The plunger does not move relative to the second sleeve when transitioning the expandable portion between the non-contracted state and the contracted state. IOL injector.

2. A nozzle having a proximal end and a distal end, wherein the proximal end is connected to the distal end of the first sleeve of the expandable portion, and the nozzle further has an IOL storage position and an IOL standby position distal to the IOL storage position, A bore having a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end of the main part to the distal end of the nozzle, It further includes, The plunger is centered within the bore, In the non-contracted state, the plunger tip has a first position adjacent to the IOL storage position on the proximal side. In the contracted state, the plunger tip has a second position adjacent to the IOL standby position on the proximal side. The IOL injector according to claim 1.

3. The IOL injector according to claim 1, wherein in the contracted state, the length is 10 to 20% shorter than in the non-contracted state.

4. The IOL injector according to claim 1, wherein the second sleeve is slidably connected concentrically within the first sleeve, or the first sleeve is slidably connected concentrically within the second sleeve.

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