140 results about "Retinal tissue" patented technology

An Eyeglass Manufacturing Method Using Epoxy Aberrator includes two lenses with a variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between. The epoxy is then cured to different indexes of refraction that provide precise corrections for the patient's wavefront aberrations. The present invention further provides a method to produce an eyeglass that corrects higher order aberrations, such as those that occur when retinal tissue is damaged due to glaucoma or macular degeneration. The manufacturing method allows for many different applications including, but not limited to, supervision and transition lenses.

Obtaining spectral images of an eye includes taking an optical system that images eye tissue onto a digital sensor array and optically fitting a multi-spectral filter array and the digital sensor array, wherein the multi-spectral filter array is disposed between the digital sensor array and an optics portion of the optical system. The resulting system facilitates acquisition of a snap-shot image of the eye tissue with the digital sensor array. The snap shot images support estimation of blood oxygen saturation in a retinal tissue. The resulting system can be based on a non-mydriatic fundus camera designed to obtain the retinal images without administration of pupil dilation drops.

An Eyeglass Manufacturing Method Using Epoxy Aberrator includes two lenses with a variable index material, such as epoxy, sandwiched in between. The epoxy is then cured to different indexes of refraction that provide precise corrections for the patient's wavefront aberrations. The present invention further provides a method to produce an eyeglass that corrects higher order aberrations, such as those that occur when retinal tissue is damaged due to glaucoma or macular degeneration. The manufacturing method allows for many different applications including, but not limited to, supervision and transition lenses.

The invention provides methods for delivering a therapeutic or diagnostic agent to the eye of a mammal. The method involves contacting sclera with a therapeutic or diagnostic agent so as to permit its passage through the sclera into the choroidal and retinal tissues. The sclera may be contacted with a therapeutic or diagnostic agent together with a device for enhancing transport of the agent through the sclera.

Surgical devices are provided for aspiration of the subretinal fluid (SRF) of the eye in a retinal detachment that allows re-apposition of the sensory retina to the underlying RPE. The device is connected to a vacuum source, introduced into the posterior chamber through a sclerostomy port and placed against the detached retinal tissue. The device pulls on and captures the surface of the sensory retina, causing a micro needle to pierce through the tissue. As the sensory retina is captured and held in place by the vacuum, a protected pocket is created and the tissue is prevented from folding onto itself and occluding the micro needle tip.

Obtaining spectral images of an eye includes taking an optical system that images eye tissue onto a digital sensor array and optically fitting a multi-spectral filter array and the digital sensor array, wherein the multi-spectral filter array is disposed between the digital sensor array and an optics portion of the optical system. The resulting system facilitates acquisition of a snap-shot image of the eye tissue with the digital sensor array. The snap shot images support estimation of blood oxygen saturation in a retinal tissue. The resulting system can be based on a non-mydriatic fundus camera designed to obtain the retinal images without administration of pupil dilation drops.

Formulations and methods of use thereof for restoring neuronal, muscular (cardiac and striated) and / or retinal tissue function in children and adults afflicted with chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as neurodegenerative movement disorders and ataxias, seizure disorders, motor neuron diseases, and inflammatory demyelinating disorders, are described herein. Examples of disorders include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The method involves administering a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of a tetrahydrobenzathiazole, preferably a formulation consisting substantially of the R(+) enantiomer of pramipexole. R(+) pramipexole is generally administered in doses ranging from 0.1-300 mg / kg / daily, preferably 0.5-50 mg / kg / daily, and most preferably 1-10 mg / kg / daily for oral administration. Daily total doses administered orally are typically between 10 mg and 500 mg. Alternatively, R(+) pramipexole can be administered parenterally to humans with acute brain injury in single doses between 10 mg and 100 mg and / or by continuous intravenous infusions between 10 mg / day and 500 mg / day.

Fabrication methods for a flexible device for retina prosthesis are described. Layered structures including an array of pixel units may be formed over a substrate. Each pixel unit may comprise a processing circuitry, a micro electrode and a photo sensor. A first set of biocompatible layers may be formed over the layered structures. The substrate may be thinned down to a controlled thickness of the substrate to allow bending of the substrate to the curvature of a retina. A second set of biocompatible layers may be formed over the thinned substrate. The second set of biocompatible layers may be in contact with the first set of biocompatible layers to form a biocompatible seal wrapping around the device to allow long-term contact of the device with retina tissues. Micro electrodes of the pixel units may be exposed through the openings of these biocompatible layers.

Formulations and methods of use thereof for restoring neuronal, muscular (cardiac and striated) and / or retinal tissue function in children and adults afflicted with chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as neurodegenerative movement disorders and ataxias, seizure disorders, motor neuron diseases, and inflammatory demyelinating disorders, are described herein. Examples of disorders include Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The method involves administering a pharmaceutical composition containing an effective amount of a tetrahydrobenzathiazole, preferably a formulation consisting substantially of the R(+) enantiomer of pramipexole. R(+) pramipexole is generally administered in doses ranging from 0.1-300 mg / kg / daily, preferably 0.5-50 mg / kg / daily, and most preferably 1-10 mg / kg / daily for oral administration. Daily total doses administered orally are typically between 10 mg and 500 mg. Alternatively, R(+) pramipexole can be administered parenterally to humans with acute brain injury in single doses between 10 mg and 100 mg, and / or by continuous intravenous infusions between 10 mg / day and 500 mg / day.

The invention provides a method for producing a retinal tissue by (1) subjecting pluripotent stem cells to floating culture in a serum-free medium containing a substance inhibiting the Wnt signal pathway to form an aggregate of pluripotent stem cells, (2) subjecting the aggregate to floating culture in a serum-free medium containing a basement membrane preparation, and then (3) subjecting the aggregate to floating culture in a serum-containing medium. The invention also provides a method for producing an optic-cup-like structure, a method for producing a retinal pigment epithelium, and a method for producing a retinal layer-specific neural cell.

The present invention is an electrode array for neural stimulation. In particular it is an electrode array for use with a visual prosthesis with the electrode array suitable to be positioned on the retina. The array includes multiple attachment points to provide for even pressure across the electrode array surface. The attachment points are arranged so as to not damage retinal tissue stimulated by the electrode array.

In a visual prosthesis electrodes stimulate retinal tissue to induce the perception of light to a user implanted with the prosthesis. The prosthesis must have a return, or common, electrode to make a complete circuit with the retinal tissue. To avoid stimulating tissue with the return electrode, it is advantageous if the electrode is large.The invention involver a flexible circuit electrode array comprising a polymer base layer, metal traces deposited on said polymer base layer, including electrodes suitable to stimulate neural tissue a polymer top layer deposited on said polymer base layer and said metal traces, and a return electrode separate from said stimulating electrodes.The flexible circuit electrode array comprises a secondary coil for receiving visual data; an electronics package electrically coupled to said receiving coil, and a plurality of stimulating electrode electrically coupled to said electronics package.

Compounds comprising R-G-Cysteic Acid (i.e., R-G-NH—CH(CH2—SO3H)COOH or Arg-Gly-NH—CH(CH2—SO3H)COOH) and derivatives thereof, including pharmaceutically acceptable salts, hydrates, stereoisomers, multimers, cyclic forms, linear forms, drug-conjugates, pro-drugs and their derivatives. Also disclosed are methods for making and using such compounds including methods for inhibiting integrins including but not necessarily limited to α5β1-Integrin, αvβ3-Integrin and αvβ5-Integrin, inhibiting cellular adhesion to RGD binding sites, preventing or treating viral or other microbial infections, inhibiting angiogenesis in tumors, retinal tissue or other tissues or delivering other diagnostic or therapeutic agents to RGD binding sites in human or animal subjects.

The present invention is an electrode array for neural stimulation. In particular it is an electrode array for use with a visual prosthesis with the electrode array suitable to be positioned on the retina. The array includes multiple attachment points to provide for even pressure across the electrode array surface. The attachment points are arranged so as to not damage retinal tissue stimulated by the electrode array.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a system and method of detecting or monitoring macular degeneration in a patient. One embodiment of the present invention includes emitting a first light into the patient's retinal tissue at a first wavelength, emitting a second light into the patient's retinal tissue at a second wavelength, detecting the first and second lights after dispersion by the retinal tissue, and determining an amount of lipid proximate the retinal tissue based on the detected first and second lights.

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for treating the retina and / or other areas of a patient's eye. The procedures may involve using one or more treatment beams (e.g., lasers) to cause photocoagulation or laser coagulation to finely cauterize ocular blood vessels and / or prevent blood vessel growth to induce one or more therapeutic benefits. In other embodiments, a series of short duration light pulses (e.g., between 5-15 microseconds) may be delivered to the retinal tissue with a thermal relaxation time delay between the pulse to limit the temperature rise of the target retinal tissue and thereby limit a thermal effect to only the retinal pigment epithelial layer. Such procedures may be used to treat diabetic retinopathy, macular edema, and / or other conditions of the eye. The treatment beam may be delivered within a treatment boundary or pattern defined on the retina of the patient's eye.

In a method for the acquisition of optical coherence tomography image data of retina tissue of an eye (99) of a human subject using an acquisition device comprising an imaging optics (2), a first image associated with a baseline relative positioning of the eye (99) of the human subject with respect to the imaging optics (2) is acquired at a first point in time. The baseline relative positioning is stored. At a second point in time being different from the first point in time, the baseline relative positioning of the same eye (99) of the same human subject with respect to the imaging optics (2) is re-established and a second image is acquired. For re-establishing the positioning, a present relative positioning of the eye (99) of the human subject with respect to the imaging optics is determined based on a video image of an iris region of the eye. A corresponding device comprises an imaging optics (2), a head support to be contacted by a head portion of the human subject, the head support defining an entrance position of the sample beam entering an eye of the human subject, a camera (71) for acquiring a video image of an iris region of the eye, a display (75) for displaying a target image to the human subject, the target image indicating a direction of a line of vision to be assumed by the human subject, and a processor for determining a present relative positioning of the eye of the human subject with respect to the imaging optics, based on the video image, for comparing a present relative positioning of the eye (99) of the human subject with respect to the imaging optics (2) to a stored baseline relative positioning, for affecting the target image as long as the present relative positioning does not correspond to the stored baseline relative positioning, and for triggering the acquisition of image data when the present relative positioning corresponds to the baseline relative positioning.

A process for restoring responsiveness to medication in eye tissue, namely retinal tissue, that is unresponsive to medication. The process utilizes a laser source for generating a confluent, contiguous laser light beam. The laser light beam is preferably a subthreshold diode micropulse laser beam which is optically shaped through an optical lens or mask. The tissue is then exposed to the confluent, contiguous laser light beam and allowed to recover for thirty days before administering medication to which the tissue was unresponsive.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for measuring and mapping oxygen tension in a tissue and, in particular, permit direct non-invasive measurement of retinal tissue oxygen tension. In one aspect, the invention is directed to methods for determining oxygen tension in a target tissue sensitized with an oxygen sensitive probe by imaging the target tissue. In one embodiment, the invention provides a noninvasive method for monitoring oxygen tension in a chorioretinal tissue sensitized with an oxygen sensitive probe. In another aspect, apparatus is disclosed that can determine oxygen tension in tissue by quantifying a signal emitted by an oxygen sensitive probe within the three-dimensional map of a tissue to determine oxygen tension and provide a three-dimensional map of oxygen tension variations.

The invention provides a method for producing a cell aggregate containing a ciliary marginal zone-like structure by culturing a cell aggregate containing a retinal tissue in which Chx10 positive cells are present in a proportion of 20% or more of the tissue in a serum-free medium or serum-containing medium, each containing a substance acting on the Wnt signal pathway for only a period before the appearance of a RPE65 gene expressing cell, followed by culturing the “cell aggregate in which a RPE65 gene expressing cell does not appear” thus obtained in a serum-free medium or serum-containing medium, each not containing a substance acting on the Wnt signal pathway and so on.

In a laser eye treatment apparatus, a probe light source generates a secondary emitted light emanating from a treatment area of retinal tissue that is irradiated by a treatment light source. An optical detector detects the secondary emitted light. A processor statistically analyzes the secondary emitted light to determine a temperature of the treatment area of retinal tissue.

Surgical devices are provided for aspiration of the subretinal fluid (SRF) of the eye in a retinal detachment that allows re-apposition of the sensory retina to the underlying RPE. The device is connected to a vacuum source, introduced into the posterior chamber through a sclerostomy port and placed against the detached retinal tissue. The device pulls on and captures the surface of the sensory retina, causing a micro needle to pierce through the tissue. As the sensory retina is captured and held in place by the vacuum, a protected pocket is created and the tissue is prevented from folding onto itself and occluding the micro needle tip.

The invention discloses a zoom multi-channel microscopic imaging system of eye retina, which comprises a lighting subsystem, a zooming module, a multi-channel imaging module and a controller, wherein the lighting subsystem is used for emitting light to light eye ground, and the light is reflected by retina tissues and then forms imaging light beams; the zooming module is suitable for optical zooming so as to focus-image all the depth zones of the retina and lead to different magnifying powers and fields of view; the multi-channel imaging module is used for filtering and arranging the imaging beams spatially after the imaging beams are split and finally focusing the light on the target surface of a photoelectric detector to form a plurality of twin images; and the controller is used for connecting and controlling all the other parts, taking pictures of the eye ground of the tested person continuously, and collecting and obtaining a video or an image sequence directly. The zoom multi-channel microscopic imaging system also comprises a self-adaptive optical subsystem which is used for correcting higher order aberration of human eyes in real time so as to reach an optical resolution ratio approaching the diffraction limit and realize microscopic observation of the living eye retina.

The invention relates to a co-culture method of photosensory precursor cells and retinal tissue in vitro and aims to build a co-culture system for the photosensory precursor cells and denaturation retinal tissue of retina photoreceptor cells. The method comprises the following steps: a photosensory precursor cell layer of an embryonic eye source is prepared; a nerve cell layer of a denatured retina is prepared; the nerve cell layer of the denatured retina is placed on the photosensory precursor cell layer; an epithelial layer of retinochrome is prepared in the lower chamber of a plug-in type tissue culture dish; the co-culture system of the retinal tissue and cells is built in vitro, and the retinal tissue and cells are cultured in an incubator with 5% CO2 at the temperature of 37 DEG C. By adopting the method provided by the invention, the biological characteristics and cellular structure of host cells and transplanted cells, the synaptic contact of the transplanted cells and the host cells, and the chromatin conformation reconstruction of the transplanted cells and the host cells can be observed and detected directly in vitro, and the traces of survival, proliferation, differentiation and functional reconstruction of photosensory precursor cells of a transplanted embryonic eye source can be tracked.

The present invention relates to mononucleoside phosphate compounds that have the benefits of a dinucleotide pharmaceutical. These mononucleoside phosphates can be made from a mononucleotide that has been modified by attaching a degradation resistant substituent on the terminal phosphate of a polyphosphate mononucleotide. By attaching this degradation resistant substituent, the stability from degradation matches or exceeds those of certain dinucleotides.

The subject invention utilizes the characteristics of in vivo tissue impedances to provide an embodiment of a retinal rake capable of providing a visible and / or preferably an audible signal to a surgeon that more clearly indicates which type of tissue(s) is in contact with the retinal rake. A preferred embodiment comprises a handheld, battery operated retinal rake having two electrodes, wherein at least one electrode is the modified retinal rake. Upon contact with different optical tissues, e.g., epiretinal membranes, retinal tissue, vitreous humor, etc., the electrodes detect varying impedances which are translated by onboard circuitry into various signals that indicate what type of tissue, fluid, structure, etc. is in contact with the retinal rake.

Methods of stabilizing and organizing collagen fibrils in extracellular matrix of retinal tissues, particularly Bruch's membranes, and stabilizing retinal pigment epithelial layers lining Bruch's membrane are disclosed. The stabilization and organization may be effected by treating retinal tissues with a protein that crosslinks and organizes collagen fibrils, such as decorin. The stabilization and organization methods include treatment of retinal tissues before, during, or after diagnosis of dry macular degeneration, diagnosis of early stages of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema to prevent, retard, or limit progression of disorganization of Bruch's membrane and disorganization of retinal pigment epithelial cells lining Bruch's membrane.