Biodegradable Contact Lens Patch for Ocular Surface Healing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for ocular surface disorders, such as dry eye syndrome and corneal injuries, face challenges including high surgical costs, potential trauma, and suboptimal therapeutic outcomes due to the need for repeated interventions and discomfort from external support systems, while amniotic membrane extracts lack the physical characteristics necessary for patch applications.
Innovation Solution
A biodegradable lens-shaped patch combining amniotic or placental extracts with a synthetic polymer like poly(DL-lactide co-glycolide) or collagen, designed to conform to the cornea and dissolve over time, providing a non-surgical, comfortable, and controlled delivery of therapeutic agents to promote healing without external mechanical support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) is performed surgically, then therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but cost and surgical trauma increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the therapeutic active ingredients (amniotic extract, placental extract) from the intact amniotic membrane and incorporates them into a biodegradable contact lens matrix. This allows delivery of the therapeutic components without requiring surgical transplantation of the entire membrane, thereby maintaining effectiveness while eliminating surgical trauma.
Solution Approach 2:
The biodegradable contact lens serves as an intermediary vehicle that delivers amniotic and placental extracts to the ocular surface. Instead of directly transplanting amniotic membrane (which requires surgery), the extract-loaded lens acts as a mediator that provides the same therapeutic benefits through non-surgical application.
2Ease of operation
If amniotic membrane is retained by a ring, then surgical intervention is avoided, but patient comfort deteriorates and therapeutic outcomes become sub-optimal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a biodegradable contact lens that dissolves after delivering its therapeutic payload. This disposable approach eliminates the need for long-term retaining rings that cause discomfort, while still providing effective therapy through controlled degradation and release of active ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact lens is designed with specific biodegradation parameters that control how and when the therapeutic agents are released. By adjusting the degradation rate of the biodegradable material, the invention optimizes both patient comfort (no permanent foreign body) and therapeutic effectiveness (sustained release of extracts).
3Ease of operation
If amniotic membrane extract is used topically, then surgical intervention is avoided, but the physical characteristics necessary for patch application are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure combining biodegradable contact lens material with amniotic and placental extracts. This composite maintains the physical patch form factor and conformability to the ocular surface while incorporating the therapeutic extracts, thus achieving both the desired shape and non-surgical application.
4Productivity
If conventional contact lenses are used to deliver amniotic composition, then delivery is improved, but the lenses are not fully resorbable requiring removal
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a biodegradable contact lens that naturally dissolves and is absorbed by the body after delivering its therapeutic payload. This eliminates the need for manual removal procedures, as the lens discards itself through biodegradation, simplifying the overall treatment process and eliminating second procedures.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The lens-shaped patch effectively reduces inflammation, facilitates epithelialization, and enhances ocular surface healing, offering a cost-effective, comfortable, and long-term therapeutic solution for ocular surface disorders without the need for repeated surgeries or external support, with adjustable degradation rates for varying treatment durations.
Implementation Method 1
The biodegradable carrier material is selected from a synthetic polymer comprising poly(DL-lactide co-glycolide) co-polymer
Implementation Method 2
The biodegradable carrier material and amniotic and/or placental extract are combined and formed into the shape of a contact lens for application to the cornea
Implementation Method 3
designed to conform to the cornea and dissolve over time
Data Source
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AI summary
A biodegradable lens-shaped patch useful for healing and treatment of ocular conditions is disclosed. The patch is formed from a biodegradable carrier which carries amniotic extract and/or placental extract. The lens-shaped patch may be shaped in the form of a conventional contact lens and it is applied to a corneal surface to enhance healing thereof. After a certain period of time, the patch dissolves on its own and it need not be removed from the eye by a clinician.