Bipolar Electrode Contact Lens for Ciliary Muscle Assessment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for assessing ciliary muscle activity in patients with presbyopia or age-related macular degeneration lack effective pre-screening techniques to determine if a patient has sufficient muscle activity to utilize electro-active ophthalmic lenses, which can lead to improper functioning of accommodative intraocular lenses (IOLs) post-implantation.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a contact lens with bipolar electrodes that analyze electrical signals from the ciliary muscle to evaluate accommodative potential, using a diagnostic system to identify and calculate signal values, and compare them to predetermined thresholds to determine the suitability of ciliary muscle-driven ophthalmic devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If electro-active ophthalmic lenses are implanted to correct presbyopia, then vision correction capability is improved, but the device may not function properly if the ciliary muscle has degraded activity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice functionalityVSAvoidciliary muscle activity assessment

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preoperative screening using bipolar electrodes to measure ciliary muscle electrical activity before implanting electro-active ophthalmic lenses. This preliminary assessment determines whether the patient's ciliary muscle has sufficient activity to drive the implanted device, preventing implantation in unsuitable candidates and ensuring reliable postoperative function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If ciliary muscle activity is not assessed preoperatively, then surgical procedure is simplified, but improper device selection leads to device malfunction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice performanceVSAvoidscreening procedure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs ciliary muscle activity assessment before device implantation to ensure patient suitability. This preliminary screening, while adding procedural steps, prevents postoperative device failure and ensures reliable performance by identifying patients with sufficient muscle activity to drive the electro-active lens.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces complex invasive muscle biopsy or direct electrical stimulation measurements with a non-invasive bipolar electrode surface measurement system. This substitution simplifies the screening procedure while maintaining reliability in assessing ciliary muscle activity for device compatibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Measurement precision

If bipolar electrodes are used to measure ciliary muscle electrical activity, then measurement accuracy is improved, but the complexity of signal analysis increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical activity detectionVSAvoidsignal processing system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex signal processing requirements with a simplified bipolar electrode configuration that directly measures electrical potential differences. This substitution reduces the need for sophisticated signal analysis algorithms while maintaining high measurement precision for detecting ciliary muscle activity levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms the measurement approach by using bipolar electrodes to directly measure voltage differences rather than requiring complex impedance or current measurements. This parameter change simplifies the signal processing requirements while improving measurement precision for clinical assessment of ciliary muscle function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

This non-invasive screening technique allows for accurate preoperative assessment of ciliary muscle activity, ensuring that patients receive appropriate ophthalmic devices that can function effectively, thereby guiding surgical recommendations and device selection.

Implementation Method 1

receiving a plurality of signals generated by a plurality of bipolar electrodes during a ciliary muscle assessment procedure, each of the plurality of signals indicating an electrical field associated with a patient's ciliary muscle

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectrical field detection: Electric Field

Data Source

PatentUS12127933B2Systems and methods for measuring ciliary muscle activity

Publication Date: 2024.10.29 ALCON INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for non-invasively assessing ciliary muscle accommodative potential in phakic eyes may include receiving a plurality of signals generated by a plurality of bipolar electrodes during a ciliary muscle assessment procedure, each of the plurality of signals indicating an electrical field associated with a patient's ciliary muscle, and analyzing the signals to evaluate the patient's ciliary muscle accommodative potential.