Bleb Drainage Device With Stop Element For Retrobulbar Fluid Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fibrous scar tissue, or encapsulated blebs, can interfere with the proper functioning of implanted medical devices like the Ahmed glaucoma valve by preventing fluid outflow, leading to increased intraocular pressure.
Innovation Solution
A bleb drainage device with a tubular member featuring a stop element for insertion and anchoring elements for secure placement, allowing fluid to drain from the bleb into the retrobulbar space, thereby relieving pressure and restoring device functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a glaucoma drainage device is implanted to drain fluid from the eye, then intraocular pressure is reduced, but fibrous scar tissue forms and encases the device preventing proper fluid outflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the drainage function from the traditional subconjunctival space by creating a separate retrobulbar drainage pathway. The tubular member routes fluid away from the bleb site to the retrobulbar space, preventing fluid accumulation that would stimulate fibrous tissue formation while maintaining effective drainage function
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the retrobulbar space as an intermediary drainage destination between the anterior chamber and the external environment. This intermediate space serves as a hydrophobic reservoir that receives aqueous humor without triggering the foreign body response that occurs in conventional subconjunctival drainage
2Reliability
If the tubular member is made long enough to reach the retrobulbar space, then fluid drainage is effective, but the device becomes more complex and difficult to implant
Solution Approach 1:
The tubular member is designed with flexible, adjustable configuration rather than a fixed rigid structure. The tube can be bent and positioned in different configurations during implantation to accommodate varying anatomical conditions, simplifying the implantation process while maintaining the necessary length to reach the retrobulbar space
Solution Approach 2:
The drainage system is segmented into distinct functional components: the intraocular catheter, the tubular member for retrobulbar routing, and the anchoring elements. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and simplifies implantation by enabling step-by-step placement
3Reliability
If the stop element is designed to prevent the tubular member from being pulled back through the bleb wall, then secure anchoring is achieved, but the insertion process becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The stop element is pre-configured in a compressed or collapsed state that allows it to pass through the bleb wall during insertion. Once positioned in the retrobulbar space, the stop element expands or returns to its original configuration, automatically achieving secure anchoring without requiring additional manipulation during the insertion process
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 device effectively drains fluid from the bleb, reducing pressure and ensuring the proper functioning of glaucoma drainage devices by creating a hermetic seal and secure anchoring, thus addressing the issue of encapsulated blebs.
Implementation Method 1
This area of the eye is largely comprised of periorbital fat that is hydrophobic and has limited blood supply, potentially resulting in a reduced foreign body response when aqueous is shunted to it
Data Source
AI summary
Fluid is drained from a bleb using a device including a tubular member having opposed open ends to enable the fluid to flow from end to end through the tubular member. Inward from one end is a stop element enabling the one end to be inserted in one direction through a wall of the bleb but preventing the inserted end from being pulled in the opposite direction through the bleb wall. The opposed remote end of the tubular member is inserted into the retrobulbar space to enable fluid exiting the tubular member at this remote end to drain into the tissue. Along an exterior of the tubular member is an anchoring element enabling the device to be sutured in position. An ophthalmic product has a bleb drainage feature.