Fluorescent Coating for Intraocular Lens Delivery Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraocular lens (IOL) insertion devices face challenges in ensuring uniform and adequate lubricity across the inner surfaces of cartridges and inserter tubes to minimize friction and damage during IOL delivery, particularly through small incisions in the eye.
Innovation Solution
A method and device featuring a coating on the inner surfaces of the cartridge and inserter tube, comprising a lubricious-enhancing material and a fluorescing compound, which is applied and inspected for thickness and uniformity using light emission characteristics, ensuring optimal lubricity and reducing the force required for IOL passage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a lubricity enhancing coating is applied to the inner surfaces of the cartridge and inserter tube, then the force required to pass the IOL through the insertion tube is reduced, but the complexity of the manufacturing process increases due to the need for coating application and quality inspection
Solution Approach 1:
The coating includes a fluorescing component that emits light when illuminated, enabling visual inspection of coating uniformity and adequacy. This allows manufacturers to verify coating quality without complex measurement equipment, resolving the contradiction by simplifying inspection while maintaining the lubricity enhancement benefit
Solution Approach 2:
The coating itself provides the inspection function through its fluorescing property. The coating material inherently contains the inspection mechanism, eliminating the need for separate complex inspection equipment and processes while ensuring adequate lubricity coverage
2Duration of action of moving object
If the incision size is reduced to minimize healing time, then patient recovery is improved, but the risk of IOL damage during passage through the incision increases
Solution Approach 1:
The lubricity enhancing coating is applied in advance to the inner surfaces of the cartridge and inserter tube before the IOL is loaded. This preliminary lubrication reduces friction during the subsequent passage through the small incision, allowing smaller incisions to be used safely without increasing IOL damage risk
3Reliability
If the coating thickness is increased to ensure adequate lubricity, then the lubricity enhancement is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure uniform coating application
Solution Approach 1:
The fluorescing component allows visual verification of coating uniformity through light emission intensity variations. Manufacturers can easily detect non-uniform areas and adjust application parameters, reducing the precision burden while ensuring adequate lubricity coverage
Solution Approach 2:
The fluorescing coating provides immediate visual feedback during the coating process. By observing the light emission pattern, manufacturers can adjust coating application in real-time to achieve uniform thickness, simplifying the manufacturing precision requirements
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 solution enhances the lubricity of the IOL delivery process, reducing the risk of damage and ensuring smooth passage through small incisions, while allowing for easy inspection and adjustment of the coating quality.
Implementation Method 1
the coating including a lubricious-enhancing material and a fluorescing compound, energizing the fluorescing compound in the coating to cause a light emission
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods for detecting a coating on a surface of an intraocular lens delivery device and methods of manufacturing the device are provided. A method includes forming the coating on the device, the coating including a lubricious-enhancing component and a fluorescing component, illuminating the fluorescing component to cause the fluorescing component to emit a glow, and determining characteristics of the coating on the device based on the glow of the fluorescing component.