Glaucoma Implant Lumen Design for Bacterial Exclusion and Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for glaucoma often fail to effectively reduce intraocular pressure and alleviate dry eye symptoms, as they either lead to bacterial ingress or create conjunctival blebs that can cause scarring and inflammation.
Innovation Solution
Development of devices implanted in the sclera to allow aqueous humor to flow from the anterior chamber into the tear film, featuring a lumen designed to prevent bacterial ingress and maintain desired intraocular pressure without a filter, while providing moisture and lubrication to the eye surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a filter is used in the device to prevent bacterial ingress, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the filter component from the device entirely, relying instead on the natural anatomy of the anterior chamber and the design of the lumen opening to prevent bacterial ingress. This extraction of the filter element simplifies the device while maintaining reliability through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a new intermediary element - a specific lumen design with controlled opening characteristics that mediates between the anterior chamber and tear film while providing bacterial exclusion without requiring a traditional filter. The lumen acts as an intermediary structure that performs both flow and filtration functions.
2Reliability
If a porous element is placed inside the lumen to maintain intraocular pressure, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the porous pressure-regulating element from the device, relying instead on the inherent flow resistance of the lumen design and the pressure dynamics of the anterior chamber-tear film system to maintain appropriate intraocular pressure. This removes the need for additional pressure-regulating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The device enables self-service pressure regulation through the natural interaction between aqueous humor flow through the lumen and tear film dynamics. The system automatically balances intraocular pressure without requiring active control mechanisms or porous elements, as the flow itself provides the necessary pressure regulation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the device provides continuous fluid flow to the tear film, then dry eye symptoms are alleviated, but intraocular pressure control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic flow characteristics where the fluid flow rate automatically adjusts based on the pressure gradient between the anterior chamber and tear film. As intraocular pressure decreases, the flow rate naturally reduces, providing continuous moisture to alleviate dry eye symptoms while maintaining stable pressure control through inherent feedback.
Solution Approach 2:
The device utilizes changes in pressure parameters and flow rate parameters that are intrinsically linked. By designing the lumen to respond to pressure differentials, the system dynamically adjusts flow parameters to simultaneously address dry eye symptoms and maintain intraocular pressure control without requiring separate control mechanisms.
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 devices effectively reduce intraocular pressure and alleviate dry eye symptoms by ensuring bacterial exclusion and preventing conjunctival bleb formation, promoting biointegration and stability to minimize inflammation.
Implementation Method 1
aqueous humor to flow from the anterior chamber of the afflicted eye through a lumen of the device and into the tear film
Implementation Method 2
a device provided herein can be filterless, or can be designed to include a filter. A filterless glaucoma treatment device described herein, or a glaucoma treatment device having a filter as described herein, can be designed to prevent bacterial ingress and to provide a desired level of outflow resistance
Implementation Method 3
Simultaneously, moisture and lubrication is provided to the surface of the eye to alleviate the dry eye symptoms commonly associated with glaucoma
Data Source
AI summary
Devices can be implanted in an eye to treat glaucoma. The devices described herein include a body defining a lumen and having first and second ends and external and lumenal surfaces. The body has a length sufficient to provide fluid communication between the anterior chamber and tear film of the eye through the lumen when the device is implanted in the sclera. By the strategic selection of particular materials of construction, and/or by controlling the configuration and size of the lumen, in some embodiments, the device is a filterless construct. In some embodiments, a filter is included. The glaucoma treatment devices as provided herein are designed to prevent bacterial ingress and to provide the required level of outflow resistance to achieve a desired intraocular pressure. Methods of treating glaucoma wherein the device is implanted in the sclera of an afflicted eye are also described.