Self-Trephining Glaucoma Stent for Trabecular Meshwork Bypass

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current glaucoma treatments, such as trabeculectomy and implantable drainage devices, involve significant ocular morbidity, prolonged recovery times, and moderate success rates, with risks including hemorrhage, infection, and double vision, while existing surgical techniques like goniotomy and laser trabecular ablation fail due to cellular repair mechanisms causing the created openings to close.

Innovation Solution

The development of a glaucoma stent and associated methods that bypass the focal resistance to aqueous outflow at the trabecular meshwork, utilizing existing physiologic outflow mechanisms, allowing for a minimally invasive procedure that can be performed on an outpatient basis, with a biocompatible stent placed to maintain the opening and reduce intraocular pressure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If trabeculectomy or implantable drainage devices are used, then intraocular pressure can be reduced, but ocular morbidity increases with risks of hemorrhage, infection, and prolonged recovery

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness of glaucoma treatmentVSAvoidocular morbidity including hemorrhage, infection, and recovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts and removes the trabecular meshwork tissue that is causing resistance to aqueous outflow, creating a direct bypass channel from the anterior chamber to Schlemm's canal. This eliminates the need for extensive surgical procedures like trabeculectomy while avoiding the associated morbidity, as the problematic tissue is selectively removed rather than requiring creation of large drainage pathways through sclera and conjunctiva

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses an intermediary approach by creating a controlled surgical channel through the trabecular meshwork that serves as a mediator between the anterior chamber and Schlemm's canal. This intermediary pathway allows aqueous humor to bypass the resistant trabecular meshwork tissue while maintaining connection to the natural outflow system, avoiding the need for external drainage devices and their associated infection risks

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If goniotomy or laser trabecular ablation is performed, then openings are created in the trabecular meshwork, but cellular repair mechanisms cause the openings to close

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesimplicity of surgical procedureVSAvoiddurability of created opening

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies preliminary action by using viscoelastic material to mechanically dilate and hold open the surgical channel created through the trabecular meshwork before cellular repair mechanisms can close it. This preliminary supportive action prevents the natural tendency of the tissue to close the opening, ensuring long-term patency of the drainage pathway

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention provides beforehand cushioning by placing viscoelastic material within the surgical channel to cushion and maintain the opening against the surrounding trabecular meshwork tissue. This protective cushioning prevents the tissue from collapsing or closing the channel, countering the cellular repair mechanisms that would otherwise seal the opening

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If minimally invasive stent placement is used, then procedure safety and recovery speed improve, but the ability to adequately bypass focal resistance may be insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverisk of complicationsVSAvoideffectiveness of outflow bypass

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies segmentation by dividing the surgical approach into distinct functional components: a surgical channel creation phase through the trabecular meshwork, and a stent placement phase to maintain the channel. This segmented approach allows the minimally invasive stent placement to be combined with effective trabecular meshwork bypass, as the channel creation and maintenance functions are separated into distinct steps

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12575972B2Glaucoma stent and methods thereof for glaucoma treatment

Publication Date: 2026.03.17 GLAUKOS CORP

AI summary

The invention relates generally to medical devices and methods for reducing the intraocular pressure in an animal eye and, more particularly, to stent type devices for permitting aqueous outflow from the eye's anterior chamber and associated methods thereof for the treatment of glaucoma. Some aspects provide a self-trephining glaucoma stent and methods thereof which advantageously allow for a “one-step” procedure in which the incision and placement of the stent are accomplished by a single device and operation. This desirably allows for a faster, safer, and less expensive surgical procedure.