IOL Injector Cartridge Haptic Control via Convex Slot Curvature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional IOL injectors face challenges in consistently loading and delivering intraocular lenses without damaging the delicate optic and haptic portions, particularly during folding and compression, which can result in incorrect orientation and trauma to the eye tissues.
Innovation Solution
The design of an IOL injector cartridge with a slot in the upper wall featuring a convex curvature and a haptic control feature to fold and manage the leading haptic of the IOL, combined with a tilted lumen and laterally biased plunger to ensure controlled delivery, minimizes damage and maintains the IOL's orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the IOL is folded and compressed to fit through small incisions, then the incision size is reduced and post-surgical healing is improved, but the risk of damaging the delicate optic and haptic portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The IOL is nested within the cartridge lumen in a folded configuration, with the haptic portion passing through the slot and being folded over by the convex curvature. This allows the delicate IOL to be contained and protected within the injector system while maintaining the compressed state needed for small incision delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The convex curvature at the slot edge is specifically designed to fold the haptic portion in a controlled manner. The curved surface guides the haptic material to bend smoothly without sharp creases or damage, enabling the IOL to be folded for delivery while protecting the delicate portions from trauma.
2Ease of operation
If the IOL is manipulated with forceps for loading into the cartridge, then the loading process is simplified, but the risk of damaging the optic and haptic portions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge lumen and slot serve as an intermediary structure between the forceps and the IOL. Instead of direct forceps manipulation of the delicate IOL portions, the forceps load the IOL into the protective environment of the cartridge, where the slot and convex curvature then manage the haptic folding without direct forceps contact.
3Productivity
If the plunger is engaged with the IOL for delivery, then the IOL can be expelled through the nozzle, but damage to the optic, haptics, or both may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge design provides different local qualities along the IOL path: the lumen provides containment, the slot provides haptic folding guidance with convex curvature, and the nozzle provides controlled expulsion. The plunger engages the IOL in a region where the haptic is already folded and protected by the slot structure, reducing the risk of damage during delivery.
4Length of moving object
If the IOL is folded or compressed inside the nozzle, then it can be delivered through small incisions, but controlling the orientation of the optic and haptic portions becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The convex curvature at the slot edge acts as a form-giving element that imprints a specific folded configuration on the haptic portion. This controlled curvature ensures that the haptic folds in a predictable manner, maintaining proper orientation as the IOL is delivered through the nozzle and into the eye through small incisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The haptic folding action occurs preliminarily as the IOL is loaded into the cartridge and advanced through the lumen, before the actual delivery through the nozzle. The convex curvature folds the haptic in advance, so that during delivery the orientation is already established and controlled, reducing the need for manipulation during the critical delivery phase.
Data Source
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AI summary
An IOL injector cartridge, comprising an upper wall (100a), a lower wall (100b), the upper wall and the lower wall combining to define a lumen that extends from a proximal end to a distal end, a slot (110) extending through the entire thickness of the upper wall and extending from the proximal end and having a slot distal end formed by the upper wall, an edge of the upper wall that, at least partially defines the slot, having a convex curvature, the curvature occurring along the thickness of the edge.