Spring-Biased IOL Deployment Apparatus for Consistent Lens Insertion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional IOL insertion tools rely on manual force, leading to inconsistent folding and deployment of intraocular lenses, resulting in unpredictable surgical outcomes due to varying operator techniques.
Innovation Solution
An automated IOL insertion apparatus with a handpiece body featuring a deployment and advancement system, utilizing spring-biased carriages and plungers to ensure consistent and controlled deployment of the IOL into the eye, eliminating the need for external power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual force is applied to the plunger by the operator, then the IOL can be advanced through the folding chamber and deployed into the patient's eye, but the folding forces and advancement forces vary by use and by operator, leading to inconsistent surgical outcomes
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses spring-biased carriages that automatically advance the IOL through the folding chamber and deploy it into the patient's eye without requiring manual force from the operator. The biasing elements self-generate the necessary forces, eliminating operator variability and ensuring consistent surgical outcomes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system (operator pushing the plunger) with an automated mechanical system (spring-biased carriages). This substitution eliminates the need for human force application while maintaining the mechanical advantage needed to advance and deploy the IOL.
2Productivity
If the operator manually pushes the plunger to advance the IOL, then the IOL deployment can be performed, but the appropriate folding forces may not be achieved, leading to undesirable folding results
Solution Approach 1:
The biasing elements automatically generate and apply the precise folding forces needed as the IOL advances through the folding chamber. The system self-regulates the force application to achieve proper folding without operator intervention, ensuring consistent folding precision while maintaining deployment speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses spring-biased carriages that can be designed with specific force characteristics to optimize both the speed and precision of IOL folding and deployment. By adjusting the spring parameters, the system achieves the right balance between fast deployment and precise folding.
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 apparatus provides a higher percentage of properly inserted lenses with consistent and predictable force application, reducing the risk of improper deployment and enhancing surgical consistency.
Implementation Method 1
The deployment carriage may include a biasing element that biases the deployment carriage in a distal direction toward the distal tip
Implementation Method 2
The advancement carriage may include a biasing element that biases the advancement carriage in the distal direction toward the deployment carriage
Implementation Method 3
The advancement carriage may also include a dampening system to dampen motion of the advancement carriage
Implementation Method 4
The deployment trigger may include a spring-loaded cleat. The cleat may include a through-hole, and the deployment plunger may extend through the through-hole
Data Source
AI summary
An intraocular lens (IOL) insertion apparatus may include a handpiece body having a distal tip and a deployment chamber located at a distal end of the handpiece body. The deployment chamber is sized and shaped to hold a folded IOL. The IOL insertion apparatus further includes a deployment system disposed within the handpiece body. The deployment system may include a deployment carriage movable between a first position and a second position within the handpiece body. The deployment carriage may include a biasing element that biases the deployment carriage in a distal direction toward the distal tip. The deployment system may further include a deployment trigger that prevents distal movement of the deployment carriage unless pressed and a deployment plunger having a proximal end secured to the deployment carriage and a distal end to engage the folded IOL.