Intraocular Lens Injector With Sealed Folding Chamber

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional intraocular lens (IOL) injectors require separate sterile packaging for the IOL and injector, increasing the risk of contamination during manual handling and assembly, and the injector's coating dissolves upon contact with water, affecting storage stability.

Innovation Solution

A single-package injector design with a folding chamber containing the IOL and storage fluid, allowing sterilization and storage without water contact, featuring a mechanism to open and deform the folding chamber using a housing or component movements, reducing manual handling and contamination risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Stability of the object's composition

If the injector is stored dry to maintain coating stability, then the coating's long-term storage stability is improved, but the risk of contamination during manual assembly increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating storage stabilityVSAvoidcontamination risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the IOL storage environment (aqueous medium) with the injector storage environment (dry condition) by providing a waterproof covering that isolates the folding chamber containing storage fluid from the rest of the injector. This allows the entire assembly to be stored as a single unit while maintaining both the coating stability on the dry injector surfaces and the IOL stability in the aqueous environment, thereby eliminating contamination risks associated with manual assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Device complexity

If manual insertion of IOL into injector is required, then the injector can be simple in structure, but the risk of contamination during handling increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinjector structureVSAvoidcontamination risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning the IOL within the folding chamber that is integrated into the injector structure before sterilization and storage. The IOL is surrounded by storage fluid in the folding chamber, which is sealed with a waterproof covering, allowing the entire assembly to be sterilized together and ready for use without manual handling, thus eliminating contamination risks while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the folding chamber is sealed to prevent fluid leakage, then the storage fluid containment is improved, but the ease of operation to open and fold the IOL decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefluid containmentVSAvoidfolding chamber operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by designing the waterproof covering as a movable element that can be peeled or retracted during operation. The covering seals the folding chamber during storage and transport to maintain fluid containment, but can be easily removed or opened when needed for IOL deployment, thus providing both reliable sealing and ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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

Ensures long-term storage stability and reduces contamination risk by enabling sterilization and assembly in a single package, with a simplified operation that avoids manual handling of lids, facilitating easy folding and insertion of the IOL.

Implementation Method 1

a coating provided in the first cylinder section, which facilitates the sliding of the intraocular lens in the injector

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLubrication: Lubrication

Data Source

PatentEP4048202B1Injector for inserting an intraocular lens
Publication Date: 2025.12.03 CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
  • EP4048202B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4048202B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4048202B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The invention relates to an injector comprising: a cylinder (3), which has a first cylindrical portion (21) and a second cylindrical portion (22) provided next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder (3); a receiving portion (4) provided between the two cylindrical portions (21, 22); and an insertion component (2) provided in the receiving portion (4) and having an intraocular lens, a preserving liquid, a housing (5), a folding chamber (6), which is situated inside the housing (5) and in which the intraocular lens is situated and surrounded by the preserving liquid, and a cover (7), which seals off the folding chamber (6) from the first cylindrical portion (21) and which is fixed to the housing (5), wherein the insertion component (2) is designed to release the folding chamber (6) from the cover (7), by a movement of the housing (5) relative to the folding chamber (6), thereby opening the latter, and also to deform the folding chamber (6), thereby folding the intraocular lens.