Patient-Specific Macular Indentor for Stable Retinal Placement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current macular buckles have a one-size-fit-all design that can lead to stability issues and inaccurate placement due to variability in eye shape, length, and curvature, particularly in highly myopic eyes, resulting in variable clinical outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A patient-specific macular indentor is designed using additive manufacturing, with a curved backbone and raised pad that matches the eye's geometry, confirmed by OCT imaging, and secured using surgical glue or sutures, ensuring precise fit and stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a one-size-fit-all design is used for macular buckles, then the device can be universally applied to different patients, but the fit and placement accuracy deteriorate due to variability in eye shape, length, and curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the patient population into different categories based on ocular characteristics (e.g., axial length, curvature radius) and provides specific buckle designs for each segment. This allows the system to maintain universal applicability while achieving precise fit for each patient group through standardized variants rather than fully custom devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes key geometric parameters of the macular buckle (such as curvature radius, length, and width) to match different patient ocular parameters. By offering multiple buckle designs with varying parameters, the system achieves both universal applicability across different eye types and precise placement accuracy for each specific patient anatomy.
2Device complexity
If a one-size-fit-all design is used for macular buckles, then device complexity is reduced, but stability and positional accuracy deteriorate due to poor fit
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a family of standardized buckle designs that can serve multiple patient types. Each buckle design is optimized for specific ocular parameters but follows standardized manufacturing and implantation protocols. This maintains operational simplicity for surgeons while achieving reliable, stable placement through proper device-patient matching.
3Adaptability or versatility
If adjustments are made to the device and placement during surgery, then adaptability to individual patient anatomy is improved, but surgeon dependency increases and outcomes become variable
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary selection and customization of the macular buckle design before surgery based on pre-operative imaging and measurement data. By determining the optimal device parameters in advance, the system reduces the need for intraoperative adjustments and minimizes surgeon dependency, leading to more consistent and predictable outcomes.
Data Source
AI summary
A macular indentor for implantation on an eye of a patient includes a curved backbone extending from a first end to a second end and a raised pad coupled to the first end of the backbone. The raised pad extends inward from an inner face of the backbone such that, when the macular indentor is implanted on the eye, the raised pad applies pressure to the sclera of the eye which contacts the macula of the eye. The geometry of the backbone is configured to match the geometry of the eye.