Medication-Coated Suction Ring for Ophthalmic Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
During ophthalmic laser surgeries, issues such as pain, inflammation, dry eyes, and increased intraocular pressure can occur, leading to post-operative complications, which are currently managed with eye drops and sedatives, disrupting the surgical workflow.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface device with a suction ring coated with medication, including anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, numbing, and lubricating agents, is used to directly contact the eye, reducing the need for pre-, during-, and post-operative eye drops by delivering medication directly to the eye.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional eye drops and sedatives are administered before, during, and after the procedure, then patient comfort and complication prevention are improved, but surgical workflow is disrupted and procedural time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The medication is pre-coated onto the PI device before the surgery. The PI device is positioned on the patient's eye at the beginning of the procedure, delivering medication in advance and during the surgery without requiring separate administration steps before, during, or after the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the PI device structure with medication coating, merging the stabilization function and medication delivery function into a single integrated device. This eliminates the need for separate eye drop administration steps and reduces procedural time.
2Reliability
If multiple eye drops are administered before, during, and after the procedure, then medication effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and workflow disruption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The PI device is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: eye stabilization and medication delivery. The medication coating on the PI device provides multiple therapeutic effects (anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, lubricating) in a single application, eliminating the need for multiple separate eye drop administrations.
Solution Approach 2:
The PI device is designed as a self-contained system that automatically delivers medication through its contact with the eye during the procedure. The medication coating is released directly at the site of action without requiring separate administration steps, reducing workflow complexity.
3Reliability
If traditional medication administration methods are used, then medication delivery is reliable, but the number of steps and procedural complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The medication is pre-applied to the PI device before the surgery begins. This preliminary coating ensures that medication is immediately available at the site of action when the PI device is positioned on the patient's eye, eliminating the need for multiple separate medication administration steps during the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the medication delivery function from the traditional separate eye drop administration process and integrates it into the PI device. This extraction allows the medication to be delivered directly through the PI device's contact with the eye, streamlining the workflow and improving surgical efficiency.
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 medication-coated patient interface device streamlines surgical workflow by minimizing complications like pain, inflammation, and dry eyes, reducing the reliance on eye drops and sedatives, thereby enhancing surgical precision and patient comfort.
Implementation Method 1
at least an inner surface of the skirt is coated with medication
Implementation Method 2
an annular skirt made of a soft and flexible material and located at a lower end of the suction ring
Data Source
AI summary
A patient interface device for use in ophthalmic surgery, which includes a rigid body and a suction ring joined to a lower end of the body, where the suction ring includes an annular skirt made of a soft and flexible material and located at a lower end of the suction ring, and where an inner surface, and optionally an outer surface, of the skirt is coated with medication. The medication includes one or more of the following types of medication: anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, numbing, lubricating, and anti-redness. The coating method may include dip coating, sputter deposition, ultrasonic-spraying, and spin-coating. The skirt may be formed by a process that increases its material porosity and/or surface roughness, and may be surface-treated to enhance adhesion and retention of the medication.