Medication Reservoir for Intraocular Lenses with Secure Haptic Attachment

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing intraocular lenses with medication reservoirs often detach during insertion into the eye, compromising the delivery of medications like antibiotics and anti-inflammatories.

Innovation Solution

A medication reservoir design for intraocular lenses that securely attaches to haptic arms via a through-hole and multiple recesses, utilizing a displacement direction and positive/press fit, minimizing detachment risk during insertion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If the medication reservoir is attached to the intraocular lens using a simple attachment mechanism, then the ease of manufacture is improved, but the reliability of attachment (preventing detachment during insertion) deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidattachment reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The medication reservoir is nested within the haptic arm structure, with the reservoir positioned inside the haptic arm's body. The reservoir's outer surface engages with an inner surface of the haptic arm, creating a nested configuration that provides secure attachment while maintaining ease of manufacture through a single-piece integration approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment mechanism utilizes the radial dimension by extending the haptic arm radially outward to form a attachment interface. The reservoir attaches to the haptic arm in the radial direction, providing secure engagement while allowing straightforward manufacturing through radial extension of the haptic arm structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If the medication reservoir is designed with multiple engagement features (protrusions and recesses), then the attachment reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattachment reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The attachment interface is segmented into multiple discrete engagement features: protrusions on the haptic arm that correspond to recesses on the reservoir, and vice versa. This segmentation provides multiple independent engagement points that collectively enhance attachment reliability while keeping each individual feature simple in design.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The attachment features are merged into the overall haptic arm and reservoir structures rather than being separate components. The protrusions and recesses are integrated into the respective bodies, combining the attachment function with the structural elements to minimize additional complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4525781B1Medicament reservoir for an intraocular lens, and intraocular lens comprising such a medicament reservoir
Publication Date: 2025.08.13 CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
  • EP4525781B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4525781B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4525781B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The invention relates to a medicament reservoir (4) for an intraocular lens (1), said medicament reservoir comprising: a medicament; a through-hole (8); a first medicament reservoir recess (23) which communicates with the through-hole (8); a first rim (25) which delimits the first medicament reservoir recess (23); a first end face (31) which delimits the through-hole (8); and a second end face (32) which is located opposite the first end face (31) and delimits the through-hole (8), the through-hole (8) having a first longitudinal end (34) in a region of the first end face (31) and a second longitudinal end (35) in a region of the second end face (32), the medicament reservoir (4) having a displacement direction (15) which points from the first longitudinal end (34) to the second longitudinal end (35), and the first medicament reservoir recess (23) being designed such that the through-hole (8) can be accessed via the first medicament reservoir recess (23) from outside the medicament reservoir (4) in a medicament reservoir radial direction (16) relative to the displacement direction (15).