Ocular Cannula Guide for Tangential Subretinal Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing surgical methods face challenges in accessing the macula, a highly localized region of the eye, for treating conditions like macular degeneration, due to its location at the back and beneath the delicate retina layer, making it difficult to deliver therapeutic substances directly to the subretinal space.
Innovation Solution
A flexible cannula guided by a cannula guide device, which includes a suture loop assembly or alternative guide devices, allows for atraumatic insertion between the sclera and choroid, enabling precise delivery of therapeutic agents to the subretinal space through multiple bleb fluid injection sites to enhance the surface area of retina exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cannula is inserted directly into the eye to access the macula, then the therapeutic agent can be delivered to the subretinal space, but the risk of trauma and stretching to the delicate retina increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a cannula guide as an intermediary device that mediates between the external injection site and the subretinal space. The guide includes a guide body with a guide channel that directs the cannula along a predetermined path, and a retention member that secures the guide to the eye. This intermediary structure enables safe delivery of therapeutic agents while preventing direct trauma to the retina by controlling the insertion trajectory and providing structural support during the procedure.
2Ease of operation
If the macula is accessed from the front of the eye, then the surgical approach is more accessible, but the precision and localization of treatment delivery is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a cannula guide with a guide channel that creates a three-dimensional insertion pathway. The guide body is positioned on the anterior surface of the eye, while the guide channel extends posteriorly through the sclera to reach the subretinal space near the macula. This dimensional approach allows the surgeon to access the difficult-to-reach macular region from a more accessible anterior location, maintaining both ease of operation and treatment precision by controlling the spatial trajectory of the cannula.
3Reliability
If multiple injection sites are used to enhance retinal exposure surface area, then treatment efficacy is improved, but the complexity of the surgical procedure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cannula guide is designed as a universal device that can accommodate multiple injection sites. The guide body includes a retention member that can be positioned at different locations on the eye, and the guide channel can be oriented to access different regions of the subretinal space. This multi-functional design allows the same guide structure to facilitate multiple injections across different injection sites, enhancing treatment efficacy while avoiding the need for multiple specialized devices or complex surgical procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus includes a body, and anchoring feature, and a guide feature. The body is sized and configured to be positioned on an eye of a patient. The anchoring feature is configured to secure the body to the eye of the patient. The guide feature is configured to guide a cannula into a scleral incision formed in the eye of the patient along a path that is substantially tangential relative to the eye of the patient. The guide feature is sized and configured to allow the cannula to pivot laterally through a range of angular motion at the scleral incision.