Ophthalmic device

1 . An ophthalmic device comprising:

a body having:

a posterior surface;

an anterior surface;

wherein a size of the body, a shape of the posterior surface, and a shape of the anterior surface configures the device to reside on a bulbar conjunctiva of an eye;

wherein the device is flexible and has a Young modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa;

wherein the body of the ophthalmic device is configured to reside on the bulbar conjunctiva of the eye for a period of less than 24 hours from administration.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein, when in residence on the bulbar conjunctiva, the posterior surface is adjacent to the bulbar conjunctiva and the anterior surface is adjacent to an inner eyelid surface, at least periodically.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the body comprises therapeutic material and is configured to elute the therapeutic material into the eye when residing on the bulbar conjunctiva.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein an extent of the body is 2-8 mm.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , having a mass of from 5 mg to 40 mg.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the posterior surface comprises material which disintegrates within an eye.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the posterior surface comprises one or both of biodegradable and bioerodible material.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises one or more electronic elements.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is supplied in dry or semi-hydrated form.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to hydrate on the bulbar conjunctiva and thereby expand by no less than 10% and no more than 50% along one dimension.

11 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises more than one layer with different material characteristics.

12 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises one or more of:

PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVOH); PolyEthylene Glycol (PEG); Glycerol; Dextran; and combinations thereof.

13 . The device of claim 1 , where the body comprises one or more of hyaluronic acid, gelatin, and methyl cellulose.

14 . A method of treating a patient suffering from an ophthalmic condition, the method comprising:

covering a portion of a bulbar conjunctiva under the lower eyelid with an ophthalmic device according to claim 1 ,

causing the ophthalmic device to adhere to the bulbar conjunctiva through suction provided by surface tension forces generated by a difference in curvature between a posterior surface of the ophthalmic device and the bulbar conjunctiva; and

allowing the device to elute a therapeutic material into the patient's eye to treat the ophthalmic condition.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein causing the ophthalmic device to adhere to the bulbar conjunctiva comprises deforming a central region of the device.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the device is retrieved from dry storage and not hydrated before the portion of the bulbar conjunctiva under the lower eyelid is covered by the device.

17 . A method comprising:

applying the device of claim 1 to a portion of the bulbar conjunctiva between the cornea and the conjunctiva of a lower fornix of a patient with the posterior surface facing the patient's eye, with the anterior surface facing the patient's lower eyelid; and

allowing the device to reside on the bulbar conjunctiva for at least 15 minutes and for no longer than 24 hours.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the residence time is from 2 hours to 8 hours.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the device is retrieved from dry storage and not hydrated before being applied to the portion of the bulbar conjunctiva.

20 . An ophthalmic device comprising:

a body having:

a posterior surface; and

an anterior surface;

wherein the body comprises therapeutic material and is configured to elute the therapeutic material into the eye, wherein a size of the body, a shape of the posterior surface, and a shape of the anterior surface configure the device to reside on a bulbar conjunctiva of an eye, between the cornea and the conjunctiva of a lower fornix, wherein an entirety of the device, prior to use in the eye, is flexible and has a Young's modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa;

wherein the body of the device is configured to reside on the bulbar conjunctiva of the eye and elute the therapeutic material into the eye for a period of less than about 24 hours from administration.

21 . A method of treating a patient suffering from an ophthalmic condition, the method comprising:

applying an ophthalmic device, without pre-hydrating the device, to a bulbar conjunctiva of the patient's eye in such a way as to allow the ophthalmic device to reside on the bulbar conjunctiva for a residence time of at least 15 minutes, with no portion of the device residing above the patient's lower eyelid, the device comprising a body having a posterior surface and an anterior surface, the body comprising therapeutic material which is eluted into the patient's eye to treat the ophthalmic condition, the device undergoing hydration in situ by the patient's tear fluid, wherein the hydration causes the device to expand by at least 10% but no more than 50% along one dimension;

wherein the residence time is no more than 24 hours; and

wherein the device is flexible and has a Young modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa.

22 . A method of treating a patient suffering from an ophthalmic condition, the method comprising:

applying an ophthalmic device to a bulbar conjunctiva of the patient's eye in such a way as to allow the ophthalmic device to reside in the eye of the patient for a residence time of up to 24 hours, the device comprising a body having a posterior surface and an anterior surface, the body comprising therapeutic material which is eluted into the patient's eye to treat the ophthalmic condition; and

at the conclusion of the residence time, expelling or removing the device from the bulbar conjunctiva;

wherein the device is flexible and has a Young modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa.

23 . The method of claim 22 , comprising, after expelling or removing the device from the bulbar conjunctiva, repeating all steps of claim 22 with a second ophthalmic device that is essentially identical in shape and composition to the device of claim 1 .

24 . A method of treating a patient suffering from an ophthalmic condition, the method comprising:

covering a portion of a bulbar conjunctiva with an ophthalmic device, causing the ophthalmic device to adhere to the bulbar conjunctiva through suction provided by surface tension forces generated by a difference in curvature between a posterior surface of the ophthalmic device and the bulbar conjunctiva;

leaving the ophthalmic device on the bulbar conjunctiva for a residence time period; and

degrading the device during the residence time period by exposing the device to tear fluid and movement of the patient's eyeball and lower eyelid;

wherein the degrading reduces adherence of the device to the bulbar conjunctiva;

wherein the residence time is no more than 24 hours;

wherein the device is flexible and has a Young modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa.

25 . A method of treating a patient suffering from an ophthalmic condition, the method comprising:

covering a portion of a bulbar conjunctiva under the lower eyelid with an ophthalmic device,

causing the ophthalmic device to adhere to the bulbar conjunctiva through suction provided by surface tension forces generated by a difference in curvature between a posterior surface of the ophthalmic device and the bulbar conjunctiva; and

allowing the device to elute a therapeutic material into the patient's eye to treat the ophthalmic condition;

wherein the device is allowed to reside in the patient's eye for a time period of not more than 24 hours; and

wherein the device is flexible and has a Young modulus of from 0.3 to 1.5 MPa.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein causing the ophthalmic device to adhere to the bulbar conjunctiva comprises deforming a central region of the device.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the device is retrieved from dry storage and not hydrated before the portion of the bulbar conjunctiva under the lower eyelid is covered by the device.