Device for deploying a flexible implant

1. A sub-retinal, flexible implant-deploying device, said device comprising:

a distal end having a distal tip; and

a proximal end, wherein:

said distal end comprises an opening to accept an inserted flexible implant and constructed and arranged to cause said flexible implant to be flexed into a curved configuration forming a flexed implant when in a carried position, and to deploy the flexed implant from said opening into a sub-retinal space;

a longitudinal axis of said proximal end and a longitudinal axis of said distal end form an angle of between 200 and 700;

said proximal end comprises an actuator connected to a flexible urging member that, when actuated, causes said flexible urging member to urge said flexed implant from said carried position to a deployed position via the distal end;

said actuator is a wheel rotatable toward or away from the distal tip, wherein rotational movement of said actuator causes linear movement of said implant; and

a proximal end of said flexible urging member is secured to the wheel, and wherein rotational movement of said wheel winds or unwinds said flexible urging member around said wheel.

2. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said distal end comprises a longitudinal axis and walls curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the distal end, said walls defining the opening at the distal end.

3. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said opening is angled away from a plane perpendicular to a direction of insertion and/or deployment of the flexible implant.

4. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said walls curved in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the distal end cause said flexible implant to curve in a direction generally transverse to the direction in which said flexed implant is deployed.

5. A device according to claim 2 , wherein, when said implant is in said carried position or when said implant is urged from said carried position to a deployed position, said walls restrict movement of said implant in a direction generally transverse to the direction in which said implant is deployed.

6. A device according to claim 2 , wherein said walls are arranged to guide said implant as it moves from said carried position to a deployed position, or vice versa.

7. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the angle is between 30° and 50°.

8. A device according to claim 1 wherein said urging member is a wire.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said urging member is a coiled wire.

10. A device according to claim 1 , wherein said distal end comprises a guiding means arranged to guide said urging member.

11. A device according to claim 10 , wherein said guiding means is a groove extending along at least a portion of an interior wall of the distal end of the device.

12. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the distal tip is removably attachable to the proximal end.

13. A device according to claim 1 , wherein the proximal end comprises a handle.

14. A combination of:

an implant wherein the implant is flexible, substantially planar, substantially flat and comprises stem cells, a drug, or radioactive material; and

a device according to claim 1 ;

wherein the implant is inserted into the device, thereby forming a flexed implant.

15. The device according to claim 1 wherein the angle is between 40° and 50°.

16. The device according to claim 1 wherein the angle is between 30° and 50°.

17. A combination of:

an implant wherein the implant is flexible, substantially planar, substantially flat; and

a device according to claim 1 ;

wherein the implant is inserted into the device, thereby forming a flexed implant.