Ocular implant insertion apparatus and methods
An ocular implant insertion apparatus that includes a plunger driver that is not manually powered and ocular implant insertion methods. There are a variety of instances where an ocular implant is inserted into the anterior chamber, posterior chamber, cornea, vitreous space and/or other portion of an eye. Exemplary ocular implants include, but are not limited to, lenses, capsular tension rings, ocular prosthesis and lamellar transplants.
1. An ocular implant insertion apparatus, comprising:
a housing including an ocular implant storage area and a nozzle;
a plunger movable in a distal direction relative to the housing;
a hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver, including a master cylinder and a slave cylinder, that is configured to drive the plunger in the distal direction, the master cylinder including a cylinder body, a piston, a spring and a threaded cap that moves longitudinally on the cylinder body and compresses the spring in response to rotation of the threaded cap relative to the cylinder body;
a fluid port; and
a multi-position valve operably connected to the master cylinder, the slave cylinder and the fluid port, and having a first position where the multi-position valve connects the master cylinder to the fluid port and disconnects the master cylinder from the slave cylinder, a second position where the multi-position valve disconnects the master cylinder from the fluid port and from the slave cylinder, and a third position where the multi-position valve disconnects the master cylinder from the fluid port and connects the master cylinder to the slave cylinder.
2. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the multi-position valve comprises a variable flow valve that is movable between a plurality of partially open positions where the master cylinder is disconnected from the fluid port and is connected to the slave cylinder.
3. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
a handle associated with the variable flow valve such that movement of the handle results in movement of the variable flow valve.
4. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an ocular implant stored within the housing in a substantially unstressed state.
5. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a slider configured to fold an ocular implant as the slider moves from a first slider position to a second slider position.
6. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the slider includes a pivotable structure that folds the ocular implant as the slider moves.
7. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the plunger is movable relative to the slider.
8. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the housing is configured such that the ocular implant is further folded when being moved by the plunger.
9. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ocular implant storage area comprises an IOL storage area.
10. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an IOL heater.
11. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a control instrumentality configured to control operation of the hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver.
12. An ocular implant insertion apparatus, comprising:
a housing including an ocular implant storage area and a nozzle;
a plunger movable in a distal direction relative to the housing;
a hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver, including a master cylinder with a fluid storage volume, a spring and a piston, and a slave cylinder with a piston that is connected to the plunger, that is configured to drive the plunger in the distal direction as the spring moves from a compressed state to a less compressed state;
a fluid port, including a one-way valve that opens in response to fluid being driven into the port, in fluid communication with the master cylinder fluid storage volume; and
a multi-position valve, operably connected to the master cylinder and the slave cylinder, having a first position where the multi-position valve connects the master cylinder to the slave cylinder and a second position where the multi-position valve disconnects the master cylinder from the slave cylinder.
13. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
a handle associated with the multi-position valve such that movement of the handle results in movement of the multi-position valve.
14. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
an ocular implant stored within the housing in a substantially unstressed state.
15. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
a slider configured to fold an ocular implant as the slider moves from a first slider position to a second slider position.
16. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the ocular implant storage area comprises an IOL storage area.
17. The ocular implant insertion apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising:
a control instrumentality configured to control operation of the hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver.
18. An ocular implant insertion method, comprising the steps of:
driving fluid with a syringe into a hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver, which includes a master cylinder with a spring and a piston and a slave cylinder with a piston that is connected to a plunger, to compress the spring while fluid flow from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder and associated movement of the plunger is prevented; and
pushing an ocular implant out of an ocular implant storage area and through a nozzle of an insertion apparatus with the hybrid spring-based and hydraulic plunger driver by permitting fluid flow from the master cylinder to the slave cylinder and driving fluid out of the master cylinder by pushing the piston with the spring.