Glaucoma drainage implant venting assembly
View Patent ↗Provided herein is a glaucoma drainage implant assembly. The assembly may include a drainage implant tube defining a lumen there through defining a fluid channel between an anterior chamber of an eye and a region outside of the sclera of the eye; a closure disposed at a position outside the anterior chamber of the eye, the closure configured to preclude fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye to the region outside of the sclera of the eye; and a shunt received within the drainage implant tube, between the end of the drainage implant tube in the anterior chamber of the eye and the closure, where the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye, through the drainage implant tube, and out of the drainage implant tube external to the sclera of the eye through the shunt.
1. A glaucoma drainage implant assembly comprising:
a drainage implant tube defining a lumen there through, the drainage implant tube comprising a first end defining an opening to the lumen, wherein the first end of the drainage implant tube is configured to be received within an anterior chamber of an eye, and wherein a second end of the drainage implant tube opposite the first end is configured to be disposed outside a sclera of the eye, the lumen providing a fluid channel from the anterior chamber of the eye to external surface of the sclera of the eye;
a closure disposed at a position between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the second end of the drainage implant tube, the closure configured to preclude fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye to the second end of the drainage implant tube; and
a shunt received within the drainage implant tube, between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the closure, wherein the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye, through the first end of the drainage implant tube, and out of the drainage implant tube external to the sclera of the eye through the shunt, wherein the shunt extends through a side of the drainage implant tube.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shunt comprises a body, wherein the at least one channel is defined along a length of the body configured to enable fluid flow from the lumen of the drainage implant tube to a location outside of the drainage implant tube.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shunt comprises a tubular body defining a cavity there through, and a hole defined through the body to the cavity, wherein the hole is configured to allow fluid flow from the lumen of the drainage implant tube into the cavity, wherein the cavity is configured to carry the fluid to a location external to the drainage implant tube.
4. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the tubular body of the shunt is configured to extend between a first end of the body outside of the drainage implant tube, through the lumen of the drainage implant tube, to a second end of the body outside of the drainage implant tube.
5. The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the shunt further comprises a suture attached to the shunt, wherein the shunt is removed from the drainage implant tube in response to a pulling force received on the suture.
6. The assembly of claim 3 , wherein the hole is between about 40 microns and 50 microns in diameter.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shunt comprises a pointed leading edge, wherein the shunt is configured to penetrate the drainage implant tube in response to the pointed leading edge being pressed into the drainage implant tube.
8. A glaucoma drainage shunt to be received within a glaucoma drainage implant, the shunt comprising:
a substantially cylindrical body, wherein the body is configured to be received within a lumen of a drainage implant tube, the lumen in fluidic communication with an anterior chamber of an eye;
a pointed end of the substantially cylindrical body configured to aid penetration of the glaucoma drainage implant; and
a suture attached to the substantially cylindrical body at an end opposite that of the pointed end.
9. The glaucoma drainage shunt of claim 8 , wherein the shunt facilitates fluidic communication between the lumen of the drainage implant tube and a region exterior to the drainage implant tube.
10. The glaucoma drainage shunt of claim 9 , wherein the substantially cylindrical body comprises one or more grooves extending longitudinally along the substantially cylindrical body, wherein the one or more grooves defines a fluid flow path along the substantially cylindrical body from the lumen of the drainage implant tube to the region exterior to the drainage implant tube.
11. The glaucoma drainage shunt of claim 9 , wherein the substantially cylindrical body defines a hollow channel through the substantially cylindrical body extending longitudinally along the substantially cylindrical body and at least one hole through the shunt, permitting fluid communication between the lumen of the drainage implant tube and the hollow channel, wherein the at least one hole through the shunt and the hollow channel define a fluid flow path from the lumen of the drainage implant tube to the region exterior to the drainage implant tube.
12. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye while the closure precludes fluid flow through the second end of the drainage implant tube.
13. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 1 , wherein the shunt is received within the drainage implant tube across a width of the drainage implant tube.
14. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 13 , wherein the shunt comprises a body, wherein the at least one channel is defined along a length of the body configured to enable fluid flow from the lumen of the drainage implant tube, through a side of the lumen, to a location outside of the drainage implant tube.
15. A glaucoma drainage implant assembly comprising:
a drainage implant tube defining a lumen there through, the drainage implant tube comprising a first end defining an opening to the lumen, wherein the first end of the drainage implant tube is configured to be received within an anterior chamber of an eye, and wherein a second end of the drainage implant tube is configured to be disposed outside a sclera of the eye, the lumen providing a fluid channel from the anterior chamber of the eye to external surface of the sclera of the eye;
a closure disposed at a position between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the second end of the drainage implant tube, the closure configured to preclude fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye to the second end of the drainage implant tube; and
a shunt received within the drainage implant tube transverse to an axis along which the drainage implant tube extends, between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the closure, wherein the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye, through the first end of the drainage implant tube, and out of the drainage implant tube external to the sclera of the eye through the shunt.
16. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 15 , wherein the shunt comprises a tubular body defining a cavity there through, and a hole defined through the body to the cavity, wherein the hole is configured to allow fluid flow from the lumen of the drainage implant tube into the cavity, wherein the cavity is configured to carry the fluid to a location external to the drainage implant tube.
17. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 16 , wherein the tubular body of the shunt is configured to extend between a first end of the body outside of the drainage implant tube, through the lumen of the drainage implant tube, to a second end of the body outside of the drainage implant tube.
18. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 15 , wherein the shunt comprises a pointed leading edge, wherein the shunt is configured to penetrate the drainage implant tube in response to the pointed leading edge being pressed into the drainage implant tube.
19. The glaucoma drainage implant assembly of claim 15 , wherein the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye while the closure precludes fluid flow through the second end of the drainage implant tube.
20. A glaucoma drainage implant assembly comprising:
a drainage implant tube defining a lumen there through, the drainage implant tube comprising a first end defining an opening to the lumen, wherein the first end of the drainage implant tube is configured to be received within an anterior chamber of an eye, and wherein a second end of the drainage implant tube opposite the first end is configured to be disposed outside a sclera of the eye, the lumen providing a fluid channel from the anterior chamber of the eye to external surface of the sclera of the eye;
a closure disposed at a position between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the second end of the drainage implant tube, the closure configured to preclude fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye to the second end of the drainage implant tube; and a shunt received within the drainage implant tube, between the first end of the drainage implant tube and the closure, wherein the shunt is configured to permit fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye, through the first end of the drainage implant tube, and out of the drainage implant tube external to the sclera of the eye through the shunt,
wherein the shunt comprises a pointed leading edge, wherein the shunt is configured to penetrate the drainage implant tube in response to the pointed leading edge being pressed into the drainage implant tube.