OPHTHALMOSURGICAL INJECTOR SYSTEM

Abstract

An ophthalmosurgical injector system includes an injector, which has a handpiece, a plunger and a dispensing device; an intraocular lens, which has an optic body, a C-shaped first haptic arm protruding from the optic body and a C-shaped second haptic arm protruding from the optic body; a cartridge, in which the intraocular lens is received, wherein the cartridge is inserted in the injector; and an actuation element, which has a contact surface, and a locking element, with which a position of the plunger relative to the handpiece or to the cartridge can be locked. The plunger can be locked in a first position, in which the intraocular lens is held in the cartridge in a compressed and pretensioned state in which an outer distance from the first haptic arm to the second haptic arm is greater than 8 mm and less than 11 mm.

Claims

1. An ophthalmosurgical injector system comprising: an injector including a handpiece, a plunger, and a dispensing device; an intraocular lens including an optic body, a C-shaped first haptic arm protruding from the optic body, and a C-shaped second haptic arm protruding from the optic body; a cartridge configured to receive the intraocular lens, wherein the injector is configured to receive the cartridge; an actuation element having a contact surface; and a locking element configured to lock a position of the plunger relative to the handpiece or to the cartridge; wherein the dispensing device has an inlet opening at a proximal end and an outlet opening at a distal end, wherein the plunger is configured to convey the intraocular lens through the cartridge and then from the inlet opening to the outlet opening of the dispensing device by a forward movement of the plunger, wherein the locking element is configured to lock the plunger in a first position, in which the intraocular lens is held in the cartridge in a compressed and pretensioned state in which an outer distance from the first haptic arm to the second haptic arm is greater than 8 mm and less than 11 mm, wherein the actuation element is configured to bring the contact surface of the actuation element into engagement with the plunger by a linear movement or a pivoting movement of the actuation element to achieve a forward movement of the plunger by at least 2 mm to at most 4 mm to a second position, as a result of which a subregion of the first haptic arm and a subregion of the second haptic arm are placed above the optic body, and wherein the locking element is configured to lock the plunger in the second position.

2. The ophthalmosurgical injector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the linear movement is a pulling movement, and wherein the actuation element is configured to execute the forward movement of the plunger in response to the pulling movement perpendicular to a direction of the forward movement of the plunger.

3. The ophthalmosurgical injector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge further comprises: support rails configured to support the first haptic arm and the second haptic arm during the forward movement of the plunger from the first position to the second position.

4. The ophthalmosurgical injector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intraocular lens is made of a hydrophobic acrylic polymer.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0026] i) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an injector system according to the disclosure;

[0027] ii) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an artificial intraocular lens in the untensioned state, in a plan view;

[0028] iii) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the artificial intraocular lens in a first compressed state, in a plan view;

[0029] iv) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the artificial intraocular lens in a second compressed state, in a plan view;

[0030] v) FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective illustration of a cartridge with wing elements and an intraocular lens inserted into the cartridge and compressed; and

[0031] vi) FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective illustration of an actuation element, which is in engagement with the plunger of the injector system.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an exemplary embodiment of an ophthalmosurgical injector system 100 according to the disclosure. The injector system 100 has an injector 1, which has a handpiece 2 and a plunger 3. In addition, the injector 1 has a dispensing device 4 through which an artificial intraocular lens 5 can be conveyed. The intraocular lens 5 has an optic body 6 and two C-shaped haptic arms 7, which protrude therefrom and are arranged lying opposite each other, namely a first haptic arm 71 and a second haptic arm 72 (see also FIG. 2). The intraocular lens 5 is inserted in a cartridge 8, which is positioned in the injector system 100 before the dispensing device 4. By means of a forward movement (see arrow 9), the plunger 3 guided in the handpiece 2 can have its distal end 31 come into contact with the second haptic arm 72, whereupon both haptic arms 72 and 71 bend in the direction toward the optic body 6.

[0033] The intraocular lens 5 is in an untensioned state at the time of production, such that the outer distance from the first haptic arm 71 to the second haptic arm 72 has a length L1 (see FIG. 2). The length L1 can measure 12 mm. When the distal end 31 of the plunger 3 applies a force F to one of the haptic arms 71, 72 in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis A of the optic body 6, the first haptic arm 71 bends about a bending joint 73. The bending joint 73 is provided on a shaft 74 of the first haptic arm 71. Analogously to this, there is a second bending joint 75 on the second haptic arm 72, which second bending joint 75 is provided on a second shaft 76 of the second haptic arm 72. On account of the elasticity of the material of the intraocular lens, which is typically a hydrophobic acrylic polymer, such bending of the haptic arms can be permitted in the direction of the optic body 6.

[0034] FIG. 3 shows the intraocular lens 5 in a first compressed state, when the plunger is located in the first position. The outer distance from the first haptic arm 71 to the second haptic arm 72 then measures L2, wherein L2 is less than L1. L2 is greater than 8 mm and less than 11 mm.

[0035] When the plunger is located in the second position, this leads to still greater compression of the intraocular lens 5, wherein a subregion 51 of each of the haptic arms 71, 72 lies on the optic body 6 and partially covers the latter there (see FIG. 4). The optic body 6 of the pretensioned intraocular lens 5 has, in a plan view, a circular surface area 61 not covered by the haptic arms 71, 72, which circular surface area 61 has a diameter D1 of typically at least 4.5 mm. The outer circumference of the circular surface area 61 is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 4. In this compressed state of the intraocular lens 5, the outer distance from the first haptic arm 71 to the opposite second haptic arm 72 has a length L3, which is shorter than the length L2 or L1. With a length L1 of 12 mm, such compression of the intraocular lens 5 leads to a length L3 of approximately 6 mm to 9 mm, typically 6 mm to less than 7.5 mm. The subregion 51 is a surface representing part of a circular ring which is formed between a ring with the external diameter D2 of the optic body 6 and a ring with the diameter D1 of the circular surface area 61 (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 4).

[0036] FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustration of the intraocular lens 5 inserted in the cartridge 8 and compressed. The distal end 31 of the plunger 3 is in touching contact with the second haptic arm 72. The cartridge 8 has two wing elements 81, which are shown in an opened position in FIG. 5. By pivoting the wing elements 81 about an associated hinge 82, typically a film hinge, the intraocular lens 5 can be folded or rolled up, such that it can be pushed into an inlet opening 41 of the dispensing device 4. By continued movement of the plunger 3 in the direction of the arrow 9, the intraocular lens 5 emerges at the distal end of the dispensing device 4, at the outlet opening 42 of the latter, to be introduced into a capsular bag of an eye.

[0037] FIG. 6 shows a schematic perspective illustration of an actuation element 11, which is in engagement with the plunger 3. The actuation element 11 has a plane contact surface 12 which can be coupled with form-fit engagement to a corresponding contact surface 32 of the plunger 3. The contact surfaces 12 and 32 are typically resiliently pretensioned. By a linear movement of the actuation element 11 in the direction of the arrow 91, which is typically perpendicular to the direction of the forward movement (see arrow 9), the plunger 3 is moved in the direction of the arrow 9 by the predetermined distance of at least 2 mm to at most 4 mm. The contact surface 12 is typically configured as a ramp, wherein an angle between an inclination plane of the contact surface 12 and the longitudinal axis of the plunger 3 is greater than 45. Instead of having a plane surface, the contact surface 12 can also be configured as a free-form surface or as a differently curved surface, provided that actuating the actuation element in a linear movement or pivoting movement leads to a displacement of the plunger by a predetermined distance of at least 2 mm and at most 4 mm.

[0038] The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure illustrates and describes the present invention. Additionally, the disclosure shows and describes only the exemplary embodiments but, as mentioned above, it is to be understood that the disclosure is capable of use in various other combinations, modifications, and environments and is capable of changes or modifications within the scope of the concept as expressed herein, commensurate with the above teachings and/or the skill or knowledge of the relevant art.

[0039] The term comprising (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of having or including and not in the exclusive sense of consisting only of. The terms a and the as used herein are understood to encompass the plural as well as the singular.

[0040] All publications, patents and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference, and for any and all purposes, as if each individual publication, patent or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. In the case of inconsistencies, the present disclosure will prevail.

REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] 1 injector [0042] 2 handpiece [0043] 3 plunger [0044] 4 dispensing device [0045] 5 intraocular lens [0046] 6 optic body [0047] 7 haptic arms [0048] 8 cartridge [0049] 9 arrow for forward movement [0050] 11 actuation element [0051] 12 contact surface of the actuation element [0052] 31 distal end of the plunger [0053] 32 contact surface of the plunger [0054] 41 inlet opening of the dispensing device [0055] 42 outlet opening of the dispensing device [0056] 51 subregion of a haptic arm [0057] 61 circular surface area [0058] 71 first haptic arm [0059] 72 second haptic arm [0060] 73 bending joint on the first haptic arm [0061] 74 shaft of the first haptic arm [0062] 75 bending joint on the second haptic arm [0063] 76 shaft of the second haptic arm [0064] 81 wing element [0065] 82 hinge [0066] 91 pulling direction of the actuation element [0067] 100 injector system [0068] A optical axis [0069] D1 diameter of the circular surface area of the optic body not covered by haptic arms [0070] D2 external diameter of the optic body