INJECTOR FOR AN INTRAOCULAR LENS

Abstract

An injector for an intraocular lens includes a housing with a cannula, a receiving chamber for the intraocular lens, and a plunger that can be moved within the housing. The plunger is adapted to move the intraocular lens out of the receiving chamber and through the cannula. The injector includes a rotary element for moving the plunger. The rotary element is mounted on the plunger for rotation and axial translation thereon.

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. An injector for an intraocular lens, comprising: a housing with a cannula; a receiving chamber for the intraocular lens; a plunger, the plunger being movable within the housing and adapted to move the intraocular lens from the receiving chamber through the cannula; and a rotary element for moving the plunger, the rotary element being mounted on the plunger for rotation and axial translation thereon.

12. The injector of claim 11, wherein, in a starting position, the rotary element is spaced apart from a seat provided on a main housing, and wherein the rotary element is displaceable together with the plunger until the rotary element comes into contact with the seat and then a thread thereof engages with the seat.

13. The injector of claim 12, wherein the injector is adapted so that the thread engages with the seat when the intraocular lens is located inside the cannula.

14. The injector of claim 12, wherein the injector is adapted so that the thread engages with the seat when the intraocular lens is located immediately in front of a tip of the cannula.

15. The injector of claim 13, wherein the intraocular lens can be pushed out of the cannula by turning the rotary element.

16. The injector as claimed in claim 11, wherein the rotary element on the plunger is secured against displacement in a distal direction by a locking ring.

17. The injector as claimed in claim 11, wherein, at an end position, advancement of the plunger is blocked by a resilient stopper.

18. The injector as claimed in claim 11, wherein, once the rotary element has reached its end position, the plunger can be further advanced using a handpiece.

19. The injector as claimed in claim 11, wherein, once the rotary element has reached its end position, the plunger can be further advanced using a handpiece over a distance of 1 to 8 mm.

20. The injector as claimed in claim 12, wherein the intraocular lens is arranged in the receiving chamber in a folded state; and/or wherein the plunger is latched to the main housing; and/or wherein the rotary element is substantially in form of a circular cylinder having a proximal wall that has a central opening which, in cooperation with a plunger rod, defines a rotary bearing; and/or wherein the plunger rod has a cross-shaped cross section; and/or wherein the seat for the rotary element has a segmented external thread; and/or wherein the rotary element engages on the seat after an advancement of the plunger by more than 10 mm and/or by less than 30 mm; and/or wherein the plunger is displaceable using the rotary element by more than 5 mm, and/or by less than 15 mm; and/or wherein the thread of the rotary element has a pitch between 1.5 and 7 mm; and/or wherein the main housing, the plunger, and the rotary element are made of plastic material; and/or wherein the plunger and the rotary element define a rotary bearing with an interference fit; and/or wherein the rotary element has an outer diameter between 18 and 28 mm.

21. A method for dispensing an intraocular lens from an injector, comprising: arranging the intraocular lens within a receiving chamber of the injector in a folded state; transferring the intraocular lens from the receiving chamber into a cannula by pressing on a handpiece of an axially displaceable plunger; causing a rotary element mounted on a plunger rod to engage on a seat; and advancing the axially displaceable plunger, while the intraocular lens is located inside the cannula, so as to dispense the intraocular lens from the cannula by alternatively further pressing on the handpiece or turning the rotary element.

22. The injector adapted to carry out the method according to claim 21.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0077] The subject-matter of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment by way of the drawings of FIGS. 1 through 9.

[0078] FIGS. 1 to 4 are isometric views of an exemplary embodiment of an injector in operating states thereof. Thus, it is illustrated how the injector is employed to dispense an intraocular lens.

[0079] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the injector.

[0080] FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the plunger.

[0081] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the proximal end of the main housing.

[0082] FIGS. 8 and 9 are longitudinal sectional views of details in the vicinity of the rotary element in different operating states of the injector.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0083] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an injector 1.

[0084] Injector 1 comprises a cannula 10 having a tip 11 through which an intraocular lens (not shown) can be dispensed into the eye of a patient (not shown).

[0085] For this purpose, the intraocular lens is inserted into the receiving chamber 12 and is then pressed out of the cannula 10 using the plunger 20.

[0086] In this exemplary embodiment, an intraocular lens that is located in a cartridge (not shown) can be introduced into the receiving chamber 12 by first placing the cartridge on the injector, in particular on the front part thereof comprising the cannula 10 and the receiving chamber.

[0087] What is shown here is the not yet fully assembled state, in which the movable folding member 13 has not yet been inserted into the carrier 16.

[0088] In the assembled state, a pin 18 of the folding member 13 will sit in the motion link guide, or cam track, of the carrier. This allows for a predefined mobility of the folding member 13 while the lens is being pressed out.

[0089] Before the lens is pressed out, the lid 14 fully assembled with the folding member is closed and the folding member 13 coupled to the lid 14 transfers the intraocular lens into the receiving chamber 12 where the lens is immediately folded. The folding member 13 is usually pushed forward in the lid 14 prior to the folding, and then the lid 14 can be closed.

[0090] The following drawings neither show how the lid with the folding member is closed.

[0091] The basic principle of the invention can however be transferred to all types of injectors for intraocular lenses, especially to those that are already preloaded with a lens.

[0092] The injector 1 further comprises the main housing 40 inside which the plunger 20 is guided.

[0093] Plunger 20 comprises the plunger rod 21 projecting into the main housing 40 and which comprises the handpiece 22 at its proximal end.

[0094] FIG. 1 shows the starting position of the injector 1, that is the operating state before the injector 1 is used.

[0095] In this operating state, the rotary element 30 is mounted on the plunger rod 21 for rotation and is still spaced apart from the seat 43 for the rotary element 30.

[0096] The rotary element 30 has an internal thread 31.

[0097] In this exemplary embodiment, the rotary element 30 has a substantially circular cylindrical shape and has a profiled contour 32 in order to allow for a better grip.

[0098] The user can now advance the plunger 20 until the rotary element 30 engages on the seat 43.

[0099] Seat 43 has a thread 48 which, in this exemplary embodiment, has a segmented configuration in order to facilitate demolding of the thread 31 of the rotary element 30 from an injection molding tool.

[0100] Adjacent to the seat in the distal direction, a wing-type finger flange 41 is provided, where the user can hold the injector 1, for example with the index finger and ring finger, and which thus provides a counter-holder when the user advances the plunger 20 using the handpiece 22.

[0101] In this way, the injector can in particular also be used with a single hand by pushing the handpiece 22 forward with the palm of the hand while two fingers hold the injector 1 on the wing-type finger flange 41.

[0102] Behind the wing-type grip 41 in the distal direction, there is another grip 42 provided on the underside, which can optionally be used, for example for fine adjustment of the position of the tip 11 of the cannula 10 or to serve as a counter-holder for the middle finger.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 2, the plunger 20 is initially advanced until the rotary element 30 engages on the seat 43 which, in this exemplary embodiment, defines the proximal end of the main housing 40.

[0104] The intraocular lens will now already have been transferred from the receiving chamber 12 into the cannula 10. It will be appreciated that the lid 14 will be closed in this situation (not shown).

[0105] In fact, the rotary element 30 can now be moved further in the distal direction relative to the plunger 20. However, due to an interference fit between the rotary element 30 and the plunger 20, the user will feel a resistance which signals that the intraocular lens is now ready to be pushed into the eye.

[0106] Now, as illustrated further by way of FIGS. 3 and 4, the user can turn the rotary element 30 in order to further advance the plunger 20.

[0107] Alternatively, the user can also continue to push the handpiece 22 forward so as to push the intraocular lens out of the cannula 10 without using the rotary element 30.

[0108] If the user uses the rotary element, he or she will be able to turn the rotary element 30 until the plunger 20 abuts in its end position, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0109] Preferably, the handpiece 22 does not come into contact with the seat 43 in the end position, rather the end position is defined solely by a resilient stopper (cf. 4 in FIG. 6).

[0110] The intraocular lens has now been transferred into the patient's eye.

[0111] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the injector in its initial state or starting position.

[0112] In this exemplary embodiment, the front housing part comprising the cannula 10 has a groove 15 by which it is secured to the main housing 40. That is, the cannula 10 can be snap-fitted to the main housing 40.

[0113] The plunger rod 21 is divided into several sections.

[0114] A front section 21a has a smaller diameter than section 21b therebehind.

[0115] Section 21a serves to accommodate the tip 23 made of resilient material.

[0116] A guide 44 for the front section 21a of the plunger rod 21 is provided in the distal front portion of the main housing 40.

[0117] A section 21b of the plunger rod therebehind is guided in the main housing 40. In this section, the plunger rod 21 has a latching hook 24 which is locked in the main housing 40 during assembly and then only allows the plunger 20 to be moved in the distal direction.

[0118] The rear section 21b of the plunger rod 21 first has a step 25 within the range of the rotary element 30.

[0119] Behind the step follows a groove 26 in which the locking ring 2 sits. The locking ring 2 defines a stop for the rotary element 30 in the distal direction.

[0120] In the initial state, the rotary element 30 is located at this stop.

[0121] In order to provide a stop in the end position of the plunger 20, a resilient stopper 4 is fitted on the plunger 20 in this embodiment.

[0122] The front guide 44 defines a wall against which the resilient stopper 4 comes to rest in the end position and thus resiliently stops and terminates the advancement.

[0123] According to another embodiment (not illustrated), the resilient stopper may also be integrated into the main housing instead of being fitted on the plunger.

[0124] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of the plunger 20 together with the locking ring 2. The locking ring 2 has a slot 3 so that it can be expanded and inserted into the groove of the plunger rod 21.

[0125] Both the front section 21a of the plunger rod and the rear section 21b of the plunger rod 21 are cross-shaped in cross section in order to slide in a corresponding guide of the housing of the injector.

[0126] Furthermore, the resilient stopper 4 sits on the front section 21a of plunger rod 21.

[0127] It provides for resilient abutment when the plunger 20 reaches its end position. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the proximal end of the main housing 40.

[0128] The main housing has a passage 46 for the plunger rod, more precisely for the rear section (21b) of the plunger rod.

[0129] An upper guide rail 45a and a lower guide rail 45b protrude into the passage 46.

[0130] These guide rails provide guidance for the plunger rod inside the main housing 40.

[0131] FIG. 8 shows a detailed view of the position of the rotary element when it engages on seat 43. This position corresponds to the illustration according to FIG. 2.

[0132] The rotary element 30 with its wall 33 mounted for rotation on the plunger rod 21, is moved forward together with the plunger rod 21, i.e. in the distal direction, until the thread 31 engages with the thread of the seat 43.

[0133] If the user now continues to press the proximal end of the plunger 20, the plunger rod 21 will move further forward. The locking ring 2 next to the rotary element 30 only acts as a stop against movement of the plunger rod 21 in the proximal direction (not illustrated).

[0134] If the user now turns the rotary element 30, as shown in FIG. 9, in order to push out the intraocular lens as slowly as possible, the wall 33 abutting on the locking ring 2 will push the plunger rod 21 forward until the rotary element 30 reaches the end position.

[0135] Further rotation of the rotary element 30 will then no longer be possible because further advancement of the plunger will be blocked by the stopper. So, the locking ring 2 will not engage on wall 47.

[0136] The disclosure permitted to provide a simple but very easy to use injector for intraocular lenses. It in particular allows to optionally use a rotary element while the intraocular lens is dispensed from the cannula of the injector.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0137] 1 Injector [0138] 2 Locking ring [0139] 3 Slot [0140] 4 Resilient stopper [0141] 10 Cannula [0142] 11 Tip [0143] 12 Lens receptacle [0144] 13 Folding member [0145] 14 Lid [0146] 15 Groove [0147] 16 Carrier [0148] 17 Motion link guide [0149] 18 Pin [0150] 20 Plunger [0151] 21 Plunger rod [0152] 22 Handpiece [0153] 23 Tip [0154] 24 Latching hook [0155] 25 Step [0156] 26 Groove [0157] 30 Rotary element [0158] 31 Internal thread [0159] 32 Profiled contour [0160] 40 Main housing [0161] 41 Wing-type finger flange [0162] 42 Front grip [0163] 43 Seat for the rotary element [0164] 44 Guide for 21a [0165] 45a Upper guide rail [0166] 45b Lower guide rail [0167] 46 Passage for 21b [0168] 47 Wall [0169] 48 Thread