Method and apparatus for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye
US5704907A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 11, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jan 6, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61F9/00781
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus for lowering the intraocular pressure of an eye are provided. The apparatus of the invention is a filtering implant comprising a cellulosic membrane adapted to extend from the anterior chamber of the eye through an opening in the limbus corneae to a drainage area beneath a scleral flap. In its most preferred embodiment, the cellulosic membrane consists essentially of a homopolymer of glucose units connected in a 1,4'-.beta. linkage. The implant is of a planar, generally rectangular shape. The method of the invention involves preparing and implanting the device within the eye such that it extends from the anterior chamber of the eye through an opening in the limbus corneae to a drainage area beneath a scleral flap.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.