TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, and more particularly, to methods and systems for advancing an intraocular lens for an ophthalmic surgical procedure.

BACKGROUND

The human eye, in simple terms, functions to provide vision by refracting light passing through a clear outer portion called the cornea and focusing the light by way of the lens onto the retina at the back of the eye. The quality of the visual image created by the focused light depends on many factors including the size, shape, and length of the eye, and the shape and transparency of the cornea and lens.

When trauma, age, or disease causes the lens to become less transparent, vision deteriorates because of a reduction in light transmitted to the retina. This deficiency in the eye's lens is medically known as a cataract. The treatment for this condition is often surgical removal of the natural lens and implantation of an artificial lens, typically termed an intraocular Lens (IOL).

Insertion of an IOL is typically performed using an IOL insertion tool. A conventional IOL insertion tool includes an IOL insertion cartridge that may fold and insert the IOL through a relatively small incision into the eye. For example, the IOL cartridge may include a folding chamber that has walls shaped cause the IOL to fold as desired as the IOL is moved through the chamber. Then, the folded IOL may be deployed into the patient's eye through the small incision. Typically, the operator of the IOL insertion tool manually pushes the IOL through the folding chamber by using a plunger that is engaged with the IOL. Various operators, however, may not apply appropriate force on the plunger as the plunger moves through the folding chamber. This can lead to undesirable folding results.

SUMMARY

An intraocular lens (IOL) insertion apparatus may include a handpiece body having a distal tip and a proximal section. The IOL insertion apparatus may also include a folding chamber located within the handpiece body. The folding chamber may be shaped to fold an IOL advancing through the folding chamber. The IOL insertion apparatus may also include an advancement system. The advancement system may include an advancement carriage movable between a first position and a second position within the handpiece body. The advancement carriage may include a spring system biasing the advancement carriage in a distal direction toward the second position and a dampening system to dampen motion of the advancement carriage. The advancement system may further include an elongated advancement plunger that includes a distal end to advance the IOL through the folding chamber and a proximal end connected to the advancement carriage.

A trigger mechanism may secure the advancement carriage in the first position and, upon actuation of the trigger mechanism, release the advancement carriage such that the spring system moves the advancement carriage in the distal direction toward the second position. The actuation mechanism may include a ring that, when rotated relative to the handpiece body into a specified rotational position, releases the advancement carriage. The handpiece body may include a distal section. The proximal section may be slidingly displaceable from and rotatable relative to the distal section. A deployment plunger may be selectively engageable with the IOL. The sliding displacement and rotation of the proximal section relative to the distal section may align the deployment plunger with the IOL. The deployment plunger may include a compressible distal tip operative to the IOL. The advancement carriage may prevent sliding and rotating of the proximal section relative to the distal section until the advancement carriage has advanced in a distal direction from the first position. A threaded mechanism may be cooperatively engaged with the deployment plunger. Rotation of the threaded mechanism relative to the deployment plunger may distally advance the deployment plunger. The spring system may include a plurality of constant force springs. The dampening system may include a track extending a length of the handpiece body and one or more gears that engage the track. The distal end of the advancement plunger may include a rigid material.

An intraocular lens (IOL) insertion apparatus may include a handpiece body having a proximal section and a distal section; an advancement body; an advancement plunger; a deployment plunger; a deployment mechanism; and a trigger mechanism. The distal section may form a passage extending through at least a portion of the distal section and configured to dispense an intraocular lens. The distal section may be rotatable relative to the proximal section between a first rotational position and a second rotational position. The advancement carriage may include a spring to bias the advancement carriage in a first direction disposed within the handpiece body and longitudinally moveable therein. The advancement plunger may be connected to a proximal end of the advancement carriage. The deployment plunger may be angularly offset from the advancement plunger about a longitudinal axis of the handpiece body. The deployment mechanism may be operably connected to the deployment plunger, and the deployment mechanism may be actuatable to advance the deployment plunger. The trigger mechanism may be moveable between a lock position in which the advancement carriage is prevented from moving within the handpiece body and a release position in which the advancement carriage is released and permitted to move within the handpiece body. When distal section is in the first rotational position, the advancement plunger may align with the passage formed in the distal section, and, when the distal section is in the second rotational position, the deployment plunger may align with the passage formed in the distal section.

The advancement carriage may also include a dampening system to dampen motion of the advancement carriage in the first direction. The dampening system may include a track extending a length of the handpiece body, a gear that engages the track, and a viscous fluid. Rotational motion of the gear may cause the viscous fluid to produce a resistive force that limits the rotational motion of the gear. A guiderail may be disposed along an interior of the handpiece body to guide the advancement carriage from a first position to second position after being released by the trigger mechanism. A lock mechanism may be operative to prevent rotation of the proximal section relative to the distal section until the advancement carriage is in the second position. The deployment mechanism may include a rotational mechanism rotatable by a user. The rotational mechanism may include a threaded mechanism cooperatively engageable with the deployment plunger and arranged to displace the deployment plunger in a distal direction in response to rotation of the threaded mechanism.

A method includes positioning a distal end of an intraocular lens (IOL) insertion apparatus handpiece at a surgical site and triggering a trigger mechanism that releases an advancement carriage. The advancement carriage has an advancement plunger extending from a distal end of the advancement carriage. The advancement carriage is spring biased in a distal direction such that, when released, the advancement carriage moves a distal tip of the advancement plunger through a folding chamber to fold an IOL engaged with the distal tip. The method further includes rotating a proximal section of the handpiece with respect to a distal section of the handpiece to align a deployment plunger with the folded IOL.

A deployment mechanism positioned at a proximal end of the handpiece may be rotated to move the deployment plunger distally to inject the folded IOL into an eye of a patient. The proximal section may be pulled away from the distal section before rotating the proximal section. The proximal section may be pushed towards the distal section after rotating the proximal section.

