Patent ID: 9700407
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. An injector for delivering an intraocular lens (IOL) into the eye of a subject, comprising: a housing; a load chamber within the housing for holding an IOL; a delivery tube in communication with the load chamber and terminating at a distal tip; a push rod within the housing and movable through the load chamber for urging the IOL in a distal direction from the load chamber, through the delivery tube and out of the distal tip in a delivery procedure; an actuator mounted to slide within the housing; a biasing coil connected between the actuator and the housing, the biasing coil assuming a relaxed state when the actuator is in a retracted position and assuming a stressed configuration when the actuator is in a cocked position, the actuator and housing having cooperating features to hold the actuator in the cocked position, and the biasing coil being coupled to apply a distally-directed force to the push rod when the biasing coil is in its stressed configuration; and a latch that maintains the push rod in a proximal position against the force of the biasing coil, a trigger that releases the latch to permit the biasing member to apply a distally-directed force to the push rod, and an operator controlled brake associated with the trigger for slowing or halting movement of the push rod when the trigger is fully depressed; wherein the push rod has a proximal plunger head with a recess, and the latch comprises an inwardly-directed finger on a lever arm mounted on one side of the housing, the trigger being provided on a distal end of the lever arm and the lever arm having a fulcrum in between the trigger and inwardly-directed finger so that inward movement of the trigger causes outward movement of the latch; wherein there are two identical lever arms opposite each other across the housing and two associated triggers that are squeezed to each release a latch to permit the biasing coil to apply a distally-directed force to the push rod.