Patent ID: 8915253
Filing Date: 2014-12-23
Classification: A61B,A61F,A61H,A61N

Abstract:
1. A method of treating dry eye wherein a flow of naturally occurring secretion to an eye is occluded due to a presence of an obstruction of a meibomian gland in an eyelid, wherein the meibomian gland has a meibomian gland channel and a meibomian gland orifice, the method comprising: softening an obstruction located in the meibomian gland channel; positioning a bladder such that the bladder contacts the eyelid when the bladder is expanded; and expressing the softened obstruction from the meibomian gland channel by expanding the bladder to apply a regulated compressive force to the eyelid to express the softened obstruction from the meibomian gland channel, wherein the expanding the bladder expresses the softened obstruction from within the meibomian gland channel through the meibomian gland orifice using the regulated compressive force, and wherein the expanding the bladder comprises expanding the bladder such that a force on the meibomian gland increases from a bottom of the meibomian gland channel up to a top end of the meibomian gland where the meibomian gland orifice is located and the obstruction in the meibomian gland channel is expressed from within the meibomian gland channel through the meibomian gland orifice in a milking type of action.