Intraocular lens inserting assembly

An assembly for inserting an intraocular lens into an eye having an elongated first member with two side walls for closing the haptics of lens around the lens and a second member between said walls. The lens is placed on the second member with the haptics being engaged by the walls of the first member. The part of the assembly holding the lens is introduced into the eye and then the lens is released by withdrawing the first member and thus disengaging the haptics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention pertains to a tool for inserting an intraocular lens into 
the eye. 
Various diseases of the human eye may require removal of the eye's natural 
lens. For example, one of these diseases causes the natural lens to become 
opaque, thus blocking the light before it hits the retina. This effect is 
commonly referred to as a cataract. 
After the lens has been removed, an artificial lens must be provided to 
restore the patient's vision. Generally, there are three methods of 
providing such lens: regular glasses, external contact lens and 
intraocular lens. 
Regular glasses used for cataracts are very thick and therefore found 
aesthetically objectionable by many patients. Contact lenses are 
inappropriate to some patients, especially older ones who do not have the 
dexterity necessary for inserting or removing the lenses. Thus, for many 
patients the intraocular lens present the best alternative. 
Depending on their actual position within the eye, intraocular lenses are 
categorized either as anterior chamber lenses or posterior chamber lenses. 
As the name implies an anterior chamber lens is installed in the anterior 
chamber between the iris and the ocular jelly. Sometimes, this lens is 
positioned in the plane of the iris. In order to insure that the lens does 
not shift, the lens is sometimes sutured or otherwise affixed to the iris. 
Anterior chamber lenses are the predominant and safer type of lenses, and, 
of course, they must be used after intracapsular surgery during which the 
capsular bag is removed. 
Posterior chamber lenses can be used after extracapsular surgery, i.e., 
when the cataract is removed but the capsular bag is left in place. 
Although posterior chamber lenses may be positioned between the bag and 
the iris, it was found that it is safer to install these lenses within the 
capsular bag itself. 
Intraocular lenses have gone through an evolution of their own. While the 
initial lenses had bulky, complicated appendages for securing the lens 
within the eye, the latest lenses have much simpler mechanisms. One of the 
most common types of intraocular lens has a number of flexible loops or 
haptics. In the relaxed position, these loops are coplanar with the lens 
and engage the side walls of the eye in a spring action, thus holding the 
lens in place. The loops are made of polypropylene or other similar 
material and lenses are available with loops of a variety of sizes, shapes 
and colors. 
It is well known that eye surgery is a very delicate procedure. Any 
inadvertent move on the part of the surgeon may further damage the eye. 
This is especially true for the process of implanting an intraocular eye 
because the lens itself is very small and, further, it must be precisely 
positioned so that it can focus the light entering the eye onto the 
retina. The lenses with loops are especially difficult to install because 
the loops in their open position cover an area which is much larger than 
the actual area of the lens. Various devices have been made which assist 
the surgeon in this procedure, however most of them are too bulky and 
expensive. 
One device which has been used in particular with lenses having loops is 
the so-called SHEET GLIDE. This device is simply a flat flexible plastic 
strip which is slightly narrower than the diameter of the lens. In order 
to use this device, the surgeon makes an appropriate incision in the eye, 
and then slips the SHEET GLIDE into the eye with its tip positioned in the 
general location to be occupied by the lens. Next, he slides the lens on 
the glide into the eye. The incision in the eye must be large enough to 
accommodate the loops, and the SHEET GLIDE does not provide any protection 
of the eye during the implantation. 
OBJECTIVES AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Therefore, it is the objective of this invention to provide a tool for 
inserting an intraocular lens in the eye which protects the eye during 
insertion. 
Another objective is to provide a tool which requires a smaller opening 
then previously disclosed, thus making the operation safer. 
A further objective is to provide a tool which keeps the loops close to the 
lens while the lens is being positioned within the eye. 
Other objectives and advantages of the invention shall be described in the 
following description. 
In accordance with the invention, there is provided an assembly for 
inserting an intraocular lens with loops or haptics into an eye, said 
assembly comprising a first and a second member. The first member has a 
flat, elongated portion and has two opposing walls extending at least 
partially along said portion. The second member is also flat and it is 
slidably inserted between the two walls of the first member. The two 
members cooperate in a manner so that when a lens is placed on the second 
member, the haptics of the lens engage the two walls, thus holding the 
lens secure. 
After a suitable opening is made in the eye, the assembly is introduced 
partially into the eye until the lens is in the desired position. Then the 
first member is separated from the assembly by retracting it from the eye 
while the second member is held in position. This motion allows the 
haptics to disengage from the walls and engage portions of the eye itself. 
Once the lens is firmly held by the eye, the second member is also 
withdrawn.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A preferred embodiment of the invention shall now be described in relation 
to a posterior chamber lens. It must be understood however that the device 
would work equally well with an anterior chamber lens. 
Referring to FIGS. 1-8, a typical intraocular lens 10 comprises a 
lenticular body 20 which is made out of a transparent material and has the 
required optical characteristics necessary to correct the patient's 
vision. A number of holes such as 30 are provided within the body to allow 
the surgeon to manipulate the lens. Imbedded in the body are two haptics 
or loops 40 and 50. These loops are flexible, have a curvilinear shape in 
their relaxed or open position, and may be wrapped around the 
circumference of the body 20. This later position is referred to as the 
closed position. 
The assembly comprises a first member 60 and a second member 70. Member 60 
has a flat bottom 80 and two side walls 90 and 100. The side walls are 
oriented generally perpendicularly to bottom 80, but preferrably they lean 
towards each other, as shown in FIG. 7. 
Member 70 has a bottom 75 with the general shape of bottom 80 and it is 
made to be introduced between walls 90 and 100 and slide on top of said 
bottom. At one end it has a raised lip 110. Member 70 also has a 
projection 120 whose purpose shall be clarified later. The two members are 
shown assembled in FIG. 2, with member 70 being disposed on top of bottom 
80 between walls 90 and 100 of member 60. The two members cooperate to 
hold lens 10 as shown in FIG. 2. In effect, lens 10 is disposed on top of 
member 70 while its haptics 40 and 50 engage the walls 90 and 100 to hold 
the lens in place. 
Prior to the insertion of the lens, an incision 150 is made in eye 160 
between the cornea 170 and the choroidal tissues 180. The incision 150 
need not be wider than the width of member 60. The end of the assembly 
which holds the lens is then inserted into the capsular bag until it 
reaches the desired position. During this step, the lens is resting 
against projection 120 and is stopped from shifting with respect to the 
assembly. Next, member 60 is withdrawn from the eye while the lens and the 
second member 70 are held in place by the surgeon who may use lip 110 for 
this purpose. Once member 60 is withdrawn, the haptics are free to expand 
within the bag and thus secure the lens to the eye. After the haptics have 
expanded, the second member 70 is also withdrawn from the eye. 
One skilled in the art will appreciate the fact that during insertion, the 
haptics are held closed, and therefore, the risk of injuring the eye is 
reduced. The assembly also protects the capsular bag while the lens is 
being inserted. This facet of the invention becomes very important when 
the invention is used for an anterior chamber lens. As it was previously 
shown, the anterior chamber lens is installed above the iris, and above 
the ocular jelly contained in the anterior chamber. During any surgical 
operation, contact with this jelly must be avoided as much as possible. If 
the present invention is used to insert the lens, the jelly is protected 
by the assembly. 
The assembly may be made of any of the common plastics in use today. Since 
it is very inexpensive to manufacture, it may be disposed after a single 
use, thus saving the sanitizing costs. Its size depends on the size of the 
lens. Preferrably member 60 should be about 15-18 mm long by 6-8 mm wide. 
Walls 90 and 100 may have a height of 1-1.5 mm. Second member 70 may be 
slightly shorter than member 60 or about 10-12 mm to allow member 60 to be 
pulled out of the eye first. 
In summary, the present invention provides an inexpensive assembly for 
inserting an intraocular lens in an eye by keeping the haptics closed 
until after the lens has been positioned and without the use of awkward 
and bulky instruments. The assembly also protects the eye during the 
insertion procedure. 
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications 
of the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the 
invention as defined in the appended claims.