Abstract:
An ophthalmologic lens insertion device that holds a lens between a pair of leaf springs and has a plunger that moves between the leaf springs to eject the lens onto the cornea or into a corneal pocket.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The invention relates to instruments for inserting a lens into the cornea.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Insertion of a lens into the cornea requires precise and careful placement. There is a need for an instrument that is easy to use, will not fold or damage the lens, and will fit into a corneal pocket.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     In summary the invention is a device that has a pair of gripping members that extend from a handle to a cotermination point where they can grip a lens. A plunger is moveable between the gripping members from a retracted position to an extended position whereby it will push the lens out from between the gripping members. The gripping members are resiliently biased so that while they grip the lens sufficiently to hold it, when the plunger passes between them at the cotermination point they will separate and allow the plunger to engage the lens and push it out of the cotermination point and into the desired position in the cornea.  
         [0004]     The device has a handle and the gripping members are attached to the handle, preferably separated. The plunger is held inside the handle in a slide mechanism that allows it to slide back and forth. It can be actuated by an actuator that is hand operable. The actuator is outside the handle and is attached to the plunger by way of a slot in the handle. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the invention  
         [0007]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the invention.  
         [0008]      FIG. 3  is a detail view of A in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0009]      FIG. 4  is a view through B-B of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 6  is a view through A-A of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 7  is side view of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIG. 8  is a view of section C-C of  FIG. 7   
         [0014]      FIG. 9  is a partial perspective view of the front of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 10  is a partial perspective view of the invention with the plunger in a retracted position.  
         [0016]      FIG. 11 . is a partial perspective top section view of the invention with the plunger in a retracted position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 12 . is a partial perspective side section view of the invention showing the plunger in a retracted position and a lens at the cotermination point of the gripping members.  
         [0018]      FIG. 13  is a partial perspective view of the invention with the plunger in the extended position and a lens having been pushed out from the cotermination point of the gripping members.  
         [0019]      FIG. 14  is a partial perspective view of the invention with the gripping members shown in transparency and the plunger in a retracted position and a lens in the cotermination point.  
         [0020]      FIG. 15  is a partial perspective top section view of the invention showing the plunger in a retracted position. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     The present invention is a device that is held in the hand of a surgeon performing a lens insertion procedure to place a lens into a human or other animal eye. Typically a lens is inserted under a corneal flap or into a corneal pocket. This device allows insertion in particular into a corneal pocket or on a corneal surface exposed by a flap and controllable deposit of the lens in the correct place.  
         [0022]     The following description can be best understood with reference to the figures and the reference numerals assigned to the parts of the device.  
         [0023]     The device  10  has three major portions. These are, a handle  12  a plunger  14  and grippers  16   a  and  16   b . At the front of the handle is a bearing  18  and a retaining collar  20 .  
         [0024]     The plunger  14  has front portion  22  and a shaft portion  24  and control portion  26 . The front portion  22  of the plunger  14  has a curved tip  28  and oppositely thickened portions  30   a  and  30   b  that will be referred to as lands  30   a  and  30   b . The front portion of the plunger  22  terminates in a curved termination end  23  configured to contact the curved periphery of the lens to be pushed out of the device. Behind the front portion  22  of the plunger  14 , the plunger shaft portion  24  rides in the bearing  18 . At the back of the plunger shaft portion  18 , extending rearwardly is the plunger control portion  26  of the plunger  14 . It rides smoothly on the inside surface  32  of the handle  12  which serves as a bearing. Also extending laterally from the plunger  14  is an actuator  34 , attached by posts  36  extending through the handle  12  by means of a slot  38 . The slot  38  has radial slots  40 .  
         [0025]     The grippers  16   a  and  16   b  are fitted and held by the collar  20 . They are mounted diametrically oppositely on the handle  12  so as to be spaced apart where they are attached to the handle  12 . They are shaped to converge to meet at a cotermination point  42 . The grippers  16   a  and  16   b  are preferably made of a spring material so that that they can be resiliently biased together where they meet at the cotermination point  42 . The cotermination point  42  is configured to hold a lens  44 , and the grippers are sufficiently biased together to maintain the lens  44  in place until it is pushed out by the plunger  14 . The grippers  16   a  and  16   b  also have recesses  45   a  and  45   b  on their inside surfaces starting just back of the cotermination point  42  and extending to the end of the grippers  16   a  and  16   b . These recesses are also called grooves  45   a  and  45   b  in consideration of their interaction with the lands  30   a  and  30   b . The grippers  16   a  and  16   b  also have windows  46   a  and  46   b  opening just behind the cotermination points  42  and extending rearwardly. There are also circular windows  48   a  and  48   b  in the cotermination points  42 .  
         [0026]     Use of the device commences with placing a lens  44  in the cotermination point  42 . This is done by spreading the grippers  16   a  and  16   b . The grippers  16   a  and  16   b  can be conveniently spread by rotating the actuator  34  so that its posts  36  enter the radial slots  40 . This rotation will rotate the front portion  22  of the plunger  14  and as it rotates it will contact the grippers  16   a  and  16   b  and spread them apart, and hold them apart so that the lens  44  can be easily and accurately put in place.  
         [0027]     The device is ready to use to put the lens  44  in place in a corneal pocket or on the cornea to be covered by a flap.  
         [0028]     To insert the lens  44 , for example, into a corneal pocket, the grippers  16   a  and  16   b  are slid into the corneal pocket, stopping just short of the place where the lens  44  will be placed. Then the plunger  14  is moved forward. As it moves forward the lands  30   a  and  30   b  enter the grooves  45   a  and  45   b . This interaction has the benefit that the termination end  23  of the plunger  14  can not override the lens  44 . Also if the cooperative dimensioning of their lands  30   a  and  30   b  and the grooves  45   a  and  45   b  are made that the grooves  45   a  and  45   b  are not as deep as the lands  30   a  and  30   b  are high, by a small amount, the entry of the lands  30   a  and  30   b  into the grooves  45   a  and  45   b  will cause the grippers  16   a  and  16   b  to separate slightly releasing their grip on the lens  44 . The operator can see the movement of the plunger termination end  23  through the windows  45   a  and  45   b  and of both it and the lens  44  through the windows  46   a  and  46   b  so that the insertion process can be carefully controlled. After the lens  44  has been ejected from the cotermination point  42  small adjustments may be made as needed by nudging the lens  44  with the cotermination points  42 .  
         [0029]     As is apparent, the lens is held sufficiently firmly between the grippers until the time for its ejection by the plunger. The plunger, in its retracted position is not in contact with the grippers, so only the grippers determine the holding of the lens prior to operating the device. The plunger has sufficient travel that it will move through the lens ejection cycle to pass slightly beyond the end of the grippers so that the lens is fully ejected.  
         [0030]     The injector as described above can be used with a single hand and is suitable for introduction of a lens into a sub-3 mm corneal tunnel incision, and can be autoclaved.  
         [0031]     Exemplary embodiments of the invention are disclosed herein. Thus it will be appreciated that various modifications, alternatives, variations, etc. may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims and equivalents. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims literally or as equivalents.