Patent ID: 8007524

Claim:
A method of treating meibomian gland dysfunction, comprising: applying a heat to tissue proximate a patient's meibomian gland to a temperature level to melt, loosen, or soften an obstruction located within a meibomian gland channel of a meibomian gland; maintaining the heat to the tissue proximate the patient's meibomian gland; and applying a compressive force to the tissue proximate the patient's meibomian gland, during the maintaining the heat to the tissue proximate the patient's meibomian gland to apply a pressure to reduce blood flow in an area of the tissue proximate the patient's meibomian gland and reduce convective heat loss from the heat, to express the obstruction located within the meibomian gland channel and from within the meibomian gland channel through a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland.