Patent ID: 8187311

Claim:
An apparatus for treating meibomian gland dysfunction wherein the flow of naturally occurring secretion from a meibomian gland in an eyelid may be occluded due to the presence of an obstruction within a meibomian gland channel of the meibomian gland, comprising: a probe comprising a thermal energy applicator, at least one roller, a back plate, and an opening disposed between the at least one roller and the back plate, wherein the at least one roller is configured to be controllably actuated to regulate the distance between the at least one roller and the back plate; wherein the opening in the probe is configured to receive at least a portion of an eyelid such that the at least one roller is disposed adjacent to a first surface of the eyelid and the back plate is disposed adjacent to a second surface of the eyelid opposite the first surface of the eyelid; wherein the thermal energy applicator is disposed in the probe and configured to apply thermal energy to the meibomian gland channel; and wherein the at least one roller is configured to be controllably actuated to regulate the distance between the at least one roller and the back plate such that the at least one roller comes into contact with the eyelid and applies a regulated force to the eyelid disposed in the opening to squeeze the meibomian gland channel in the eyelid between the at least one roller and the back plate to express the obstruction from within the meibomian gland channel through a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland.