Patent ID: 8734378

Claim:
A method for reducing intraocular pressure in an eye, comprising: (1) introducing through a cornea of an eye into the anterior chamber an ocular implant removably attached to a delivery instrument, the ocular implant having proximal and distal ends; the delivery instrument defining a straight longitudinal axis and comprising: (a) a hand-held component having an actuator; (b) an elongated applier operatively coupled to the hand-held component, the elongated applier comprising: a proximal region aligned along the longitudinal axis of the delivery instrument during introduction of the ocular implant into the anterior chamber; a distal region curved away from the longitudinal axis during introduction of the ocular implant into the anterior chamber; and a distal tip that forms the distal-most portion of the delivery instrument during introduction of the ocular implant into the anterior chamber and that is configured to bluntly dissect eye tissue; and (c) a deployment structure having a proximal end coupled to the hand-held component and a distal end positioned around the elongated applier at a location proximal of the ocular implant when the ocular implant is removably attached to the delivery instrument; (2) bluntly dissecting eye tissue between a portion of a ciliary body and a portion of a sclera from within the anterior chamber using the distal tip of the elongated applier; and (3) advancing the ocular implant from the anterior chamber toward the supraciliary space through the dissected eye tissue; (4) using the delivery instrument to position the ocular implant at a target location in the eye while the ocular implant remains in a fixed position relative to the delivery instrument, wherein, when in the target location, the proximal end of the ocular implant is located in the anterior chamber and the distal end of the ocular implant is in communication with the supraciliary space; and (5) withdrawing the elongated applier in a proximal direction relative to the implant and the deployment structure so as to detach the elongated applier from the implant, wherein once the implant is detached, aqueous humor is able to flow from the anterior chamber between the proximal and distal ends of the ocular implant toward the supraciliary space, and wherein the distal region of the elongated applier withdraws into the distal end of the deployment structure and conforms to the straight longitudinal axis of the delivery instrument as the distal region withdraws into the distal end of the deployment structure.