Special receptacle or package – For eyeglass or spectacle – Contact lens
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-07
2002-06-11
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For eyeglass or spectacle
Contact lens
C206S438000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401916
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container for receiving a soft intraocular lens capable of being folded. In particular, the present invention relates to a container having a function of folding the soft intraocular lens received therein.
2. Discussion of Background
An intraocular lens comprises an optical portion of a circular lens and two curved flexible haptics, wherein each one end of the curved flexible haptics is bonded to the periphery of the circular lens at opposing positions and each other end of them is extended to opposite sides of the optical portion. The optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is elastic so as to be folded unlike the optical portion of a hard intraocular lens.
If a person feel uncomfortable in the crystal lens of his or her eye due to cataract, normally it is extracted surgically; a circular opening is formed in a front portion of the crystal lens capsule after conducting corneal or corneoscleral incision; the cataract is removed through the circular opening and an intraocular lens is inserted in remained capsular bag through the incision instead of the crystal lens. In this case, the corneal or corneoscleral incision should be small as possible in order to minimize surgical intervention to the patient. The intraocular lens usually used is a soft intraocular lens having an optical portion which can be folded. When the soft intraocular lens is inserted into the crystal lens capsule, it is passed through a circular opening of the crystal lens capsule in a state that the intraocular lens is folded into two, whereby the size is reduced. The soft intraocular lens inserted into the capsule restores itself the shape from the two-folded state to the original state, i.e., the state before being folded, due to the elasticity of the optical portion.
1) First Conventional Case
The soft intraocular lens is sold or stored in a state that it is received in a container of synthetic resin and is sterilized together with the container wherein the container is packed with an additional wrapping.
When the soft intraocular lens is used, the additional wrapping is opened to expose the sterilized container, and the cover of the container is removed. Then, the intraocular lens in the container is picked up by forceps to take it out from the container. The optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is folded into two with forceps for bending or a bending tool. The soft intraocular lens folded into two is picked with forceps for inserting and it is inserted in the state of being folded into the crystal lens capsule through a corneal or corneoscleral small incision.
2) Second Conventional Case
A lens case for receiving a soft intraocular lens was proposed, which functions to fold the soft intraocular lens in the lens case along an optical folding line.
The proposed lens case comprises a rigid base, an IOL folder and a cap, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. 5,281,227.
The rigid base comprises a thin plate portion and an annular projection formed on an upper face of the thin plate portion wherein the positions of the haptics of the soft intraocular lens are determined on an upper face of the peripheral wall of the annular projection. The soft intraocular lens having the haptics whose positions are determined on the annular projection, is prevented from rotation with respect to the rigid base.
The IOL folder is so constructed that a pair of jaws are formed so as to oppose to each other in an inner face of both long side portions of an elongated circular frame; ledges are formed at lower edges of the pair of jaws, and the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is inserted between the pair of jaws so that the lens portion of the optical portion is placed on the pair of ledges. The soft intraocular lens whose optical portion is placed on the pair of ledges is rotatable with respect to the IOL folder.
The IOL folder is put on the thin plate portion of the rigid base so that the pair of jaws of the IOL folder are inserted into a central opening of the annular projection of the rigid base. The annular projection of the rigid base is inserted between the both long side portions of the IOL folder. Projections formed in outer faces of both short side portions of the IOL folder are inserted into grooves formed in side edges of the thin plate portion of the rigid base. With such construction, the IOL folder can be attached to or detached from the rigid base.
The position of the soft intraocular lens is determined in such a manner that the optical portion of the lens is inserted between the pair of jaws of the IOL folder to be placed on the pair of ledges, and the haptics are placed on the annular projection of the rigid base. After the IOL folder has been detached from the rigid base and when the both long side portions of the IOL folder are clamped, a space between the pair of jaws is narrowed whereby the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is clamped and fixed. When a clamping force to the both long side portions is increased, the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is folded into two along a diameter, as a folding line, which is parallel to the long side portions.
When the IOL folder is attached to the rigid base, the angle formed between a longitudinal direction of the IOL folder and a longitudinal direction of the rigid base can be selected to be 90° or 0° (or any desired angle). In cases of the angle being 90° and 0°, the direction of the folding line of the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens differs 90°.
The cap having a circular cover plate of circular shape has bayonet pawls which are formed at symmetric positions in a lower face of the circular cover plate and are projected therefrom.
The cap is put on the IOL folder on the rigid base in such a manner that the soft intraocular lens placed on the ledges in a central portion of the IOL folder and the annular projection of the rigid base is covered with the circular cover plate of the cap, and the bayonet pawls of the cap engage with bayonet openings formed in the thin plate portion of the rigid base respectively. Thus, the IOL folder is fixed to the rigid base by means of the cap.
In the first conventional case, the soft intraocular lens is picked up with the forceps for taking out from the container and is handled to the forceps for inserting via the forceps for folding or the folding tool. Accordingly, some steps of handling was required and much time and labor were required for the handling. Further, there is a high possibility that the soft intraocular lens may be contaminated, damaged or dropped during the handling. In addition, the forceps for taking out and the forceps for folding are costly.
In the second conventional case, the following steps are taken when the soft intraocular lens received in the lens case is to be folded. Namely, (1) the cap is removed from the rigid base, (2) the both long side portions of the IOL folder are clamped to pick the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens, (3) the IOL folder is removed from the rigid base and (4) the clamping force to the IOL folder is increased to fold the optical portion of the intraocular lens. Accordingly, many operations and much labor were required in order to fold the soft intraocular lens received in the lens case.
In the second conventional case, since the lens case has such structure that the optical portion of the soft intraocular lens is inserted between the pair of jaws of the IOL folder to place the optical portion on the ledges, and the haptics of the intraocular lens are placed on the annular projection of the rigid base at a lower side of the IOL folder, the position of the optical portion which is pressed and folded is at a deep position in a space between the pair of jaws of the IOL folder. Accordingly, the forceps for taking out has to be lowered to a deep position in a narrowed space within the jaws of the IOL folder in order to pick the optical portion held between the jaws. Thus, the picking operation to the folded optical portion of the soft intraocular
Fidei David T.
Menicon Co. Ltd.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
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