PUPIL EXPANSION DEVICE

摘要

A device, providing enlargement and preventing collapse, of the pupil of the eye, during an ophthalmic surgical procedure. The device made of resiliently flexible material and configured as a ring, comprises plurality of notches at corners and flanges at sides. Notches engage the pupillary margin at different parts, pushing them apart, causing enlargement of the pupil. Consecutive flanges lie above and below the iris and bend the pupillary margin at the notches. The enlarged pupil allows a wide view of the structures deeper to the pupillary plane, previously obscured due to a small pupil. When the ring is manually expandable or self-expandable it is made of a combination of shape retaining and shape memory material that is selected from the group consisting of a self-enlarging material, a self-healing material, a self-reconfiguring programmable material, a biodegradable material, and/or drug-eluting material.

主权项

1. A device for enlarging a pupil of an eye during surgery, the eye including an iris and the pupil including a pupillary margin adjacent the iris, the device comprising:
an expandable continuous ring enclosing a central space and having at least four slidably interconnected units made from a resiliently flexible material, including a first unit having a first leg with a first end, a second leg with a second end, and a first corner portion connectively disposed between said first leg and said second leg and forming first receiving means for receiving a first portion of the pupillary margin, said first end including first engaging means and said second end including second engaging means; a second unit having a third leg with a third end, a fourth leg with a fourth end, and a second corner portion connectively disposed between said third leg and said fourth leg and forming second receiving means for receiving a second portion of the pupillary margin, said third end including third engaging means and said fourth end including fourth engaging means; a third unit having a fifth leg with a fifth end, a sixth leg with a sixth end, and a third corner portion connectively disposed between said fifth leg and said sixth leg and forming third receiving means for receiving a third portion of the pupillary margin, said fifth end including fifth engaging means and said sixth end including sixth engaging means; and a fourth unit having a seventh leg with a seventh end, an eighth leg with an eighth end, and a fourth corner portion connectively disposed between said seventh leg and said eighth leg and forming fourth receiving means for receiving a fourth portion of the pupillary margin, said seventh end including seventh engaging means and said eighth end including eighth engaging means, said first corner portion, said second corner portion, said third corner portion and said fourth corner portion extending into said central space; wherein said second engaging means slidably engages said third end and said third engaging means slidably engages said second end to form a first adjustable flange between said first corner portion and said second corner portion; wherein said fourth engaging means slidably engages said fifth end and said fifth engaging means slidably engages said fourth end to form a second adjustable flange between said second corner portion and said third corner portion; wherein said sixth engaging means slidably engages said seventh end and said seventh engaging means slidably engages said sixth end to form a third adjustable flange between said third corner portion and said fourth corner portion; and wherein said eighth engaging means slidably engages said first end and said first engaging means slidably engages said eighth end to form a fourth adjustable flange between said fourth corner portion and said first corner portion; said first, second, third and fourth adjustable flanges defining a plane and forming said continuous ring, said continuous ring being moveable between a contracted position and an expanded position, wherein in said contracted position, said first end is proximate said fourth corner portion and distal said eighth end, said eighth end is proximate said first corner portion, said second end is proximate said second corner portion and distal said third end, said third end is proximate said first corner portion, said fourth end is proximate said third corner portion and distal said fifth end, said fifth end is proximate said second corner portion, said sixth end is proximate said fourth corner portion and distal said seventh end, and said seventh end is proximate said third corner portion, such that said central space has a first area, and wherein in said expanded position, said first end is distal said fourth corner portion and proximate said eighth end, said eighth end is distal said first corner portion, said second end is distal said second corner portion and proximate said third end, said third end is distal said first corner portion, said fourth end is distal said third corner portion and proximate said fifth end, said fifth end is distal said second corner portion, said sixth end is distal said fourth corner portion and proximate said seventh end, and said seventh end is distal said third corner portion, such that said central space has a second area greater than said first area.