Method and tool for inserting an intraocular lens

Claim 1

A tool for assisting in insertion of an intraocular lens in an anterior chamber of an eye, comprising: an elongated body member defined by a relatively narrow width for insertion of said elongated body member in an incision in said eye, said body member defining a distal tip which is structurally adapted to be inserted in said chamber to a predetermined reference location in said anterior chamber in said eye, and a proximal end opposite said distal tip, a guide means cooperating with said elongated body member defining a channel, having spaced, opposed channel-defining members, which is structurally adapted to secure the distal tips of a haptic of an intraocular lens against lateral movement relative to said elongated body member, while permitting free longitudinal movement of said lens in a substantially uncompressed state in said channel so that a lens positioned therein is longitudinally guided by said channel as the lens is moved from a location outside said eye through said incision into said anterior chamber within said eye for implantation therein, said channel being open at both said distal end and said proximal end of said elongated body member and between said channel-defining members in the region of an optic of said lens so that said lens may be loaded in said channel at said free proximal end and dispensed from said channel at said free distal end, and said body member defining a distal through-opening and a proximal through-opening respectively located at pre-determined distances from the distal tip of said body member, said distal through-opening and said proximal through-opening providing relative to said eye a gauge for determining a range of eye size, and the distance between said distal and proximal through-openings being representative of the operable compression range of the haptics of the intraocular lens retained by said channel on said elongated body member.

Claim 10

A method for inserting an intraocular lens in an anterior chamber of an eye with a tool of the type comprising an elongated body member defined by a relatively narrow width for insertion of said elongated body member in an incision in said eye, said body member defining a distal tip which is structurally adapted to be inserted in said anterior chamber to a predetermined reference location in said eye, channel means cooperating with said elongated body member, said channel means being structurally adapted to secure a haptic of an intraocular lens against lateral movement relative to said elongated body member while permitting free longitudinal movement along said elongated body member in said channel means so that a haptic of a lens located in said channel means outside said incision may be longitudinally translated along said channel means to a position within said eye, while an optic of said lens lies generally between the opposite sides of said channel means, said elongated body member having a pair of longitudinally-spaced through-holes thereon, comprising the steps of: providing an incision at a location on an eye; inserting said elongated body member with said distal tip forward into said incision; determining, when said distal tip is in the eye, by looking through said through-holes whether the eye is of sufficient size to receive the predetermined intraocular lens having a predetermined size; moving said lens along said channel means into position in the eye; retaining the lens in position in said chamber in said eye, while withdrawing said elongated body member from said incision; and positioning the proximal haptic of said lens within said eye.

Claim 11

A method for inserting an intraocular lens in an anterior chamber of an eye with a tool of the type comprising an elongated body member defined by a relatively narrow width for insertion of said elongated body member in an incision in said eye, said body member defining a distal tip which is structurally adapted to be inserted in said anterior chamber to a predetermined reference location in said eye, channel means cooperating with said elongated body member, said channel means being structurally adapted to secure a haptic of an intraocular lens against lateral movement relative to said elongated body member while permitting free longitudinal movement along said elongated body member in said channel means so that a haptic of a lens located in said channel means outside said incision may be longitudinally translated along said channel means to a position within said eye, while an optic of said lens lies generally between the opposite sides of said channel means, said elongated body member having a pair of longitudinally-spaced through-holes thereon, comprising the steps of: providing an incision at a location on an eye; inserting said elongated body member with said distal tip forward into said incision; determining, when said distal tip is in the eye, by looking through said through-holes whether the eye is of sufficient size to receive the predetermined intraocular lens having a predetermined size; moving said lens along said channel means into position in the eye; retaining the lens in position in said chamber in said eye, while withdrawing said elongated body member from said incision; and positioning the proximal haptic of said lens within said eye.