US-12622778-B2 - System for implanting an intraocular lens

Abstract

The present invention relates to a container system ( 200 ) for storing an intraocular lens ( 90 ). The container system ( 200 ) comprises a container ( 210 ) for storing a lens ( 90 ) and a heating device ( 220 ) for heating the lens ( 90 ) in the container ( 210 ). A heated lens ( 90 ) is more supple and can be rolled up better and smaller, such that a cut opening in an eye can be further reduced.

Inventors

• Christoph Maroscheck
• Helmut Binder

Assignees

• IOLUTION GMBH

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230928

Priority Date

20140422

Claims (16)

1. 1 . A system for implanting an intraocular lens, comprising: an injector; a magazine preloaded with the intraocular lens therein; and a container having a lower surface on which the container is configured to stand stably, a receptacle area having a shape conforming to the magazine or to the injector with the magazine, a lid covering the receptacle area before being opened or removed, and a heating device integrated in the container for heating the intraocular lens within the container in a sterile liquid.
2. 2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device is adapted to heat the intraocular lens to a temperature in a range from 25° C. to 40° C.
3. 3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises a latent heat storage and/or an electric heating device.
4. 4 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device is arranged on an outer surface of the container.
5. 5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device comprises a switch for being activated.
6. 6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the heating device is automatically activated upon opening of the container.
7. 7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lid covers an upper surface 216 of the container opposite the lower surface, and wherein the heating device and the lid are coupled to each other so that the heating device is activated upon opening of the lid.
8. 8 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface of the container has a larger cross section than a central region of the container.
9. 9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lower surface is planar, and wherein the lid covers an upper surface that is inclined relative to the lower surface.
10. 10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the container has a planar first side wall that is inclined relative to the lower surface at an angle between 95° and 110°.
11. 11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the receptacle area is inclined relative to the lower surface of the container by an angle between 75° and 85°.
12. 12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the container is transparent.
13. 13 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the injector includes an injector housing and a slider.
14. 14 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a blister package.
15. 15 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is made of aluminum and designed to be peeled off a face of the container.
16. 16 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sterile liquid is a sterile saline solution having a volume of less than 10 ml.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a container system for storing an intraocular lens to be implanted. BACKGROUND Intraocular lenses are lens implants or artificial lenses to replace the natural lens of a human eye. They are in particular used to replace the lenses of an eye affected by cloudiness (cataract) of the lens. By surgery, the affected lenses are removed and the intraocular lenses are inserted. Insertion into the eye is accomplished by means of a so-called injector, for example. It is important in this context that the surgical incision through which an intraocular lens is implanted is as small as possible (e.g. about 2.5 mm). This can provide for a fastest possible healing process without complication and possibly also avoids the need for suture. To be able to implant intraocular lenses which generally have a diameter of about 5 to 7 mm, the lenses must be foldable so as to fit through the small incision of about 2.5 mm. An injector for folding and inserting a folded lens into the human eye is, for example, described in international patent application WO 2011/155887 A1. The content of this patent application, in particular with respect to the magazine described therein is fully incorporated into the present patent application by reference. What is described therein is an injector for implanting or inserting a temporarily folded intraocular lens, which injector can be used to insert the folded lens into the lens capsula of the eye through an incision of the required size of about 2.5 mm in the eye. In one embodiment, the magazine with a lens loaded therein is connected to the injector only shortly before the operation, for loading the injector system. Thus, the lens can be loaded into the magazine in advance, under controlled conditions, for example by a manufacturer of lenses. The loaded magazine may then be stored under sterile conditions in a storage container, for example in a blister package which is preferably filled with a sterile liquid. SUMMARY Against this background described above, the present invention is based on the object to even further improve the introduction of the lens into the eye. In particular it should be possible to roll up a lens to be implanted even smaller. These objects are achieved by the container system according to the independent claim. Advantageous embodiments are specified by the subject matter of the dependent claims, the description and/or the drawings. It has been found that the temperature of the lens plays an important role for the folding of the lens, the insertion of the lens into the eye, and/or for the deployment (unfolding) of the lens. A heated lens is much more supple and flexible and can be rolled up smaller, so that a cut opening (incision) in the eye can be further reduced. Moreover, a warm lens will deploy faster after having been inserted into the eye. Generally, the invention therefore contemplates to enhance the storage container described in the prior art and briefly referred to as container below, so that it is provided with a heating device. In detail, the invention provides a container system for heating and/or storing a lens, which comprises the following components: a container for storing at least one lens pre-loaded in a magazine, and a heating device integrated in the container, and/or a connection device for a heating device, for heating the lens pre-loaded in the magazine within the container. Preferably, the lens is an intraocular lens intended to be implanted into the eye. In contrast to the prior art, the magazine is not placed in a heating bath. Rather, according to a first variant of the invention the container is equipped or produced with the heating device. The heating device is integrated with the container. Heating device and container form a functional unit. According to a second variant of the invention, the container is not directly equipped with the heating device. The container is provided with the connection device for the heating device. The connection device is integrated with the container. Connection device and container constitute or form a functional unit. The heating device is provided separately in this case. It may for instance be designed as a kind of charging station to which the container can be connected via its connection device. According to the invention, the lens as such is not stored or storable in the container but rather is pre-loaded in a magazine and/or on the injector. The magazine is or can be placed in the container together with the lens stored in the magazine, optionally together with the injector. In particular, in the first embodiment it is possible in this way to directly connect the magazine to an injector after opening of the container. In the second embodiment it is possible to stably position the pre-loaded injector in the container to be able to heat the magazine and the lens. In a first embodiment, a magazine including a lens is already disposed in the container in t