US 12,440,376 B2
Shunt and method for treating glaucoma
Daemon Bruce Mcclunan, Cape Town (ZA); and Joshua David Fischer, Cloetesville (ZA)
Assigned to LIQID MEDICAL PROPRIETARY LIMITED, Cape Town (ZA)
Filed by LIQID MEDICAL PROPRIETARY LIMITED, Cape Town (ZA)
Filed on Jul. 15, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/772,936.
Application 18/772,936 is a continuation of application No. PCT/IB2023/050284, filed on Jan. 12, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2022/00672 (ZA), filed on Jan. 14, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0374424 A1, Nov. 14, 2024
Int. Cl. A61F 9/007 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 9/00781 (2013.01) 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A shunt for treating glaucoma by lowering intraocular pressure in an eye of a patient, the shunt comprising:
an elongate duct defining a fluid passageway for diverting aqueous humor from a chamber of the eye, the elongate duct having a distal end and an opposite proximal end, the distal end being implantable in the chamber of the eye; and
a fixation body extending outwardly from the elongate duct,
the shunt being characterized in that:
the elongate duct has a distal portion defining the distal end of the duct, which is locatable in the scleral channel of the patient, the distal portion being deformable so as to permit the distal portion to conform to anatomical structures of the eye of the patient and being of a severable material in order to permit a surgeon to cut the distal portion to a desired length corresponding to a desired location for the formation of a bleb into which aqueous humor can drain; and a proximal portion, defining the proximal end of the elongate duct;
the distal portion has a distal lumen defining a distal part of the fluid passageway and the proximal portion has a proximal capillary lumen which is in fluid flow communication with the distal lumen, the proximal lumen having an internal diameter which is relatively smaller than an internal diameter of the distal lumen so as to reduce a flow rate of aqueous humor and regulate pressure along the proximal capillary lumen sufficient to prevent hypotony; and
the fixation body of the shunt is slidably located on the distal portion of the elongate duct for fixing the distal portion of the duct within the scleral channel at a desired position determined by a required length of the shunt.