Patents Assigned to Alcon, Inc.
  • Patent number: 12070418
    Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a membrane delamination device for delaminating a membrane from a retina of an eye. The membrane delamination device comprises an elastic component and a blade element at least partially covered by the elastic component. The blade element comprises a plurality of teeth. The blade element comprises a plurality of blades configured to cut connective tissues between the membrane and the retina. Each of the plurality of blades is positioned between two adjacent teeth of the plurality of teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Ivan Filipin
  • Patent number: 12070270
    Abstract: A method for assessing a lens capsule stability condition in an eye of a human patient includes directing electromagnetic energy in a predetermined spectrum onto a pupil of the eye, via an energy source, concurrently subsequent to a movement of the eye causing eye saccades to occur therein. The method also includes acquiring images of the eye indicative of the eye saccades using an image capture device, and computing, via the ECU, a motion curve of the lens capsule using the images. Additionally, the method includes extracting time-normalized lens capsule oscillation traces based on the motion curve via the ECU, and then model-fitting the lens capsule oscillation traces via the ECU to thereby assess the lens capsule instability condition. An automated system for performing an embodiment of the method is also disclosed herein, including the energy source, image capture device, and ECU.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: John Alfred Campin, Martin Gründig, Armin Haupt, George Hunter Pettit, Mark Andrew Zielke
  • Publication number: 20240268659
    Abstract: A system for guiding an ophthalmic procedure is disclosed. The system includes a housing assembly with a head unit configured to be at least partially directed towards a target site in an eye. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) module and stereoscopic visualization camera are at least partially located in the head unit and configured to obtain a first set and a second set of volumetric data, respectively. A controller is configured to register the first set and second set of volumetric data to create a third set of registered volumetric data. The third set and second set of registered volumetric data are rendered, via a volumetric render module, to a first and second region. The first region and the second region are overlaid to obtain a shared composite view of the target site. The controller is configured to extract structural features and/or enable visualization of the target site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Applicant: ALCON INC.
    Inventors: Ashok Burton Tripathi, George Charles Polchin, Maximiliano Ramirez Luna, Patrick Terry, Thomas Paul Riederer
  • Patent number: 12059373
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a fluid-driven vitrector for vitreo-retinal procedures. The vitrector includes a first fluid pathway containing a first fluid and a second fluid pathway containing a second fluid that are completely sealed from an external environment. Because the fluid pathways are completely sealed from an external environment, an alternative fluid that can transmit pressure waves faster than air may be utilized as the first and second fluids to drive the vitrector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Nathaniel Reyes
  • Patent number: 12059374
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a vitrectomy probe may include an inner cutting tube reciprocating in an outer tube. The outer tube includes a side port and the inner tube includes a distal cutting port, and, in some embodiments, an additional side port. In some embodiments, the inner tube may also include a flat upper edge that cuts across the outer tube side port. In some embodiments, a diaphragm drives the inner tube and may have an open-stroke side with a lower hardness material than a closed-stroke side. In some embodiments, an aspiration tube coupled to the vitrectomy probe may include a first aspiration tubing and a second aspiration tubing with a lower hardness than the first aspiration tubing. In some embodiments, the vitrectomy probe may be coupled to pneumatic tubing that is stepped or tapered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Jose Luis Lopez, Matthew Douglas McCawley, Brian William McDonell, Timothy C. Ryan, John R. Underwood, Salomon Valencia, Jack Robert Auld
  • Patent number: 12059342
    Abstract: Materials and methods of manufacturing intraocular lenses, including polymeric materials for the intraocular lenses, fluids for intraocular lenses, and adhesives for intraocular lenses. The intraocular lenses can include an optic portion and a peripheral region in fluid communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Sharad Hajela, Gomaa Abdelsadek, Sean Halenbeck
  • Patent number: 12053244
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a head tracking control system including at least one marker positioned on a head of a surgeon. The system further includes an infrared camera including at least two infrared sensors and that detects infrared light reflected off the at least one marker and sends a signal corresponding to the detected light to a processor, and that executes instructions on the processor to detect a movement of the at least one marker. The system also includes an intelligent tracking system that executes instructions on the processor to determine if the detected movement of the at least one marker corresponds to a defined head movement of the surgeon. The system further includes an ophthalmic surgical microscope including the processor. If the detected movement of the at least one marker corresponds to the defined head movement of the surgeon, the processor executes instructions to control the ophthalmic surgical microscope.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 12053415
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods for reducing intraocular pressure. For example, the disclosed devices, systems, and methods are useful for reducing intraocular pressure resulting from conditions, such as acute glaucoma, on a short-term basis until a definitive surgical procedure is performed. More particularly, valved trocar cannula systems for reducing intraocular pressure resulting from conditions, such as acute glaucoma, pending surgical intervention in an operating room are disclosed. In practice, a trocar assembly is used to place a valved cannula assembly in a patient's eye, such as in the anterior chamber or pars plana, to reduce high intraocular pressure. The valved cannula is then left in the patient's eye for a period of time to continuously allow aqueous humor or liquid vitreous humor to flow therethrough, until the patient may be surgically treated in an operating room.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Steven T. Charles
  • Patent number: 12048596
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide devices, systems, and methods for illuminating inside an eye globe. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to ergonomic chandelier illumination systems for illumination of a surgical site during ophthalmic surgery, the chandelier illumination systems having improved flexibility, profile, and light coupling efficiency. In certain embodiments, a malleable chandelier illumination probe, which is bendable by a surgeon to any desired angle, is disclosed. In certain other embodiments, a preformed chandelier illumination probe, which is preset to a desired angle using a heating method, is disclosed. In certain other embodiments, a method for belling and binding two optical fibers to create a dual chandelier output with improved light coupling efficiency, which is capable of being used with a single connector, is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy C. Ryan, Qing Xiang, Randall T. Ige, Robert Jeffrey Heng
  • Patent number: 12048597
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a pneumatic dual port connector (PDPC) configured to be coupled to an interface component of a surgical console. The PDPC comprises a shaft, having a first connector channel having a first distal end and a first proximal end, a second connector channel having a second distal end and a second proximal end, and one or more first features configured to couple the PDPC to the interface component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Daryl Anacleto
  • Patent number: 12048651
    Abstract: A patient interface for an ophthalmic system can include an attachment portion, configured to attach the patient interface to a distal end of the ophthalmic system; a contact portion, configured to dock the patient interface to an eye; and a contact element, coupled to the contact portion, configured to contact a surface of a cornea of the eye as part of the docking of the patient interface to the eye, and having a central portion with a central radius of curvature Rc and a peripheral portion with a peripheral radius of curvature Rp, wherein Rc is smaller than Rp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: ALCON INC.
    Inventors: Ilya Goldshleger, Jeremy Dong, Tibor Juhasz, Wesley William Lummis, Ferenc Raksi
  • Patent number: 12048650
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a system that may: determine first multiple focal point distances associated with respective multiple positions of a plane orthogonal to a laser beam; determine second multiple focal point distances associated with the respective multiple positions via for each position of the multiple positions: determine multiple intensity values associated with respective multiple interim focal point distances, each interim focal point distance greater than each focal point distance of the first multiple focal point distances associated with the position; determine an interim focal point distance respectively associated with a maximum intensity value; and determine a focal point distance as the interim focal point distance; and determine a depth of at least one incision in an eye based at least on differences between each of the second multiple focal point distances and each respective one of the first multiple focal point distances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: ALCON INC.
    Inventors: Arun Paudel, Olaf Kittelmann, Matthias Foesel
  • Patent number: 12048649
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a probe comprising a tube, wherein one or more optical fibers extend at least partially through the tube for transmitting at least one of a laser light and an illumination light from a light source to a target location. A distal end of the tube comprises a flat-walled morphology, and a protective window with a round edge is press-fit to the distal end. The flat-walled morphology of the distal end of the tube has a reduced diametric interference sensitivity, thus allowing a wider range of tolerances between the window and the tube walls for effective press-fitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Scott Heuser, Timothy C. Ryan, Manish Mahlar Agarkar, Mark Harrison Farley
  • Patent number: 12047717
    Abstract: A method for enhancing digital images during a microsurgery, e.g., an eye surgery, includes collecting digital images of target anatomy using a digital camera as the target anatomy is illuminated by warm white light. The method includes identifying, via a processor in communication with the digital camera, a predetermined stage of the microsurgery. Within the images, the processor digitally isolates a first pixel region, e.g., a pupil pixel region, from a second pixel region, e.g., an iris pixel region, and adjusts a characteristic of constituent pixels thereof. The method, possibly recorded as instructions in a computer-readable medium, may be used to enhance a red reflex at predetermined stages of an eye surgery. A system includes a lighting source for emitting warm white light having a color temperature of less than about 4000° K, the camera, and the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Gillian Myers, Alan Fridman, Maximiliano Ramirez Luna
  • Patent number: 12042376
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for inserting an intraocular lens (IOL) assembly into an eye may be provided. An apparatus for delivery of a lens component into an eye, including: a housing; a nozzle operatively coupled to the housing; a plunger at least partially and moveably disposed within the housing for driving the lens component; and a spring that applies a biasing force to the plunger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Victoria Holderby
  • Patent number: 12035970
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a system for processing image data from an intraoperative diagnostic device in real-time during an ophthalmic procedure. The system comprises an image capture element that captures a grayscale image of a first size and an image processing element that scales the grayscale image from the first size to a second size. The system also comprises a two-stage classification model comprising: a feature extraction stage to process the scaled grayscale image and generate a feature vector based on the scaled grayscale image and a classification stage to process the feature vector and generate an output vector. The image processing element is further configured to determine an image quality of the obtained grayscale image based on the output vector for display to an operator and the image quality of the obtained grayscale image indicates a probability that the obtained grayscale image includes an artifact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Edwin Jay Sarver, Max Hall
  • Publication number: 20240236515
    Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging platform includes a stereoscopic camera configured to record left and right images of a target site. A robotic arm is operatively connected to the stereoscopic camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the stereoscopic camera relative to the target. The stereoscopic camera includes a lens assembly having at least one lens and defining a working distance. The lens assembly has at least one focus motor adapted to move the at least one lens to selectively vary the working distance. A controller is adapted to selectively execute one or more automatic focusing modes for the stereoscopic camera. The automatic focusing modes include a continuous autofocus mode adapted to maintain a focus of the at least one stereoscopic image while the robotic arm is moving the stereoscopic camera and the target site is moving along at least an axial direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2024
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Applicant: Alcon Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Terry
  • Patent number: 12029684
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical system for performing a surgical procedure on an eye comprises a laser device, a camera, and a computer. The laser device comprises a laser source and a scanner. The laser source generates a laser beam comprising pulses, and the scanner directs the pulses towards tissue of the eye according to a laser focal spot pattern. The camera captures surgical images of the eye. The computer instructs the laser device to direct the pulses towards the eye according to the laser focal spot pattern, accesses and monitor the surgical images of the eye, identifies an interfering object from the surgical images of the eye, and modifies the control of the pulses to compensate for the interfering object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Mario Abraham, Michael Wittnebel
  • Patent number: 12033321
    Abstract: A system and method for augmenting an original OCT (optical coherence tomography) image includes a controller having a processor and a tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The system includes one or more learning modules selectively executable by the controller. The learning modules are trained by a training network with a training dataset having a plurality of training ultrasound bio-microscopy images and respective training OCT images. Execution of the instructions by the processor causes the controller to obtain the original OCT image, captured through an OCT device. The controller is configured to generate an augmented OCT image based in part on the original OCT image, by executing the (trained) learning modules. The augmented OCT image at least partially extends a peripheral portion of the original OCT image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Sinchan Bhattacharya, Hyo Won Choi, Ramesh Sarangapani, Bryan Stanfill
  • Patent number: 12029683
    Abstract: An ocular implant including a drug releasing element and having an inlet portion and a Schlemm's canal portion distal to the inlet portion, the inlet portion being disposed at a proximal end of the implant and sized and configured to be placed within an anterior chamber of a human eye, the Schlemm's canal portion being arranged and configured to be disposed within Schlemm's canal of the eye when the inlet portion is disposed in the anterior chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Wendy Blanda, Rhett Schiffman