Abstract: An ophthalmic device includes an optic having an optic axis and a closed-loop haptic structure coupled with the optic. The closed loop haptic structure includes a first hinge having a first section, a second section, and a connecting section extending between the first section and the second section. The first section has a first component extending in a first angular direction and a second component extending in a second angular direction that is opposite to the first angular direction. The closed loop haptic structure further includes a second hinge including a radial section and an axial section extending from the axial section in the first angular direction, the radial section having a cross-sectional area greater than a maximum cross-sectional area of the first hinge.
Abstract: A method for improving segmentation in optical coherence tomography imaging. The method comprises obtaining an OCT image of imaged tissue, generating a first feature image for at least a portion of the OCT image, and generating a second feature image for at least the portion of the OCT image, based on either the OCT image or the first feature image, by integrating image data in a first direction across the OCT image or first feature image. A third feature image is generated as a mathematical function of the first and second feature images, and layer segmentation for the OCT image is performed, based on the third feature image.
Abstract: A delivery system is disclosed which can be used to deliver an ocular implant into a target location within the eye via an ab interno procedure. In some embodiments, the implant can provide fluid communication between the anterior chamber and the suprachoroidal or supraciliary space while in an implanted state. The delivery system can include a proximal handle component and a distal delivery component. In addition, the proximal handle component can include an actuator to control the release of the implant from the delivery component into the target location in the eye.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 5, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 9, 2021
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Michael Schaller, David Lari, Luke Clauson, Nathan White, Richard S. Lilly, Matthew Newell, Iqbal Ike K. Ahmed
Abstract: A cannula may include a tubular section having a distal end, a proximal end, and forming a passage, and an elastomeric membrane coupled to and encircling the tubular section. The cannula may also include a valve that is movable between an open condition and a closed condition to selectively provide access to the passage defined by the tubular section. When the tubular section is inserted into an eye during an ophthalmic surgery, a concave surface of the elastomeric membrane acts as a suction cup to retain the cannula device onto a surface of an eye.
Abstract: An ophthalmic device includes an optic including an optic axis and a periphery and a closed-loop ring haptic structure coupled with the optic. The closed loop haptic structure includes a first ring structure having a first characteristic length, a second ring structure having a second characteristic length, and a plurality of connectors coupling the first ring structure and the second ring structure. The first ring structure is positioned adjacent to the periphery of the optic and is coupled to the entire periphery of the optic, and the first characteristic length is less than the second characteristic length.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 27, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 2, 2021
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Stephen John Collins, Jian Liu, Michael Lee Mangum, Douglas Brent Wensrich
Abstract: Described herein is a cast-molding process for producing contact lenses in a relatively short curing time. The short curing time has been achieved by adding a chain transfer agent into a lens-forming composition.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 28, 2018
Date of Patent:
February 2, 2021
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Troy Vernon Holland, Frank Chang, Ryan DeSousa
Abstract: Methods and devices are adapted for implanting into the eye. An incision is formed in the cornea of the eye and a shunt is inserted through the incision into the anterior chamber of the eye. The shunt includes a fluid passageway. The shunt is passed along a pathway from the anterior chamber through the scleral spur of the eye into the suprachoroidal space and positioned in a first position such that a first portion of the fluid passageway communicates with the anterior chamber and a second portion of the fluid passageway communicates with the suprachoroidal space to provide a fluid passageway between the suprachoroidal space and the anterior chamber.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 20, 2017
Date of Patent:
February 2, 2021
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Eugene de Juan, Jr., Stephen Boyd, Mark E. Deem, Hanson S. Gifford, III, Dan Rosenman
Abstract: In a general aspect, a syringe terminates the dispensing of a fluid based on a force applied to a plunger member of the syringe. In some aspects, a plunger member of a syringe includes a top portion, a bottom portion, and a contact portion. The top and bottom portions are in contact with the contact portion, and the bottom portion has a length greater than or equal to a length of the top portion. The contact portion permits the top portion to move independent of the bottom portion in response to a stress in the contact portion exceeding a critical stress. The stress in the contact portion is based on a first force applied to the top portion and a second force opposite the first force applied to the bottom portion.
Abstract: Multi-functional foot controller with treadle for controlling a first function and as an integrated shroud for a switch that controls an additional function.
Abstract: A packaging container (1) for a contact lens comprises a shell (2). The shell (2) comprises a cavity (10) having a drop-shaped perimeter (12), and a flange (20) having a flat upper surface (22) extending around the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) in an upper surface plane (24). The cavity (10) comprises a bowl portion (30) including an at least partially spherical section (32) for accommodating the contact lens, and a chamfer portion (40) surrounding the bowl portion (30). The chamfer portion (40) is arranged between the bowl portion (30) and the drop-shaped perimeter (12) of the cavity (10) and includes a tapered outlet section (42) forming a tip towards the flange (20) to facilitate removal of the contact lens from the cavity (10).
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 22, 2019
Date of Patent:
January 26, 2021
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Nils Schweizer, Kai Breburda, Felix Brinckmann, Gabriela Cocora, Lukas Lomb
Abstract: Systems and methods for driving the cutter of a vitrectomy handpiece using a substantially hermetically sealed system having a pneumatic pump for alternatively creating both positive pressure for pushing a first side of a diaphragm in the vitreous cutter and pulling negative pressure to pull the other side of the diagram, and vice versa.
Abstract: Various optical fiber cables and systems and methods associated therewith are disclosed herein. An optical fiber cable may include a jacket, an optical fiber and a metal wire disposed within a passage defined by the jacket. The metal wire may be coupled to the optical fiber.
Abstract: An ophthalmic illumination system can include an optical fiber configured to transmit a light beam output by a light source and focused by a condenser. The optical fiber can include proximal, distal, and central portions. The proximal portion can be configured to receive the light beam focused by the condenser. The distal portion can be configured to emit the light beam to illuminate a surgical field. The central portion can extend between the proximal and distal portions. A core diameter of the proximal portion can be larger than core diameters of the central and distal portions. An ophthalmic illumination method can include focusing, using a condenser, a light beam emitted by a light source onto a proximal portion of an optical fiber. The method can also include transmitting, using the optical fiber, the light beam to a surgical field.
Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 6, 2018
Date of Patent:
December 29, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Steve Yun Zhang, Daqing Wu, Junhao Ge, Richard Charles Breitkopf, Xinming Qian, Zach Munoz, Matthew D. Nelson, Augustine Twum Kumi, Weihong Lang, Ying Zheng, Feng Jing, Frank Chang
Abstract: An ophthalmic lens includes an optic comprising an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and an optical axis. At least one of the anterior surface and the posterior surface has a surface profile including a base curvature and a plurality of morphed sinusoidal phase shift structures. The base curvature may correspond to a base optical power of the ophthalmic lens, and the morphed sinusoidal phase shift structures may be configured to extend depth of focus of the ophthalmic lens at intermediate or near viewing distances.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 24, 2018
Date of Patent:
December 22, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Xin Hong, William Andrew Maxwell, Xin Wei
Abstract: The invention provides a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker which comprises (1) a polydiorganosiloxane polymer chain comprising dimethylsiloxane units and hydrophilized siloxane units each having one methyl substituent and one monovalent C4-C40 organic radical substituent having two to six hydroxyl groups, wherein the molar ratio of the hydrophilized siloxane units to the dimethylsiloxane units is from about 0.035 to about 0.15, and (2) two terminal (meth)acryloyl groups. The hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker has a number average molecular weight of from about 3000 Daltons to about 80,000 Daltons. The present invention is also related to a silicone hydrogel contact lens, which comprises repeating units derived from a hydrophilized polydiorganosiloxane vinylic crosslinker of the invention.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 18, 2019
Date of Patent:
December 22, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Jinyu Huang, Frank Chang, Steve Yun Zhang, Feng Jing
Abstract: Provided herein is an illuminated microsurgical instrument system and an illuminated microsurgical instrument. In one implementation, the system includes a microsurgical instrument having a distally projecting tubular member arranged to perform a medical procedure at an interventional site. The tubular member has a distal tip and an outer surface, the outer surface having a flat surface formed therein. The instrument includes a sheath member surrounding a portion of the tubular member and extending toward the distal tip of the tubular member and an optical fiber extending along a length of the flat surface between the tubular member and the sheath member. The instrument may further include a slack chamber, collar structure, and fiber guard member to support and guide the optical fiber to the distal tip.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 7, 2017
Date of Patent:
December 22, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Chenguang Diao, Mark Harrison Farley, Brian William McDonell, Alireza Mirsepassi, Michael J. Papac, Kambiz Parto, Ronald T. Smith, Barry L. Wheatley
Abstract: The present invention generally relates to inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses having relatively high oxygen permeability, relatively high equilibrium water content and relatively low elastic modulus. The present invention is also related to a method for making such inherently wettable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 6, 2018
Date of Patent:
December 15, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Daqing Wu, Junhao Ge, Steve Yun Zhang, Richard Charles Breitkopf, Xinming Qian, Zach Munoz, Matthew D. Nelson, Augustine Twum Kumi, Weihong Lang, Ying Zheng, Feng Jing, Frank Chang
Abstract: A method for optically inspecting a mold (10) for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses such as contact lenses for possible mold defects, including: generating a set of images of the mold (10) for different azimuthal illumination angles (?1, ?9) using an illumination system (20) and an imaging system (30), the latter being aligned such that its focal plane cuts through the mold (10) at a specific axial position along a center axis of the mold (10); generating a focal plane image by averaging pixelwise over the set of images after having masked out in each image those regions that include direct specular reflections from the mold (10); repeating the previous steps for one or a plurality of different axial positions of the focal plane such as to generate a plurality of different focal plane images; identifying one or more image features in the plurality of focal plane images indicative for a possible mold defect; determining for each identified image feature in which focal plane image the identified image feature app
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 12, 2019
Date of Patent:
December 15, 2020
Assignee:
Alcon Inc.
Inventors:
Fabian Etzold, Arno Florian Warken, Daniel Kiefhaber, Giovanni Campanelli