JP7441074B2 - intraocular lens inserter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an intraocular lens inserter.

In cataract surgery, removal of a cloudy crystalline lens by ultrasonic emulsification and implantation into the eye after removal of the crystalline lens are widely performed. Currently, a soft intraocular lens made of a soft material such as silicone elastomer is inserted into the eye using an intraocular lens inserter.

When inserting a soft intraocular lens into the eye, the intraocular lens can be folded, making it possible to reduce the size of the incision on the cornea.

The method for folding an intraocular lens is to take advantage of the fact that the inner diameter of the insertion tube narrows toward the front inside the intraocular lens inserter, and fold the intraocular lens by advancing the slider. ) is known to advance the intraocular lens and eject the intraocular lens from the nozzle (for example, Patent Document 1 by the present applicant).

WO2015/141085 pamphlet

The inventor has discovered that there is a possibility that the slider moves forward with the intraocular lens biting into it. The inventor has discovered a new problem in that if the intraocular lens is advanced by the rod (and by extension, the plunger) in this state, the intraocular lens may be damaged. Hereinafter, the same symbols as those described in Patent Document 1 will be used in this specification.

In this specification, when explaining the relative positional relationship and direction of operation of each part of the intraocular lens inserter, one of the X-axis directions (X direction) will be referred to as the X1 direction, the other as the X2 direction, and the Y axis. One direction (Y direction) is defined as the Y1 direction, the other direction is defined as the Y2 direction, and one of the Z axis directions (Z direction) is defined as the Z1 direction, and the other direction is defined as the Z2 direction.
Then, the X1 direction is the front end (front, lens advancing direction), the X2 direction is the rear end (rear), the Y1 direction is the left side (left), the Y2 direction is the right side (right), and the Z1 direction is the upper side (upward, The optical axis direction of the intraocular lens when the intraocular lens is installed in the lens installation part), the Z2 direction is defined as the lower side (downward).
Of these, the X1 direction and the X2 direction correspond to the length direction of the intraocular lens inserter, the Y1 direction and the Y2 direction correspond to the width direction of the intraocular lens inserter, and the Z1 direction and the Z2 direction correspond to the length direction of the intraocular lens inserter. Corresponds to the height direction of the inner lens inserter.

FIG. 1 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view of an intraocular lens inserter 1 in which a slider 6 is employed, and is a diagram showing how the intraocular lens 4 is advanced on the inserter main body 5 by the slider 6.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating how the rear side 4c of the upper surface of the intraocular lens 4 that is moving forward is caught between the upward step and the slider 6 due to the formation of the upward step.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter 1 shown in FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the rear side 4c of the upper surface of the intraocular lens 4 that is moving forward is caught between the downward step and the slider 6 due to the formation of a downward step. FIG.

Any part of the range from the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter main body 5 to the lower inner circumference 74 of the insertion tube 7 is also simply referred to as the "lower inner circumference (no code attached)." The upward and downward steps are also collectively referred to as "steps."

As shown in FIG. 1, if it is as designed, the diameter of the hollow body may be narrowed from the lens installation part 11 to the nozzle part 7b, but no step will occur at the lower part of the inner periphery. As a result, the intraocular lens 4 is pushed forward by the slider 6 without any problem, and the intraocular lens 4 is appropriately folded. Thereafter, the folded intraocular lens 4 is advanced by the rod 10 to the discharge hole of the nozzle portion 7b.

On the other hand, a step may occur at the lower part of the inner periphery due to dimensional errors during manufacturing of the inserter body 5 or the insertion tube 7, or alignment errors when combining the inserter body 5 and the insertion tube 7. The present inventor paid attention to this. In that case, the inventors of the present invention have noticed that the intraocular lens 4 may be damaged as shown in FIG. 2 or 3.

Based on this point of view, we conducted a thorough study and found that even if there is no difference in level, if there is more clearance than necessary between the inner periphery of the inserter body 5 or the insertion tube 7 and the slider, the intraocular lens 4 may be caught between them. It has been found that this can be obtained (see FIG. 11 below).

Of course, the above problem can be solved by improving the manufacturing accuracy of the inserter body 5 and the insertion tube 7. On the other hand, it is not realistic to discard the entire intraocular lens inserter 1 just because the level difference occurs. As a result, it is necessary to explore methods other than improving manufacturing accuracy.

A technical object of the present invention is to provide an intraocular lens inserter that can suppress the occurrence of breakage of an intraocular lens without strict manufacturing precision.

The present inventor has made extensive studies regarding the above-mentioned problems.

In both the case shown in FIG. 2 and the case shown in FIG. 3, there is no escape space for the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4, so the intraocular lens 4 may be caught between the step and the slider 6. The present inventor paid attention to this. The inventor has noticed that when the intraocular lens 4 is forcibly advanced using the rod 10 while maintaining this state, the intraocular lens 4 may be damaged.

Based on this, the present inventor found that the above problem can be solved by releasing the biting state before advancing the intraocular lens 4 with the rod 10. As a result, a space is formed in the lower part of the inner periphery for partially escaping the rear side 4c so that the limit position L of the forward movement range of the slider 6 is included above the lower part of the inner periphery. I came up with this idea.

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter 1 shown in FIG. Even if the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 is formed, a space 72 for partially escaping the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 is formed at the location, so that the rear side 4c of the upper surface of the intraocular lens 4 is connected to the upward step and the slider. 6 (right figure) and a figure (left figure) showing how the intraocular lens is normally pushed out toward the nozzle part 7b by the rod 10.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter 1 shown in FIG. Even if the intraocular lens 4 is formed, a space 72 for partially escaping the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 is formed at the location, so that the rear side 4c of the upper surface of the intraocular lens 4 is connected to the downward step and the slider. 6 (right figure) and a figure (left figure) showing how the intraocular lens is normally pushed out toward the nozzle part 7b by the rod 10.

If the above method is adopted, even if an error occurs in which the lower inner circumference 74 of the insertion tube 7 is one step higher than the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter main body 5 as shown in FIG. Even if an error occurs in which the lower inner circumference 74 of the inserter body 5 is one step lower than the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter body 5, the space 72 allows the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 to move downward when the rod 10 is advanced. The intraocular lens 4 is no longer stuck in the slider 6.

As a result, even if the rod 10 moves forward, the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 will not be damaged (see the part indicated by the arrow 72). Moreover, it is not necessary to make the manufacturing accuracy of the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 strict. In other words, the evacuation space 72 provided at the lower part of the inner periphery makes it possible to tolerate errors in manufacturing accuracy.

The configuration obtained based on the above knowledge is as follows.
The first aspect of the present invention is
An intraocular lens inserter for inserting an intraocular lens into the eye,
a hollow body;
a lens installation part provided inside the hollow body;
a slider that advances the intraocular lens installed in the lens installation section;
a rod that further advances the intraocular lens advanced by the slider;
has
The optical axis direction (Z direction) of the intraocular lens when the intraocular lens is installed in the lens installation part, and the direction in which it contacts the lens installation part is downward (Z2 direction), and the opposite direction is upward. (Z1 direction), the forward direction of the intraocular lens is the front (X1 direction), the opposite direction is the rear (X2 direction), and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is the width direction (Y direction). ,
The point α at the lower part of the inner periphery of the hollow body, which includes above the limit position of the forward range of movement of the portion of the slider that comes into contact with the outer periphery of the optical part of the intraocular lens; , an intraocular lens inserter in which a space is provided in which the rear side of the intraocular lens can partially retreat downward.

A second aspect of the present invention is the aspect described in the first aspect, comprising:
The hollow body is
The inserter body,
an insertion tube provided at the front tip of the inserter main body;
has
The location α is any location in the range from the lower inner periphery of the inserter main body to the lower inner periphery of the insertion tube.

A third aspect of the present invention is the aspect described in the first or second aspect,
The space is a space formed by cutting out the location α,
When viewed from the front, the position in the width direction of the space includes the position in the width direction of the portion of the slider that comes into contact with the outer periphery of the optical part of the intraocular lens.

A fourth aspect of the present invention is the aspect according to any one of the first to fifth aspects,
The space has a chamfered shape.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the aspect according to any one of the first to fourth aspects,
The intraocular lens is installed in the lens installation section in advance.

Other aspects of the present invention that can be combined with the above aspects are as follows.

The rod may be placed inside a hollow body consisting of the inserter body and the insertion tube. The rod is connected to the plunger and serves to advance the intraocular lens. Note that the rod may be integrally molded with the plunger.

The slope of the chamfered surface should not be too steep, preferably 70 degrees or less from the XY plane, and more preferably 50 degrees or less. There is no limit to the lower limit, but if the inclination angle is too small, the insertion tube will have to be extended in the X direction, so for example, it may be 30 degrees or 40 degrees.

The depth of the space may be increased by the maximum thickness of the optical part of the intraocular lens in addition to manufacturing errors of parts and alignment errors between parts, and the depth of the space is 0.2 to 5.0 mm (preferably The depth may be 0.5 to 2.0 mm).

The width of the space in the Y direction may have a margin with respect to the width of the lower part of the slider in the Y direction. As this margin, a margin of 0.1 mm or more (or 0.2 mm or more, with an upper limit of 1 mm, for example) may be set for each space relative to the width in the Y direction at the bottom of each slider. Moreover, to express a preferable example of this margin in terms of other than dimensions, the width of each space in the Y direction may be 1.1 to 1.5 times the width of the lower part of the slider in the Y direction.

A preferred example of the limit position of the forward movable range of the lower part of the slider is up to half (preferably up to 1/4) of the distance in the front-rear direction from the rear end of the space.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an intraocular lens inserter that can suppress the occurrence of breakage of an intraocular lens without strict manufacturing precision.

FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of an intraocular lens inserter that is manufactured by combining an inserter main body and an insertion tube that are manufactured separately, and that uses a slider. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the intraocular lens is advanced by the slider over the connecting portion between the inserter main body and the insertion tube. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter shown in FIG. 1, in which an upward step is formed toward the front at any point in the lower inner periphery of the inserter body or the lower inner periphery of the insertion tube. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the rear side of the upper surface of the intraocular lens that is moving forward is caught between the upward step and the slider. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter shown in FIG. 1, in which a downward step is formed toward the front at any point in the lower inner periphery of the inserter body or the lower inner periphery of the insertion tube. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing how the rear side of the upper surface of the intraocular lens that is moving forward is caught between the downward step and the slider. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter shown in FIG. , By forming a space at that location for the rear side of the intraocular lens to partially escape, the rear side of the upper surface of the intraocular lens is prevented from being caught between the upward step and the slider. FIG. 2 is a diagram (right diagram) showing how the intraocular lens is normally pushed out toward the nozzle part by the rod (left diagram). FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the intraocular lens inserter shown in FIG. By forming a space at that location to allow the rear side of the intraocular lens to partially escape, the rear side of the upper surface of the intraocular lens is prevented from being caught between the downward step and the slider. FIG. 2 is a diagram (right diagram) showing how the intraocular lens is normally pushed out toward the nozzle part by the rod (left diagram). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the intraocular lens inserter according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure and arrangement of the distal end portion of the inserter main body according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the intraocular lens inserter (preloaded type) according to Embodiment 1, showing the connecting portion between the inserter body and the insertion tube, and is a view before the slider is advanced. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the insertion tube of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the intraocular lens inserter (preloaded type) according to Embodiment 1, exposing the connecting portion between the inserter body and the insertion tube, and is a view after the slider is advanced. . FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the intraocular lens is bitten by the slider when there is more clearance than necessary between the inner periphery of the inserter main body 5 or the insertion tube 7 and the slider.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, "~" refers to a value greater than or equal to a predetermined value and less than or equal to a predetermined value.

It should be noted that the main features of the embodiment of the present invention are the aspects of the inserter main body 5, slider 6, and insertion tube 7 described in Patent Document 1 (for example, as shown in the figure in Patent Document 1). 2, see FIGS. 6, 8, 10 and related descriptions). Therefore, the configurations of the intraocular lens inserter 1 other than the above-mentioned configurations are as described in Patent Document 1, and the explanation will be omitted or simplified. For contents not described below, the configuration described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, and the description of Patent Document 1 is assumed to be completely described in this specification.

[Embodiment 1]
In Embodiment 1, similarly to the intraocular lens inserter described in Patent Document 1, the intraocular lens 4 is folded by the slider 6, and then the intraocular lens 4 is ejected from the nozzle portion 7b by the plunger 9 (and by extension, the rod 10). Illustrate a case.

<Configuration of intraocular lens inserter>
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an example of the external configuration of the intraocular lens inserter according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure and arrangement of the distal end portion of the inserter main body according to the first embodiment.
Note that FIGS. 6 and 7 of the present application are similar in configuration to FIGS. 3 and 6 of Patent Document 1. Therefore, among the codes shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the present application, the codes not described in this specification are as explained in Patent Document 1.

The intraocular lens inserter 1 is used when inserting an intraocular lens 4 into the eye.

<Intraocular lens>
In the embodiment of the present invention, an example of an intraocular lens is a one-piece type intraocular lens 4 made of a soft material such as silicone elastomer or soft acrylic, and includes a circular optical part 4a that performs an optical function. , an intraocular lens 4 having two supporting portions 4b that curve and extend outward from two locations on the outer periphery of the optical portion 4a will be handled.

A case is illustrated in which the optical part 4a of the intraocular lens 4 and the base end side of the support part 4b connected to the optical part 4a are made of a soft material. This configuration facilitates folding of the intraocular lens 4. Note that the end side of the support portion 4b may be similarly made of a soft material, or may be made of a hard material (eg, polyethylene, PMMA, etc.).

In the first embodiment, the intraocular lens 4 is moved forward by the slider 6, but more precisely, the intraocular lens 4 is moved forward by the slider 6 pushing out the outer periphery of the optical part 4a. In this specification, for convenience of explanation, this is simply referred to as "extrusion of the intraocular lens 4."

<Intraocular lens inserter>
The intraocular lens inserter 1 includes an inserter main body 5, a slider 6, an insertion tube 7, a rotating member 8, a plunger 9, and a rod 10. Preferably, each of these components is made of a resin molded product.

The inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 each have a hollow structure, and constitute a hollow body by being connected to each other.

The slider 6 is attached to the inserter body 5.

The insertion tube 7 is arranged so as to communicate with the distal end of the inserter main body 5. The insertion tube 7 and the distal end of the inserter main body 5 may be integrally molded, or may be molded separately and the insertion tube 7 may be attached to the distal end. The insertion tube 7 has a hollow insertion tube main body 7a and a thin tubular nozzle portion 7b. At this time, the lens installation part 11 of the inserter main body 5 is accommodated and arranged in the insertion cylinder main body 7a of the insertion cylinder 7 together with the intraocular lens 4 installed there. An injection hole 7c is formed in the upper surface of the insertion cylinder main body 7a. The injection hole 7c is for injecting a viscoelastic substance (for example, sodium hyaluronate, etc.). The viscoelastic substance injected from the injection hole 7c is supplied to the intraocular lens 4 installed in the lens installation part 11.

The rotating member 8 is rotatably connected to the rear end of the inserter main body 5.

The plunger 9 is arranged coaxially with the inserter body 5. A portion of the plunger 9 is placed inside the inserter body 5 via the rotating member 8 . Note that the other portion of the plunger 9 may be arranged so as to protrude rearward from the rotating member 8.

The rod 10 is arranged inside a hollow body consisting of the inserter body 5 and the insertion tube 7. The rod 10 is connected to the plunger 9 and serves to advance the intraocular lens 4. Note that the rod 10 may be integrally molded with the plunger 9.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lens installation section 11 includes a bottom section 11a, a lens receiving section 11b, and a lens guide section 11c. The lens receiving portion 11b receives and supports the intraocular lens 4 from below. The intraocular lens inserter 1 is a preload type in which the intraocular lens 4 is installed in advance in the lens installation part 11 of the inserter main body 5. Therefore, the intraocular lens 4 becomes one of the components of the intraocular lens inserter 1. However, in carrying out the present invention, it is not necessarily necessary to use a preload type.

An example of the configuration of the intraocular lens inserter 1 other than the evacuation space 72 on the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4, which is one of the features of the present invention, is as follows.
"The inserter main body 5, which is a hollow body,
a lens installation section 11 provided inside the inserter main body 5;
A slider 6 that advances the intraocular lens 4 disposed in the lens installation part 11, a rod 10 that further advances the intraocular lens 4 that has been advanced by the slider 6,
an insertion tube 7 that is separate from the inserter body 5 and connected at the tip of the inserter body 5;
has
The insertion tube 7 is an intraocular lens inserter 1 having a hollow insertion tube main body 7a and a tubular nozzle portion 7b. ”

<Space position and shape and slider forward limit position>
In the first embodiment, a case is illustrated in which the forward limit position L of the lower slider 64 is near the connecting portions 51 and 71. In this example, the technical idea of the present invention is reflected in the shape of a connecting portion 71 (corresponding to location α) of the insertion tube 7 between the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7. In the embodiment of the present invention, the above content is more accurately expressed as "the connecting portion between the inserter body 5 and the insertion tube body 7a," but for convenience of explanation, it is simply expressed as the insertion tube 7.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the intraocular lens inserter (preloaded type) according to Embodiment 1, showing the connecting portion between the inserter body and the insertion tube, and is a view before the slider is advanced.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the insertion tube of FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of the intraocular lens inserter (preloaded type) according to Embodiment 1, exposing the connecting portion between the inserter body and the insertion tube, and is a view after the slider is advanced. .

One of the features of the present invention is that the limit position L of the forward range of movement of the slider lower part 64 is within the area above the space 72. Thanks to the space 72, the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 escapes downward, and when the slider 6 finishes moving forward, that is, when the rod 10 starts moving forward, the state of the intraocular lens 4 biting into the slider 6 is released. There is. FIG. 10 is a diagram when the slider 6 is moved to the forward limit position L (the same applies to the right diagram in FIG. 4 and the right diagram in FIG. 5).

The intent of this configuration is as follows. If an error occurs in which the lower inner circumference 74 of the insertion tube 7 is one step lower than the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter main body 5 as shown in the right figure of FIG. 4 and the right figure of FIG. 5, a jammed state of the intraocular lens 4 occurs. It is possible. On the other hand, as long as the jammed state is resolved when the slider 6 finishes moving forward, the intraocular lens 4 will not be damaged as the rod 10 moves forward. Based on this viewpoint, the above configuration defines the positional relationship between the limit position L of the range of motion of the lower slider 64 in the X direction and the space 72 in the X direction.

As a result, even if the rod 10 moves forward, the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 will not be damaged (see the part indicated by the arrow 72). Moreover, it is not necessary to make the manufacturing accuracy of the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 strict. In other words, the evacuation space 72 provided at the lower part of the inner periphery makes it possible to tolerate errors in manufacturing accuracy.

A preferred example of the limit position L of the forward movable range of the slider lower part 64 is from the rear end of the space 72, which is the connection part 71 with the inserter main body 5, to half the distance in the front-rear direction of the space 72. (preferably up to 1/4).

In the insertion tube 7, a lower inner circumferential portion 74 of a connecting portion 71 with the inserter main body 5 is provided such that the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 can partially retreat downward when the slider 6 advances the intraocular lens 4. Preferably, a space 72 is provided.

"The space 72 in which the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 can partially retreat" is the inner periphery of the connection part 71 with the inserter main body 5 in the insertion tube 7 when the slider 6 finishes advancing the intraocular lens 4. As long as it is provided in the lower part 74, there is no limitation on the shape. Regarding the size of the space 72, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is possible to temporarily accommodate a part of the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 when the slider 6 finishes advancing the intraocular lens 4. If so, there are no limitations.

An example of the space 72 may be a space formed by cutting out the lower inner circumference 74 of the connecting portion 71 with the inserter main body 5 in the insertion tube 7 . The space 72 may be formed by bending the connecting portion 71 of the insertion tube 7 downward, but in that case, it is necessary to design the inside of the intraocular lens inserter 1 to be bulky. Therefore, it is preferable to use the cutout 73.

The shape of this notch 73 is preferably a chamfered shape with an inclined surface. If it is a chamfered shape, the height of the connecting portion 71 of the insertion tube 7 (specifically, the lower inner circumference 74) in the Z direction is lowered by the maximum thickness of the optical part 4a of the intraocular lens 4, and the slider 6 is When the intraocular lens 4 is advanced, it is sufficient to set the inclination angle of the chamfered surface so that biting as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 does not occur. In this case, the slope of the chamfered surface should not be too steep, and is preferably 70 degrees or less from the XY plane, and more preferably 50 degrees or less. There is no limit to the lower limit, but if the inclination angle is too small, the insertion tube 7 will have to be extended in the X direction, so for example 30 degrees or 40 degrees can be cited.

Note that, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the entire notch 73 may be chamfered, or only the front side of the notch 73 may be chamfered, and the rear side, that is, the connecting portion 71, may have a chamfered shape. It may also be a step that is lowered by a certain value. That is, it is preferable that at least the front side of the notch 73 is chamfered.

The depth of the space 72 in the Z2 direction may be increased by the maximum thickness of the optical part 4a of the intraocular lens 4 in addition to the manufacturing error of parts and the alignment error between parts, and the dimension is 0. The depth may be 2 to 5.0 mm (preferably 0.5 to 2.0 mm).

In addition, when a chamfered shape is adopted, the above dimensions may be set according to the inclination angle of the chamfered surface.

From the viewpoint of reliably retracting the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 when the slider 6 finishes advancing the intraocular lens 4, it is preferable to adopt the following configuration. That is, when viewed from the front, in the first embodiment, the position in the width direction (Y direction) of the portion of the slider 6 that contacts the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter main body 5 is the same as the position in the width direction (Y direction) of the space 72. preferably includes.

The intent of this configuration is as follows. In the first place, the jamming shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 occurs because a part of the slider 6 (for example, the lower slider 64) presses the intraocular lens 4 while being in contact with the outer periphery of the optical part 4a of the intraocular lens 4. This is because the slider lower part 64 sometimes passes over the inner peripheral lower part 74 of the insertion tube 7 with the intraocular lens 4 placed thereunder (FIGS. 2 and 3).

Changing our thinking regarding the cause of damage to the intraocular lens 4, when viewed from the front, at least the connecting portion 71 of the insertion tube 7 corresponding to the width direction of the portion where the slider lower portion 64 is present (more specifically, the inner peripheral lower portion) 74), a space 72 may be provided.

FIG. 9 shows a configuration that reflects this idea. That is, in FIG. 9, a chamfered cutout 73 (45 degrees of inclination angle) is provided in the inner peripheral lower part 74 of the connecting portion 71 of the insertion tube 7 disposed in front of the slider lower part 64. In the first embodiment, the forward limit position L of the lower slider 64 exists above the notch 73.

The width of the space 72 in the Y direction may have a margin with respect to the width of the slider lower part 64 in the Y direction. As this margin, a margin of 0.1 mm or more (or 0.2 mm or more, with an upper limit of 1 mm, for example) may be set for each space 72 with respect to the width of each slider lower part 64 in the Y direction. Moreover, to express a preferable example of this margin in terms of other than dimensions, the width of each space 72 in the Y direction may be 1.1 to 1.5 times the width of the slider lower part 64 in the Y direction.

However, when the space 72 is provided throughout, the shape and size of the space 72 are set so that the entire intraocular lens 4 does not fall into the space 72 and the slider lower part 64 cannot come into contact with the intraocular lens 4. The expression "the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 can be partially retracted downward" means that the lower slider 64 comes into contact with the intraocular lens 4 when the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 falls into the space 72 as a whole. If this is not possible, exclude it.

By setting the inclination angle of the chamfered surface within the above range, and/or each space is formed only in the connecting portion 71 of the insertion tube 7 (specifically, the inner circumferential lower portion 74) corresponding to the width direction of the portion where the slider lower portion 64 is present. By setting 72, most of the intraocular lens 4 rests on the horizontal lower part 74 of the inner circumference in front of the space 72, and even if the height of the intraocular lens 4 is lowered by the maximum thickness, the intraocular lens 4 The rear side 4c is only slightly displaced downward. On the other hand, the biting shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 occurs because there is no place for the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 to escape when the slider 6 finishes advancing the intraocular lens 4. Even if the intraocular lens 4 is displaced downward, the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 can sufficiently escape from being bitten.

As a result, when the slider 6 finishes advancing the intraocular lens 4, the intraocular lens 4 can escape from being caught between the slider 6 and the insertion tube 7.

When the space 72 is provided only in the connecting part 71 of the insertion tube 7 (specifically, the inner circumference lower part 74) corresponding to the width direction of the part where the slider lower part 64 is present (i.e., the width in the Y direction of the inner circumference lower part 74 of the insertion tube 7 ), even if a part of the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 falls into the space 72, the other part of the intraocular lens 4 will not fit in the part other than the space 72, that is, in the insertion tube 7. The intraocular lens 4 remains resting on the horizontal lower part 74 of the inner circumference, and it is possible to prevent the intraocular lens 4 from falling excessively into the space 72 on the rear side 4c.

An expression that encompasses these cases is "the widthwise position of the space 72 includes the widthwise position of the portion of the slider 6 that is in contact with the inner circumferential lower part 54 of the inserter body 5 (for example, the slider lower part 64)". be.

[others]
The present invention is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but also includes forms in which various changes and improvements are made within the scope of deriving specific effects obtained by the constituent elements of the invention and their combinations.

In Embodiment 1, the case where the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 are separate bodies is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, both may be formed inseparably. In this case, the insertion tube 7 is a portion that has a nozzle portion 7b and has an appearance that tapers toward the front. Moreover, the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 are also collectively referred to as a "hollow body."

Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a case where the notch 73 is provided in the connecting portion 71 (specifically, the inner circumferential lower part 74) of the connecting portions 51, 71 between the inserter main body 5 and the insertion tube 7 is illustrated, but the present invention It is not limited to that. Furthermore, although the case has been illustrated in which the forward limit position L of the lower slider 64 is near the connecting portions 51 and 71, the present invention is not limited thereto. Any point α in the lower inner circumference of the hollow body, that is, in the range from the lower inner circumference 54 of the inserter main body 5 to the lower inner circumference 74 of the insertion tube 7, of the optical part of the intraocular lens of the slider. The space 72 may be provided at a location α that includes above the limit position of the forward movable range of the portion that contacts the outer periphery.

One of the factors that led to the present invention was a step that was unintentionally formed at the lower part of the inner circumference. On the other hand, this is only a starting point, and this step is not an essential requirement for the intraocular lens inserter 1 of the present invention. Furthermore, in addition to the difference in level, there are various factors that cause the intraocular lens 4 to be bitten by the slider 6. For example, as described in the section on the problems of the present invention, even if there is no step difference, if there is more clearance than necessary between the inner periphery of the inserter body 5 or the insertion tube 7 and the slider, the intraocular lens will be removed between them. 4 may get caught.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing how the intraocular lens is bitten by the slider when there is more clearance than necessary between the inner periphery of the inserter main body 5 or the insertion tube 7 and the slider.

As shown in the upper left diagram of FIG. 11, when the above-mentioned clearance exists at the upper part of the inner circumference, the slider 6 tilts upward inside the inserter main body 5 or the insertion tube 7, and the slider lower part 64 touches the intraocular lens 4. Riding may result in the intraocular lens being jammed by the slider.
As shown in the lower left diagram of FIG. 11, when the above-mentioned clearance exists at the lower part of the inner circumference, the slider 6 floats upward inside the inserter main body 5 or the insertion tube 7, and the slider lower part 64 rides on the intraocular lens 4. As a result, the intraocular lens may become jammed by the slider.

Even if the level difference exists as a manufacturing error or the above-mentioned factors (e.g. clearance) exist, the present invention is able to prevent the portion of the slider 6 that comes into contact with the outer periphery of the optical part 41 of the intraocular lens 4 (e.g. the slider A feature is that a space 72 (notch 73 (chamfered shape, depression), etc.) for retraction is provided in advance at the lower part of the inner periphery so as to include the forward movement limit position L of the lower part 64) above. By providing this space 72, the occurrence of biting of the intraocular lens 4 can be suppressed without strict manufacturing precision (specifically regarding the inserter body and the insertion tube), and the occurrence of breakage of the intraocular lens 4 can be suppressed. It can be suppressed.

Even if there were no manufacturing errors and the lower inner periphery (i.e., the lower inner surface of the inserter body 5 or the lower inner periphery 74 of the insertion tube 7) was flush, there was no clearance greater than necessary. However, a space 72 for the retreat of the rear side 4c of the intraocular lens 4 should be provided in advance below the forward movement limit position L of the portion of the slider 6 that contacts the outer periphery of the optical part 41 of the intraocular lens 4. Advantageous effects can be achieved.

In other words, if the space 72 is provided, even if the intraocular lens inserter 1 has manufacturing errors or clearances, the manufacturing errors or clearances will be tolerated by the space 72, and conventionally it would be discarded. The intended intraocular lens inserter 1 can now be used. This is a great practical advantage.

1...Intraocular lens inserter 4...Intraocular lens 4a...Optical part 4b...Support part 4c...Backward side (of the intraocular lens) 5...Inserter main body 51...Connection (with the insertion tube main body in the inserter main body) Portion 54... Lower inner circumference 6 (of the inserter body) Slider 64... Lower slider 7... Insertion tube 71... Connection portion 72 (of the insertion tube body with the inserter body)... Space 73... Notch (chamfered surface)
74...Inner circumference lower part 7a (of the insertion tube)...Insertion tube body 7b...Nozzle part 7c...Injection hole 8...Rotating member 9...Plunger 10...Rod 11...Lens installation part 11a...Bottom part 11b...Lens receiving part 11c...Lens Guide part L...Advance limit position of the lower part of the slider

Claims (11)

An intraocular lens inserter for inserting an intraocular lens into the eye,
a hollow body;
a lens installation part provided inside the hollow body;
a slider that advances the intraocular lens installed in the lens installation section;
a rod that further advances the intraocular lens advanced by the slider;
has
The optical axis direction (Z direction) of the intraocular lens when the intraocular lens is installed in the lens installation part, and the direction in which it contacts the lens installation part is downward (Z2 direction), and the opposite direction is upward. (Z1 direction), the forward direction of the intraocular lens is the front (X1 direction), the opposite direction is the rear (X2 direction), and the direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is the width direction (Y direction). ,
A lower part α of the inner circumference of the hollow body, which is a portion of the slider that comes into contact with the outer circumference of the optical part of the intraocular lens and moves the intraocular lens forward, has a forward movable range. An intraocular lens inserter, wherein a space is provided at a position α below the lower portion of the slider when the slider is at the limit position, in which a rear side of the intraocular lens can partially retreat downward. The hollow body is
The inserter body,
an insertion tube provided at the front tip of the inserter main body,
The intraocular lens inserter according to claim 1, wherein the location α is any location in a range from a lower inner circumference of the inserter main body to a lower inner circumference of the insertion tube. The space is a space formed by cutting out the location α,
The eye according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when viewed from the front, the position in the width direction of the space includes the position in the width direction of a portion of the slider that comes into contact with the outer periphery of the optical part of the intraocular lens. Inner lens inserter. At least the shape of the front side of the notch, which is a space formed by cutting out the portion α, is a chamfered shape that is a slope ,
The intraocular lens inserter according to claim 3 , wherein the slope angle from the XY plane is 30 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less . The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the intraocular lens is a preload type that is installed in the lens installation section in advance. The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising a plurality of spaces along the Y direction at a lower inner circumference of the hollow body. The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the space is provided only in a part of the width in the Y direction of the lower inner periphery of the hollow body. The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the downward depth of the space is 0.2 to 5.0 mm. The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the width of the space in the Y direction is 0.1 mm or more larger than the width of the lower part of the slider in the Y direction. The intraocular lens inserter according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the width of the space in the Y direction is 1.1 to 1.5 times the width of the lower part of the slider in the Y direction. The intraocular lens according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the limit position of the forward range of movement of the lower part of the slider is within the space, from the rear end of the space to half the distance in the anteroposterior direction. inserter.