Retinal cell grafts and instrument for implanting

Abstract

Surgical instruments, surgical techniques, retinal cell grafts, retinal cell and tissue isolation techniques, and a method for transplanting retinal cells, including photoreceptors, and/or retinal pigment epithelium, with the cells in the isolated tissue having their normal cell to cell configuration are disclosed.

1 . A retinal cell graft and instrument for implantation combination, wherein said instrument can be used to implant said retinal cell graft into a host eye, wherein, 
 said graft comprises a confluent population of cells from a donor eye, wherein said population is isolated from the retina of the donor eye, said population of cells comprising at least one of the group consisting of photoreceptor cells, and retinal pigment epithelial cells, said confluent population of cells having the same cell to cell organization in the graft as in the donor eye.    
     
     
         2 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said graft comprises photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells.  
     
     
         3 . The combination of  claim 2 , wherein said confluent population of cells isolated from retina comprises a portion of the retina lacking at least one layer of cells found in the intact retina prior to isolation therefrom.  
     
     
         4 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said cells are from an adult donor.  
     
     
         5 . The combination of  claim 2 , wherein said cells are from an adult donor.  
     
     
         6 . The combination of  claim 1 , wherein said instrument comprises: 
 an elongate tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said tube having a lumen passing from said proximal end to said distal end, said distal end having a distal tip, wherein said lumen forms an opening in said tip, said instrument further comprising a plunger,    said plunger and tube being capable of relative sliding motion with respect to each other, wherein the outer diameter of said distal end of said elongate tube is sufficiently small to be inserted through the pars plana area of an eye and the length of said distal end of said elongate tube is sufficient to permit said opening in said tip to be inserted beneath the retina through an opening therein, wherein relative sliding motion of said plunger and said tube can express solid or semisolid material within said lumen from said lumen through said opening in said tip into the subretinal space of an eye into which said tip is inserted.    
     
     
         7 . The combination of  claim 6 , wherein said cells are from an adult donor.  
     
     
         8 . The combination of  claim 6 , wherein said tube may be retracted with respect to said plunger to express said graft from said tip.  
     
     
         9 . An instrument for subretinal implantation of a solid or semisolid therapeutic implant including a graft as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the therapeutic implant can be a retinal cell graft comprising a confluent population of cells from a donor eye retina and the population of cells comprises at least one of the group consisting of photoreceptor cells, and retinal pigment epithelial cells, and the confluent population of cells has the same cell to cell organization in the graft as in the donor eye, said instrument comprising: 
 an elongate tube having a distal end and a proximal end, said tube having a lumen passing from said proximal end to said distal end, said distal end having a distal tip, wherein said lumen forms an opening in said tip, said instrument further comprising a plunger,    said plunger and tube being capable of relative sliding motion with respect to each other, wherein the outer diameter of said distal end of said elongate tube is sufficiently small to be inserted through the pars plana area of an eye and the length of said distal end of said elongate tube is sufficient to permit said opening in said tip to be inserted beneath the retina through an opening therein, wherein relative sliding motion of said plunger and said tube can express solid or semisolid material within said lumen from said lumen through said opening in said tip into the subretinal space of an eye into which said tip is inserted.    
     
     
         10 . The instrument of  claim 9 , further comprising a retinal cell graft that can be implanted in the subretinal space of a host eye, said retinal cell graft comprising a confluent population of cells from a donor eye, wherein said population is isolated from a retina and said population comprises at least one of the group consisting of photoreceptor cells, and retinal pigment epithelial cells.  
     
     
         11 . The instrument of  claim 10 , wherein said graft comprises a layer of human photoreceptor cells and a layer of retinal pigment epithelial cells.  
     
     
         12 . The instrument of  claim 10 , wherein said confluent population of cells comprises a portion of a human retina having at least one layer of cells found in an intact retina missing therefrom.  
     
     
         13 . The instrument of  claim 10 , wherein said cells are from an adult donor.  
     
     
         14 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein said cells are from an adult donor.  
     
     
         15 . The instrument of  claim 9 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.  
     
     
         16 . The instrument of  claim 10 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.  
     
     
         17 . The instrument of  claim 11 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.  
     
     
         18 . The instrument of  claim 12 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.  
     
     
         19 . The instrument of  claim 13 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.  
     
     
         20 . The instrument of  claim 14 , wherein retraction of said tube with respect to said plunger will express an implant within said tube from said tip.