Retinal instrument

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of removing scar tissue from an eye that includes inserting a device including an array of micro-rods into an eye, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of glass micro-rods includes a sharp feature; contacting a scar tissue with the array of micro-rods; and removing the array of micro-rods and the scar tissue from the eye. In another embodiment, the present invention provides a medical device for engaging a tissue including and an array of glass micro-rods, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of glass micro-rods includes a sharp feature opposite a base of the array of glass micro-rods that is connected to the cannula, wherein the sharp feature of the at least one micro-rod is angled from a plane that is normal to a face of the base of the array of glass micro-rods.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A medical device for engaging a tissue comprising:
 a cannula;   and   an array of glass micro-rods, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of glass micro-rods includes a sharp feature opposite a base of the array of glass micro-rods that is connected to the cannula, wherein the sharp feature of the at least one micro-rod is angled from a plane that is normal to the base of the array of glass micro-rods.   
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue that is engaged by the array of glass micro-rods is scar tissue present on a retina of an eye. 
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sharp feature of the at least one micro-rod further comprises a barb. 
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the glass micro-rods comprise a silica containing material. 
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 4 , wherein the silica containing material comprises sodium silicate glass, boro silicate glass or leaded glass. 
     
     
         6 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one glass-micro-rod has a length of less than 60 microns. 
     
     
         7 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the array of glass micro-rods includes a plurality of glass micro-rods, wherein adjacent glass micro-rods are separated by a distance ranging from about 5 microns to about 40 microns. 
     
     
         8 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the base of the array of the glass micro-rods has a substantially circular geometry or a multi-faced geometry. 
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the sharp feature of the at least one micro-rod is angled from the plane that is normal to the base of the array of glass micro rods, by an angle ranging from about 0 to about 70 degrees. 
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein the array of glass micro-rods comprises a plurality of glass micro-rods of uniform length. 
     
     
         11 . A method of removing scar tissue from an eye comprising:
 inserting a device comprising an array of micro-rods into an eye, wherein at least one glass micro-rod of the array of micro-rods includes a sharp feature;   engaging the scar tissue or underlying tissue on which the scar tissue is present with the array of micro-rods; and   removing the array of micro-rods and the scar tissue or the underlying tissue on which the scar tissue is present from the eye.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the scar tissue is present on a retina of the eye and removing the scar tissue from the eye includes removing the scar tissue from the retina. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising measuring the thickness of the scar tissue before inserting the device comprising the array of glass micro-rods into the eye, and providing an array of micro-rods having a micro-rod length that is less than or equal to the thickness of the scar tissue. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the measuring of the thickness of the scar tissue comprises optical coherence tomography (OCT) or Heidelberg retinal tomopgrapy. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the device further includes a cannula engaged to a base of the array of glass micro-rods, wherein the sharp feature is opposite the base of the array of glass micro-rods, wherein the sharp feature of the at least one glass micro-rod is angled from a plane that is normal to a face of the base of the array of glass micro-rods. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the engaging of the scar tissue or the underlying tissue on which the scar tissue is present with the sharp feature of the array of glass micro-rods comprises rotating the array of glass micro-rods about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the scar tissue. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the array of glass micro-rods comprise a silicon containing material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one glass-micro-rod has a length of less than 40 microns. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the array of glass micro-rods includes a plurality of glass micro-rods, wherein adjacent glass micro-rods are separated by a distance ranging from about 5 microns to about 40 microns. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the base of the array of the glass micro-rods has a substantially circular geometry or a multi-faced geometry. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the sharp feature of the at least one glass micro-rod is angled from the plane that is normal to the face of the base of the array of glass micro rods, by an angle ranging from about 0 degrees to about 70 degrees.