System and method for the delivery of medications or fluids to the eye

Abstract

A method for delivering fluids, drugs, or medications to a patient's eye, and a system or apparatus for implementing the method, is disclosed. The system and method comprises the use of a corneal sponge to be deposited onto the cornea of the patient's eye while the patient's eyelids are maintained in open positions, and a scleral contact lens is disposed onto the sponge. The scleral lens has an irrigation fluid supply tube fluidically connected thereto for supplying a fluid, drug, or medication to the sponge which is saturated with the fluid, drug, or medication. Once the sponge and lens are inserted onto the corneal region of the eye, the patient's eyelids are closed thereby trapping and maintaining the sponge and lens upon the corneal region of the eye so as to permit the fluid, drug, or medication to be continuously supplied and applied to the corneal region of the eye.

1 . A system for delivering a fluid, drug, or medication to the corneal region of a patient's eye so as to treat the corneal region of the patient's eye with the fluid, drug, or medication, comprising:
 a corneal sponge disposed over the corneal region of a patient's eye; and   an irrigation fluid supply tube fluidically connected to said corneal sponge disposed over the corneal region of the patient's eye so as to continuously deliver a fluid, drug, or medication to said corneal sponge whereby said corneal sponge will be continuously saturated with the fluid, drug, or medication such that the corneal region of the patient's eye is continuously treated with the fluid, drug, or medication;   wherein said irrigation fluid supply tube comprises multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes operatively connected thereto wherein said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are operatively connected to multiple locations upon said corneal sponge so as to fluidically deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to said multiple locations of said corneal sponge.   
     
     
         2 . (canceled) 
     
     
         3 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 outer peripheral edge portions of said corneal sponge are able to be disposed beneath the eyelids of the patient's eye when the eyelids of the patient's eye are disposed at their closed position whereby the eyelids of the patient's eye effectively trap said corneal sponge beneath the eyelids of the patient such that the corneal sponge is maintained engaged with the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         4 . The system as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein:
 outer peripheral edge portions of said corneal sponge and outer peripheral portions of said scleral lens are able to be disposed beneath the eyelids of the patient's eye when the eyelids of the patient's eye are disposed at their closed position whereby the eyelids of the patient's eye effectively trap said scleral lens and said corneal sponge beneath the eyelids of the patient such that the corneal sponge is maintained engaged with the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         5 . The system as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a syringe operatively connected to said irrigation fluid supply tube for forcing a predetermined volume of the fluid, drug, or medication through said irrigation fluid supply tube toward said corneal sponge; and   a control device operatively associated with said syringe and interposed between said syringe and said irrigation fluid supply pipe for controlling the volumetric amount of the fluid, drug, or medication passing through said irrigation fluid supply pipe toward said corneal sponge.   
     
     
         6 . The system as set forth in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a syringe operatively connected to said irrigation fluid supply tube for forcing a predetermined volume of the fluid, drug, or medication through said irrigation fluid supply tube and said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes toward said scleral lens; and   a control device operatively associated with said syringe and interposed between said syringe and said irrigation fluid supply pipe for controlling the volumetric amount of the fluid, drug, or medication passing through said irrigation fluid supply pipe toward said scleral lens and said corneal sponge.   
     
     
         7 . The system as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein:
 said corneal sponge and said scleral lens comprise a one-piece integral assembly.   
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . The system as set forth in  claim 23 , wherein:
 said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are disposed within an equiangular circumferential pattern so as to uniformly distribute the fluid, drug, or medication to equiangularly spaced regions of said corneal sponge.   
     
     
         12 . The system as set forth in  claim 22 , wherein:
 said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are operatively connected to multiple locations upon said scleral lens.   
     
     
         13 . The system as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein:
 said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are disposed within an equiangular circumferential pattern so as to uniformly distribute the fluid, drug, or medication to equiangularly spaced regions of said scleral lens and to said corneal sponge.   
     
     
         14 . A method for delivering a fluid, drug, or medication to the corneal region of a patient's eye so as to treat the corneal region of the patient's eye with the fluid, drug, or medication, comprising the steps of:
 disposing a corneal sponge over the corneal region of a patient's eye;   conducting the fluid, drug, or medication through an irrigation fluid supply tube fluidically connected to said corneal sponge disposed over the corneal region of the patient's eye so as to continuously deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to said corneal sponge whereby said corneal sponge will be continuously saturated with the fluid, drug, or medication such that the corneal region of the patient's eye is continuously treated with the fluid, drug, or medication; and
 fabricating said irrigation fluid supply tube such that said irrigation fluid supply tube comprises multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes operatively connected thereto wherein said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are operatively connected to multiple locations upon said corneal sponge so as to fluidically deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to said multiple locations of said corneal sponge. 
   
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The method as set forth in  claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:
 manipulating the upper and lower eyelids of the patient's eye to be treated such that the upper and lower eyelids are expanded with respect to each other;   inserting said corneal sponge, having said irrigation fluid supply tube operatively and fluidically connected thereto, onto the corneal region of the patient's eye; and   releasing the upper and lower eyelids of the patient so as to effectively close the upper and lower eyelids of the patient such that outer peripheral edge portions of said corneal sponge are able to be disposed beneath the eyelids of the patient's eye when the eyelids of the patient's eye are disposed at their closed position whereby the closed eyelids of the patient's eye effectively trap said corneal sponge beneath the eyelids of the patient such that the corneal sponge is maintained engaged with the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         17 . The method as set forth in  claim 25 , further comprising the steps of:
 manipulating the upper and lower eyelids of the patient's eye to be treated such that the upper and lower eyelids are expanded with respect to each other;   inserting said corneal sponge into the patient's eye so that said corneal sponge is disposed over the corneal region of the patient's eye;   inserting said scleral lens, having said irrigation fluid supply tube and said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes fluidically connected thereto, atop said corneal sponge; and   releasing the upper and lower eyelids of the patient so as to effectively close the upper and lower eyelids of the patient such that outer peripheral edge portions of said corneal sponge and outer peripheral edge portions of said scleral lens are able to be disposed beneath the eyelids of the patient's eye when the eyelids of the patient's eye are disposed at their closed position whereby the closed eyelids of the patient's eye effectively trap said corneal sponge and said scleral lens beneath the eyelids of the patient such that the corneal sponge is maintained engaged with the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method as set forth in  claim 24 , further comprising the steps of:
 connecting first end portions of multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes to said irrigation fluid supply tube; and   connecting second end portions of said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes to multiple locations upon said scleral lens.   
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method as set forth in  claim 19 , comprising the step of:
 disposing said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes within an equiangular circumferential pattern so as to uniformly distribute the fluid, drug, or medication to equiangularly spaced regions of said scleral lens.   
     
     
         22 . A system for delivering a fluid, drug, or medication to the corneal region of a patient's eye so as to treat the corneal region of the patient's eye with the fluid, drug, or medication, comprising:
 a scleral lens disposed over the corneal region of a patient's eye; and   an irrigation fluid supply tube fluidically connected to said scleral lens disposed over the corneal region of the patient's eye so as to continuously deliver a fluid, drug, or medication to said scleral lens whereby the corneal region of the patient's eye will be continuously saturated with the fluid, drug, or medication such that the corneal region of the patient's eye is continuously treated with the fluid, drug, or medication.   wherein said irrigation fluid supply tube comprises multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes operatively connected thereto wherein said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are operatively connected to multiple locations upon said scleral lens so as to fluidically deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to said multiple locations of the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         23 . The system as set forth in  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a corneal sponge disposed beneath said scleral lens and disposed over the corneal region of a patient's eye such that said scleral lens will maintain said corneal sponge in contact with the corneal region of the patient's eye and will supply the fluid, drug, or medication to said corneal sponge from said irrigation fluid supply tube and said multiple irrigation supply tubes.   
     
     
         24 . A method for delivering a fluid, drug, or medication to the corneal region of a patient's eye so as to treat the corneal region of the patient's eye with the fluid, drug, or medication, comprising the steps of:
 disposing a scleral lens over the corneal region of a patient's eye;   conducting the fluid, drug, or medication through an irrigation fluid supply tube fluidically connected to said scleral lens disposed over the corneal region of the patient's eye so as to continuously deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to said scleral lens whereby the corneal region of the patient's eye will be continuously saturated with the fluid, drug, or medication such that the corneal region of the patient's eye is continuously treated with the fluid, drug, or medication; and   fabricating said irrigation fluid supply tube such that said irrigation fluid supply tube comprises multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes operatively connected thereto wherein said multiple irrigation fluid supply tubes are operatively connected to multiple locations upon said scleral lens so as to fluidically deliver the fluid, drug, or medication to multiple locations of the corneal region of the patient's eye.   
     
     
         25 . The method as set forth in  claim 24 , further comprising the step of:
 disposing a corneal sponge beneath said scleral lens so as to be disposed over the corneal region of a patient's eye such that said scleral lens will maintain said corneal sponge in contact with the corneal region of the patient's eye and will supply the fluid, drug, or medication to said corneal sponge from said irrigation fluid supply tube and said multiple irrigation supply tubes.   
     
     
         26 . The method as set forth in  claim 25 , further comprising the step of:
 fabricating said corneal sponge and said scleral lens as a one-piece integral assembly.