The management of congenital anophthalmos or microphthalmos and early-acquired anophthalmos can be a challenge. Microphthalmos is a congenital or developmental anomaly in which the eyeballs are abnormally small, and occurs with a frequency of 0.22/1000 live births. Anophthalmos is a congenital defect in which an eye never developed in the socket. Both of these abnormalities present minified eyelids with abbreviated palpebral and bulbar conjunctivae. More critically, these two conditions are associated with ipsilateral hypoplasia of the bony orbit. Insertion of currently available orbital tissue expanders is quite time-consuming and technically difficult in an infant. Furthermore, controlling the direction of expansion and maintaining rigid fixation of the implant in the orbit for uniformed expansion remain problematic. Frequently, the expander protrudes forward or even extrudes during the inflation process, displacing the conformer or breaking open the conjunctiva.
Solution
The invention is a novel implant to treat congenital anophthalmos (born without an eye) or microphthalmos (born with a small eye). This unique orbital implant overcomes many of the deficiencies of currently available devices. The implant has direct applicability to the human clinical setting and permits the ophthalmic surgeon to treat the patient faster, safer, less often, more effectively and at less cost. The implant is adjustable and expandable to allow one surgical procedure for implantation and a second to remove the implant once the child has grown.
Competitive Advantage
The present invention overcomes many of the deficiencies of currently available devices. The implant permits the ophthalmic surgeon to treat patients faster, safer, less often, more effectively and at less cost.
Applications
The key product attribute of the implant is that it is a self-contained, integrated unit that can be fixated to bone. The main clinical utility is to stimulate orbital bony growth by providing sustained and uniform omnidirectional pressure to the constituent bones of the orbit.
Patent Status
U.S. patent No. US6582465 entitled "INTEGRATED RIGID FIXATION ORBITAL EXPANDER" was granted June 24, 2003.
Licensing Opportunity
We would like to license worldwide commercialization rights for this family of products and feel that this opportunity is a good fit for a company with implantable materials core technologies and worldwide sales and marketing capabilities.
About the Inventors
Dr. Tse is an oculoplastic surgeon at the Bascom Palmer Eye
Institute and a recognized authority in his field.
Selected References
Tse, D.T., Kersten, R., Anderson, R.L.: Hematoporphyrin Derivative Photoradiation Therapy in Managing Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome. A Preliminary Report. Arch Ophthalmol. 102:990-994, 1984.
