Apparatus and Methods for Loading of an IOL Injector

Abstract

An IOL injector body including an injector body segment defining a portion of a lumen, and a first loading chamber component coupled to the injector body segments and a second loading chamber component hingedly coupled to the first loading chamber component. The second loading chamber component is capable of rotating about an axis that is parallel to the lumen. An IOL vial including a vial base and an injector guide rotatably mounted in said base, whereby an injector can be inserted along the injector guide and rotated such that a folded IOL can be obtained in the injector. A method of loading an IOL injector with an IOL the method that comprises inserting the IOL injector body into a vial and rotating the IOL injector body relative to the vial to obtain the IOL in the IOL injector body.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An IOL injector, comprising:
 an injector body having a loading chamber and defining a lumen extending along a longitudinal axis, an opening to the loading chamber being defined by a tapered edge, the edge extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis.   
     
     
         2 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered edge is aligned parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         3 . The IOL injector of  claim 2 , wherein the tapered edge extends along the entire length of the opening. 
     
     
         4 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , wherein the tapered edge is sharp. 
     
     
         5 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , further comprising a concave outer surface disposed substantially opposite the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , wherein the opening to the loading chamber is further defined by a non-tapered edge, the non-tapered edge extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         7 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , wherein the opening to the loading chamber is further defined by a second edge, the second edge extending parallel to the direction of the longitudinal axis, and wherein a cross section of the lumen perpendicular to the longitudinal axis at the loading chamber is substantially circular, and wherein the radial distance from the center of the loading chamber to the tapered edge in the cross section is greater than the radial distance from the center of the loading chamber to the second edge in the cross section. 
     
     
         8 . The IOL injector of  claim 1 , in a combination with a vial comprising a convex interior surface and a flexible arm adapted to maintain an IOL against a surface opposite the convex interior surface. 
     
     
         9 . The combination of  claim 8 , wherein the concave exterior surface and the convex interior surface have substantially the same radius of curvature. 
     
     
         10 . An IOL vial comprising a convexly curved interior surface and a flexible arm adapted to maintain an IOL against a surface opposite the convexly curved surface. 
     
     
         11 . The IOL vial of  claim 10 , further comprising a vial base, wherein the flexible arm is hingedly attached to the vial base. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the IOL injector has a lumen with a longitudinal axis and the step of rotating comprises rotation about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the IOL injector has a lumen, and wherein upon rotation a first loading chamber component and a second loading chamber component combine to form a portion of the lumen.