Alon Kahana, MD, PhD, Albert Shih, PhD, and Jeffrey Plott, MSE & PhD Candidate
Product Description: An ophthalmic lacrimal stent constructed to facilitate drainage of tears through the stent after placement, which will provide immediate symptomatic relief of epiphora (excessive tearing).
Project Overview: Epiphora, or excessive tearing, is a common symptom of many ophthalmic conditions in which the tear drainage system through the nose (i.e. nasolacrimal system) is occluded. Most of these conditions are not life threatening, but epiphora can cause blurred vision, inflammation, skin irritation, dacryocystitis (lacrimal sac infection), and even orbital cellulitis if a bacterial infection progresses deeper into the eye socket. Oculoplastic surgeons treat epiphora by dilating the lacrimal duct or surgically creating a new tear drainage system, and placing a lacrimal stent to allow healing. Currently available stents take up space in the newly created tear drainage system, which prevents full tear drainage until the stent is removed 3-6 months later.
Oculoplastic Surgeon Alon Kahana, MD, PhD, teamed up with Mechanical Engineers Albert Shih, PhD and Jeffrey Plott, a PhD candidate, to develop the “Slit-Stent”, a lacrimal stent constructed to facilitate drainage of tears through the lumen of the stent after placement. The goal is to provide patients immediate symptomatic relief. With Coulter funding, the team will pursue an FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) and conduct a clinical study to demonstrate that “Slit-Stent” provides improved symptomatic relief from epiphora while maintaining mechanical integrity and having no significant difference in infection risk compared to standard stents.
Link to technology at UM Tech Transfer: http://inventions.umich.edu/technologies/6724_lacrimal-stent-with-opening
Email Thomas Marten (tmarten@umich.edu) for more information.