Ocular therapeutic system for dispensing a medication formulation

Claim 1

An ocular therapeutic system for dispensing a medication formulation to an eye, said system sized, shaped and adapted for easy insertion and comfortable retention in the eye and comprising, depots of a medication formulation consisting essentially of from 1 to 40 weight percent of a pilocarpine therapeutically acceptable salt of 0.1 to 100 micron size and 1 to 25 weight percent of an epinephrine therapeutically acceptable salt of 0.1 to 100 micron size, said depots dispersed in and surrounded substantially individually by a polymer that is impermeable to the passage of the medication formulation and permeable to the passage of eye fluid.

Claim 9

A method for treating glaucoma in a warm-blooded animal, which method consists essentially in lowering the intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma by administering to the eye of the animal a medication formulation, the method consisting essentially in the steps of: (a) positioning in the eye an ocular insert, said insert consisting essentially of: (1) discrete depots of a medication formulation consisting of a pilocarpine osmotic solute and an epinephrine osmotic solute, which solutes exhibit osmotic pressure gradients across the wall of the depot against an external fluid, said depots dispersed in; (2) a film sized and shaped as an insert for easy positioning and retention in the eye of the animal, said film a polymeric material that surrounds individually and forms the wall of the discret depots, is non-toxic, nonerodible, impermeable to the passage of the solutes and permeable to the passage of fluid; (b) imbibing fluid from the eye into the depots to dissolve the solutes and fill the depots with solution, thereby exerting pressure aganst the wall of the depot and forming apertures that release formulation from the depots at the surface and from the interior of the insert through formulation dispensing paths made by the inward progressive aperture formation in related depots; thereby, (c) administering formulation to the eye at a controlled rate for treating glaucoma over a prolonged period of time.

Claim 10

A method for treating glaucoma in a warm-blooded animal, which method consists essentially in lowering the intraocular pressure associated with glaucoma by administering to the eye of the animal a medication formulation, the method consisting essentially in the steps of: (a) positioning in the eye an ocular insert, said insert consisting essentially of: (1) discrete depots of a medication formulation consisting of a pilocarpine osmotic solute and an epinephrine osmotic solute, which solutes exhibit osmotic pressure gradients across the wall of the depot against an external fluid, said depots dispersed in; (2) a film sized and shaped as an insert for easy positioning and retention in the eye of the animal, said film a polymeric material that surrounds individually and forms the wall of the discret depots, is non-toxic, nonerodible, impermeable to the passage of the solutes and permeable to the passage of fluid; (b) imbibing fluid from the eye into the depots to dissolve the solutes and fill the depots with solution, thereby exerting pressure aganst the wall of the depot and forming apertures that release formulation from the depots at the surface and from the interior of the insert through formulation dispensing paths made by the inward progressive aperture formation in related depots; thereby, (c) administering formulation to the eye at a controlled rate for treating glaucoma over a prolonged period of time.