Grasping structure for retinal membrane surgical instrument

ChangeBridge: Patent Grants - Prosthetics (A61F)

Published March 31st, 2026

Detected March 31st, 2026

Summary

The USPTO granted patent US12589028B2 to Alcon Inc. covering an ophthalmic surgical instrument for peeling retinal membranes. The patent includes 17 claims and names Reto Grüebler and Luca Palmerini as inventors. The instrument features a handle with an actuator, outer tube, inner rod, and a grasping structure with first and second polymer arms angled to conform to retinal membranes.

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What changed

USPTO granted patent US12589028B2 to Alcon Inc. for an ophthalmic surgical instrument designed for retinal membrane peeling. The patent covers a device with a handle, actuator, outer tube, inner rod, and a grasping structure secured to the distal end of the inner rod having first and second polymer arms. The actuator controls the relative position of the inner rod and outer tube to extend or withdraw the grasping structure. The patent was filed December 6, 2023, as application 18530564 and contains 17 claims.

This is an informational patent grant notification with no compliance obligations. Medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers should be aware of this IP when developing or using similar ophthalmic surgical instruments. Third parties should consult patent counsel before commercializing devices that may fall within these claims.

Source document (simplified)

← USPTO Patent Grants

Grasping structure for membrane removal

Grant US12589028B2 Kind: B2 Mar 31, 2026

Assignee

Alcon Inc.

Inventors

Reto Grüebler, Luca Palmerini

Abstract

An ophthalmic surgical instrument for peeling a retinal membrane includes a handle and an actuator mounted on the handle. An outer tube is mounted to the handle and an inner rod extends within the outer tube. A grasping structure is secured to a distal end of the inner rod having first and second polymer arms secured to the inner rod. Each of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arms has a distal end that is angled to conform to the retinal membrane. The actuator is configured to control relative position of the inner rod and the outer tube in order to extend the grasping structure out of the outer tube and withdraw the grasping structure within the outer tube.