[DESCRIPTION]

[invention Title]

BIO ARTIFICIAL LACRIMAL CANALICULUS

[Technical Field]

The present invention relates to a medical device for medical treatment, which can be used when a lacrimal canaliculus is clogged, and, more particularly, to a medical device, which can simply cure epiphora using an artificial lacrimal canaliculus to function in place of a lacrimal canaliculus that has become strangulated or clogged due to inflammation, trauma or an obstruction.

[Background Art] Generally, when a lacrimal drainage system is strangulated or obstructed by various causes, such as inflammation, trauma and obstruction, tears cannot drain into a nasal cavity, so that the tears gather in the eyes, and then flow from the eyes . This phenomenon is referred to as "epiphora" . This epiphora causes a lot of trouble in that the tears gathered in the eyes must be frequently wiped. Further, this epiphora can bring about conjunctivitis or corneitis, and can also impede eyesight when the epiphora is severe. Accordingly, medical treatment is required in order to prevent such complications when the

lacrimal drainage system is strangulated or obstructed.

Lacrimal points are formed at the upper and lower boundaries between eyeballs and eyelids, a lacrimal sac is formed inside the nose and is connected by upper and lower lacrimal canaliculi, and the lacrimal canaliculi are oriented toward the nasal cavity. Tears, which are created in the lacrimal gland, remove foreign materials, and are then drained from the inlet of lacrimal points into the nasal cavity through a nasolacrimal duct. In principle, a lacrimal canaliculus that is clogged due to epiphora, if possible, must be restored to its original state. However, when the epiphora cannot be cured by a conventional operation on the eyes of a patient, it can be cured by an operation using a Jones tube, which is one kind of artificial lacrimal canaliculi. Tears, which are created in a lacrimal gland, are drained into a nasal cavity through lacrimal points, lacrimal canaliculi, a lacrimal sac, and a nasolacrimal duct, in that order. However, when the tears are not easily drained due to the strangulation or obstruction of this lacrimal drainage system, they can be drained into a nasal cavity using an artificial lacrimal canaliculus . This artificial lacrimal canaliculus has a length of about 10 - 40 mm, an inner diameter of about 0.5 ~ 3 mm, and an outer diameter of about 1.1 ~ 3.6 mm. This artificial lacrimal canaliculus is inserted from a conjunctiva to a nasal cavity, from a

conjunctiva to a lacrimal sac, or from a lacrimal sac co a nasal cavity. In this case, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus must not infect a human body secondarily at the time of use thereof, and must not be toxic to an organic body. Further, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus must not break down even after it is used for a long time, and must be made of semipermanent material and easily removed.

At the time of an operation on a lacrimal passage, which can be conducted when conventional epiphora treatments are ineffective, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus, composed of PP, PE, Pyrex or PMMA, is always exposed to a nasal cavity or a conjunctiva, so that it is always in danger of being contaminated with bacteria, thereby causing inflammation of a lacrimal sac or a lacrimal passage. For this reason, the conventional artificial lacrimal canaliculus always serves to propagate bacteria to peripheral organic bodies. Therefore, particular cautions are required.

[Disclosure]

[Technical Problem]

Thus, the present invention is characterized in that it has antibacterial effectiveness due to the addition of materials generating far infrared rays or anions, compared to materials for a conventional Jones tube, and an artificial lacrimal canaliculus can be sanitarily inserted

into a human body, is harmless to the eyes, and. does not break down. Furthermore, it is believed that the artificial lacrimal canaliculus can be very useful clinically because it has a shape such that it is inserted into an organic body adjacent to a lacrimal passage, and is not unintentionally removed therefrom. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an artificial lacrimal canaliculus which can be used in a human body at the time of an operation on a lacrimal passage.

[Technical Solution]

In order to accomplish the above object, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the present invention includes tourmaline, and any one selected from the group consisting of PP, PE, Pyrex and PMMA. Further, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the present invention includes nano silver, and any one selected from the group consisting of PP, PE, Pyrex and PMMA.

Further, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the present invention includes nano gold, and any one selected from the group consisting of PP, PE, Pyrex and PMMA.

Further, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the present invention includes nano platinum, and any one selected from the group consisting of PP, PE, Pyrex and

PMMA .

Here, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus further includes tourmaline.

Further, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus is characterized in that the amount of tourmaline is 10 ~ 30 wt. %, the amount of any one of nano silver, nano gold and nano platinum is 0.001 ~ 5 wt.%, and the amount of any one of PP, PE, Pyrex and PMMA is 65 ~ 89.999 wt.%.

Meanwhile, it is characterized in that the artificial lacrimal canaliculus has a funnel shape, an upper portion of which is formed to be wide.

Further, it is characterized in that the artificial lacrimal canaliculus is provided on an outer circumference thereof with protrusions . Further, it is characterized in that the artificial lacrimal canaliculus is provided on an outer circumference thereof with a thread.

[Advantageous Effects] According to the present invention, there are effects in that an artificial lacrimal canaliculus itself has bactericidal activity and antibacterial activity because it is manufactured by mixing tourmaline, nano silver and the like, and the artificial lacrimal canaliculus is very beneficial to the eyes of a person wearing it because far infrared rays and anions are emitted therefrom. Further,

since the artificial lacrimal canaliculus has various shaped, it can be strongly fixed into lacrimal bones, and can be easily inserted or removed.

[Description of Drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a funnel-shaped artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an artificial lacrimal canaliculus provided on an outer circumference thereof with a thread according to the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an artificial lacrimal canaliculus provided on an outer circumference thereof with protrusions according to the present invention.

[Best Mode]

The present invention provides an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , which can be used for medical treatment when a lacrimal canaliculus is clogged, and which includes tourmaline and PP. Here, the amount of the tourmaline is 10 ~ 30 wt. %, and the remaining components are PP, PE, Pyrex and PMMA.

The present invention provides an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) including any one of nano silver, nano gold and nano platinum and PP, and further including

tourmaline. The artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) is characterized in that the amount of the tourmaline is 10 ~ 30 wt. %, the amount of nano silver is 0.001 ~ 5 wt.%, and the amount of PP is 65 ~ 89.999 wt.%. Further, the present invention provides an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) including tourmaline, nano gold and PP. The artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) is characterized in that the amount of the tourmaline is 10 ~ 30 wt.%, the amount of nano gold is 0.001 ~ 5 wt.%, and the amount of PP is 65 ~ 89.999 wt.%.

Further, the present invention provides an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) including tourmaline, nano platinum and PP.

Here, the amount of the tourmaline is 10 ~ 30 wt.%, the amount of nano platinum is 0.001 ~ 5 wt.%, and the amount of PP is 65 ~ 89.999 wt.%.

Further, the present invention provides an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) composed of any one of PE, Pyrex and PMMA, instead of PP. Tourmaline, which is used in the present invention, is a mineral belonging to the hexagonal system, and is a kind of igneous rock. Tourmaline has properties in that plus and minus poles are naturally generated at respective ends of crystals thereof, and weak electric current flows therebetween perpetually. Therefore, tourmaline is called electric stone. The tourmaline has a hardness of 7.0 ~ 7.5,

and a specific gravity of 2.98 ~ 3.20. Tourmaline has chemical components including iron, magnesium, alkali metals and complex borosilicate of aluminum, and has a hexagonal columnar shape or a nonagonal columnar shape. Since the tourmaline is one of three materials on earth that have intrinsic energy, such as uranium ore, magnetite and the like, and absorbs a large amount of energy, it is a precious stone that provides the human body with vitality by semi-permanently emitting energy. Tourmaline is a mineral that was first excavated in Sri Lanka in the eighteenth century. The Curie brothers, in Marie Sorbonne University in the nineteenth century, found that, when pressure was applied to crystals thereof, an electric charge was generated on its crystal surface. Therefore, tourmaline is called "electric stone" . Tourmaline has various colors, such as pink, light green, blue, red, violet and the like, transparent like diamonds, and is chiefly found in Brazil, the state of California in the United States, Sri Lanka, China, and elsewhere. Nakamurashi and Kuboshi etc., who have studied the properties of tourmaline at Tokyo University, proved that plus and minus poles are spontaneously generated at both ends of a 3 //in crystal of tourmaline. It was found that a potential difference of about one million volts is generated between the two poles thereof, and that weak electric current flows therebetween perpetually. Further,

the Kuboshi study team examined the properties and functions of the tourmaline in water by mixing a ceramic, having low electrical conductivity, with tourmaline particles 3 μm in size to form a mixture, and then sintering the mixture, thereby fabricating a spherical pellet having a diameter of 3 mm. For this reason, when water is electrolyzed and the pH thereof becomes approximately neutral at a (-) electrode, and hydrogen ions are generated at a (+) electrode, surface action is imparted thereto. Further, it was proved that clusters of water are broken, so that activated water is formed, thereby increasing infiltration force into vegetable cells .

Further, the tourmaline contains elements and minerals which have a good influence on the human body, for example, boron (B) , which helps the skin due to its relationship with the mucous membranes and with growth, silicon (Si) , which has a beautifying effect due to its effect on the stomach and the liver, magnesium (Mg) , which is useful for activating cells and strengthening the heart, iron (Fe) , which has the effect of promoting health using minerals, such as the circulation of the blood, the strengthening of the heart or the like, and calcium (Ca) , which has a sedative effect on the nerves.

That is, tourmaline contains large amounts of elements and minerals that have a positive influence on the human body, such as magnesium, which is good for the

activation of cells and the strengthening of the heart, boron, which help the skin due to its relationship with the mucous membranes and with growth, silicon, which is good for beauty, iron, which has effects of promoting the circulation of the blood, strengthening the heart, etc., and calcium, which has a sedative effect on the nerves .

Tourmaline has an advantage in that weak current, continuously generated due to the electrical properties of tourmaline, stimulates spots on the human body that are suitable for acupuncture, so that a peripheral circulation system is improved and the flow of blood is accelerated, thereby having an effect on hypertension. Furthermore, tourmaline has an advantage in that it has an effect on electric potential treatment, such as the improvement of physical constitution, the purification of blood, or the like, because of cell activation due to the emission of a large amount of far infrared rays. Moreover, tourmaline has effects of fatigue relief, stomach activation, pain decrease, deep sleep promotion, and decrease in chills by promoting blood circulation and metabolism.

Further, since tourmaline generates a large amount of anions when in contact with water, it has effects of sterilizing bacteria and removing odors and exhibits a cleaning action. Moreover, since tourmaline converts acidified body fluids into weak alkaline fluids, it imparts stability to a human body.

Since the far infrared rays and anions functions to alleviate neuralgia, arthritis and lumbago, to sedate skin, to alleviate glycosuria and constipation, to remove odors, to increase antibiosis and dehumidification, to soften hard water, and to clean air, they do not cause great harm to a human body.

The tourmaline expands capillaries due to the synergic effect of anions and far infrared rays, thereby increasing the body temperature, activating the skin, and promoting metabolism. Owing to this synergic effect, tourmaline absorbs heat emitted from the human body, and then returns the heat to the human body.

As described above, tourmaline has been found to have various effects. Further, recently, the interest and demand for tourmaline is increasing in domestic markets and advanced countries due to the effect of the far infrared rays and the additive effect of the anions .

It is known that tourmaline, as noted above, has effects in that particles of the tourmaline generate electricity due to a weak heat, so that weak current flows and is thus in contact with a heat (body temperature) in a human body, thereby keeping the human body warm by heat transfer, and the above tourmaline accelerates blood flow by stimulating spots- on the human body suitable for acupuncture and thus improving a peripheral circulation system, and has an effect on antibiosis, odor removal and

cleaning because it generates anions. Further, tne above tourmaline has an effect on electric potential treatment, such as the improvement of physical constitution, the purification of the blood, or the like. Moreover, as noted above, tourmaline serves to warm the cells, to promote blood circulation, to increase the metabolic rate, and to resist and sterilize bacteria.

In conclusion, the tourmaline functions to accelerate the metabolism, to activate cellular functions and immunizing functions, to purify the blood and to stabilize autonomic nerves. Further, it has been known that far infrared rays such as those emitted from tourmaline serve to accelerate the flow of blood in the human body, and to promote excretion (the discharge of waste materials) . Further, silver, which is used in the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) of the present invention, is the strongest natural antibiotic.

Silver is a catalyst which can suffocate bacteria or starve them to death by acting on special enzymes for performing digestive processes that use oxygen in unicellular animals (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and the like) .

In most pathogenic bacteria, protoplasms thereof are destroyed, or reproductive organ thereof, in which cell division occurs, are damaged by electric shocks caused by silver ions (Ag+) . It has been reported that, when a person

drinks such silver ionic water, the silver ionic water nas therapeutic effects on syphilis, cholera, malaria, colds, athlete's foot, eczema and serious burns.

It is known that silver, which is a kind of metal, can suppress most unicellular pathogenic bacteria. Further, it is known that silver has very strong antibacterial effectiveness because few bacteria survive for 6 minutes or longer when the bacteria are in contact with silver.

As described above, silver put pathogenic bacteria to death in a metallic state, as well as suppress the proliferation of bacteria in water when the silver is put into water in an ionized state (Ag+) . Accordingly, it can be seen that the silver also have an antibacterial effectiveness for preventing the sterilization of bacteria and the proliferation of pathogenic bacteria.

In the term "nano silver" , used in the present invention, the term "nano" is a term derived from "nanos", a dwarf appearing in Greek mythology, and means "one- billionth" . One nanometer is about one-ten thousandth of the thickness of a hair.

Nano silver is a word coined from "nano-technology" and "silver" , and is also called "nanosilver" . Nano silver is prepared in the forms of powder and solution. Nano silver, formed of silver (Ag) , was conceived to take advantage of excellent effects, such as antibacterial activity, odor removal property, long food preservation

time, and the like, among the various properties of silver.

The antibacterial effectiveness of silver is closely associated with particle size. Generally, it is known that, with the decrease of the particle size, the antibacterial effectiveness is greatly increased. Further, in the relationship between the amount of silver and the antibacterial effectiveness, the antibacterial effectiveness is increased in proportion to the concentration of silver. Since silver is one of precious metals, and is relatively expensive, it must exhibit a great effect even if a small amount of silver is used in order to be economical .

It is well known that a silver colloid, dispersed in an organic solvent, can be obtained through a polyol process. In this case, silver particles are obtained by refluxing silver ions in silver nitrate in an ethylene glycol solution which includes a stabilizer at a temperature of 120 ^° C, the obtained silver particles are separated using a centrifugal separator, and then the separated silver particles are dispersed in an alcohol solvent, thereby fabricating dispersed colloidal silver, with the silver particles having an average particle size distribution of 20~30 nm.

Here, it is known that the stabilizer used in this process serves to effectively disperse the silver particles and to adjust the particle size.

Further, Korean Patent Application No. 10-1999-

0054938, which is the prior art, discloses a colloidal solution having silver particles dispersed therein using a method of manufacturing metal particles in an aqueous surfactant solution and a method of using the same.

Further, a method of manufacturing colloidal silver in an organic solvent including ethanol is disclosed as the prior art.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a funnel-shaped artificial lacrimal canaliculus according to the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an artificial lacrimal canaliculus provided on an outer circumference thereof with protrusions according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an artificial lacrimal canaliculus provided on an outer circumference thereof with a thread according to the present invention.

In an embodiment of fabricating an artificial lacrimal canaliculus by mixing tourmaline, according to an embodiment of the present invention, tourmaline is mixed with PP to form a mixed powder, and the mixed powder is mixed in a resin solution, followed by the resulting mixture to be formed into a gel at room temperature. The mixing ratio of PP to tourmaline is PP 1Og / tourmaline Ig.

Here, as the PP powder, one of a transparent material and an opaque material may be selectively used, if necessary.

Tourmaline is mixed in a mixing ratio from 10% to 30%.

When the mixing ratio of tourmaline to PP is 10% or less, desired effects are slightly exhibited. In contrast, when the mixing ratio of tourmaline to PP is 30% or more, colors of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus become rich, and the appearance thereof become poor.

Then, this gelled mixture is introduced into a plaster mold and is pressed. Next, the pressed gelled mixture is heated to a temperature of 71 ^° C ~ 74 ^° C for 1 hour and 30 minutes, and is then further heated to a temperature of 100 ^° C for 30 minutes, thereby fabricating a completed artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) .

According to another embodiment of the present invention, only a part of an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , not the entire artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , is fabricated by mixing tourmaline therewith. Next, the part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , fabricated thus, is pressed with the other matching part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus

(10) , fabricated without the above components, and thus one entire artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) can be fabricated and then used.

In this case, the part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) that is fabricated by mixing the above components can be useful when a lacrimal sac is connected to a nasal cavity, in consideration of appearance. In summary, in case where the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) is fabricated by mixing the tourmaline, first, the tourmaline may be mixed in the entire nasolacrimal duct, or, second, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) is fabricated by mixing the tourmaline in a part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , and then the part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) fabricated thus is pressed and connected with the other matching part of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , fabricated without the above components, thereby fabricating the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) .

Further, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) may be fabricated by mixing tourmaline and nano silver with PP.

The process of fabricating the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) by mixing tourmaline and nano silver with PP is the same as the above process of fabricating the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) by mixing tourmaline.

Here, when tourmaline and nano silver are mixed in the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , it is preferred that the tourmaline be included in an amount of 10 ~ 30% by weight, and that the nano silver be included in an amount of 0.001 ~ 5% by weight. The remaining component is

PP, and the amount of PP is 65 ~ 89.999 % by weight.

When too much nano silver is included, the colors of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) are rich, and the cost thereof is increased. In contrast, when too little nano silver is included, it is difficult to exhibit the effects thereof, and the appearance thereof, affecting the appearance of the conjunctivae in a human body through the colors of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , is not good. Accordingly, the amount of nano silver may be changed depending on the request and need of a user.

A colloidal silver solution, if necessary, may be used as the nano silver powder.

According to a further embodiment of the present invention, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) is first completed, and then the artificial lacrimal canaliculus

(10) may be coated with the tourmaline, the nano silver, or a mixture thereof, and may then be used.

Meanwhile, according to a still further embodiment, an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) may be fabricated from nano gold or nano platinum.

In this case, the process of fabricating an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) by mixing nano gold or nano platinum is the same as the process of fabricating an artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) by mixing nano silver. Needless to say, liquid colloidal gold and liquid colloidal platinum may be used as the nano gold and the

nano platinum, respectively.

Here, when tourmaline and nano gold or nano platinum are mixed in the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , it is preferred that the tourmaline be mixed in a mixing ratio of 10 ~ 30% by weight, and that the nano gold or nano platinum be mixed in a mixing ratio of 0.001 ~ 5% by weight. The remaining component is PP, and the amount of PP is 65 — 89.999 % by weight.

When too much nano gold or nano platinum, that is, 5% or more by weight, is included, ■ the colors of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) become rich, and the cost thereof is increased. In contrast, when too little nano silver is included, it is difficult to exhibit the effects thereof, and the appearance thereof is not good. When the nano gold or nano platinum is included in a minimum amount of 0.001% or more, the minimum desired effect will be obtained.

Needless to say, the mixing ratio of nano gold or nano platinum may be changed depending on the request and need of a user.

For reference, the nano gold or nano platinum will be described as follows .

Since gold has high antibacterial activity, bactericidal activity, antifungal activity and an odor removal effect, and excellent electric conductivity and far infrared radiation, it is applied to goods intended to

benefit the human body, and is being researched for various industrial uses .

Gold has an action of calming the nerves, a detoxification action, ionizing action, and action for promoting blood circulation. Generally, gold is efficacious for calming the mind, stabilizing the spirit and counteracting poisons. Gold is not harmful to the human body, is toxic to viruses found in the environment, and is not oxidizable. Nano gold is produced in the form of a solution of nano particle powder having a particle size of 1 ~ 30 nm.

The color of nano particle powder solution is brown or dark purple.

Platinum has better antibacterial effectiveness than any synthetic drugs. Platinum nano-technology has an advantage in that volume is rapidly increased compared to the weight thereof, and thus the energy of each unit is uniformly distributed and has a uniform effect.

For example, when Ig of platinum is nano-treated, it has a volume that could be used to draw a line of one million and eight hundred thousand km.

Nano metals have maximum advantages in that they have better antibacterial effectiveness than any organic antibacterial drugs, as well as electric properties. As a result of studies by the Korean Yarn Texture

Testing Institute, it was proven that, when nano gold

powder, nano silver powder or nano platinum powder, having a particle size of 20 mm, is introduced into water containing fourteen hundred thousand bacteria per ml at a concentration of 10 ppm, it exhibits an antibacterial activity of 99.9% or more. It was found that, among these, nano platinum has better antibacterial effectiveness and a better odor removal effect than any synthetic drugs .

Nano platinum is also produced in the form of a solution of nano particle powder having a particle size of 1 - 30 nm.

The color of platinum is dark or khaki (dark brown, yellowish brown) .

Further, the artificial lacrimal canaliculus has a largely cylindrical shape, and is fabricated in a funnel shape, the upper portion of which is formed to be wide, in order to be strongly fixed to a lacrimal bone in a human body and to allow tears to readily flow. In the artificial lacrimal canaliculus, which is located toward the upper portion of the eye, the portion in which the hole is formed to be wide is located toward the conjunctiva of an eye, and the portion in which a hole is formed to be narrow is located toward the nasal cavity. Further, protrusions (20) or a thread (30) are formed on the outer circumference of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus in order to be fixed to a bone texture, so that the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) overcomes a disadvantage in that it falls into a nasal

cavity. Furthermore, "V "-shaped grooves are formed along

(+) -shaped lines from the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position and the 12 o'clock position in the funnel shaped peripheral edges of the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) . Thus, at the time of removing the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) , the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) can be easily removed by turning the artificial lacrimal canaliculus (10) inserted in the bone texture in the opposite direction using a reversed "λ" -shaped tool.

[industrial Applicability]

The present invention relates to a medical device for medical treatment, which can be used when a lacrimal canaliculus is clogged, and, more particularly, to a medical device, which can simply cure epiphora using an artificial lacrimal canaliculus to function in place of a lacrimal canaliculus that has become strangulated or clogged due to inflammation, trauma or an obstruction.