Ophthalmic dosage form, for releasing medication over time

Claim 1

AN OPHTHALMIC DOSAGE FORM COMPRISING SUBSTANTIALLY DRY SOLID PARTICLES OF OPHTHALMIC DRUG ENCLOSED WITHIN A BIOERODIBLE RELEASE RATE CONTROLLING MATERIAL FORMED OF A HYDROPHOBIC POLY(CARBOXYLIC ACID) HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF ABOUT 10,000 TO ABOUT 800,000 AND CONTAINING 8 TO 22 CARBON ATOMS FOR EACH CARBOXYLIC HYDROGEN WITH THE PARTICLES CONSISTING OF ABOUT 8 PARTS DRUG UP TO 1 PART MATERIAL TO ABOUT 1 PART DRUG UP TO ABOUT 3 PARTS MATERIAL, SAID PARTICLES BEING FROM 10 TO 300 MICRONS IN LARGEST DIMENSIONS AND FORMING A SUSPENSION OF 1 PART TO 50 PARTS WHEN ADMIXED PRIOR TO ADMINISTRATION WITH UP TO 100 PARTS OF AN OPHTHALMICALLY ACCEPTABLE ISOTONIC AQUEOUS CARRIER HAVING A PH ACCEPTABLE TO THE EYE, WITH DRUG RELEASED IN THE EYE AS THE PARTICLES ERODE IN RESPONSE TO THE ACULAR ENVIRONMENT IN A CONTROLLED AND CONTINUOUS RATE OVER A PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.