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EP0248569A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Device for simultaneously forming two incisions along a path on an eye

Assignee: MTG Divestitures LLC
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Filing: 1987-05-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-05-21
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Abstract

Abstract An ophthalmic device (1) includes a base (5), a suction ring (3) connected to the base (5) to secure the device (1) to the eye (E) of a patient, and a support piece (13) carrying a pair of securely ganged cutting blades (7,9) having cutting edges (47) oriented at an angle with respect to one another. The support piece (13) can be raised and lowered with respect to the eye surface, and rotated around the base (5) to simultaneously form two incisions along a path on the eye. The device (1) includes a mechanism for progressively advancing the two cutting blades (7,9) together in the support piece (13), while maintaining a constant angular cutting edge relative orientation, to a position in which the cutting points (49) of the two cutting blades (7,9) are touching, and can thus be used to form an annular wedge-like cut of eye tissue in the treatment of refractive errors. In alternative embodiments, laser or electrosurgical knives may be used instead of cutting blades.

Inventors

  • 👤 David M. Lieberman

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 17:00
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61F9/013

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 204 words
An ophthalmic device (1) for simultaneously forming two incisions oriented at an angle with respect to one another along a path on an eye (E) comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; first and second cutting means; pattern means operatively coupled to said first and second cutting means for defining said path; rotation means adapted to be disposed and rotated on the base (5) ; characterized by means for mounting both the first and second cutting means upon a single portion of the rotation means in such a manner that said two cutting means are securely ganged together with the cutting directions of said two cutting means oriented at an angle with respect to one another, said mounting means including a means for adjusting the position of said two ganged cutting means with respect to the surface of the eye (E), whereby when the position of the two ganged cutting means is appropriately adjusted and the rota­tion means is rotated on the base (5), the two cutting means simultaneously cut said two incisions while following said path on the eye (E) defined by the pattern means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 204 words
An ophthalmic device (1) for simultaneously forming two incisions oriented at an angle with respect to one another along a path on an eye (E) comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; first and second cutting means; pattern means operatively coupled to said first and second cutting means for defining said path; rotation means adapted to be disposed and rotated on the base (5) ; characterized by means for mounting both the first and second cutting means upon a single portion of the rotation means in such a manner that said two cutting means are securely ganged together with the cutting directions of said two cutting means oriented at an angle with respect to one another, said mounting means including a means for adjusting the position of said two ganged cutting means with respect to the surface of the eye (E), whereby when the position of the two ganged cutting means is appropriately adjusted and the rota­tion means is rotated on the base (5), the two cutting means simultaneously cut said two incisions while following said path on the eye (E) defined by the pattern means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 66 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that said first and second cutting means are mounted upon said rotation means in such a manner that the distance between the locus of tissue being cut by the first cutting means and the locus of tissue being cut at the same time by the second cutting means is substan­tially equal to the distance between said two incisions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 57 words
A device of claim 2 further characterized in that each of said first and second cutting means comprises a cutting blade (7,9) having a cutting edge (47) terminating at a cutting point (49), with said cutting blades (7,9) being securely ganged together with said cutting edges (47) oriented at an acute angle with respect to one another.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 46 words
A device of claim 3 further characterized in that said mounting means comprises a means for adjusting the position of said two ganged cutting blades (7,9) with respect to the surface of the patient's eye (E) without effecting a relative movement between said two blades (7,9).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 71 words
A device of claim 4 further characterized in that said mounting means further comprises a means for simultaneously and progressively advancing said two ganged cutting blades (7,9), while maintaining said cutting edges (47) oriented at said acute angle with respect to one another, to a position in which said cutting points (49) are touching one another, whereby said two incisions can form a wedge-like cut of eye tissue along said path.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 66 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that said pattern means comprises a generally annular cam (35) operatively connected to said base (5), and said rotation means is adapted to operatively engage said cam (35), whereby said first and second cutting means both follow a predetermined path related to the shape of said cam (35) as the rotation means is rotated on the base (5).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 44 words
A device of claim 6 further characterized in that said cam (35) is removable from and replaceable on said base (5), whereby said path can be varied by removing and replacing said cam (35) with a different generally annular cam having a different shape.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 46 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said first and second cutting means comprises a cutting blade (7,9) mounted upon said rotation means in such a manner that said two incisions can form a wedge-like cut of eye tissue along said path.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said first and second cutting means comprises a laser knife.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 22 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that each of said first and second cutting means comprises a heated electrosurgical knife.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 18 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized by means to positively limit the depths of said two incisions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 175 words
An ophthalmic device (1) for simultaneously forming two incisions along a path on an eye (E) comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; first and second cutting means; pattern means operatively coupled to said first and second cutting means for defining said path; rotation means adapted to be disposed and rotated on the base (5); characterized by means for mounting both the first and second cutting means upon a single portion of the rotation means in such a manner that said two cutting means are securely ganged together, said mounting means including a means for adjusting the position of said two ganged cutting means with respect to the surface of the eye (E), whereby when the position of the two ganged cutting means is appropriately adjusted and the rotation means is rotated on the base (5), the two cutting means simultaneously cut said two incisions while following said path on the eye defined by the pattern means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 175 words
An ophthalmic device (1) for simultaneously forming two incisions along a path on an eye (E) comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; first and second cutting means; pattern means operatively coupled to said first and second cutting means for defining said path; rotation means adapted to be disposed and rotated on the base (5); characterized by means for mounting both the first and second cutting means upon a single portion of the rotation means in such a manner that said two cutting means are securely ganged together, said mounting means including a means for adjusting the position of said two ganged cutting means with respect to the surface of the eye (E), whereby when the position of the two ganged cutting means is appropriately adjusted and the rotation means is rotated on the base (5), the two cutting means simultaneously cut said two incisions while following said path on the eye defined by the pattern means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 53 words
A device of claim 1 further characterized in that said conforming and securing means comprises a suction ring (3) having a substantially frustoconical shape, with said suction ring (3) being tilted in such a manner that its height varies between maximum and minimum values at about 180° opposed locations about the ring (3).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 118 words
In an ophthalmic device (1) for forming an incision on an eye (E) of a patient comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; a cutting means; and means for mounting said cutting means upon said base (5) in such a manner that said cutting means is movable upon said base (5) to effect the cutting of said incision, characterized in that said conforming and securing means comprises a suction ring (3), with said suction ring (3) being tilted in such a manner that its height varies between maximum and minimum values at about 180° opposed locations about the ring (3).
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 118 words
In an ophthalmic device (1) for forming an incision on an eye (E) of a patient comprising: a base (5); means connected to the base (5) to conform and secure the eye (E) and the ophthalmic device (1) to one another; a cutting means; and means for mounting said cutting means upon said base (5) in such a manner that said cutting means is movable upon said base (5) to effect the cutting of said incision, characterized in that said conforming and securing means comprises a suction ring (3), with said suction ring (3) being tilted in such a manner that its height varies between maximum and minimum values at about 180° opposed locations about the ring (3).

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