Illuminating eye depressor
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsMichael W. Calhoun, Gary Ganiban, Paul R. Hallen, Patrick John Sadd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An eye depressor with a light for directing through a sclera. The depressor may removably accommodate a light instrument that might be used to illuminate an area in an eye during an eye surgery. The coupling of the light instrument to the depressor during the procedure may reduce the number of hands required in carrying out the surgery. This may be of particular benefit for eye surgery where limited surgical space is available.
Claims14
A depressor for physically interfacing with an outer surface of an eye in support of a surgical procedure, the depressor comprising:
- a housing for manipulating by a surgeon, the housing including a channel;
- and
- a head coupled to the housing with a transparent or semi-transparent portion, the head to support the interfacing, the housing to accommodate a light device at the channel to direct light to the transparent or semi-transparent portion;
- wherein:
- the channel is defined by alternating tabs of the housing that are configured to secure a fiber optic line, attached to the light device, along the housing from a proximal end opposite the head, through the housing, and to the head, and
- a distal face of the head configured to contact the eye is of a concave arcuate shape and the interfacing occupies at least a portion of the eye circumferentially.
A surgical instrument set for used in eye surgery, the surgical instrument set comprising:
- a scleral depressor with a head for interfacing with an outer surface of a sclera of an eye in support of the eye surgery and a housing to accommodate a light device to supply light to the head and for manipulating by a surgeon, the housing including a channel defined by alternating tabs of the housing that are configured to secure a fiber optic line, attached to the light device, and the head coupled to the housing with a transparent or semi-transparent portion, the head further coupled to the light device;
- and an invasive surgical eye instrument to perform the eye surgery, the eye surgery visibly aided by the light emerging from a face of the head at the interface with the sclera;
- wherein:
- a distal face of the head configured to contact the eye is of a concave arcuate shape and the interfacing occupies at least a portion of the eye circumferentially.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.