Illuminating eye depressor
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsMichael W. Calhoun, Gary Ganiban, Paul R. Hallen, Patrick John Sadd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims21
1-18. (canceled)
A depressor for physically interfacing with an outer surface of an eye during surgery, the depressor comprising:
- a housing having a proximal end for manipulation by a surgeon and a distal end;
- a head coupled to the distal end of the housing, the head including a light transmissive portion configured to transmit light therethrough and to contact the eye;
- and
- the housing being configured to accommodate a fiber-optic light device such that the fiber-optic light device extends along the housing and is attached at the head to direct light through the light transmissive portion of the head.
A scleral depressor apparatus comprising:
- a handle portion;
- a head portion coupled to an end of the handle portion, the head portion having an arcuate concave contact surface shaped to depress an area of a sclera of an eye;
- and
- a fiber-optic illumination assembly detachably coupled to the scleral depressor apparatus, the fiber-optic illumination assembly including a fiber-optic cable extending along the handle portion and terminating at the head portion;
- wherein the head portion is made at least in part of a light transmissive material and is configured to receive light from the fiber-optic cable and to emit the light through the arcuate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.