Holder for inserting corneal curvature adjustable ring
AssigneeKeraVision, Inc.
InventorsLauren G. Kilmer, Alvin E. Reynolds
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Surgical apparatus for inserting a plastic, split end, adjusting ring into the stroma of the cornea of the eye wherein the adjusting ring includes, as a part thereof, a dissecting head to part the stroma and provide a pathway for the adjusting ring as the ring is rotated. The ends of the adjusting ring are moved to change the shape of the cornea to a desired shape in accordance with the desired visual correction after which the ends of the adjusting ring are fixably joined to maintain the desired shape.
Claims13
Apparatus to adjust the curvature of the cornea of an eye, comprising,
- a corneal curvature adjustment ring, said adjustment ring being substantially flat in cross-section and preformed such that said ring is sloped at an angle N which substantially corresponds to the slope of the anterior of said cornea, said adjustment ring includes a forward end and a trailing end, means on said forward end to dissect a circular pathway in said cornea for the receipt of said adjustment ring, and means on said adjustment ring to adjust and maintain the distance between said forward and trailing ends;
- a drive ring, said drive ring being pre-formed as a flat wire edge coiled helix wherein the coil is sloped at said angle N, the interior edge of the drive ring having means to releasably interconnect with said adjustment ring;
- a cylindrical holder, means at the bottom of said holder to retain one end of said drive ring, and
- means to releasably interconnect the other free end of said drive ring with said adjustment ring.
Apparatus to adjust the curvature of the cornea of an eye, comprising,
- a corneal curvature adjustment ring, said adjustment ring being substantially flat in cross-section and preformed such that said ring is downwardly sloped at an angle N which substantially corresponds to the slope of the anterior of said cornea, said adjustment ring includes a forward end and a trailing end, means on said forward end to dissect a circular pathway in said cornea for the receipt of said adjustment ring, and means on said adjustment ring to adjust and maintain the distance between said forward and trailing ends;
- a drive ring, said drive ring being formed as a flat wire edge coiled helix wherein the coil is sloped at said angle N, the interior edge of the drive ring having means to releasably interconnect with said adjustment ring;
- a cylindrical holder, means at the bottom of said holder to retain one end of said drive ring,
- means to releasably interconnect the other free end portion of said drive ring with said adjustment ring, and
- means insertable into said holder to a position adjacent said drive ring to maintain said drive ring at the proper angle of incision to said cornea, said insertable means comprising two parallel normally outwardly biased handles wherein inward movement of said handles causes the inward movement of said blades, one of said blades having a tip that contacts said drive ring, a stop means on at least one of said handles that rests upon the top of said holder, the location of which orients the position of said tip relative to said drive ring.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.