Automatic surgical device for cutting a cornea

An automatic surgical device for surgically cutting at least partially into a cornea of an eye, said device comprising:

• a) means for retaining and positioning the eye on which cutting of the cornea is to be performed, said means being capable of temporary attachment to a portion of the eye surrounding the cornea and being capable of exposing the cornea to be cut;
• b) said retaining and positioning means including guide means disposed thereon;
• c) a cutting head assembly including a cutting element positioned therein for cutting the cornea of the eye, said cutting head assembly being structured and disposed to be movable across said retaining and positioning means between a first and a second position and to be guided along a generally arcuate path between said first and second positions by said guide means during movement of said cutting head assembly over said retaining and positioning means;
• d) a coupling member for secure yet removable coupling together of said cutting head assembly and said retaining and positioning means and for permitting movement of said cutting head assembly relative to said retaining and positioning means along said generally arcuate path between said first and second positions;
• e) drive means operably connected to said cutting head assembly for causing automated movement of said cutting head assembly over said retaining and positioning means and for causing oscillating movement of said cutting element;
• and
• f) said cutting head assembly including stop means structured and disposed to abut said guide means in said second position and thereby limit movement of said cutting head assembly across said retaining and positioning means.

An automatic surgical device for surgically cutting a cornea portion of an eye, said device comprising:

• a) means for retaining and positioning the eye on which cutting of the cornea is to be performed, said means being capable of temporary attachment to a portion of the eye surrounding the cornea and being capable of exposing and presenting the cornea to be cut;
• b) a cutting head assembly including a cutting element positioned therein for cutting substantially but not completely across the cornea portion of the eye, said cutting head assembly being structured and disposed to be movable over said retaining and positioning means;
• c) said retaining and positioning means including guide means formed thereon which are structured and disposed to guide said cutting head assembly along a generally arcuate path during movement of said cutting head assembly over said retaining and positioning means;
• and
• d) drive means operably connected to said cutting head assembly for causing automated movement of said cutting head assembly over said retaining and positioning means along said generally arcuate path.

A method for cutting a cornea of a patient's eye from either a generally five o'clock position when considering the patient's left eye or a generally seven o'clock position when considering the patient's right eye and toward a generally twelve o'clock position, the method comprising the steps of:

• temporarily securing the eye within a positioning ring,
• movably positioning a cutting head assembly on said positioning ring,
• driving said cutting head assembly along a curve of an arcuate path over said positioning ring toward and into a spaced, closely adjacent location to the twelve o'clock position,
• engaging the cornea of the eye with a cutting element disposed in said cutting head assembly and cutting the cornea with said cutting element at least partially thereacross during movement of said cutting head assembly over said positioning ring, and
• stopping said cutting of the cornea prior to said cutting element moving completely across the cornea.