Microkeratome

A microkeratome adapted to be used with a microkeratome handpiece with an oscillating tip and a microkeratome blade having a blade portion with a cutting edge and an insert which engages with an aperture formed in the blade portion, the insert having a base which seats on an underside of the blade portion and a riser, the riser having a flat front face and a rear face with a vertical slot formed thereon, the microkeratome being for use in carrying out a keratectomy of a patient's eyeball to create a corneal flap, the microkeratome comprising:

• a) a positioning assembly having a platform with an upper surface and a lower surface with a corneal opening formed therethrough, the lower surface comprising a suction ring for application to the surface of the patient's eyeball around the cornea, a vacuum aspiration port in communication with the suction ring, and first and a second spaced apart guide walls extending upwardly from the upper surface of the platform and having curved outer surfaces, and straight parallel inner wall surfaces, the distance from a top of the second guide wall to a bottom surface of the suction ring being at least 3.5 mm to prevent a patient's eyelids from passing over the upper surface of the positioning assembly, the first and second guide walls having horizontal slots formed thereon that extend between ends of the first and second guide walls;
• b) a microkeratome head portion comprising a base portion and an insert portion,
• the base portion comprising a lower planar face with a base slot extending therethrough, a front portion, a rear portion, opposing sides having skates which are slidably engageable with the horizontal slots on the positioning assembly, the slides extending outwardly from the sides and downwardly below the lower planar face of the base portion for slidably engaging the head portion with the positioning assembly such that the lower planar face will slide above the upper surface of the platform of the positioning assembly, and a cavity which communicates with the base slot, the rear portion having an alignment aperture formed therethrough, and
• the insert portion comprising a blade retention slot for slidably receiving a microkeratome blade, the insert portion fitting within the cavity of the base portion and having a front and a rear, an aperture formed through the rear which aligns with the alignment aperture formed in the base portion when the insert portion is engaged with the base portion in an operation mode;
• and
• c) a stop means for preventing the head portion from passing completely through the positioning assembly to thereby leave an uncut section of corneal flap after completing the keratectomy.

A microkeratome adapted to be used with a microkeratome handpiece with an oscillating tip and a microkeratome blade having a blade portion with a cutting edge and an insert which engages with an aperture formed in the blade portion, the insert having a base which seats on an underside of the blade portion and a riser, the riser having a flat front face and a rear face with a vertical slot formed thereon, the microkeratome being for use in carrying out a keratectomy of a patient's eyeball to create a corneal flap, the microkeratome comprising:

• a) a positioning assembly having a platform with an upper surface and a lower surface with a corneal opening formed therethrough, the lower surface comprising a suction ring for application to the surface of the patient's eyeball around the cornea, a vacuum aspiration port in communication with the suction ring, and first and a second spaced apart guide walls extending upwardly from the upper surface of the platform and having outer surfaces, and parallel inner surfaces, the guide walls having first sliding engagement means formed on the inner surfaces thereof;
• b) a microkeratome head portion comprising a base portion and an insert portion,
• the base portion comprising a lower planar face with a base slot extending therethrough, a front portion, a rear portion, second sliding engagement which are slidably engageable with the first engagement means on positioning assembly, and a cavity which communicates with the base slot, the rear portion having an alignment aperture formed therethrough, and
• the insert portion comprising a blade retention slot for slidably receiving a microkeratome blade, the insert portion fitting within the cavity of the base portion and having a front and a rear, an aperture formed through the rear which aligns with the alignment aperture formed in the base portion when the insert portion is engaged with the base portion in an operation mode;
• and
• c) a stop means for preventing the head portion from passing completely through the positioning assembly to thereby leave an uncut section of corneal flap after completing the keratectomy.