Device for cutting and holding a cornea during a transplant procedure
AssigneeBoard of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
InventorJames Lin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and surgical method for promoting suitable grafting between a healthy donor cornea button and a recipient's healthy corneal tissue. The device is a cornea transplanter comprising a cutting device, a support block having a removable base plate, and a vacuum device. The cornea transplanter is capable of retaining healthy donor corneal tissue as it is buttoned and placed onto the recipient's eye, with minimal physical manipulation of the donor corneal tissue. Once the cornea button is properly positioned, sutures may be symmetrically placed around the cornea button, using suture grooves that guide the suture needle to a particular depth and length of pass.
Claims13
A device for transplanting donor corneal tissue onto a mammalian recipient's eye, comprising:
- (a) a cutting blade;
- wherein the dimensions and shape of said cutting blade are adapted to allow said cutting blade to cut a cornea button suitable for transplantation from the donor corneal tissue;
- (b) a removable, concave base plate comprising a proximal end having a plurality of suction ports, and a distal end having a plurality of suture grooves;
- wherein said suction ports are adapted to receive and distribute a negative pressure to hold the donor corneal tissue;
- and wherein said suture grooves have a size and shape adapted to guide a suture needle into the cornea button and through surrounding corneal tissue when the cornea button is placed on the recipient's eye;
- (c) a concave support block having a bore adapted to receive said base plate;
- wherein said block is adapted, so that when said base plate is positioned in said bore, said support block and said base plate form a smooth and continuous concave surface that approximates the curvature of the anterior surface of the corneal tissue;
- and
- (d) a vacuum device adapted to supply a negative pressure to the cornea button to hold the cornea button on said base plate;
- wherein:
- (e) when negative pressure is applied to the donor corneal tissue, a cornea button may be cut from the donor corneal tissue, placed onto to the recipient's eye, and sutured to the remaining corneal tissue of the recipient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.