Method and apparatus for reprofiling or smoothing the anterior or stromal cornea by scraping

Claim 1

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) scraping said stromal bed with a sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge blade to obtain a desired curvature, said knife-edge blade being oriented substantially perpendicular relative to said stromal bed; and (c) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 2

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) scraping said stromal bed with a sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge blade to obtain a desired curvature, said knife-edge blade being oriented substantially perpendicular relative to said stromal bed; and (c) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 3

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said stromal bed to modify the contour of said stromal bed and obtain a desired curvature, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said stromal bed; and (c) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 4

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said stromal bed to modify the contour of said stromal bed and obtain a desired curvature, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said stromal bed; and (c) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 5

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) reshaping said stromal bed by laser photoablation to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (c) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (d) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 6

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) performing a lamellar keratectomy to obtain a corneal lamella and reveal a stromal bed; (b) reshaping said stromal bed by laser photoablation to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (c) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (d) replacing said corneal lamella upon said stromal bed.

Claim 7

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) resetting a portion of said cornea in a manner such that said resected portion remains hinged to said cornea at one point; (b) folding said resected portion up and away from said cornea to reveal a stromal bed; (c) reshaping said stromal bed by laser photoablation to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (d) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (e) folding said resected portion back over said modified stromal bed.

Claim 8

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) resetting a portion of said cornea in a manner such that said resected portion remains hinged to said cornea at one point; (b) folding said resected portion up and away from said cornea to reveal a stromal bed; (c) reshaping said stromal bed by laser photoablation to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (d) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (e) folding said resected portion back over said modified stromal bed.

Claim 9

A method of smoothing an anterior or exposed stromal corneal surface that has been corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened due to the performance of a corneal refractive procedure, which comprises rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened surface until said surface is smoothed, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 10

A method of smoothing an anterior or exposed stromal corneal surface that has been corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened due to the performance of a corneal refractive procedure, which comprises rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened surface until said surface is smoothed, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 11

A method of dislocating debris from an anterior or exposed stromal corneal surface that has been corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened due to the performance of a corneal refractive procedure, which comprises the steps of rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said debris-containing surface until said debris is dislodged, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 12

A method of dislocating debris from an anterior or exposed stromal corneal surface that has been corrugated, rippled, roughened or hardened due to the performance of a corneal refractive procedure, which comprises the steps of rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said debris-containing surface until said debris is dislodged, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 13

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) resecting a portion of said cornea in a manner such that said resected portion remains hinged to said cornea at one point; (b) folding said resected portion up and away from said cornea to reveal a stromal bed; (c) performing a corneal refractive procedure to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (d) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (e) folding said resected portion back over said modified stromal bed.

Claim 14

A method of reprofiling a cornea, which comprises: (a) resecting a portion of said cornea in a manner such that said resected portion remains hinged to said cornea at one point; (b) folding said resected portion up and away from said cornea to reveal a stromal bed; (c) performing a corneal refractive procedure to obtain a modified stromal bed of a desired curvature; (d) smoothing the surface of said modified stromal bed by rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon said surface; and (e) folding said resected portion back over said modified stromal bed.

Claim 15

A method of enhancing the optical zone of a cornea, which comprises the steps of performing a corneal refractive procedure as a primary technique for reprofiling said cornea followed by performing a distinct secondary technique, said secondary technique comprising rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon the surface of said cornea, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 16

A method of enhancing the optical zone of a cornea, which comprises the steps of performing a corneal refractive procedure as a primary technique for reprofiling said cornea followed by performing a distinct secondary technique, said secondary technique comprising rotating or oscillating a scraping tool upon the surface of said cornea, said scraping tool having at least one sharpened, substantially planar knife-edge scraper blade for placement substantially perpendicular relative to said surface.

Claim 19

An apparatus for reprofiling the anterior or stromal corneal portion of an eye of animals (including humans), said eye having a visual axis, to change the corneal radius and thus correct refractive errors, to finish or fine tune the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, or to otherwise smooth or enhance the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, comprising: a transparent, resilient vacuum ring for attachment to said cornea coaxially to said visual axis; an adapter for attachment to said vacuum ring, said adapter having conduits for vacuum communication with said vacuum ring; a rotatable sleeve having a central bore axially extending therethrough for threadable engagement with said adapter, said rotatable sleeve having a lower end for making sealed contact with said cornea; means to provide an independently controllable vacuum to said vacuum ring and to the interior of said sleeve; a micrometer assembly, said micrometer assembly having a lower piece for coaxial engagement with said central bore of said sleeve and a micrometer nut for affecting incremental vertical movement of said assembly coaxially relative to a visual axis of said cornea; said lower piece and said micrometer nut having a central bore axially extending therethrough; and a scraping tool having a cylindrical body with a central bore, said body adapted to be received within said central bores of said lower piece of said micrometer assembly and said micrometer nut, said scraping tool having, at its upper end, an enlarged grip which rests upon said micrometer nut, and at least one sharpened knife edge substantially planar blade at its bottom end for scraping said anterior or stromal corneal portion.

Claim 20

An apparatus for reprofiling the anterior or stromal corneal portion of an eye of animals (including humans), said eye having a visual axis, to change the corneal radius and thus correct refractive errors, to finish or fine tune the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, or to otherwise smooth or enhance the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, comprising: a transparent, resilient vacuum ring for attachment to said cornea coaxially to said visual axis; an adapter for attachment to said vacuum ring, said adapter having conduits for vacuum communication with said vacuum ring; a rotatable sleeve having a central bore axially extending therethrough for threadable engagement with said adapter, said rotatable sleeve having a lower end for making sealed contact with said cornea; means to provide an independently controllable vacuum to said vacuum ring and to the interior of said sleeve; a micrometer assembly, said micrometer assembly having a lower piece for coaxial engagement with said central bore of said sleeve and a micrometer nut for affecting incremental vertical movement of said assembly coaxially relative to a visual axis of said cornea; said lower piece and said micrometer nut having a central bore axially extending therethrough; and a scraping tool having a cylindrical body with a central bore, said body adapted to be received within said central bores of said lower piece of said micrometer assembly and said micrometer nut, said scraping tool having, at its upper end, an enlarged grip which rests upon said micrometer nut, and at least one sharpened knife edge substantially planar blade at its bottom end for scraping said anterior or stromal corneal portion.

Claim 28

A method of reprofiling the anterior or stromal corneal portion of an eye of animals (including humans), said eye having a visual axis, to change the corneal radius and thus correct refractive errors, to finish or fine tune the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, or to otherwise smooth or enhance the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, comprising the steps of: positioning a vacuum ring upon the cornea and coaxial to a visual axis of said cornea; positioning an adapter upon said vacuum ring, said adapter having conduits for vacuum communication with said vacuum ring; threadably engaging a rotatable sleeve having a central bore axially extending therethrough with said adapter, said rotatable sleeve having a lower end for making sealed contact with said cornea; supplying a first vacuum to said ring, and a second vacuum to an interior of said sleeve; positioning a micrometer assembly upon said sleeve, said micrometer assembly having a lower piece for coaxial engagement with said central bore of said sleeve and a micrometer nut for affecting incremental vertical movement of said assembly coaxially relative to a visual axis of said cornea, said lower piece and said micrometer nut having a central bore axially extending therethrough; positioning, upon said micrometer nut and within said central bores of said lower piece and said micrometer assembly, a corneal scraping tool having a sharpened knife edge substantially planar blade such that said knife edge is perpendicular to said visual axis of said cornea; and turning said scraping tool to scrape said anterior or stromal corneal portion to obtain a desired change in curvature.

Claim 29

A method of reprofiling the anterior or stromal corneal portion of an eye of animals (including humans), said eye having a visual axis, to change the corneal radius and thus correct refractive errors, to finish or fine tune the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, or to otherwise smooth or enhance the cornea following a refractive correction procedure, comprising the steps of: positioning a vacuum ring upon the cornea and coaxial to a visual axis of said cornea; positioning an adapter upon said vacuum ring, said adapter having conduits for vacuum communication with said vacuum ring; threadably engaging a rotatable sleeve having a central bore axially extending therethrough with said adapter, said rotatable sleeve having a lower end for making sealed contact with said cornea; supplying a first vacuum to said ring, and a second vacuum to an interior of said sleeve; positioning a micrometer assembly upon said sleeve, said micrometer assembly having a lower piece for coaxial engagement with said central bore of said sleeve and a micrometer nut for affecting incremental vertical movement of said assembly coaxially relative to a visual axis of said cornea, said lower piece and said micrometer nut having a central bore axially extending therethrough; positioning, upon said micrometer nut and within said central bores of said lower piece and said micrometer assembly, a corneal scraping tool having a sharpened knife edge substantially planar blade such that said knife edge is perpendicular to said visual axis of said cornea; and turning said scraping tool to scrape said anterior or stromal corneal portion to obtain a desired change in curvature.