The present invention relates to an ophthalmic knife and methods of its use for treatment of various conditions including eye diseases, such as glaucoma, using minimally invasive surgical techniques. The invention relates to a multi-blade device for cutting the tissues within the eye, for example, a trabecular meshwork (TM).

A single-use adjustable depth trephine corneal punch device that allows a goal trephination depth of a donor cornea to be set and cut prior to a surgical procedure for cutting selected portions of an actual patient cornea. The corneal punch includes a punch block having a central well for receiving a donor cornea, a punch top mounted atop the punch block and having a central cylindrical opening coaxially aligned with the well, a punch blade mounted atop the punch top and through the opening cooperates with the top for combined limited rotation and limited axial movement from a reference or “start” point and into juxtaposed relation against the cornea and a limited axial downward movement during rotation to make a shallow cut in the cornea.

Devices can be implanted in an eye to treat glaucoma and/or dry eye. The devices described herein include a body defining a lumen and having first and second ends and external and lumenal surfaces. The body has a length sufficient to provide fluid communication between the anterior chamber and tear film of the eye through the lumen when the device is implanted in the sclera. The body can include a radiused distal edge. A distal end portion of the body can be laterally flared. The body can include a mid-body portion that is laterally narrower than distal and proximal end portions of the body. Methods of treating glaucoma and/or dry eye, wherein the device is implanted in the sclera of an afflicted eye, are also described.

An eye surgery tool with an implement having a curved shape memory region that is straightenable for accessing an interior of an eye. Upon accessing the eye interior, the implement may take on a natural curve shape. The implement may include a cutting region or edge that is of a rigidity greater than that of the shape memory material constituting the majority of the shape memory region. In spite of the added rigidity, the shape memory material may serve as a master in a master-slave arrangement to curve the cutting region or edge as appropriate.

A medical knife has a flat projection shape of a cutting part formed in an approximate rhomboid shape including a front end part, a widest part with the largest width, and a side surface part formed between the front end part and the widest part. A front side bevel constituting an edge on the front side and a back side bevel constituting an edge on the back side are individually formed, having as a boundary a virtual surface including an edge formed along the periphery of the cutting part. A ratio of the angle β between the virtual surface and the back side bevel to the angle α between the virtual surface and the front side bevel at the front end part is greater than the ratio of the angle θ between the virtual surface and the back side bevel to the angle α at the side surface part.

The present invention relates to a surgical instrument assembly useful during retinal surgery. In particular, a surgical instrument described herein may be constructed from a small gauge. A guarded blade having an exposed sharp blade tip is described. A sleeve may be used to guard the blade tip while leaving a sharp cutting tip exposed. Use of a sleeve to guard the blade while allowing the sharp tip to remain exposed in the manner of the invention may allow for safer dissection of tissues. When used for surgeries involving the eye, a blade having a polymer sleeve and an exposed tip may inhibit and/or avoid the occurrence of inadvertent retinal tissue injury. For example, using a small gauge blade guarded by a polymer sleeve during retinal surgical procedures may reduce or inhibit injuries to the retinal tissue when used during retinal surgical procedures such as membrane peeling and/or dissection. The present invention relates to a surgical instrument, in particular a vitreoretinal surgical assembly, having a guarded blade useful during retinal surgery. For example, a vitreoretinal surgical assembly may be used to dissect at least one of adherent internal limiting membrane, epiretinal membrane, diabetic tractional membranes and/or proliferative vitreoretinal disorders.

A surgical knife safety device having a handle, a blade connected to the handle, and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement between a retracted position in which the blade is exposed for use, and an extended position for covering the sharp cutting edge of the blade. In the retracted position, an enlarged guard radius is provided at the distal end of the handle to allow improved handle control and blade orientation. The enlarged guard radius is positioned to allow the user to firmly grip a large distal handle portion which is preferably molded as a single piece with the blade holder, preventing unwanted blade or handle movement due to guard mechanism tolerances.

A device includes a body configured to be placed on an eye and multiple tine assemblies configured to secure the body to and release the body from the eye. The body includes multiple corners and multiple sides. Each corner includes a passage through the corner. Each side connects an adjacent pair of corners. Each tine assembly includes a twist pick configured to be inserted through one of the passages. Bottom surfaces of the sides are raised relative to bottom surfaces of the corners such that the bottom surfaces of the sides are spaced apart from the eye when the bottom surfaces of the corners are resting on the eye. Each of at least one side includes multiple openings configured to allow manipulation of a position of the body and a groove configured to receive a projection from a surgical tool in order to position the surgical tool on the eye.

The present invention provides a keratoprosthesis assembly comprising a central optical core; and a peripheral skirt comprising at least one porous biocompatible layer and methods of using it in keratoprosthesis procedures.

A surgical knife safety device having a handle, a blade connected to the handle, and a guard carried by the handle for sliding movement between a retracted position in which the blade is exposed for use, and an extended position for covering the sharp cutting edge of the blade. In the retracted position, an enlarged guard radius is provided at the distal end of the handle to allow improved handle control and blade orientation. The enlarged guard radius is positioned to allow the user to firmly grip a large distal handle portion which is preferably molded as a single piece with the blade holder, preventing unwanted blade or handle movement due to guard mechanism tolerances. A spring, such as leaf spring or a cantilever beam, and a pair of detents or slots are provided to fix the guard in the extended or retracted position and to provide resistance during movement between the two positions. Additionally, a pushback prevention mechanism, a user operable lock and a drop-force operable lock are provided to prevent accidental retraction of the guard from the fully extended and guarded position.