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.

Surgical apparatus and blade elements are provided for performing a tissue cutting process to cleave a tissue portion from a main tissue section. The apparatus comprises a reference member (1) having a cavity (3) for holding a tissue portion subject to the tissue cutting process and a blade guiding surface (2), a blade element (100, 200, 370, 470) adapted for slidable engagement with the reference member, such that the blade moves along the guiding surface of the reference member to perform the cutting process, and a biasing mechanism (80, 82, 91, 92, 102, 202) for moving the blade along the guide surface such that a pressure-relieving space is formed between the blade and the tissue section upon cleavage to avoid deviation of the cutting edge from a desired path. The blade elements can have a contact ridge (107) for guiding the blade element along the predetermined path. In some embodiments, the blade element can include a flexible plate member (101) having first and second opposite sides, a cutting edge (103) formed at a first longitudinal end portion of the plate member, and a manipulating block (102) mounted at a second longitudinal end portion of the plate member (101) for applying a biasing force to the plate member to maintain contact between the blade element and the reference member.

A technique can consistently achieve thicknesses of ?50 ?m for corneal tissue for for Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK). Grafts with thicknesses of ?50 ?m are also known as nanothin DSAEK (NT-DSAEK) grafts. Evidence shows that using thinner DSAEK grafts, particularly NT-DSAEK grafts, can significantly improve visual outcomes. According to an example embodiment, a method for producing a corneal graft includes drying a donor cornea to cause a pre-cut thickness of the donor cornea to decrease. The method includes, concurrently with drying the donor cornea, determining pre-cut thickness measurements for the donor cornea. The method includes, in response to the precut thickness measurements indicating the pre-cut thickness of the donor cornea has decreased to a predetermined value, cutting the donor cornea to a post-cut thickness of ?100 ?m, or more particularly ?50 ?m, to produce a corneal graft.

A capsulorhexis device is inserted into an incision site of a cornea to make an incision in an anterior capsule surrounding a crystalline lens. The capsulorhexis device includes a loop having elasticity and conductivity; a moving member having one end fixed and coupled to the loop; an insertion guide configured so that, while the incision is being made in the crystalline lens capsule, a front end thereof is inserted into the incision site of the cornea; and a housing having one end coupled to a rear end of the insertion guide, wherein the loop is housed in the housing and, to make the incision in the crystalline lens capsule, slides in the housing together with the moving member to pass through the insertion guide and be deployed into an anterior chamber of the eye.

Disclosed are methods of subretinal delivery of therapeutic compositions to the eye of a mammal. Also disclosed are devices useful for the subretinal delivery of therapeutic compositions to the eye of a mammal.

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 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 comprising: an elongated head having a distal end formed by an elongated edge of a cutting blade positioned in parallel with an elongated edge of a control blade, wherein the elongated edges of the respective control and cutting blades are separated by a uniform gap forming the distal opening to a channel running from an anterior end to a posterior end of the head, wherein the elongated edge of the cutting blade extends distally beyond the elongated edge of the control blade providing a height differential between the edge of the cutting blade and the edge of the control blade, wherein the edge of the cutting blade is sharp and configured to cut a bodily tissue, and wherein the edge of the control blade is dull and forms a barrier that limits the depth of penetration of the edge of the cutting blade into the bodily tissue.

[Problem] To provide a medical cutting tool with low impalement resistance. [Solution] The edged medical cutting tool comprising a knife, trocar or cutting suture needle has a sharp edge (1) for incising living tissue and a flat part (2) that configures the edge, and the color of the portion of the flat part (2a) along the edge (1) differs from the color of the rest of the flat part (2b). The difference in color results from a difference in the thickness of an oxide film. Another edged medical cutting tool is configured of austenite stainless steel and has a sharp edge (1) for incising living tissue and a flat part (2) that configures the edge. The chrome content of the portion of the flat part (2a) along the edge is higher than the chrome content of the rest of the flat part (2b).

Precise concentric, symmetric, and repeatable circular scoring (cutting) of Descemet's membrane is made possible by a handheld surgical ophthalmic device. The precision of the cut is provided by a stabilizing point on a stabilizing arm as well the anchoring insertion point at the limbus. Stabilization through the insertion point and the stabilizing arm provides a two-point fixation thereby establishing a cutting plane. The cutting plane allows for precise depth of cut whereas the rotating blade's consistent radius allows for circularity of the cut. The stabilization arm fixates on tissue, and is then removed when the procedure is completed. Consistent torque and contact pressure of the cutting blade is provided through rotational control via the depression of a button on a handle thereby removing the need to free-hand the desemetorhexis.