Ophthalmic surgical system and method

Abstract

A system ( 20 ) for ophthalmic surgery includes a control assembly ( 24 ) placed away from the patient to prevent contamination, and a sterile disposable microkeratome ( 22 ) for performing surgery on a patient's eye. The disposable microkeratome is connected to the reusable control assembly by a cable ( 28 ). The microkeratome includes a base that sits on the eye, and a carriage that supports and guides a cutting blade as it moves relative to the base. The base includes a main portion that holds the microkeratome on the eye and a handle that extends away from the main portion. The cable is connected to the microkeratome at an end of the handle spaced from the main portion to help maintain the sterility of that portion of the microkeratome.

1 - 35 . (canceled)  
   
   
       36 . A method for ophthalmic surgery, comprising 
 providing a microkeratome including a base, a carriage movable relative to the base, and a cutting blade carried by and movable relative to the carriage;    providing a control assembly for controlling the movement of the carriage and the cutting blade, the control assembly including a control cable having a sheath and a control shaft movable within the sheath;    connecting the control shaft to the carriage;    connecting the sheath to the base;    shifting the control shaft along its longitudinal axis to effect movement of the carriage relative to the base; and rotating the control shaft to effect movement of the cutting blade relative to the carriage.    
   
   
       37 . A method as set forth in  claim 36 , comprising: 
 mounting the base in a fixed position relative to a cornea of an eye; and    independently controlling the movement of the carriage relative to the base and the movement of cutting blade relative to the carriage.    
   
   
       38 . A method as set forth in  claim 36 , comprising retaining the position of the base relative to an eye with a suction device that supplies suction pressure to the base to create a partial vacuum between the base and the eye.  
   
   
       39 . A method as set forth in  claim 36 , comprising providing a plurality of microkeratomes that provide respective depths of cut, and selecting a microkeratome based on a desired depth of cut.  
   
   
       40 . A method as set forth in  claim 36 , comprising disposing of a first microkeratome following a first operation and selecting a second microkeratome for a subsequent operation.  
   
   
       41 . A method as set forth in  claim 36 , wherein moving the carriage relative to the base includes driving the carriage in a forward direction from a proximal position to a distal position and retracting the carriage from the distal position to the proximal position.  
   
   
       42 . A method as set forth in  claim 41 , wherein driving the carriage includes driving the carriage against a biasing force and retracting the carriage includes automatically retracting the carriage under the biasing force.  
   
   
       43 . A method for ophthalmic surgery, comprising the steps of: 
 connecting a sheath of a control cable to a base having a substantially planar surface with an aperture therethrough;    connecting a shaft movable within the sheath to a carriage that supports a cutting blade for movement relative to the base;    longitudinally advancing and retracting the shaft within the sheath to advance and retract the carriage between two spaced-apart positions;    rotating the shaft to move the cutting blade relative to the carriage in a direction transverse the direction of motion of the carriage relative to the base.