APPARATUSES AND METHODS FOR FORMING INCISIONS IN OCULAR TISSUE

• US 20120078281A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Refocus Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ReFocus Ocular, Inc.
• Inventors: Cox, Mark A., Williamson, Douglas C., Griffis, Jack C. III, Richardson, Gary A., Payne, Timothy J., Scherer, Andrew J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,460,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/171
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/0133 Knives or scalpels specially adapted therefor

Abstract

A surgical tool includes a surgical blade configured to be moved to form an incision. The surgical tool also includes a wire configured to cause movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool further includes an actuator configured to shorten a length of the wire to cause the movement of the surgical blade. The surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction and then in a second direction in response to a single shortening of the wire. Also, the wire could represent a first wire, the surgical tool could include a second wire, and the surgical tool could be configured to move the surgical blade in a first direction in response to shortening the first wire and to move the surgical blade in a second direction in response to shortening the second wire.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A method comprising:

causing a first latch to release a first spring;

rotating a central axle in a first direction using the released first spring to impart first directional motion to a wire wound around the central axle;

causing a second latch to release a second spring;

rotating the central axle in a second direction using the released second spring to impart second directional motion to the wire; and

returning at least one of the springs to a location for re-securing by at least one of the latches.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein:

rotating the central axle in the first direction comprises moving the central axle closer to the second latch; and

causing the second latch to release the second spring comprises triggering the second latch based on the movement of the central axle towards the second latch.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the second spring is stronger than the first spring and causes the central axle to rotate in the second direction even when the first spring is not secured by the first latch.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein:

rotating the central axle in the second direction causes an end of the first spring to return to the location where the end of the first spring is secured by the first latch; and

the method further comprises depressing a plunger to return an end of the second spring to the location where the end of the second spring is secured by the second latch.

32. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

imparting bidirectional rotation to a surgical blade using the wire.