Surgical knife blade and method of performing cataract surgery utilizing a surgical knife blade
First Claim
1. A surgical knife blade for forming an incision of predetermined length in bodily tissue comprisinga body having a cutting edge terminating at a distal tip, said cutting edge including opposing cutting edge segments extending distally to meet at said tip, said cutting edge being configured to form an incision in the tissue when said body is moved in a cutting direction transverse to the tissue to cause said tip to enter the tissue, the incision having a length transverse to the cutting direction of movement of said body;
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6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical knife blade for forming an incision of predetermined length in bodily tissue includes indicia disposed adjacent opposing portions of a cutting edge such that alignment of the opposing indicia with the tissue during insertion of the knife blade in the tissue produces an incision of the predetermined length. A method of performing cataract surgery utilizes the surgical knife blade to precisely form a smaller incision for lens removal and a larger incision for implant of the intraocular lens.
180 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A surgical knife blade for forming an incision of predetermined length in bodily tissue comprising
a body having a cutting edge terminating at a distal tip, said cutting edge including opposing cutting edge segments extending distally to meet at said tip, said cutting edge being configured to form an incision in the tissue when said body is moved in a cutting direction transverse to the tissue to cause said tip to enter the tissue, the incision having a length transverse to the cutting direction of movement of said body; - and
indicia carried on said body including first and second portions disposed, respectively, adjacent opposing portions of said cutting edge segments in alignment such that the width of said body between said cutting edge segments at said first and second indicia portions is transverse to the cutting direction of movement of said body and is parallel to the length of the incision, said width corresponding to said predetermined length of the incision whereby alignment of said first and second indicia portions with said tissue creates said predetermined length incision. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A surgical knife blade for forming an incision of predetermined length in bodily tissue comprising
body means having a proximal end, a longitudinal axis and a tapered distal end for insertion in the tissue in a direction aligned with said axis; -
opposing edge means on said body means extending longitudinally to said distal end and spaced laterally in a direction transverse to said axis for forming an incision in the tissue, said body means having a blade width defined between said edge means transverse to said direction of insertion, said blade width being variable along said tapered end; a predetermined blade width defined between said edge means along said tapered end transverse to said direction of insertion, said predetermined blade width being equal to said predetermined length of incision; and means on said tapered end disposed, respectively, along said opposing edge means for being aligned with the tissue when said tapered end is inserted in the tissue in said direction of insertion whereby said predetermined blade width is aligned with the tissue to form an incision of said predetermined length. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of performing cataract surgery comprising the steps of
providing a surgical knife blade having a longitudinal axis, a distal end for penetrating tissue, said distal end having opposing portions aligned in a direction transverse to said axis and a width defined between said opposing portions in the transverse direction, and indicia disposed, respectively, on said opposing portions; -
inserting the distal end of the knife blade in the sclera or adjacent tissue in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis until the indicia are aligned with the tissue to form an incision of a predetermined length corresponding to said width; removing the knife blade from the eye; and removing the natural lens from the eye through the incision. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification