Corneal cover and method of use thereof

• US 9,427,153 B1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas P. Hull
• Original Assignee: Thomas P. Hull
• Inventors: Hull, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fishback, Ashley
• Application Number:
  US14/723,702
• Publication Number:
  US 20160262610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/107 for determining the shape or measuring the curvature of the cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/117 for examining the anterior chamber or the anterior chamber angle, e.g. gonioscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00874 Vitreous
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/04 Eye-masks ; Devices to be worn on the face, not intended for looking through; Eye-pads for sunbathing eye-bandages A61F13/12; protective face-masks A41D13/11; protectors for shampooing A45D

Abstract

A corneal cover for placement on a patient'"'"'s eye during eye surgery. A generally concave central arcuate portion has a first radius of curvature. A generally concave peripheral arcuate portion has a second radius of curvature larger than the first radius of curvature. One of a stem projecting from the peripheral arcuate portion, and a lip projecting from an outer periphery is provided to grasp the corneal cover, with a tool or manually, to place it on the eye and to remove it from the eye. The corneal cover has substantially no corrective power. The corneal cover is made of a hydrophobic material so it does not need to be irrigated during surgery.

Claims

1. A corneal cover for placement on an eye of a patient during eye surgery, the corneal cover comprising:

a central arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature, the first radius of curvature being between approximately 7 mm and approximately 8.5 mm, the central arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex upper surface of a cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye;

a peripheral arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature being between approximately 11 mm and approximately 13 mm, the peripheral arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface, a generally convex upper surface, and an outer periphery, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex upper surface of at least a portion of a sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the at least the portion of the sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye; and

a lip projecting from at least a portion of the outer periphery of the peripheral arcuate portion;

wherein the corneal cover is configured without a corrective power to correct vision of the patient; and

wherein the corneal cover is made of a hydrophobic material.

2. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the hydrophopic material includes a hard plastic.

3. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the central arcuate portion has a thickness between the lower surface and the upper surface of between approximately 0.5 mm and approximately 2.0 mm.

4. The corneal cover as recited in claim 3, wherein the thickness is between approximately 0.5 mm and approximately 1.0 mm.

5. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the lip has a length of between approximately 1 mm and approximately 5 mm.

6. The corneal cover as recited in claim 5, wherein the lip has a length of between approximately 2 mm and approximately 3 mm.

7. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the lip is configured to be grasped by one of a tool and a hand.

8. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the first radius of curvature is between approximately 7.5 mm and 8.0 mm.

9. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the first radius of curvature is between approximately 7.7 mm and approximately 7.9 mm.

10. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, having a diameter measured across the outer periphery of the peripheral arcuate portion of between approximately 13 mm and approximately 18 mm.

11. The corneal cover as recited in claim 10, wherein the diameter is between approximately 15 mm and approximately 16 mm.

12. The corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the lip has a length of one of less than and equal to approximately ⅓

of a diameter of the corneal cover.

13. A corneal cover as recited in claim 1, wherein the corneal cover is further configured for placement on the patient'"'"'s eye with a viscoelastic material.

14. A corneal cover for placement on an eye of a patient during eye surgery, the corneal cover comprising:

a central arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature, the central arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex outer surface of a cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye;

a peripheral arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature being greater than the first radius of curvature, the peripheral arcuate portion being configured to substantially cover at least a portion of a sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye, and having at least a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex outer surface of the at least the portion of hall the sclera of the patients eye; and

a stem projecting from an outer periphery of the peripheral arcuate portion, the stem being configured to be grasped by one of a hand and a tool, for one of placement on and removal from the patient'"'"'s eye;

wherein the corneal cover has a corrective power of between approximately −

4 diopters and +4 diopters; and

wherein the corneal cover is made of a gas impermeable hydrophobic material.

15. The corneal cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the first radius of curvature is between approximately 7 mm and approximately 8.5 mm.

16. The corneal cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the second radius of curvature is between approximately 11 mm and approximately 13 mm.

17. The corneal cover as recited in claim 14, wherein the corrective power is approximately 0 diopters.

18. A method of performing a surgery on a surgical site in a patient'"'"'s eye, the method comprising:

utilizing a corneal cover, the corneal cover including;

a central arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature, the first radius of curvature being between approximately 7 mm and approximately 8.5 mm, the central arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex outer surface of a cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye;

a peripheral arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature, the second radius of curvature being between approximately 11 mm and approximately 13 mm the peripheral arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex outer surface of at least a portion of a sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the at least the portion of the sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye; and

one of a stem projecting from a selected position on the peripheral arcuate portion and a lip projecting from at least a portion of an outer periphery of the peripheral arcuate portion;

wherein the corneal cover has a corrective power of substantially 0 diopters; and

wherein the corneal cover is made of a hydrophobic material;

preparing the patient'"'"'s eye for the surgery;

installing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye by grasping the one of the stem and the lip with one of a tool and a hand and placing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye;

making at least one incision in a portion of the patient'"'"'s sclera not covered by the peripheral arcuate portion;

inserting at least one surgical instrument into the at least one incision;

observing the surgical site through the central arcuate portion and the patient'"'"'s cornea; and

performing the surgery with the at least one surgical tool.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein performing the surgery with the at least one surgical tool includes performing a vitrectomy.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein installing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye includes placing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye with a viscoelastic material.

21. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein an interface between the corneal cover and the viscoelastic material defines a tear film, the tear film providing a correction for an astigmatism present in the patient'"'"'s eye.

22. A method of performing a surgery on a surgical site in a patient'"'"'s eye, the method comprising:

utilizing a corneal cover, the corneal cover including;

a central arcuate portion having a first radius of curvature, the central arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex outer surface of a cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover the cornea of the patient'"'"'s eye; and

a peripheral arcuate portion having a second radius of curvature, the peripheral arcuate portion having a generally concave lower surface and a generally convex upper surface, the generally concave lower surface being adapted to substantially conform to a generally convex upper surface of at least a portion of a sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye, and to substantially cover at the least the portion of the sclera of the patient'"'"'s eye;

wherein the corneal cover has a corrective power of between approximately −

4 diopters and +4 diopters; and

wherein the corneal cover is made of a hydrophobic material;

preparing the patient'"'"'s eye for surgery;

making at least one incision in a portion of the patient'"'"'s sclera;

installing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye such that the peripheral arcuate portion of the corneal cover does not cover the at least one incision;

inserting at least one surgical instrument into the at least one incision;

observing the surgical site through the central arcuate portion and the patient'"'"'s cornea; and

performing the surgery with the at least one surgical tool.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein installing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye includes grasping one of a stem projecting from a selected position on the peripheral arcuate portion, and a lip projecting from at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the peripheral arcuate portion, with one of a tool and a hand, and placing the corneal cover onto the patient'"'"'s eye.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein performing the surgery with the at least one surgical tool includes performing a viterectomy.

25. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the first radius of curvature is between approximately 7 mm and approximately 8.5 mm.

26. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the second radius of curvature is between approximately 11 mm and approximately 13 mm.

27. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the corrective power is approximately 0 diopters.

28. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein installing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye includes placing the corneal cover on the patient'"'"'s eye with a viscoelastic material.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein an interface between the corneal cover and the viscoelastic material defines a tear film, the tear film providing a correction for an astigmatism in the patient'"'"'s eye.