The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 24, 2003
Filed:
Mar. 08, 1999
Stephen J. Koons, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Visx, Incorporated, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A trephine can separate a cornea into at least two portions by applanating and cutting a boundary around an area of the cornea. The trephine comprises a flat ring for applanating the cornea and a blade for cutting the applanated cornea. The blade extends radially inward and is rotatable around the ring. Such a trephine can cut substantially parallel to the flattened lamella and causes lamellar separation at the cut depth. A flap of cornea may be separated from the remaining corneal tissue along the lamella by teasing the portions apart, or by injecting fluid between the lamellae. An exposed surface of the separated cornea may then be ablated with a laser and the flap reattached to the remaining corneal tissue.