Apparatus and method for cornea marking

United States Patent [«]

Davis

[li] Patent Number: [45] Date of Patent:

5,013,319 May 7, 1991

[54] APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CORNEA MARKING

[75] Inventor: Andrew Davis, Matawan, N.J.

[73] Assignee: Mount Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, New York, N.Y.

[21] Appl. No.: 361,240

[22] Filed: Jun. 5, 1989

[51] Int. CI.' A61D1/00

[52] U.S. CI 606/166; 128/898;

351/212; 351/205

[58] Field of Search 606/166, 172; 351/206,

351/212; 128/898

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,359,941 11/1982 Golubkov et al 606/166

4,417,579 11/1983 Soloviev et al 606/166

4,705,035 11/1987 Givens .

4,750,491 6/1988 Kaufman et al 606/166

4,799,784 1/1989 Safir .

4,844,060 7/1989 Krumeich 606/166

4,875,767 10/1989 Wright 351/212

4,880,017 11/1989 Soil et al 128/898

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

2091561 8/1982 United Kingdom .
2124494 2/1984 United Kingdom .

OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Derwent Abstract No. 85-067384/11 of U.S.S.R. Pat. No. 1,109,159.

Derwent Abstract No. 84-093797/15 of U.S.S.R. Pat. No. 1,026,084.

Derwent Abstract No. 84-074162/12 of U.S.S.R. Pat. No. 1,021,454.

Uozato, H. and Guyton, D. L., "Centering Corneal Surgical Procedures", Am. J. of Ophthalmology, vol. 103, pp. 264-275 (1987).

Steinberg, E. B. and Waring, G. O., "Comparison of Two Methods of Marking the Visual Axis on the Cornea During Radial Keratotomy", Am. J. of Ophthalmology, vol. 96, pp. 605-608 (1983).

Sanders, D. R., et al. (eds.), "Refractive Corneal Surgery", pp. 134-135 (1986).

Uozato, H. et al., "Measurement of Visual Axis Using a Laser Beam", in Breinin, G. M. and Siegel, I. M. (eds.), "Advances in Diagnostic Visual Optics", Proceedings of the Second International Symposium, Tucson, Ariz., 10/23-25/89, pp. 22-29 (1983).

Walsh, P. M. and Guyton, D. L., "Correspondence Re: Comparison of Two Methods of Marking the Visual Axis on the Cornea During Radial Keratotomy", Am. J. of Ophthalmology, vol. 97, pp. 660-661 (1984). Bonds, A. B. and MacLeod, D. I. A., "A Displaced Stiles-Crawford Effect Associated with an Eccentric Pupil", Invest. Ophthalmol. Visual Sci., vol. 17, pp. 754-761 (1978).

Enoch, J. M. and Laties, A. M., "An Anaylsis of Retinal Receptor Orientation: II. Predication for Psychophysical Tests", Investigative Ophthalmology, vol. 10, pp. 959-970.

Primary Examiner—Robert Hafer
Assistant Examiner—Kerry Owens
Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Brumbaugh, Graves,
Donohue & Raymond

An apparatus for maintaining a patient's visual fixation and centration while marking the patient's cornea comprises a housing, a light source axially aligned and integral to the housing to maintain the patient's visual fixation and centration while the cornea is marked with the light source acting as a point source of light and enabling the patient to see a shadow image of the patient's pupil, and means for marking the cornea which are integral to the housing and positioned such that the light source and means for marking are axially aligned. A method for maintaining a patient's visual fixation and centration while marking the cornea employs the apparatus in such a manner that the patient looks directly at the center of the image emanating from the illuminated light source, which is a shadow image of the patient's pupil, and the means for marking are then employed to place a mark on the patient's cornea. The apparatus and method are advantageous in that they provide a simple and effective means of accurately marking the cornea prior to corneal surgery.

20 Claims, 4 Drawing Sheets