System and method for making incisions for scleral eye implants
A system and method is disclosed for making incisions in the sclera of an eye to form a scleral pocket to receive a scleral prosthesis. The system and method comprises a surgical tool comprising a surgical blade for making incisions in the sclera of an eye. When a surgeon places the surgical blade on the sclera of the eye a pressure sensor in the surgical tool determines whether there is sufficient pressure between the surgical tool and the sclera of the eye for the surgical tool to operate properly. The surgeon activates the surgical tool to cause the surgical blade to advance through the sclera to form an incision having dimensions to receive a scleral prosthesis. When the incision is complete the surgical blade is rotated back out of the incision. The incision has the exact dimensions to receive a scleral prosthesis.
1. A surgical blade, comprising:
a support arm having a first end configured to be coupled to a surgical tool and a second end;
a curved cutting blade that arcs around the first end of the support arm, the curved cutting blade having a substantially flat cross-section across its width and a curved cross-section along its length, the curved cutting blade having a first end coupled to the second end of the support arm, the curved cutting blade also having a second end configured to be moved through an anterior surface of scleral tissue of an eye without passing through a posterior surface of the scleral tissue of the eye to make an incision, the incision having a form of a scleral pocket that is capable of receiving a scleral eye implant prosthesis; and
a blade guide;
wherein the support arm is configured to rotate the second end of the curved cutting blade through a first opening and a second opening of the blade guide during a single partial revolution of the curved cutting blade such that the second end of the curved cutting blade passes through the first opening of the blade guide before entering the scleral tissue of the eye and passes through the second opening of the blade guide after exiting the scleral tissue of the eye.
2. The surgical blade of claim 1 , wherein the support arm is detachably coupled to the cutting blade and is configured to be coupled to a drive shaft of a surgical tool, the drive shaft configured to move the support arm.
3. The surgical blade of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the curved cutting blade is configured to be rotated through the scleral tissue of the eye in the single partial revolution of the surgical blade to make the incision.
4. The surgical blade of claim 1 , wherein the curved cutting blade is configured to form the incision in the scleral tissue of approximately one and one half millimeters wide, approximately four millimeters long, and approximately four hundred microns under the anterior surface of the scleral tissue.
5. A surgical tool, comprising:
a surgical blade;
a drive shaft configured to move the surgical blade; and
a blade guide;
wherein the surgical blade comprises:
a support arm having a first end coupled to the drive shaft and a second end; and
a curved cutting blade that arcs around the first end of the support arm, the curved cutting blade having a substantially flat cross-section across its width and a curved cross-section along its length;
wherein the curved cutting blade has a first end coupled to the second end of the support arm, the curved cutting blade also having a second end configured to be moved through an anterior surface of scleral tissue of an eye without passing through a posterior surface of the scleral tissue of the eye to make an incision, the incision having a form of a scleral pocket that is capable of receiving a scleral eye implant prosthesis;
wherein the blade guide has (i) a first opening through which the second end of the curved cutting blade travels before entering the scleral tissue of the eye and (ii) a second opening through which the second end of the curved cutting blade travels after exiting the scleral tissue of the eye; and
wherein the surgical tool is configured to cause the second end of the curved cutting blade to pass through both openings during a single partial revolution of the curved cutting blade.
6. The surgical tool of claim 5 , wherein the curved cutting blade is detachably coupled to the support arm.
7. The surgical tool of claim 5 , wherein the drive shaft is configured to move the surgical blade through the scleral tissue of the eye by moving the support arm.
8. The surgical tool of claim 5 , wherein the drive shaft is configured to provide bidirectional rotational motion to the surgical blade.
9. The surgical tool of claim 8 , further comprising:
a drive motor coupled to the drive shaft, the drive motor configured to provide bidirectional rotational motion to the drive shaft; and
a receptacle coupled to the drive motor, the receptacle configured to receive electrical power from an external power source and to provide the electrical power to the drive motor.
10. The surgical tool of claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to provide first control signals for controlling the surgical blade in response to receiving second control signals.
11. The surgical tool of claim 10 , further comprising a foot switch coupled to the controller through a control signal line, the foot switch configured to send the second control signals to the controller.
12. The surgical tool of claim 10 , wherein one controlled movement of the surgical blade is to make the incision.
13. The surgical tool of claim 10 , wherein one controlled movement of the surgical blade is to position the surgical blade to make the incision.
14. A surgical tool, comprising:
a surgical blade;
a drive shaft configured to move the surgical blade; and
a blade guide;
wherein the surgical blade comprises:
a support arm having a first end coupled to the drive shaft and a second end; and
a curved cutting blade that arcs around the first end of the support arm, the curved cutting blade having a substantially flat cross-section across its width and a curved cross-section along its length;
wherein the curved cutting blade has a first end coupled to the second end of the support arm and a second end configured to be moved through an anterior surface of scleral tissue of an eye without passing through a posterior surface of the scleral tissue of the eye to make an incision, the incision having a form of a scleral pocket that is capable of receiving a scleral eye implant prosthesis;
wherein the drive shaft is configured to move the surgical blade by causing the second end of the surgical blade to enter into the scleral tissue of the eye at a first location, travel through the scleral tissue of the eye, and exit the scleral tissue of the eye at a second location during a single partial revolution of the surgical blade;
wherein the blade guide has (i) a first opening through which the second end of the curved cutting blade travels before entering the scleral tissue of the eye and (ii) a second opening through which the second end of the curved cutting blade travels after exiting the scleral tissue of the eye; and
wherein the surgical tool is configured to cause the second end of the curved cutting blade to pass through both openings during the single partial revolution of the curved cutting blade.
15. The surgical tool of claim 14 , further comprising:
a drive motor coupled to the drive shaft, the drive motor configured to provide bidirectional rotational motion to the drive shaft; and
a receptacle coupled to the drive motor, the receptacle configured to receive electrical power from an external power source and to provide the electrical power to the drive motor.
16. The surgical tool of claim 14 , further comprising:
a surgical tool controller configured to receive control signals for controlling the surgical blade of the surgical tool.
17. The surgical tool of claim 16 , further comprising:
a foot switch configured to send the control signals to the surgical tool controller.
18. The surgical tool of claim 14 , further comprising:
an external reference line on a surface of the surgical tool, the external reference line indicating a desired location for placing the surgical tool on the eye to make the incision in the scleral tissue of the eye.