Ophthalmic knife and methods of use

1. A dual-blade ophthalmic knife for cutting tissue within the eye, comprising:

a handle;

a shaft connected to the handle; and

a platform connected to the shaft, a front portion of the platform extending radially outward from the shaft, wherein the platform comprises:

a first blade;

a second blade;

a front tip; and

a back end opposing the front tip, wherein the platform has a bottom surface continuously extending along a curve from a rear surface of the back end around to the front tip;

a grasping feature; and

a movable sleeve configured to slideably move along the shaft to cause the grasping feature to grasp tissue within the eye,

wherein the platform is sized and shaped so that a portion of the platform extends radially outward past an outer diameter of the sleeve when the sleeve is disposed adjacent to the platform in a triggered position of the grasping feature.

2. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein the grasping feature comprises:

a first shaft section comprising the first blade; and

a second shaft section comprising the second blade, the first and second shaft sections being separated by a gap in a non-triggered position of the grasping feature.

3. The ophthalmic knife of claim 2 , wherein the first and second shaft sections are biased apart by a biasing force in the non-triggered position.

4. The ophthalmic knife of claim 3 , wherein the grasping feature comprises a spring configured to bias the first and second shaft sections apart.

5. The ophthalmic knife of claim 3 , wherein the sleeve is configured to overcome the biasing force by engaging at least a portion of the first and second shaft sections as the sleeve is moved in a first direction along the shaft.

6. The ophthalmic knife of claim 5 , wherein the first and second shaft sections are moved towards each other to grasp the tissue as the sleeve is moved in the first direction.

7. The ophthalmic knife of claim 2 , wherein the platform is sized and shaped so that a portion of the platform extends axially outward from an end of the sleeve when the sleeve is in the triggered position.

8. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein the grasping feature comprises:

an extension member disposed on the sleeve.

9. The ophthalmic knife of claim 8 , wherein the extension member is configured to push the tissue down on to the first and second blades when the sleeve is moved in a first direction along the shaft.

10. The ophthalmic knife of claim 8 , wherein the extension member is disposed between the first and second blades.

11. The ophthalmic knife of claim 8 , wherein the extension member is configured to grasp the tissue between the extension member and a front portion of the platform when the sleeve is moved in a first direction along the shaft.

12. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein a front portion of the platform comprises a ramp continuously increasing in depth from the front tip towards the back end.

13. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein a width of the platform is between 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

14. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a telescoping shaft.

15. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein the handle comprises an activation member coupled to the sleeve, the activation member configured to cause the sleeve to move.

16. The ophthalmic knife of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the gasping feature comprises a sharpened surface configured to cut tissue.

17. A method for incising a trabecular meshwork to form an opening in trabecular meshwork tissue of an eye having a Schlemm's Canal, an anterior chamber and a trabecular meshwork, the method comprising:

providing the ophthalmic knife of claim 1 ;

inserting the platform into the anterior chamber, the platform including the front tip;

advancing the platform, front tip first, through the trabecular meshwork and into the Schlemm's Canal;

advancing the platform, front tip first, through the Schlemm's Canal such that trabecular meshwork tissue contacts and is severed by the first and second blades; and

grasping the severed trabecular meshwork tissue with the grasping feature.

18. A dual-blade ophthalmic knife for cutting tissue within the eye, comprising:

a handle;

a shaft connected to the handle; and

a platform connected to the shaft, a front portion of the platform fixedly extending radially outward from the shaft in a single direction, wherein the platform comprises:

a first blade;

a second blade;

a front tip; and

a back end opposing the front tip, wherein the platform comprises a ramp increasing in depth extending from the front tip to the back end;

a movable sleeve configured to slideably move along the shaft; and

a grasping feature comprising:

first and second shaft sections separated by a gap and configured to move towards each other to grasp tissue within the eye as the sleeve is moved in a first direction,

wherein the sleeve is sized and shaped to fit completely over the entire platform in a sheathed position of the grasping feature.

19. The ophthalmic knife of claim 18 , wherein the grasping feature comprises:

the first shaft section comprising the first blade; and

the second shaft section comprising the second blade, the first and second shaft sections being separated by the gap in a non-triggered position of the grasping feature, wherein the first and second shaft sections are biased apart by a biasing force in the non-triggered position.

20. The ophthalmic knife of claim 18 , wherein the grasping feature comprises a spring configured to bias the first and second shaft sections apart, wherein the sleeve is configured to overcome the biasing force by engaging at least a portion of the first and second shaft sections as the sleeve is moved in the first direction along the shaft, and wherein the first and second shaft sections are moved towards each other to grasp the tissue as the sleeve is moved in the first direction.