Method of transplanting a cornea

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9402714-B2
Application number	US-36919706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 6, 2006
Priority date	Mar 6, 2006
Publication date	Aug 2, 2016
Grant date	Aug 2, 2016

Abstract

A method of transplanting a cornea from a donor to a recipient is disclosed. An undercut is incised within stromal tissue of the donor cornea. Following formation of the undercut, the donor cornea is grafted onto a recipient. The undercut may be formed before or after the cornea is removed from the donor, and is preferably formed by photoaltering the stromal tissue using a laser. A sidecut may also be incised in the donor cornea, thereby forming a corneal flap, prior to grafting. In addition, a corneal section may be excised from the donor cornea using a trephine, a laser, or other appropriate surgical equipment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of transplanting a cornea from a donor to a recipient in preparation for performing a Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (“LASIK”) procedure, the method comprising:
incising an undercut within stromal tissue of a donor cornea, wherein the donor cornea has an anterior surface, and wherein the undercut is incised posterior to the anterior surface of the donor cornea so that underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is disposed posterior to the undercut and overlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is disposed anterior to the undercut;
incising a sidecut in the donor cornea such that the combination of the sidecut and the undercut create a corneal flap having a hinge portion, the underlying stromal tissue connected with the overlying stromal tissue via the hinge portion on one side of the corneal flap, the underlying stromal tissue unconnected with the overlying stromal tissue on a second side of the corneal flap opposing the first side; and
grafting the incised donor cornea including the corneal flap onto an eye of a recipient;
wherein, after the incised donor cornea is grafted onto the eye of the recipient, the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately below the undercut and the overlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately above the undercut, and lifting of the corneal flap of the donor cornea provides access for performing the LASIK procedure on the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the undercut incising step or the sidecut incising step is performed after the donor cornea is removed form the donor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the undercut incising step or the sidecut incising step includes incising the cornea by photoaltering the stromal tissue using a laser.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to the grafting step, trephining a corneal section from the incised cornea.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the corneal section is smaller than and at least partially includes the undercut.

6. A method of transplanting a cornea from a donor to a recipient in preparation for performing a Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (“LASIK”) procedure, the method comprising:
photoaltering stromal tissue within a donor cornea to form an undercut within the stromal tissue, the donor cornea having an optical axis, wherein the donor cornea has an anterior surface, wherein the undercut traverses the optical axis of the donor cornea, and wherein the undercut is formed incised posterior to the anterior surface of the donor cornea so that underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is disposed posterior to the undercut;
photoaltering the donor cornea to form a sidecut, wherein the combination of the undercut and the sidecut form a corneal flap; and
grafting the photoaltered donor cornea including the corneal flap onto an eye of a recipient wherein after grafting the donor cornea, the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately below the undercut and the overlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately above the undercut, and wherein lifting of the corneal flap of the donor cornea provides access for performing the LASIK procedure on the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the photoaltering steps are performed after the donor cornea is removed from the donor.

8. The method claim 6 further comprising, prior to the grafting step, trephining a corneal section from the photoaltered cornea.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the corneal section wholly includes the corneal flap.

10. A method of transplanting a cornea from a donor to a recipient in preparation for performing a Laser Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis (“LASIK”) procedure, the method comprising:
excising a corneal section from a donor cornea, wherein the donor cornea has an anterior surface;
photoaltering stromal tissue within the corneal section to form an undercut within the stromal tissue, wherein the undercut is formed posterior to the anterior surface of the donor cornea so that underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is disposed posterior to the undercut;
photoaltering the corneal section to form a sidecut, the sidecut extending only partially circumferentially about a central portion of the donor cornea, wherein the combination of the undercut and the sidecut form a corneal flap; and
grafting the photoaltered corneal section including the corneal flap onto an eye of a recipient wherein after grafting the donor cornea, the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately below the undercut and the overlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea is located immediately above the undercut, and wherein lifting of the corneal flap of the donor cornea provides access for performing the LASIK procedure on the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the excising and photoaltering steps are performed after the donor cornea is removed from the donor.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the excising the corneal section includes excising the corneal section using a laser.

13. The method of claim 5 , wherein the corneal section includes a portion of the undercut sufficient to form a flap.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the corneal section is entirely within the undercut.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one suture in at least one side of the corneal section acts as a hinge portion forming a corneal flap.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LASIK procedure is performed immediately following the grafting step.

17. The method of claim 6 , wherein the LASIK procedure is performed immediately following the grafting step.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the LASIK procedure is performed immediately following the grafting step.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein following the grafting step, the method further includes lifting the corneal flap, ablating a portion of the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea, and repositioning the corneal flap to cover the ablated underlying stromal tissue.

20. The method of claim 6 , wherein following the grafting step, the method further includes lifting the corneal flap, ablating a portion of the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea, and repositioning the corneal flap to cover the ablated underlying stromal tissue.

21. The method of claim 10 , wherein following the grafting step, the method further includes lifting the corneal flap, ablating a portion of the underlying stromal tissue of the donor cornea, and repositioning the corneal flap to cover the ablated underlying stromal tissue.

Assignees

• Kurtz Ronald M
• Amo Dev Llc

Inventors

• Kurtz Ronald M

Classifications

• A61F2/14

  Eye parts, e.g. lenses or corneal implants; Artificial eyes · CPC title

• A61F9/00831 Primary

  Transplantation · CPC title

• A61F2/142 Primary

  Cornea, e.g. artificial corneae, keratoprostheses or corneal implants for repair of defective corneal tissue · CPC title

• A61F9/00836

  Flap cutting · CPC title

• A61F2009/00872

  Cornea · CPC title