Vacuum ring with linear bearings for an automated corneal shaper

Abstract

A medical device that can be used to cut a cornea. The device may include a blade that is coupled to a head by a blade holder. The device may also have a retention spring that exerts a force on the blade and blade holder. The head and blade can be moved across a ring by a drive assembly that contains a lead screw. The ring may contain one or more openings which have a length that is greater than a width. The openings may be coupled to a vacuum source by a tube. The vacuum pressure of the tube can be displayed by a console. The console may also have switches that allow different operating parameters to be entered through a single knob.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a head;    a blade holder coupled to said head;    a blade coupled to said blade holder; and,    a retention spring that exerts a spring force onto said blade and said blade holder.    
     
     
         2 . The medical device of  claim 1 , further comprising a bias spring that exerts a spring force to push said blade holder into said head.  
     
     
         3 . The medical device of  claim 1 , further comprising a motor that can move said blade relative to said head.  
     
     
         4 . The medical device of  claim 1 , wherein said retention spring is a plastic insert.  
     
     
         5 . The medical device of  claim 2 , wherein said bias spring includes a protrusion.  
     
     
         6 . A blade loader for inserting a blade into a medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a body that has a cavity adapted to receive a blade; and,    a plunger that can be activated to eject the blade from said cavity into the medical device.    
     
     
         7 . The blade loader of  claim 1 , wherein said body includes an alignment feature that can align said body with an opening in the medical device that receives the blade.  
     
     
         8 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a ring;    a head that can move relative to said ring;    a blade that is coupled to said head;    a lead screw coupled to said head; and,    a motor that is coupled to said lead screw to rotate said lead screw and move said head relative to said ring.    
     
     
         9 . The medical device of  claim 8 , further comprising a belt that couples said motor to said lead screw.  
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , further comprising a pair of idle rollers coupled to said belt.  
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 8 , further comprising a blade holder that is coupled to said blade and said head and a retention spring that exerts a spring force onto said blade and said blade holder.  
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 11 , wherein said retention spring is a plastic insert.  
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 11 , further comprising a bias spring that exerts a spring force to push said blade holder into said head.  
     
     
         14 . The medical device of  claim 13 , wherein said bias spring includes a protrusion.  
     
     
         15 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a ring that has a top surface;    a head that moves across said top surface of said ring;    a blade that is coupled to said head; and,    a stop that is located above said top surface of said ring and can impede the movement of said head.    
     
     
         16 . The medical device of  claim 15 , wherein stop includes a pin that extends from said head and engages a stop surface of said ring.  
     
     
         17 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, the medical device being coupled to a source of vacuum, comprising: 
 a ring that has an opening in fluid communication with the source of vacuum, said opening having a length dimension that is greater than a width dimension;    a head that can move relative to said ring;    a blade that is coupled to said head;    a motor that is coupled to said head to move said head relative to said ring.    
     
     
         18 . The medical device of  claim 17 , wherein said ring has a center opening that has an oblong shape.  
     
     
         19 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a blade holder;    a blade coupled to said blade holder;    a head that has a cavity which receives said blade holder, said head cavity having a wall; and,    a bias spring that presses said blade holder into said head cavity wall.    
     
     
         20 . The medical device of  claim 19 , wherein said bias spring includes a protrusion that extends from an insert located between blade and said blade holder.  
     
     
         21 . A console for a medical device, comprising: 
 a ring;    a vacuum tube coupled to said ring, said vacuum tube having a vacuum pressure;    a first pressure sensor that is coupled to said vacuum tube and can provide an output signal that corresponds to the vacuum pressure; and,    a display that displays the vacuum pressure.    
     
     
         22 . The medical device of  claim 21 , further comprising a circuit that compares the vacuum pressure with a threshold value and provides an output signal to an indicator when the variation of vacuum pressure exceeds the threshold value.  
     
     
         23 . The medical device of  claim 21 , further comprising a vacuum pump that is coupled to said vacuum tube, an on-off valve that is connected to said vacuum tube located between said vacuum pump and said ring, said first pressure sensor being located between said on-off valve and said ring.  
     
     
         24 . The medical device of  claim 23 , further comprising a second vacuum sensor that is connected to said vacuum tube between said vacuum pump and said on-off valve, and a controller connected to said first and second pressure sensors and said on-off valve.  
     
     
         25 . A console that is coupled to a medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a controller;    a variable input device that provides a variable input signal to said controller;    a switch that can be switched so that said variable input signal corresponds to either a first parameter or a second parameter.    
     
     
         26 . The console of  claim 25 , wherein the first parameter is a maximum pre-set vacuum pressure and the second parameter is a motor speed.  
     
     
         27 . The console of  claim 25 , wherein the second parameter is a vacuum loss pressure.  
     
     
         28 . A medical device for cutting a cornea, comprising: 
 a head;    a blade holder coupled to said head;    a blade coupled to said blade holder; and,    an insert coupled to said blade and said blade holder, said insert having a retractable clip that restrains said blade.    
     
     
         29 . The medical device of  claim 28 , further comprising a motor that can move said blade relative to said head.