Corneal surface marker and marking method for improving laser centration

摘要

A corneal surface marker is used to improve centration of surgical laser instrumention and repositioning of a corneal cap or flap in corneal surgery, particularly lamellar corneal surgery. The marker has inner and outer concentric rings with marking radials extending off the rings to provide adequate reference points for marking indicia to be placed on the corneal surface. The method involves positioning a patient's head with direct light thereby fixating and centering the laser instrumentation over the visual axis of the eye, preoperatively marking the corneal surface with a plurality of radial lines spaced about the visual axis, and aligning a reticule of a surgical laser instrument over the radial lines thereby permitting anatomic centration of the instrument over the visual axis for subsequent accurate surgical reshaping of the cornea.