APPARATUS FOR FORMING CORNEAL FLAP

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an efficient surgical means for the formation of cornea flaps proper for use in keratoplasty and a surgical keratoplasty means which can set the positions of the cornea flaps accurately at specified sites of the cornea.

SOLUTION: The apparatus contains a device which make a laser beam focus on a site between interstitial pellicle layers to perform a photoexcision of a tissue at the position of interface area between the layers. The focus maintained between the interstitial pellicle layers is moved along a path within the interstitial to perform the photoexcision of the periphery 32 of a flap. An excised part reaching the periphery from the anterior part of the cornea to form a margin part 36. The corneal tissue bordered by the incision are lifted up so that the flap is mechanically peeled off the tissue under the cornea. The flap is lifted up to perform the photoexcision of the interstitial tissue exposed using an excimer laser to reform the cornea 24 again.

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