INSTRUMENT FOR UNROLLING CORNEAL TISSUE IN DESCEMET'S MEMBRANE ENDOTHELIAL KERATOPLASTY SURGERY

摘要

A surgical instrument to be used in an corneal transplant surgical procedure known in the art as Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). Specifically, the instrument disclosed herein (NHL, Neusidl-Hannush Loop), is designed for the portion of the DMEK procedure where upon the transplantation of a very thin layer of endothelial cells and their basement membrane (DMEK graft), the transplanted material must be flattened. In this step of the DMEK procedure, the DMEK graft, may form a scroll or a configuration with two scrolled-up edges. The instrument may unfold and flatten the rolled up DMEK graft enabling the transplanted material to be in position to adhere to the posterior surface of the cornea. The instrument may enable the unfolding of the layer of Descemet's membrane and endothelial cells without injuring, damaging, or destroying these cells during the unfolding process as is sometimes the case with other surgical methods currently performed.