A UNIVERSAL IMPLANT BLANK FOR MODIIFYING CORNEAL CURVATURE AND METHODS OF MODIFYING CORNEAL CURVATURE THEREWITH

摘要

Title: A UNIVERSAL IMPLANT BLANK FOR MODIFYING CORNEAL CURVATURE AND METHODS OF MODIFYINGCORNEAL CURVATURE THEREWITH[err]Abstract: A universally sized blank (18) made of organic or synthetic material that can be placed on an exposed inner surface of a live comes and ablated with a laser beam (L) to be altered to a particular shape. The blank (I8) can be disk-shaped, annularly-shaped with a through opening, or any other suitable shape. A flap-like portion of the live cornea is removed to expose an inner surface of the cornea, and the blank (18) is positioned. on the exposed inner surface of the eye. A laser beam (L) is directed onto a portion of the exposed inner surface (e.g.,exposed at the opening in the blank), a portion of the blank (18)) or both, based on the type ofametropic condition (i.e., myopia, hyperopia or astigmatism) of the eye needing correction, sothat the laser beam (L) ablates those portions of the inner surface and/or blank (18) and thus reshapes the inner surface, the blank (18), or both.