Abstract: Disclosed is a process for casting lenses using male and female mould halves, which comprises placing a polymerizable liquid composition into the female mould half, introducing a male mould into the female mould along a substantially vertical axis until the male mould touches the surface of the liquid composition and then allowing the male mould to fall under its own weight into the female mould half and curing or allowing the polymerizable composition to cure. Also included is apparatus suitable for carrying out the casting process which comprises a substantially horizontal support for the female mould, a holder for releasably holding the male mould, means for moving the holder towards and into the female mould along a substantially vertical path passing through the axes of the moulds and means for detecting contact between the male mould and the surface of the liquid composition and causing said holder to release the male mould.

Abstract: An intraocular lens which is compressible to fit through a small ocular incision into the eye and whose refractive power is adjustable once the inserted lens has been reformed and remedially positioned in the eye. The lens includes a deformable soft optic, a translucent collar encircling the soft optic and attached to it at fixed spaced points, and haptics attached to the collar for remedially positioning the soft optic in the eye. The collar has a separation or break to define two collar arms. When the collar is compressed the arms slide relative to one another to narrow the collar, and the compressed lens can then be inserted in the eye. Once in the eye the collar is released and the arms reformed together to form a rigid circle supporting the soft optic. The soft optic is formed by a transparent bag having a thickened perimeter and filled with a transparent fluid. When the lens is in place in the eye, a fine needle can be inserted into the eye and into the bag perimeter.

Abstract: A high water content hydrogel contact lens (10) with improved oxygen transmission combined with good movement characteristics over the cornea to prevent corneal damage and configured for low minus powers. The lens body has an ultra smooth molded or cast posterior surface (12) with a center thickness in cross-section which is no greater than 0.08 mm and has a small edge-to-edge diameter less than 14.4 mm. With the lens in place on the eye, the eyelid engages a thickened, annular edge (26) of the lens to provide some lens movement of about 0.05 mm on the cornea to assist in the removal of metabolic waste products from behind the lens. The thickened edge (26) is configured to allow the eyelid to smoothly flow over the lens and to maintain good comfort to the wearer of the lens and for these purposes includes a posterior peripheral surface curve (30) which conforms to the curvature of the sclera of the eye.

Abstract: A process for casting lenses using male and female mold halves, which includes placing a polymerizable liquid into the female mold, introducing the male mold down into the female mold until the male mold touches the surface of the liquid and then allowing the male mold to fall into the female mold. Also, an apparatus suitable for carrying out the casting process is provided which includes a horizontal support for the female mold, a holder for releasably holding the male mold, a mechanism for moving the holder down towards and into the female mold and a mechanism for detecting contact between the male mold and the surface of the liquid and causing the holder to then release the male mold. The molds are maintained under a predetermined closing pressure during curing by spot welding their flanges together while under that pressure.

Abstract: A polymeric lens material is cast within a mold body which includes a generally conical external surface portion, an annular wall portion defining a pocket in which the material is cast, and a base wall disposed of between the conical external surface portion and the annular wall portion. The base wall defines an optical surface at the bottom of the pocket for forming a surface of a contact lens. The conical external surface portion of the mold body is dimensioned to complement an internal conical surface portion of a collet for accurately positioning and aligning the mold within the collet for a machining operation.

Abstract: Hydrophilic contact lenses comprised of a copolymer of an hydroxyl group-containing monomer and N-vinylpyrrolidone are tinted by impregnating the lens with an aqueous solution of a dichlorotriazine reactive dye and fixing the dye in the lens by contacting the lens with an aqueous alkaline solution.

Abstract: An areola/nipple surfical wound protector including a sterile pad having an upper surface, a lower non-stick surface and a centrally-located pad opening extending through it. A transparent cone-shaped nipple protector member having an outwardly-disposed flange at its base portion is secured via the flange to generally the upper pad surface and over the pad opening. The nipple protector member has an opening in its base portion, a dome with holes therethrough at its radially opposite end and an interior configured to receive the patient's nipple up through the opening and into the protector member. Spaced adhesive tape strips extend radially out from the pad for securing the pad and protector member to the patient's breast and over her nipple. Alternatively, the dome can be configured to be flatter on its upper surface and have a large medication opening through the center thereof and a surrounding rasied annular rim having a plurality of suture holes therethrough.

Abstract: An intraocular lens which is compressible to fit through a small ocular incision into the eye and whose refractive power is adjustable once the inserted lens has been reformed and remedially positioned in the eye. The lens includes a deformable soft optic, a translucent collar encircling the soft optic and attached to it at fixed spaced points, and haptics attached to the collar for remedially positioning the soft optic in the eye. The collar has a separation or break to define two collar arms. When the collar is compressed the arms slide relative to one another to narrow the collar, and the compressed lens can then be inserted in the eye. Once in the eye the collar is released and the arms reformed together to form a rigid circle supporting the soft optic. The soft optic is formed by a transparent bag having a thickened perimeter and filled with a transparent fluid. When the lens is in place in the eye, a fine needle can be inserted into the eye and into the bag perimeter.

Abstract: A fluid flow control apparatus specially adapted for use with an ultrasonic surgical tool which provides for irrigation of a surgical site and for aspirating fluid from the site comprises a source of irrigation fluid, comprises an irrigation fluid conduit or conducting the irrigation fluid to a surgical site, an aspiration fluid conduit for conducting fluid away from the surgical site, a suction pump connected to the aspiration fluid conduit for aspirating fluid from the surgical site, a pressure-sensitive control system for removing the source of suction from the aspiration conduit when a predetermined value of suction is exceeded, and a valve for controllably admitting irrigation fluid into the aspiration fluid conduit. A check valve in the irrigation conduit prevents a reverse surge when the irrigation fluid is admitted to the aspiration conduit.

Abstract: A high water content hydrogel contact lens with improved oxygen transmission combined with good movement characteristics over the cornea to prevent corneal damage and configured for low minus powers. The lens body has an ultra smooth molded or cast posterior surface with a center thickness in cross-section which is no greater than 0.08 mm and has a small edge-to-edge diameter less than 14.4 mm. With the lens in place on the eye, the eyelid engages a thickened, annular edge of the lens to provide some lens movement on the cornea of about 0.50 mm to assist in the removal of metabolic waste products from behind the lens. The thickened edge is configured to allow the eyelid to smoothly flow over the lens and to maintain good comfort to the wearer of the lens and for these purposes includes a posterior peripheral surface curve to generally conform to the curvature of the sclera of the eye.

Abstract: A decoupling sleeve for inclusion in a fluid conduit of an ultrasonically-operated instrument, such as a surgical instrument, which is irrigated by irrigating fluid at the operative site. The decoupling sleeve includes a tubular thin-walled body portion defining spaced openings, and a collar member for retaining the decoupling sleeve in a tip cap sleeve member for the instrument. The inclusion of the decoupling sleeve in the irrigating fluid conduit intermediate a portion of an ultrasonically-operated tool and the interior of the tip cap sleeve member defining the fluid conduit impedes the transmission of ultrasonic energy through the fluid medium in the conduit, thus reducing objectionable cavitation and bubble formation at the operative site.

Abstract: An improved irrigation fluid conduit for use with a coaxial surgical irrigator-aspirator for ophthalmic surgery comprises a hollow body adapted for attachment to the surgical irrigator-aspirator and a thin-walled tubular sleeve extending from the hollow body to surround the aspiration conduit of the instrument. The body and sleeve are homogeneously molded from polypropylene, which permits a rigid thin wall sleeve having a wall thickness not greater than 0.006 inches and which is transparent for increased visibility of the adjacent tissues.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a machine for aligning and attaching partly-worked lens blanks to a block so that the remainder of the blank can be machined. The machine comprises a vee-shaped holder for supporting the block with it axis vertical above a moveable table on which the lens blank is supported. The moveable table is freely moveable in any direction in a horizontal plane and the machine includes means for bringing the block and partly-worked lens into contact and achieving alignment of the axes of the block and lens blank by permitting the lens blank to move in any direction in a horizontal plane. A film of liquid adhesive is provided between the surface of the lens blank and the block which acts both as a lubricant and as a bonding agent when correct alignment has been achieved.

Abstract: An aerola/nipple surgical wound protector including a sterile pad having an upper surface, a lower non-stick surface and a centrally-located pad opening through it and engaging the upper and lower surfaces. A transparent cone-shaped nipple protector member having an outwardly-disposed flange at its base portion is secured via the flange to the upper pad surface over the pad opening. The nipple protector member has an opening in its base portion, a dome with air holes therethrough at its opposite end, and an interior configured to receive the patient's nipple up through the opening and into the protector member. Four spaced adhesive tape strips extend radially out from the pad for securing the pad and protector member over the patient's nipple.

Abstract: A method and channeled tool adapted for guiding an intraocular lens into position through an incision in an eye. Indicia means are provided in the tool in the form of two through-holes positioned at pre-determined distances from the distal end of the tool to determine the operable compression range of the intraocular lens haptics so that the surgeon can determine that the subject eye is of a sufficient size to receive the selected intraocular lens.

Abstract: A radial keratotomy knife which includes an accurate linear position transducer for digitally displaying the extension of a surgical blade beyond a footplate on the knife. A system is also disclosed for zeroing the blade position relative to the footplate. The system includes a zeroing sleeve having a reflective membrane to reflect light to a detector. The knife is inserted into the sleeve so that the footplate is in contact with the membrane within the system contained within a console. When the blade is advanced to contact the reflective membrane from within the sleeve, the reflected light pattern is altered to establish accurately a zero position of the knife blade relative to the footplate. The knife is then withdrawn from the sleeve and the blade advanced by a micrometer so that the transducer produces a signal relative to the reference level indicating the extension of the blade.

Abstract: A surgical suction cassette for use with a microsurgical apparatus having a surgical handpiece connected by tubing with a control cabinet contains a tank to receive aspirated material from the microsurgical site, fluid connections for the tubes providing suction, pressure and irrigation fluid to the handpiece, fluid connections for connecting sources of pressure, vacuum and vent within the cabinet, fluid connection for an external source of irrigation fluid, and internal tubing providing connections between the connections to the handpiece and the connections to the cabinet. Solenoid actuated occluders in the cabinet compress the tubing in the cassette to turn the various fluid streams on and off. The cassette is provided with a drain for automatically removing the contents without changing the cassette. A latch hook, centrally located between the fluid connections to the cabinet holds the cassette in the cabinet when in use.

Abstract: A cassette is structurally adapted to receive at least a portion of an irrigation manifold and an aspiration manifold, so that when the cassette is firmly secured to a cassette mechanism on an emulsifier/aspirator unit: (1) the flow to irrigation solution through the irrigation manifold is regulated; (2) the flow of aspirated fluid and tissue from the surgical site is regulated; (3) the vacuum control system (VCS) within the unit is applied to the aspiration manifold. The cassette defines, at its leading edge, an irrigation opening, an aspiration pump opening, and a vacuum control system opening. The cassette housing defines an irrigation boss having a flat leading edge surface in register with the irrigation opening, while an aspiration boss is located in register with the aspiration pump opening. A cassette mechanism is located on the emulsifier/aspirator unit and is structurally adapted to receive the cassette to complete the fluidic connection upon insertion of the cassette.

Abstract: A retainer for retaining an intraocular lens in a sterile liquid in a vial includes an elongated pair of side walls defining a lens-receiving area therebetween. A transversely-extending wall between the side walls defines a support surface for the edges of the haptic of the lens. Ribs on the interior surfaces of the side walls terminate short of the transversely-extending wall to define slots for retaining the haptic of the lens. An access opening is defined by the transversely-extending wall to permit the retained lens to be freed for removal by an instrument from without the confines of the retainer. The retainer terminates in its upper portion in a pair of protruding tabs defining slots for receiving an instrument for removing the retainer and the lens from the vial. The method of inserting and removing the lens from the retainer is also described.

Abstract: A micromanipulator for an instrument for focusing a beam of light on a target, such as a laser in an ophthalmic instrument, includes a control member coupled through a spherical bearing located at a pivot location to a coiled spring connected to a control rod for manipulating the focus of a gimballed beamsplitter in the x and y directions. The components are structured and arranged to lie on an axis in the neutral position so that the movement of the light beam, during focusing, corresponds directly to the direction of movement of the control member by an operator. The coiled spring acts as an automatic centering device to return the focused light beam to a predetermined position in the absence of manipulation.