Abstract: A needle 10 for a surgical instrument for removal of diseased or unwanted tissue comprises a hollow elongate needle shaft 12 having a needle tip 14 for cutting tissue at a distal end of the needle shaft 12. The needle tip 14 is flared in at least one plane and has a flattened posterior lip 16 and a curved anterior lip 18 to produce a substantially D-shaped tip mouth 20 in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a central longitudinal axis C—O—C? (the needle axis) of the needle 10. A major axis A-A? of the tip mouth 20 is larger than an outer diameter of the needle shaft 12 and a minor axis B—B? is smaller than the major axis A-A?. The asymmetry of the tip mouth provides improved cutting action during phacoemulsification.

Abstract: A needle for a surgical instrument for removal of diseased or unwanted tissue is described. The needle has a hollow elongate needle shaft with a needle tip at a distal end for cutting tissue. The needle tipis flared in at least one plane and has a plurality of grooves milled into a surface of the tip in an asymmetric arrangement around the circumference of the needle tip.

Abstract: A needle for a surgical instrument for removal of diseased or unwanted tissue is described. The needle has a hollow elongate needle shaft with a needle tip at a distal end for cutting tissue. The needle tip is flared in at least one plane and has a plurality of grooves milled into a surface of the tip in an asymmetric arrangement around the circumference of the needle tip.

Abstract: A needle 20 for use with a torsional or transverse ultrasound surgical phacoemulsification instrument comprises a hollow elongated needle body 22 having a needle tip 24 at a distal end for cutting lens material. The needle tip 24 is flared in one plane to produce a substantially elliptical tip mouth 26. The elliptical tip mouth 26 has a major axis ‘X’ larger than an outer diameter of the needle body and a minor axis ‘Y’ smaller than the major axis so as to form a spade-shaped tip. The eccentricity of the elliptical tip mouth 26 can be varied, however for practical purposes it is preferred that the major axis of the tip mouth is about 1.5 to 2.5 times longer than the minor axis. The spade-shaped tip 24 provides an improved cutting action, particularly with torsional ultrasonic vibration, the cutting action being analogous to that of a spade drill bit used in woodworking.

Abstract: A needle 10 for a surgical instrument for removal of diseased or unwanted tissue comprises a hollow elongate needle shaft 12 having a needle tip 14 for cutting tissue at a distal end of the needle shaft 12. The needle tip 14 is flared in at least one plane and has a flattened posterior lip 16 and a curved anterior lip 18 to produce a substantially D-shaped tip mouth 20 in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to a central longitudinal axis C—O—C? (the needle axis) of the needle 10. A major axis A-A? of the tip mouth 20 is larger than an outer diameter of the needle shaft 12 and a minor axis B—B? is smaller than the major axis A-A?. The asymmetry of the tip mouth provides improved cutting action during phacoemulsification.

Abstract: A needle 20 for use with a torsional or transverse ultrasound surgical phacoemulsification instrument comprises a hollow elongated needle body 22 having a needle tip 24 at a distal end for cutting lens material. The needle tip 24 is flared in one plane to produce a substantially elliptical tip mouth 26. The elliptical tip mouth 26 has a major axis ‘X’ larger than an outer diameter of the needle body and a minor axis ‘Y’ smaller than the major axis so as to form a spade-shaped tip. The eccentricity of the elliptical tip mouth 26 can be varied, however for practical purposes it is preferred that the major axis of the tip mouth is about 1.5 to 2.5 times longer than the minor axis. The spade-shaped tip 24 provides an improved cutting action, particularly with torsional ultrasonic vibration, the cutting action being analogous to that of a spade drill bit used in woodworking.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of topical interferon-.alpha. for the treatment of various forms of fibrosis in and around the eye arising from various ophthalmic diseases and procedures. Specifically the invention relates to alleviation of corneal scarring after laser photoablative refractive keratectomy (PRK). It aslo relates to the alleviation of posterior (lens) capsular opacification after extracapsular cataract surgery with lens implant; the alleviation of wound scarring following glaucoma filtration surgery. Interferon-.alpha. may also be used to coat the lens implant prior to or during implantation. It may also possibly be injected into the eye during eye surgery for inhibiting posterior capsule opacification after cataract surgery and in addition may be injected into the vitreous body to prevent retinal fibrosis and proliferative vitreo-retinopathy, and injected subconjunctivally to inhibit fibrosis and scarring following glaucoma filtration surgery,.