Patent ID: 11903817
Assignee: THE CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 16:
17. A method of performing a surgical implantation of an artificial cornea with a surgical device comprising: an installation tool comprising an implantation end, and a drive nut positioned above the implantation end, and a thumbscrew that is received within the drive nut, the method comprising the steps of:
placing a back portion of an artificial cornea onto the implantation end of the installation tool externally from an eye of a patient by placing a back plate of the back portion onto a first seat of the implantation end and using guide posts of the first seat to guide the back plate onto the first seat;
cutting a vision hole into a cornea of the eye;
cutting an incision into the eye;
inserting the implantation end with the back portion of the artificial cornea through the incision and into the eye;
aligning the back portion of the artificial cornea with the vision hole;
placing a front portion of the artificial cornea over the vision hole in alignment with the back portion;
rotating the thumbscrew relative to the drive nut to press the front portion toward the back portion to lock the artificial cornea to the cornea of the eye; and
moving the implantation end out of the incision to remove the implantation end of the installation tool from the eye while leaving the artificial cornea locked to the cornea of the eye.