Patent ID: 7753927

Claim:
Manually operated corneal punch apparatus comprising: a base unit having a lower portion with means for defining, on a normally vertical axis, an upwardly opening well for the receipt of a donor cornea, and a sidewall portion comprising a first annular mating surface surrounding said well; a separate guide unit dismountably mounted on said base unit and comprised of an inner guide shaft having a cylindrical interior surface, an outer locating ring comprising a second annular mating surface, and one or more spokes or webs rigidly joining said guide shaft to said locating ring with said locating ring concentrically disposed radially outwardly of said guide shaft and with said interior surface of said guide shaft, and said first and second annular mating surfaces, coaxially aligned on said vertical axis, said first and second annular mating surfaces being dimensioned and configured for mated, direct interengagement with one another and to enable rotation about the vertical axis of said guide unit relative to said base unit when said first and second annular mating surfaces are in direct engagement and when the guide unit and base unit are in registration therewith to aid the cutting process; and a corneal trephine member having a generally cylindrical portion snugly engaged within said shaft of said guide unit and dimensioned and configured for manual axial sliding movement, and manual rotation, on said vertical axis, said trephine member having means for mounting a circular cutting blade coaxially on a lower end portion thereof.