Patent ID: 7141047

Claim:
A method that substantially eliminates pooling of blood and any other liquids on a patient's eyeball surface during surgery to provide an optimal view of a surgical field, said method including the steps of, with the eyelids of the patient open, (a) placing a flexible tubular member having a plurality of spaced openings therein on the surface of the eyeball adjacent one eyelid, said tubular member having an aspiration port therein and a length that enables said tubular member to fit into the open eye, said length being substantially equal to the width of the eye of the patient, (b) positioning said tubular member on the eyeball surface snugly against an inner edge of an open eyelid with the spaced openings oriented inward away from the eyelid to enable blood and any other liquids to be drawn into the tubular member, (c) bending said flexible tubular member to conform said tubular member's shape to the curvature of said inner edge of the eyelid, (d) positioning an end of said extension tube nearby a corner of the eye with said extension tube extending outward from said corner of the eye, (e) placing the aspiration port in communication with a source of suction through the extension tube which is connected to the aspiration port to draw said blood and any other liquids into the tubular member through the openings, and (f) placing another end of the extension tube into a holding chamber at a remote location that collects said blood and any other liquids exiting the extension tube, said holding chamber being in communication with the source of suction.