Patent ID: 7883520

Claim:
A system for forming a pocket in a cornea of an eye, the cornea having a Bowman's membrane and an epithelium disposed over the Bowman's membrane the epithelium having a thickness, the system comprising: a cutting head; an applanator having a lower surface to contact and applanate the cornea; an elongate blade extending along a longitudinal axis, the elongate blade comprising a cutting edge surface at a distal end of the blade, the cutting edge surface extending in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis and having a cross-sectional radius less than about one micrometer; and a blade holder shaped to receive and hold the blade with the cutting edge surface extending along the lower surface of the applanator with a distance extending between the applanator and the cutting edge surface, the blade holder coupled to the cutting head to hold the elongate blade at an orientation so as to control a separation force and separate a viable layer of epithelium from the Bowman's membrane and form the pocket, wherein the distance from the lower surface of the applanator to the cutting edge surface of the blade is substantially greater than the thickness of the epithelium so as to separate the viable layer of epithelium from the underlying Bowman's membrane.