Patent ID: 8052705

Claim:
A scrubbing instrument for scrubbing the human eye corneal epithelium, said scrubbing instrument comprising: (a) a handle, having a grip portion; (b) a scrubbing head formed from non-metallic material and having a curved main scrubbing surface, said scrubbing head having a first dimension and a second dimension perpendicular to said first dimension, said first dimension being greater than said second dimension; and (c) a connection arrangement for enabling connection of said scrubbing head to said handle and disconnection of said scrubbing head from said handle, thus enabling said scrubbing head to serve as a sterile, disposable, single-use component, wherein said main scrubbing surface has a width and has a length greater than said width, said length extending along a major part of said first dimension of said scrubbing head, and wherein said scrubbing head further comprises a continuous groove subdividing said main scrubbing surface, said groove defining at least part of a volume for receiving scrubbed tissue within the volume of said scrubbing head, wherein said groove extends entirely along said length so as to subdivide said main scrubbing surface across said width, wherein said scrubbing instrument further comprises a channel formed in said scrubbing head so as to define a contiguous volume with said groove, said channel extending substantially parallel to said first dimension of said scrubbing head, wherein said channel has a channel width measured parallel to said second dimension of said scrubbing head and said groove has a groove width measured parallel to said second dimension of said scrubbing head at an intersection of said groove with said main scrubbing surface, said channel width being greater than said groove width.