Patent ID: 7338508

Claim:
A microkeratome for ophthalmic surgery comprising a base, a carriage mounted to the base, and a cutting blade carried in the carriage, the carriage being guided for movement in a cutting direction relative to the base and the cutting blade being movable relative to the carriage in a direction transverse the cutting direction, and the base being configured for connection to a control cable having a sheath and a control shaft movable within the sheath such that rotational movement of the control shaft about its longitudinal axis effects the movement of the cutting blade relative to the carriage and linear movement of the control shaft along its longitudinal axis effects movement of the carriage relative to the base in the cutting direction, wherein the base includes a suction ring for coupling to an eye and a handle extending from the suction ring, and the handle includes a coupling and a linkage extending between the coupling and the carriage for transferring motion from the control shaft of the cable to the carriage and the cutting blade.