| abstract |
A surgical blade for use in ophthalmic surgery has distal cutting edges formed by a pair of anterior-to-posterior bevels which meet at an angle greater than 90° and preferably 140°, resulting in a blade with a surface area greater than that of similarly dimensioned prior art blades. An anterior shoulder is positioned intermediate the distal and proximal ends of the blade to direct the blade to dimple down when the blade has been inserted into the cornea a sufficient distance to bring the shoulder into contact with the corneal tissue, allowing the surgeon to make a reproducible, leak-free incision by using a straight-in hand motion. The distal cutting surface is rounded at its lateral edges to avoid snagging the incision when the blade is passed through the cornea. |