A microkeratome is basically a precision medical instrument designed specifically for making the corneal flap during LASIK or ALK surgical treatment. It makes a thin corneal flap in LASIK by spinning at high speeds. The microkeratome has a rotary blade attached to its top. The blade, which is covered with a bright light source, can cut a person's eye in different patterns, depending on its strength. The normal corneal thickness of a person varies from about 500 to 600mm; and in LASIK, the microkeratome makes a flap that will be about 300 to 800mm thick.
According to The Vision Council, over 195 million people in the U.S. have undergone some form of vision correction. Such high adoption of LASIK is expected to surge demand for microkeratome. In LASIK, a flap procedure is carried out by passing a laser fiber (excimer) across the cornea. When this happens, the excimer laser converts the beam that passes along the cornea into energy, which heats it up. This energy changes the shape of the cornea, which causes the formation of a new layer called the epithelial lining. This new layer is not smooth but has ridged edges. Because of this, it can work just as a brush to smooth the cornea when it is being formed after LASIK surgery.
With the help of the microkeratome, the laser is able to pass along the corneal flap that was made by the excimer laser, and it is reshaped accordingly. After reshaping, the blade is passed along the surface of the cornea, and this allows it to cut away pieces of tissue that are on the outside of the cornea. When this is done, the microkeratome will then be brought back into contact with the blade. After cutting away any excess tissue, the microkeratome will be folded once more, and it is ready to reshape yet again.
No comments:
Post a Comment