Apparatus and method for determining that a surgical fluid container is near empty

• US 20050228423A1
• Filed: 06/08/2005
• Published: 10/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Original Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Inventors: Sussman, Glenn R., Khashayar, Amir H.
• Application Number:
  US11/147,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20050228423A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/167
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/85 with gas or fluid supply means, e.g. for supplying rinsing fluids or anticoagulants for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92, A61M1/94; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463; dental instruments with combined rinsing and aspirating A61C17/0208
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0216 Pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 3/0237 the pressure being generated in the reservoir, e.g. by gas generating tablets

Abstract

An apparatus and method of determining when a container holding surgical fluid to be provided to a surgical handpiece, such as a liquefracture handpiece, is nearly exhausted is disclosed.

Claims

1. A microsurgical system, comprising:

a surgical handpiece;

a source of surgical fluid having a deformable liner containing surgical fluid and fluidly coupled to said handpiece;

a pneumatic pressure source for collapsing said deformable liner; and

a control system having;

a valve fluidly coupled to said pneumatic pressure source;

a pressure transducer fluidly coupled to said valve; and

a computer operatively coupled to said valve and said pressure transducer;

whereby said control system has an ability to;

provide a desired pneumatic pressure on said deformable liner;

determine a flow rate of said surgical fluid from said handpiece to a target tissue;

determine an amount of time that said surgical fluid is provided from said handpiece to said target tissue; and

determine an amount of fluid used from said deformable liner using said determined flow rate and said determined time.

2. The microsurgical system of claim 1 wherein said control system further has an ability to determine when said amount of fluid used equals or exceeds a predetermined second amount of fluid corresponding to a percentage of an amount of fluid in said deformable liner when said deformable liner is full.

3. The microsurgical system of claim 2 wherein said control system further has an ability to notify a user of said microsurgical system when said amount of fluid used equals or exceeds said predetermined second amount of fluid.

4. The microsurgical system of claim 1 wherein:

said surgical handpiece is a liquefracture handpiece;

said control system has a function generator for driving said liquefracture handpiece; and

said flow rate comprises a sum of a second flow rate corresponding to said desired pneumatic pressure and a third flow rate corresponding to said driving of said liquefracture handpiece.

5. The microsurgical system of claim 1 wherein said surgical handpiece is a liquefracture handpiece, and said target tissue is an eye.