Method of operating an ultrasound handpiece

• US 20050277869A1
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Inventors: Boukhny, Mikhail
• Granted Patent: US 7,572,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00159 Pulse shapes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00172 Pulse trains, bursts, intermittent continuous operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00181 Means for setting or varying the pulse energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22015 with details of the transmission member
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320089 node location
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320098 with transverse or torsional motion
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 83/956 Ultrasonic

Abstract

A method of operating an ultrasonic handpiece by pulsing the power supplied to the handpiece and varying the amplitude of the power during the power pulse.

Claims

1. A method of operating an ultrasound handpiece, comprising the steps of:

a) providing an ultrasound handpiece;

b) providing an ultrasound drive circuit capable of producing an ultrasound drive signal;

c) delivering the ultrasound drive signal to the ultrasound handpiece in a series of pulses so as to produce periodic ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece, each period of ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece being followed by a period of no ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece; and

c) varying the power level of the ultrasound drive signal during the periodic ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the period of ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece is at least 20 milliseconds.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of varying the power level of the ultrasound drive signal during the periodic ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece further includes the step of varying the ultrasound vibrations between longitudinal vibrations and torsional vibrations.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of varying the power level of the ultrasound drive signal during the periodic ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece divides the periodic ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece into at least one high power period and into at least one low power period.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the high power period is less than 5 milliseconds.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein during the high power period the ultrasound vibrations of the handpiece are longitudinal and during the low power period the ultrasound vibrations of the handpiece are torsional.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the period of ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece is of variable duration.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the period of no ultrasound vibrations in the ultrasound handpiece is of variable duration.