Directional laser probe
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A microsurgical laser probe is provided with a distal end portion of an optic fiber that projects from a tubular sleeve of the probe and can be caused to bend relative to the probe sleeve by manual manipulation of a mechanism on a handle of the probe.
-
Citations
46 Claims
-
1-26. -26. (canceled)
-
27. An ophthalmic surgery method comprising:
-
providing an ophthalmic surgery instrument having an instrument handle and a rigid tubular sleeve projecting from the handle, and having an optic fiber extending through the handle and the sleeve where the optic fiber has a proximal end and an opposite distal end portion with a bent configuration positioned in the sleeve and held in a straight configuration by the sleeve;
connecting the optic fiber proximal end to a light source;
inserting the sleeve through an incision in an eye and positioning the sleeve in an interior of the eye;
causing the optic fiber distal end portion to gradually bend from the straight configuration toward the bent configuration in the eye interior to steer and direct the flexible optic fiber to a surgical target site in the eye interior. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. An ophthalmic surgery method comprising:
-
providing a directional probe with an elongate narrow handle with opposite distal and proximal ends and a hollow bore extending through the handle;
providing a narrow rigid sleeve in the handle bore at the handle distal end with the sleeve projecting from the handle distal end to a distal end of the sleeve;
providing a finger pad on the handle for sliding movement of the finger pad along the handle;
providing a length of optic fiber extending between the handle and a connector with a proximal end of the optic fiber entering the connector and a distal end of the optic fiber extending through the handle bore from the handle proximal end and a distal end portion of the optic fiber that is bent through an angle being contained inside the sleeve where the sleeve holds the optic fiber distal end portion in a straight configuration of the sleeve;
inserting the sleeve through an incision in an eye and positioning the sleeve in the eye interior;
causing the distal end portion of the optic fiber contained inside the sleeve to be gradually exposed at the sleeve distal end in the eye interior and gradually bend from the straight configuration of the sleeve toward the bent angle and thereby adjustably positioning the optic fiber through a plurality of angles in the eye interior. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
-
Specification