ULTRASONIC LIQUEFACTION METHOD AND APPARATUS USING A TAPERED ULTRASONIC TIP

• US 20070255196A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David G. Wuchinich
• Original Assignee: David G. Wuchinich
• Inventors: Wuchinich, David G.
• Application Number:
  US11/608,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255196A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320084 Irrigation sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/08021 of the patient or his organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic

Abstract

Ultrasonic vitreous liquefaction is achieved through use of an apparatus which includes a transducer for generating an ultrasonic vibration to longitudinally ultrasonically vibrate a solid ultrasonic tip. The tip is preferably tapered and the free end of the tip is preferably at least partially surrounded by a stationary sheath. The apparatus may include structure for applying irrigation and aspiration.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic liquefaction apparatus comprising an implement having a transducer for generating ultrasonic vibration, a removable tip operatively connected to said transducer for being longitudinally vibrated by said transducer, and said tip being a solid ultrasonic tip.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a housing, said transducer being mounted in said housing, said ultrasonic tip extending longitudinally outwardly from said housing, and said ultrasonic tip being at least partially surrounded by a stationary sheath mounted to said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic tip is tapered.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said ultrasonic tip is a Gaussian tapered tip.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 including aspiration structure communicating with said housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 including irrigation structure communicating with said housing.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 including aspiration structure communicating with said housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said sheath is removably mounted to said housing and partially surrounds said tip, and part of said tip extending longitudinally outwardly from said sheath and being exposed.

9. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the portion of said tip extending longitudinally outwardly from said housing is entirely surrounded by said sheath, and said sheath being removably mounted to said housing.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said sheath has a closed end and a peripheral side wall, and a side cutting port being in said peripheral side wall.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said tip terminates in a free end, and said side cutting port being located at said free end of said tip.

12. A method of ultrasonic liquefaction comprising providing an implement having a transducer and a solid ultrasonic tip, creating ultrasonic vibration from the transducer, transmitting the ultrasonic vibration to the solid tip to longitudinally vibrate the solid tip, surrounding at least a portion of the solid tip by a sheath, and inserting the solid tip into an operative site to create tissue liquefaction at the operative site.

13. The method of claim 12 including first applying irrigation and then aspiration and then ultrasonic vibration to obtain the liquefaction.

14. The method of claim 12 including providing the solid tip with a Gaussian taper.

15. The method of claim 12 including mounting the free end of the tip at least partially within a sheath.

16. The method of claim 12 including surrounding the entire free end of the tip within a sheath.

17. The method of claim 16 including providing the sheath with a closed end and with a side cutting port in the peripheral side wall of the sheath located at the free end of the tip.

18. The method of claim 12 including using pulsed on/off ultrasonic vibration with the pulse rate being of a lower frequency than the frequency of vibration.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the liquefaction is of vitreous tissue.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein the liquefaction is used to remove vitreous humor from the human eye.