SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING VACUUM WITHIN PHACOEMULSIFICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20130072853A1
• Filed: 09/19/2011
• Published: 03/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Wong, Wayne S., Jacobson, Jon D., Staggs, James W., Patel, Tapan M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,393,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00977 the depression depth determining the power rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/77 Suction-irrigation systems aspiration tips supplying fluids A61M1/85; specific for negative pressure wound therapy A61M1/92; combined with tracheal tubes A61M16/0463
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for controlling vacuum within phacoemulsification systems. The phacoemulsification system may include a handpiece having a needle. The needle is coupled to a power source configured to cause the needle to be ultrasonically vibrated during operation and an aspiration source. The system further includes a footpedal that defines a first position and a second position. The system also includes a computer program product operatively coupled to the handpiece and the footpedal, the computer program product having a computer-usable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes said processor to execute a process that controls power from the power source and vacuum from the aspiration source applied to the handpiece. The process includes the steps of providing a vacuum at a first level to the handpiece when the footpedal is at the first position; providing power to the handpiece when the footpedal is at the second position; and reducing the vacuum to a second level when the footpedal transitions from the first position to the second position.

Claims

1. A phacoemulsification system comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle;

wherein the needle is coupled to a power source configured to cause the needle to be ultrasonically vibrated during operation;

wherein the needle further defines an aspiration port that is coupled to an aspiration source;

a footpedal defining a first position and a second position; and

a computer program product operatively coupled to the phacoemulsification handpiece and the footpedal, the computer program product having a computer-usable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor, causes said processor to execute a process that controls power from the power source and vacuum from the aspiration source applied to the phacoemulsification handpiece, said process comprising;

providing the vacuum at a first vacuum level to the handpiece up to a first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal is at the first position;

providing power to the handpiece when the footpedal is at the second position; and

reducing the vacuum to a second vacuum level up to a new maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions from the first position to the second position, the new maximum vacuum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the new maximum vacuum level is based in part on the transition of the footpedal from the first position to the second position displacing the footpedal at the second position for a programmable period of time.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second vacuum level, the process further comprising modulating the vacuum between the second vacuum level and a third vacuum level, the third vacuum level is less than the new maximum vacuum level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the footpedal further defines a third position and subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising reducing the vacuum level to a third vacuum level when the footpedal transitions to said third position.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the footpedal further defines a third position and subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising raising the new maximum vacuum level to an adjusted maximum vacuum level and raising the vacuum level up to the adjusted maximum level when the footpedal transitions to said third position, the adjusted maximum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level and greater than the new maximum vacuum level.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions back from the second position to the first position.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the footpedal further defines a yaw position and, subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions to said yaw position.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface console to modify the computer program product.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user interface console modifies at least one selected from the group consisting of:

(1) selecting a pulse shape amplitude mode;

(2) setting the maximum first vacuum level from the aspiration source;

(3) setting a minimum pulse shape amplitude;

(4) setting a maximum pulse shape amplitude; and

(5) irrigation rates.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second vacuum level is sufficient to clear an occlusion.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein providing vacuum linearly raises the first vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions into the first position.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vacuum level linearly rises to the first vacuum level from a non-zero value.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the aspiration source is a vacuum-based pump or a combination of a vacuum-based pump and a flow-based pump.

14. A method of controlling power from a power source and a vacuum from an aspiration source applied to a phacoemulsification handpiece, the handpiece having a needle coupled to the power source configured to cause the needle to be ultrasonically vibrated during operation, the needle further defining an aspiration port that is coupled to the aspiration source, a footpedal defining a first position and a second position, the method comprising:

providing the vacuum at a first vacuum level to the handpiece up to a first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal is at the first position;

providing power to the handpiece when the footpedal is at the second position; and

reducing the vacuum to a second vacuum level up to a new maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions from the first position to the second position, the new maximum vacuum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the new maximum vacuum level is based in part on the transition of the footpedal from the first position to the second position displacing the footpedal at the second position for a programmable period of time.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising modulating the vacuum between the second vacuum level and a third vacuum level, the third vacuum level is less than the new maximum vacuum level.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the footpedal further defines a third position, and further comprising reducing the vacuum level to a third vacuum level when the footpedal transitions to said third position.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the footpedal further defines a third position, and further comprising raising the new maximum vacuum level to an adjusted maximum vacuum level and raising the vacuum level up to the adjusted maximum level when the footpedal transitions to said third position, the adjusted maximum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level and greater than the new maximum vacuum level.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions back from the second position to the first position.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the footpedal further defines a yaw position and further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level when the footpedal transitions to said yaw position.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the aspiration source is a vacuum-based pump or a combination of a vacuum-based pump and a flow-based pump.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the aspiration source is a combination of a vacuum-based pump and a flow-based pump, the footpedal further defines a third position, and further comprising transitioning between the vacuum-based pump and flow-based pump when the footpedal transitions to said third position, the transition maintaining a stable vacuum level.