PRECONDITIONED ILLUMINATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20130081253A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Research, LLC (Alcon Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dean Y. Lin, Jack R. Auld, Ronald T. Smith, Timothy C. Ryan
• Inventors: Smith, Ronald T., Lin, Dean Y., Auld, Jack R., Ryan, Timothy C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,498,506 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 29/447
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 11/025 by using heat or cold
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49865 by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit]

Abstract

Embodiments of endo-illuminators and related methods are disclosed. One embodiment of an illuminator can comprise a cannula defining a passage, an optical element disposed at an end of the cannula, and an optical fiber running through the passage with the distal end of the optical fiber in contact with the optical element. The optical fiber includes at least a heat preconditioned distal portion that terminates in the distal end that is in contact with the optical element.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A illuminator method comprising:

inserting an optical fiber through a proximal portion of a cannula/optical element assembly until the distal end of the optical fiber contacts the optical element;

heating a distal portion of the optical fiber to between a softening temperature and a melting temperature for a period of time to cause the distal portion to axially shrink; and

moving the optical element so that the optical element is in contact with the distal end of the optical fiber when the distal portion of the optical fiber has axially shrunk.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein moving the optical element so that the optical element is in contact with the distal end of the optical fiber when the distal portion of the optical fiber has axially shrunk further comprises applying a force to the cannula/optical element assembly to maintain the optical element in continuous contact with the distal end of the optical fiber while the optical fiber axially shrinks.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein heating the distal portion comprises applying a high intensity light to the optical fiber to raise the temperature of the distal portion to between the softening point and melting point of the optical fiber.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein heating the distal portion comprises applying heat with a heating member.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the heating member defines an opening into which the cannula and optical element assembly can be inserted.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising heating the heating member to at least a minimum temperature and inserting the cannula/optical element assembly into the

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the minimum temperature is at least 350 degrees.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the minimum temperature is at least 400 degrees.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the period of time is in a range of 6 to 40 seconds.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cannula/optical element assembly is inserted to an insertion depth of between 0.05 inches and 0.2 inches.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising vertically aligning the cannula/optical element assembly with the opening using an alignment tube.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein moving the optical element so that the optical element is in contact with the distal end of the optical fiber when the distal portion of the optical fiber has axially shrunk further comprising allowing gravity to move the cannula/optical element assembly.

20. The method of claim 8 further comprising bonding a proximate portion of the cannula to the optical fiber after moving the optical element.

21. An illuminator method comprising:

inserting an optical fiber through a proximal portion of a cannula until the distal end of the optical fiber contacts a lens;

vertically aligning the cannula with an opening defined by a heating member;

lowering the heating member until the cannula is inserted a desired insertion depth in the opening;

heating a distal portion of the optical fiber to between a softening temperature and a melting temperature for a period of time to cause the distal portion to axially shrink; and

allowing the cannula to move so that the lens remains in contact with the distal end of the optical as the distal portion axially shrinks.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the cannula is one of a 23 gauge or 25 gauge cannula.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the lens is a sapphire lens for a wide angle illuminator.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising heating the heating member to at least 350 degrees F.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising heating the heating member to at least 400 degrees F.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the period of time is in a range of 6 to 40 seconds.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the cannula and optical element assembly is inserted to an insertion depth of between 0.05 inches and 0.2 inches.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising using an alignment tube to vertically align the cannula with the opening.