Cataract Posterior/Wedge Chopper
First Claim
1. A chopper apparatus for performing a cataract surgery, the apparatus comprising:
- a chopping member that that is elongated and bent near a distal end of the chopping member, the chopping member comprising;
a wedge portion comprising a bend in the chopping member,an arm portion extending proximally from a first side of the wedge of the chopping member, the arm portion terminating in a handle portion configured to be held by a user when performing the cataract surgery on a patient,a forearm portion extending proximally from a second side of the wedge of the chopping member, the forearm terminating at the distal end of the chopping member, the distal end being configured to be placed into an eye of a patient by a user when performing the cataract surgery, andwherein the bend of the wedge portion comprises an angle of 110 degrees or less between the arm portion and the forearm portion of the chopping member.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed here is an apparatus and method for cataract surgery. The apparatus is an instrument referred to as a chopper that allows the reduction or elimination of ultrasound and/or laser energy introduced into the eye during cataract surgery. The chopper instrument is bent at an angle, such as an angle less than 110 degrees or less than 90 degrees, to provide a posterior (to anterior) chopping, and a wedge compression of the cataract. The bend in the chopper instrument, among other features, introduces refined vector forces that help in breaking/chopping the cataract with ease. The apparatus allows laser free/ultrasound free cataract extraction in dense cataracts. The chopper apparatus, a vacuum-tip and the proper vacuum settings, when used for performing a cataract surgery by a surgeon, allows the surgeon to break up the nucleus into small enough fragments that a true ultrasound-free/laser-free small incision cataract surgery can be accomplished with ease.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A chopper apparatus for performing a cataract surgery, the apparatus comprising:
a chopping member that that is elongated and bent near a distal end of the chopping member, the chopping member comprising; a wedge portion comprising a bend in the chopping member, an arm portion extending proximally from a first side of the wedge of the chopping member, the arm portion terminating in a handle portion configured to be held by a user when performing the cataract surgery on a patient, a forearm portion extending proximally from a second side of the wedge of the chopping member, the forearm terminating at the distal end of the chopping member, the distal end being configured to be placed into an eye of a patient by a user when performing the cataract surgery, and wherein the bend of the wedge portion comprises an angle of 110 degrees or less between the arm portion and the forearm portion of the chopping member. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for performing an ultrasound and laser free cataract surgery using a chopper apparatus that is elongated and comprises a bend of 110 degrees or less near a distal end, the chopper apparatus including an arm extending proximally from the bend and a forearm extending distally from the bend, the method comprising:
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placing a chopper apparatus into an eye of a patient to access a cataract; rotating the chopper apparatus such that a tip of the chopper apparatus at the distal end points toward a posterior pole of the cataract; positioning the chopper apparatus around a nucleus of the cataract such that an equator of the nucleus is straddled at the bend between the forearm and the arm of the chopper apparatus with the forearm positioned at a posterior of the nucleus; fragmenting the nucleus of the cataract into a plurality of fragments for removal from the eye with a vacuum tip that is positioned near a center of an anterior surface of the nucleus of the cataract, the fragmentation performed by repeatedly; pulling the chopper apparatus through the cataract such that the forearm of the chopper apparatus is moved anteriorly and horizontally toward a vacuum tip, the vacuum tip positioned near a center of an anterior surface of the nucleus of the cataract, the pulling motion causing a posterior to anterior chopping of the nucleus of the cataract; and moving the chopper apparatus and the vacuum tip back apart. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification