SURGICAL APPARATUS INCLUDING ASPIRATION DEVICE SENSORS

• US 20180049920A1
• Filed: 08/18/2016
• Published: 02/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: CHARLES, STEVEN T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,702,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/005 with suction drainage system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2217/007 with irrigation system
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/73 comprising sensors or indicators for physical values
• 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 1/774 Handpieces specially adapted for providing suction as well as irrigation, either simultaneously or independently
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/86 Connectors between drainage tube and handpiece, e.g. drainage tubes detachable from handpiece
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3331 Pressure; Flow
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3334 Measuring or controlling the flow rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3341 stabilising pressure or flow to avoid excessive variation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes

Abstract

A method and system provide a surgical hand piece including an aspiration line, a tip and a sensor. The tip is coupled with the aspiration line. The sensor is in the aspiration line. The sensor measures a change in at least one of flow through the aspiration line, pressure in the aspiration line and motion of an additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line.

Claims

1. A surgical hand piece, comprising:

an aspiration line;

a sensor residing in the aspiration line, the sensor for measuring a change in at least one of flow through the aspiration line, pressure in the aspiration line and motion of an additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line; and

a tip coupled with the aspiration line.

2. The surgical hand piece of claim 1, wherein the change is at least fifty percent in the at least one of the flow through the aspiration line, the pressure in the aspiration line and the motion of the additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line.

3. The surgical hand piece of claim 2, wherein the change is at least one hundred percent of the at least one of the flow through the aspiration line, the pressure in the aspiration line and the motion of the additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line.

4. The surgical hand piece of claim 2, wherein the sensor measures the change in the pressure.

5. The surgical hand piece of claim 4, further comprising an aspiration tube connector, wherein:

a portion of the aspiration line resides in the aspiration tube connector; and

the sensor resides in the portion of the aspiration line residing in the aspiration tube connector.

6. The surgical hand piece of claim 2, wherein:

the additional portion of the surgical hand piece includes a piston; and

the sensor measures the change in motion, the change being a velocity of the piston.

7. The surgical hand piece of claim 6, wherein the sensor is selected from a Hall effect sensor, a Hall effect encoder, an accelerometer, and an optical motion sensor.

8. The surgical hand piece of claim 2, wherein:

the sensor provides a signal in response to the change; and

a vacuum source is controlled to reduce a vacuum in response to the signal.

9. The surgical hand piece of claim 1 further comprising an irrigation line coupled with the tip.

10. A surgical hand piece, comprising:

an irrigation line;

an aspiration line;

a vacuum sensor residing in the aspiration line, the vacuum sensor for measuring a change of at least one hundred percent in a pressure in the aspiration line, the vacuum sensor providing a signal in response to the change and wherein a vacuum source is controlled to reduce a vacuum in response to the signal; and

a fragmenter tip coupled with the aspiration line and the irrigation line, a portion of the fragmenter tip configured to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s eye and to break up tissue in the patient'"'"'s eye.

11. The surgical hand piece of claim 10, further comprising an aspiration tube connector, wherein:

a portion of the aspiration line resides in the aspiration tube connector; and

the vacuum sensor resides in the portion of the aspiration line residing in the aspiration tube connector.

12. A surgical hand piece, comprising:

an irrigation line;

an aspiration line;

a piston residing in the aspiration line;

a motion sensor residing in the aspiration line, the motion sensor for measuring a change of at least one hundred percent in speed of the piston within the aspiration line, the motion sensor being selected from a Hall effect sensor, a Hall effect encoder, an accelerometer, and an optical motion sensor; and

a tip coupled with the aspiration line and the irrigation line, a portion of the tip being configured to be inserted into a patient'"'"'s eye, the motion sensor providing a signal in response to the change and wherein a vacuum source is controlled to reduce a vacuum in response to the signal.

13. A method for treating an ophthalmic condition in an eye of a patient using a surgical hand piece including a tip and an aspiration line coupled with the tip, the method comprising:

measuring a change in at least one of the flow through the aspiration line, the pressure in the aspiration line and the motion of an additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line using a sensor in the aspiration line; and

providing a signal from the sensor, the signal indicating the change of at least a threshold being detected by the sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the signal is provided only in response to the change of the threshold being detected by the sensor; and

the method further includes controlling a vacuum source to reduce a vacuum in response to the signal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising controlling a vacuum source to reduce a vacuum in response to the signal indicating the change is at least threshold.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the threshold is at least fifty percent in the at least one of the flow through the aspiration line, the pressure in the aspiration line and the motion of the additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the threshold is at least one hundred percent of the at least one of the flow through the aspiration line, the pressure in the aspiration line and the motion of the additional portion of the hand piece within the aspiration line.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the sensor measures the change in the pressure.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the additional portion of the surgical hand piece includes a piston and wherein the sensor measures the change in motion, the change being a speed of the piston.