HIGH SPEED PNEUMATIC VALVE

• US 20190321224A1
• Filed: 07/02/2019
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Novartis Ag
• Inventors: Farley, Mark Harrison
• Granted Patent: US 11,311,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00763 with rotating or reciprocating cutting elements, e.g. concentric cutting needles atherectomy cutting instruments A61B17/3207; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 39/227 Valves actuated by a secondary fluid, e.g. hydraulically or pneumatically actuated valves
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 11/0856 having all the connecting conduits situated in more than one plane perpendicular to the axis of the plug

Abstract

A pneumatic valve directs pressurized air to and air exhaust from a surgical implement, such as a dual actuation vitreous probe. The pneumatic valve includes an axially symmetric valve body configured to rotate from a first position, in which the pneumatic valve places a first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized air and a second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the air exhaust, to a second position, in which the pneumatic valve places the first port in fluid communication with the air exhaust and the second port in fluid communication with the pressurized air, and back to the first position, in one rotational direction. As such, the axially symmetric valve body continuously rotates in one rotational direction to alternate the pressurized air and the air exhaust between the two ports of the surgical implement to drive the dual actuation operation.

Claims

1. A surgical system comprising:

a surgical implement comprising a first port and a second port;

a fluid pressure supplying device configured to supply a pressurized fluid to the surgical implement;

a fluid exhaust manifold configured to direct a fluid exhaust from the surgical implement;

a pneumatic valve configured to rotate from a first position in which the pneumatic valve places the first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid pressure supplying device and places the second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust manifold, to a second position in which the pneumatic valve places the first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust manifold and the second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid pressure supplying device, and the pneumatic valve is configured to rotate within the housing from the second position back to the first position, in one rotational direction.

2. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the pneumatic valve comprises:

an axially symmetric valve body; and

a housing configured to accommodate the axially symmetric valve body, wherein the axially symmetric valve body is configured to rotate within the housing from the first position to the second position and back to the first position in the one rotational direction.

3. The surgical system of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises:

a chamber configured to accommodate the axially symmetric valve body;

a first port opening formed on an inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the first port of the surgical implement;

a second port opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the second port of the surgical implement;

a fluid pressure opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the fluid pressure supplying device; and

a fluid exhaust opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust manifold.

4. The surgical system of claim 3, wherein the axially symmetric valve body comprises:

a first connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the first port opening and the fluid pressure opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the first position;

a second connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the second port opening and the fluid exhaust opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the first position;

a third connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the first port opening and the fluid exhaust opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the second position; and

a fourth connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the second port opening and the pressurized air opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the second position;

5. The surgical system of claim 4, wherein the axially symmetric valve body further comprises flow grooves formed on a circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and extending from openings of one or more connection channels, wherein the flow grooves define opening or closing timing sequences of the one or more connection channels.

6. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure supplying device supplies a vacuum.

7. The surgical system of claim 1, wherein the surgical implement is a dual actuation vitreous probe and wherein a rotational speed of the pneumatic valve corresponds to a cutting rate of the dual actuation vitreous probe.

8. The surgical system of claim 5, wherein a close tolerance air gap is provided between the circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and the inner wall of the housing to form a frictionless air bearing when the axially symmetric valve body rotates in the housing.

9. The surgical system of claim 2 further comprising a drive shaft configured to engage the axially symmetric valve body and to rotate the axially symmetric valve body in the one rotational direction in the housing;

wherein the axially symmetric valve body comprises a drive shaft engagement interface configured to engage and receive a rotational driving force from the drive shaft, and wherein the drive shaft engagement interface provides radial and tilt compliance between the drive shaft and the valve body.

10. The surgical system of claim 9, further comprising concentric air baffles at an opening in the housing in an area of drive shaft entry;

wherein a close tolerance air gap is provided between the circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and the inner wall of the housing to form a frictionless air bearing when the axially symmetric valve body rotates in the housing, and

wherein the close-tolerance air gap and air baffles combine to resist air leakage from the valve body.

11. A surgical system pneumatic valve configured to direct a pressurized fluid to and a fluid exhaust from a surgical implement of a surgical system, the surgical system pneumatic valve comprising:

an axially symmetric valve body; and

a housing configured to accommodate the axially symmetric valve body, wherein the axially symmetric valve body is configured to rotate within the housing from a first position, in which the pneumatic valve places a first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid and places the second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust, to a second position, in which the pneumatic valve places the first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust and places the second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid, and the axially symmetric valve body is configured to rotate within the housing from the second position back to the first position while rotating in one rotational direction.

12. The surgical system pneumatic valve of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises:

a chamber configured to accommodate the axially symmetric valve body;

a first port opening formed on an inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the first port of the surgical implement;

a second port opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the second port of the surgical implement;

an fluid pressure opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid; and

a fluid exhaust opening formed on the inner wall of the chamber and in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust.

13. The pneumatic valve of claim 12, wherein the axially symmetric valve body comprises:

a first connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the first port opening and the fluid pressure opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the first position;

a second connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the second port opening and the fluid exhaust opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the first position;

a third connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the first port opening and the fluid exhaust opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the second position; and

a fourth connection channel formed through the axially symmetric valve body and configured to place the second port opening and the fluid pressure opening in fluid communication when the axially symmetric valve body is in the second position;

14. The pneumatic valve of claim 13, wherein the axially symmetric valve body further comprises flow grooves formed on a circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and extending from one or more of the channels, wherein the flow grooves define opening or closing timing sequences of the one or more connection channels.

15. The pneumatic valve of claim 11, wherein a close tolerance air gap is provided between the circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and the inner wall of the housing to form a frictionless air bearing when the axially symmetric valve body rotates in the housing.

16. The pneumatic valve of claim 11, wherein the axially symmetric valve body comprises a drive shaft engagement interface configured to engage and receive a rotational driving force from a drive shaft of the surgical system, and wherein the drive shaft engagement interface provides radial and tilt compliance between the drive shaft and the valve body.

17. A method comprising:

providing a pneumatic valve in a surgical system to direct a pressurized fluid to and a fluid exhaust from a surgical implement; and

rotating an axially symmetric valve body of the pneumatic valve in one rotational direction to move the axially symmetric valve body from a first position in which the pneumatic valve places a first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid and a second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust, to a second position, in which the pneumatic valve places the first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the fluid exhaust and the second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized fluid, and back to the first position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the surgical implement is a dual actuation vitreous probe, and wherein the method further comprises adjusting a rotational speed of the axially symmetric valve body to adjust a cutting rate of the dual actuation vitreous probe.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the axially symmetric valve body further comprises flow grooves formed on a circumferential surface of the axially symmetric valve body and extending from openings of one or more connection channels formed through the axially symmetric valve body, and wherein patterns of the flow grooves define opening or closing timing sequences of the one or more connection channels.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising rotating the axially symmetric valve body via a driving shaft of the surgical system.