APPARATUS FOR INTRAOCULAR SURGERY

• US 3,815,604 A
• Filed: 06/19/1972
• Issued: 06/11/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conor C O'Malley, Ralph M. Heintz Sr
• Original Assignee: Conor C O'Malley, Ralph M. Heintz Sr
• Inventors: O'Malley, Conor C., Heintz, Ralph M. Sr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pace, Channing L.
• Application Number:
  US05/264,166
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 128/2B,276,297,305,311
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/12 by passing a current through the tissue to be heated, e.g. high-frequency current
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1206 Generators therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0066 without feedback, i.e. open loop control
• 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: A61F 9/0079 using non-laser electromagnetic radiation, e.g. non-coherent light or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/75 Intermittent or pulsating suction A61M1/63, A61M1/772 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8776 Constantly urged tool or tool support [e.g., spring biased]

Abstract

A pneumatically operated intraocular surgery apparatus which is of very light weight and small size, the part inserted into the eye having a diameter of 1 mm. or less. One embodiment of the invention employs a high frequency electric current electrode for cutting or severing vitreous or other material, said electrode being provided with means for removing coagulated material adhering thereto. Other embodiment of this invention which are also of very small size and light weight employ concentric tubes with a pneumatic means for moving one of the tubes with respect to the other at a slow or fast rate so that vitreous sucked into one of the tubes is sheared off by the sharp end of the other tube and the severed vitreous is sucked into a calibrated cylinder and at the same time saline solution is automatically supplied to the eyeball to replace the removed vitreous.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or severing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination of a vitreous cutting and removing device, a pair of telescoping tubular members, means moving one of said tubular members back and forth with respect to the other during the vitreous cutting operation, one of said tubular memberS having a hole for receiving vitreous to be severed and removed from the eye and the other of said tubular member having one end thereof sharpened to shear the vitreous entering said hole, means attached to the inner one of said telescoping tubular members for removing the severed vitreous, said moving means comprising sources of compressed air and vacuum and pneumatic actuating means connected to said movable tubular member, means connected to said sources alternately for reciprocating said pneumatic actuating means and said movable tubular member, said means attached to said inner tubular member comprising a hose and means connecting said hose to said source of vacuum.

2. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or severing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said means connecting said hose to said source of vacuum comprises a vacuum control valve periodically actuated by compressed air and vacuum.

3. In apparatus for intraocular surgery for cutting or severing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination comprising a tube of very small diameter having a hole near one end thereof, a second tube concentric with said first mentioned tube, said tubes fitting snugly together and one of said tubes being slidable with respect to the other, the end of said second tube being honed and polished to provide a sharp cutting edge, means connected to said tubes drawing vitreous into said hole of said first mentioned tube, means for moving said one of said tubes so that the sharp end thereof crosses said hole and shears said vitreous sucked into said hole of said first mentioned tube, a handle comprising a cylinder with a piston slidable therein, means connecting said one of said tubes to said piston and pneumatic means for moving said piston back and forth.

4. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said one of said tubes that is connected to said piston comprises the tube with said hole near one end thereof and said one of said tubes being slidable inside of said second tube.

5. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said one of said tubes that is connected to said piston comprises said second tube and said second tube being slidable in said first mentioned tube.

6. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said pneumatic means comprises sources of air pressure and vacuum, and means alternately connecting said sources to the said cylinder for actuating said piston.

7. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 3, further characterized in that said pneumatic means includes a pair of small flexible hoses one of which supplies pressure and vacuum from said sources to actuate said piston and the other of which is connected to the inner one of the cutting tubes for removal of debris resulting from the cutting operation.

8. In apparatus for intraocular surgery for cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball, the combination of a vitreous cutting device comprising a pair of tubes of very small diameter, the end of one of said tubes being honed and polished to provide a sharp cutting edge and the other of said tubes being provided with a hole for receiving vitreous to be severed and removed from the eye, said tubes being concentrIc and one of said tubes being slidable with respect to the other so that said sharp cutting edge traverses said hole, means generating a pulsating electric current, means controlling the frequency of said pulsating electric current, pneumatic apparatus comprising a vacuum pump and an air pressure pump, a pneumatic line and means connecting said line to said cutting device, a two-way valve connected to said pneumatic line, means connecting said valve to said pressure pump and to said vacuum pump, means responsive to said pulsating current for operating said valve and alternately connecting said pneumatic line to said source of air pressure and to said source of vacuum through said two-way valve, said cutting device having means responsive to alternate air pressure and vacuum pulses transmitted through said pneumatic line.

9. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a second pneumatic line, means connecting said second pneumatic line to the inner one of said concentric tubes, means periodically connecting said second pneumatic line to said vacuum pump for removing debris from said inner tube.

10. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 9, further characterized in that said second pneumatic line is inside of said first mentioned pneumatic line and said means periodically connecting said second pneumatic line to said vacuum pump includes a pneumatically operated valve.

11. In an apparatus for intraocular surgery such as cutting or shearing and removal of vitreous or other material from the eyeball of a patient, the combination as set forth in claim 10, further characterized in that said pneumatically operated valve comprises a vacuum control valve operated by a piston slidable in a cylinder, and means connecting said cylinder to said two way valve to supply air pressure and vacuum thereto alternately.