Cauterizing tool for ophthalmological surgery
First Claim
1. As an article of manufacture, a cauterizing tool comprising a tubular hypodermic-needle shaft having an elongate body with a syringe-adapter fitting at an upstream supply end and a substantially right-angle bend at a downstream discharge end, the radial offset at said bend being a small fraction of the elongate length of said shaft, and electrically conductive cable means for electrical cauterizing supply to said discharge end, said cable means being of cross-sectional area less than that of the bore of said shaft and extending within and for the preponderance of the length of said shaft, said cable means projecting through and beyond the discharge end of said shaft and having an externally exposed conductive working-electrode surface at said discharge end, whereby when fitted to a syringe having a supply of suitable irrigation fluid, and when said cable means is connected for excitation with a supply of cauterizing voltage, a region of cauterizing surgery may be irrigated without need for removal of the working-electrode surface from the region of surgical operation, said cable means being characterized by preformed zig-zag bends within said shaft near said discharge end, the zig-zag offsets in unstressed condition being greater than the bore diameter of said shaft, whereby said cable means is compliantly loaded in stabilizing contact with the bore of said shaft near said electrode surface for stabilized positioning support of said working-electrode surface with respect to said discharge end.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention contemplates a cauterizing tool in which the localized working surface of a cauterizing electrode is at an offset end of an elongate tubular body which may be of hypodermic-needle proportions and which is adapted for syringe connection to enable manipulation and irrigation of the region of cauterizing surgery, without need to remove the cauterizing tool. In ophthalmological surgery, the tool enables trans-iris placement and manipulation of the electrode region for clean circular cutting and irrigation of the anterior wall of the lens capsule, as a preliminary to removal of cataracted lens material from within the capsule.
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Citations
8 Claims
- 1. As an article of manufacture, a cauterizing tool comprising a tubular hypodermic-needle shaft having an elongate body with a syringe-adapter fitting at an upstream supply end and a substantially right-angle bend at a downstream discharge end, the radial offset at said bend being a small fraction of the elongate length of said shaft, and electrically conductive cable means for electrical cauterizing supply to said discharge end, said cable means being of cross-sectional area less than that of the bore of said shaft and extending within and for the preponderance of the length of said shaft, said cable means projecting through and beyond the discharge end of said shaft and having an externally exposed conductive working-electrode surface at said discharge end, whereby when fitted to a syringe having a supply of suitable irrigation fluid, and when said cable means is connected for excitation with a supply of cauterizing voltage, a region of cauterizing surgery may be irrigated without need for removal of the working-electrode surface from the region of surgical operation, said cable means being characterized by preformed zig-zag bends within said shaft near said discharge end, the zig-zag offsets in unstressed condition being greater than the bore diameter of said shaft, whereby said cable means is compliantly loaded in stabilizing contact with the bore of said shaft near said electrode surface for stabilized positioning support of said working-electrode surface with respect to said discharge end.
- 7. As an article of manufacture, a cauterizing tool comprising a tubular hypodermic-needle shaft having an elongate body with a syringe-adapter fitting at an upstream supply end and a substantially right-angle bend at a downstream discharge end, the radial offset at said bend being a small fraction of the elongate length of said shaft, electrically conductive cable means for electrical cauterizing supply to said discharge end, said cable means being of cross-sectional area less than that of the bore of said shaft and extending within and for the preponderance of the length of said shaft, said cable means projecting through and beyond the discharge end of said shaft and having an externally exposed conductive working-electrode surface at said discharge end, whereby when fitted to a syringe having a supply of suitable irrigation fluid, and when said cable means is connected for excitation with a supply of cauterizing voltage, a region of cauterizing surgery may be irrigated without need for removal of the working-electrode surface from the region of surgical operation, a further elongate tubular member enclosing said shaft with clearance to define an evaucation passage, said tubular member being open adjacent the discharge end of said shaft and closed at the supply end of said shaft, said tubular member having evacuation-port means near said closed end.
Specification