Control system for ophthalmic surgical instruments

• US 4,933,843 A
• Filed: 11/04/1988
• Issued: 06/12/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Storz Instrument Company (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Storz Instrument Company (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Scheller, Gregg D., Lucas, R. Bruce, Yefet, Gideon, Dallam, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Lastova, John R.
• Application Number:
  US07/267,713
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 364/413, 604/22, 604/66, 604/67, 128/303.1, 128/419 PG, 128/419 PT
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1626 Control means; Display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/32 Surgical cutting instruments A61B18/042 takes precedence; suture cutters A61B17/0467; instruments for ligaturing or cutting A61B17/128; instruments for rupturing the amniotic membrane A61B17/4208; specially adapted knives for eye surgery A61F9/0133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/306 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic

Abstract

The control system is programmable by the user by inserting a preprogrammed key into the system console. The key changes the default values normally used by the control system to those values selected by a particular surgeon. The control console thus emulates the performance characteristics of a wide variety of different types of microsurgical control systems, leaving the surgeon free to perform the operation without having to adjust to a new or unfamilar system. The display screen is self-illuminating and provides a plurality of control menus generated by data stored in computer memory circuits. By bank switching the memory circuits, the display can be caused to appear in a wide variety of different languages.

Claims

1. A microsurgical control system for controlling a fluid pressure controlled microsurgical instrument, comprising:

pressure control means for coupling to a microsurgical instrument and for providing a controlled fluid pressure signal to said instrument;

digitally programmed electronic circuit means coupled to said pressure control means for defining at least two different sets of response characteristics, each set of response characteristics comprising a predefined relationship in which a plurality of different input values each bears a one to one relationship to a corresponding output value;

said electronic circuit means including means for selecting one of said different sets of response characteristics as the active set of response characteristics;

actuator means coupled with said electronic circuit means for providing an input value to said electronic circuit means in response to human actuation;

said electronic circuit means determining an output value from said input value in accordance with said active set of response characteristics and using said output value so determined to control the pressure provided to said instrument.

2. The control system of claim 1 further comprising digital memory means coupled to said electronic circuit means for storing said different sets of response characteristics, and wherein said electronic circuit includes means for selectively reading one of said sets of response characteristics from said memory means and for altering the manner in which said control system responds in accordance with the response characteristic read.

3. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a portable memory which is removably couplable to said electronic circuit means for storing at least one of said sets of response characteristics, and wherein said electronic circuit includes means for selectively reading said response characteristics from said portable memory and for altering the manner in which said control system responds in accordance with the response characteristic read.

4. The control system of claim 1 wherein said actuator means comprises a foot pedal.

5. The control system of claim 1 further including self illuminating display means for displaying surgical control information associated with said control system.

6. The control system of claim 1 wherein said actuator means comprises at least one endless digital potentiometer.

7. The control system of claim 1 further comprising a first digital memory circuit coupled to said electronic circuit means for storing at least one of said sets of response characteristics and comprising a second portable memory circuit removably couplable to said electronic circuit means for storing another of said sets of response characteristics;

and

wherein said electronic circuit includes means for selectively reading said response characteristics from said first and second memory circuits and for altering the manner in which said control system responds in accordance with the response characteristic read.

8. The control system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pressure controlled microsurgical instrument is an instrument selected from the group of ophthalmic surgical instruments consisting of fragmentation emulsification instruments, cutting instruments and aspiration instruments.

9. The control system of claim 1, further comprising:

second pressure control means for coupling to a second ophthalmic microsurgical instrument and for providing a controlled fluid pressure signal to said second instrument;

third pressure control means for coupling to an ophthalmic microsurgical irrigation instrument and for providing a controlled liquid pressure flow to said irrigation instrument;

an electronic display screen on said console having at least a plurality of first distinct display regions and a plurality of second distinct display regions, with each of said first regions being capable of displaying at least a plurality of human readable characters and each of said second display regions being capable of displaying two sets of human readable characters; and

a plurality of manually actuable controller means disposed on said console at locations corresponding to predetermined regions of said display screen, said controller means including a plurality of first controllers for selecting said surgical procedures and a plurality of second controllers for selecting operating values of said microsurgical instruments.

10. A microsurgical control system for controlling at least two different ophthalmic microsurgical instruments so as to be able to perform a plurality of different surgical procedures therewith, comprising:

a console;

means on said console for connecting to at least two ophthalmic microsurgical instruments;

an electronic display screen on said console having at least a plurality of first distinct display regions and a plurality of second distinct display regions, with each of said first regions being capable of displaying at least a plurality of human readable characters and each of said second display regions being capable of displaying two sets of human readable characters;

a plurality of manually actuable controller means disposed on said console at locations corresponding to predetermined regions of said display screen, said controller means including a plurality of first controllers for selecting said surgical procedures and a plurality of second controllers, with each of said second controllers being for selecting an operating value of one of said microsurgical instruments, and with each of said second controllers having a movable control portion adapted for smooth and continuous movement through a range of positions corresponding to more than a few different operating values of one of said microsurgical instruments;

menu generating means coupled to said display screen for writing human readable characters including numbers at said second regions of said display screen indicative of operating functions and values of said microsurgical instruments and for writing predetermined human readable messages at said first regions of said display indicative of said different surgical procedures;

procedure control means coupled to said connecting means for defining and providing a plurality of predetermined and selectable ophthalmic surgical procedures for controlling said instruments, said surgical procedures corresponding to procedures indicated by said predetermined human readable messages that are written to the first regions of said display; and

procedure selection means coupled to said procedure control means and responsive to said first controllers of said controller means for causing said procedure control means to perform a selected one of said plurality of procedures.

11. The control system of claim 10 wherein said human readable messages correspond to and identify said plurality of procedures, said procedures including at least four procedures selected from the group of ophthalmic surgical procedures consisting of vitrectomy, microscissor cutting, irrigation, aspiration, illumination, fragmentation, and emulsification.

12. The control system of claim 10 wherein said menu generating means is coupled to said controller means to change said human readable messages in response to actuation of said controller means in a predetermined progression from menu to menu dependent upon which one of said controllers is depressed with respect to each menu, said progression of menus being organized so that certain menus exclude listing certain surgical procedures in individual ones of said menus when such certain procedures are normally not performed in connection with a specific surgical procedure selected from a previous menu.

13. The control system of claim 12 further comprising redefining means responsive to said plurality of first controllers and coupled to said menu generating means and to said procedure control means for causing said procedure control means to provide a different plurality of predetermined and selectable surgical procedures in accordance with a selected progression of menus which have been displayed on said display screen.

14. The control system of claim 13 wherein said redefining means includes a readily removable memory key for storing parameters used to at least in part specify the manner of operation of said two instruments during said surgical procedures.

15. A microsurgical control system for controlling any one of at least three different predetermined ophthalmic microsurgical instruments, the control system comprising:

a console having display means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of human readable messages pertaining to surgical functions for two or more ophthalmic microsurgical instruments and operating values therefor, and a plurality of manually actuable selector means arranged about predetermined regions of said display means for selecting said surgical functions and operating values, said plurality of selector means including at least a first set of switches for selecting said surgical functions, and a set of selector knobs for selecting said operating values, at least two of said knobs each having a movable control portion adapted for smooth and continuous movement through a range of positions corresponding to multiple different operating values associated with a selected one of said surgical functions; and

programmed controller means for generating said messages for display, for defining a plurality of functions and control characteristics for said selector means, and for generating signals which control the operation of each of said ophthalmic microsurgical instruments in response to the actuation of said selector means, said controller means including memory means for assigning a different operating value to at least one knob of said selector means for different ophthalmic surgical procedures.

16. The microsurgical control system of claim 15, wherein said controller means includes memory means for assigning a different function to at least one of said selector switches for different surgical procedures, and for assigning a different operating value to at least one of said selector knobs for different surgical procedures.

17. The microsurgical control system of claim 15, wherein said controller means includes circuit means for distally encoding the signals from said selector knobs, and counter means for processing said encoded signals into digital values corresponding to said operating values.

18. The microsurgical control system of claim 15, wherein said controller means includes manually removable programmable memory means for determining at least some default values of said control characteristics of said selector means, said memory means being user-programmable by actuation of selected ones of said selection means of said console.

19. The control system of claim 15, wherein said system is capable of operating at least said three instruments concurrently, and said programmed controller means includes

first pressure control means for providing a controlled fluid pressure signal to a first one of said ophthalmic instruments, and

second pressure control means for providing a controlled fluid pressure signal to a second one of said ophthalmic microsurgical instruments,

said first one and said second one of said instruments being selected from the group of ophthalmic surgical instruments consisting of cutting instruments, irrigation instruments and aspiration instruments.