Control system for ophthalmic surgical instruments
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A microsurgical control system for controlling a fluid pressure controlled microsurgical instrument, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A microsurgical control system for controlling any one of at least three different predetermined ophthalmic microsurgical instruments, the control system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification