Method and instrument for performing eye surgery
First Claim
1. An instrument for surgical removal of the lens from the eye comprisinga support, said support including an elongated, hollow housing that has a stiff, flexible annular wall,means for cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar electrical energy and splitting the nucleus at the groove, said last named means comprising energizable first and second electrodes that are carried by said support, said electrodes including distal ends that are operative when energized to generate a tissue cutting electrical energy, anda conduit for removing the pieces of nucleus,means for connecting said conduit to a source of vacuum,said electrodes and said conduit being disposed within said annular wall, andrigid means at the end of said housing adjacent the distal ends of said electrodes, said rigid means cooperating with said stiff, flexible annular wall to cause the distal ends of said electrodes to move away from each other to split the nucleus.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An instrument for surgically removing a lens from the eye comprising a housing that supports electrodes for bipolar cutting and splitting the nucleus of the lens.
A method of surgically removing a lens from the eye comprising the steps of inserting an instrument into the eye, cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with electrical energy, splitting the nucleus at the groove, and removing the pieces of nucleus from the eye.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An instrument for surgical removal of the lens from the eye comprising
a support, said support including an elongated, hollow housing that has a stiff, flexible annular wall, means for cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar electrical energy and splitting the nucleus at the groove, said last named means comprising energizable first and second electrodes that are carried by said support, said electrodes including distal ends that are operative when energized to generate a tissue cutting electrical energy, and a conduit for removing the pieces of nucleus, means for connecting said conduit to a source of vacuum, said electrodes and said conduit being disposed within said annular wall, and rigid means at the end of said housing adjacent the distal ends of said electrodes, said rigid means cooperating with said stiff, flexible annular wall to cause the distal ends of said electrodes to move away from each other to split the nucleus.
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2. An instrument for surgical removal of the lens from the eye comprising
first and second coaxial, hollow, elongated, stiff, flexible members made of electrically non-conductive material, said first hollow member being disposed within said second hollow member, means for cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar energy and splitting the nucleus into pieces at the groove, said last named means comprising first and second electrodes, said electrodes including distal ends, said electrodes being disposed in circumferentially spaced relation to each other and being disposed between said first and second hollow members to electrically isolate them, and said first hollow member comprises means for removing the pieces of the lens.
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5. An instrument for surgical removal of the lens from the eye comprising
means for cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar electrical energy and splitting the nucleus at the groove into pieces, and means for removing the pieces of nucleus, means for cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar electrical energy and splitting the nucleus at the groove comprising first and second electrodes, said electrodes including distal ends, said electrodes being in mutually-facing relation, an elongated diametrically extending, non-conductive member disposed between said electrodes to electrically separate them from each other, and each of said electrodes cooperates with said non-conductive member to define a first conduit for applying an irrigating fluid to the area where cutting is taking place and a second conduit for removing material from said area.
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8. The method of surgically removing the lens from the eye comprising the steps of
cutting a groove in the nucleus of the lens with bipolar electrical energy, splitting said nucleus, and removing the pieces of nucleus.
Specification