Ophthalmic instrument with curved suction conduit and internal ultrasound needle

• US 5,364,405 A
• Filed: 07/30/1993
• Issued: 11/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Allergan Incorporated (Abbvie Incorporated)
• Inventors: Zaleski, Edward R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US08/099,707
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 604/19, 604/22, 604/27, 604/35, 604/264, 606/1, 606/107, 606/167, 606/170, 606/171, 128/749-752, 128/760, 128/763, 128/768
• US Class Current: 606/107
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320084 Irrigation sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic

Abstract

An ophthalmic instrument including an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end. The distal end portion is sized to be received through an incision into the eye. An elongated member having a resiliently deformable end portion is at least partially received in the elongated passage of the tube. The distal end portion of the inner member has a curved configuration in a relaxed condition and is capable of performing a function within the eye. The tube and the inner member are relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening. A hollow ultrasound needle is positioned in the inner member which is movable relative to the needle.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated inner member having a resiliently deformable distal end portion which has an arc of curved configuration in a relaxed condition and sized to be received through an incision into the eye, said distal end portion of the elongated inner member being capable of performing a function within an eye;

said elongated inner member being at least partially received in the elongated passage of the elongated tube, said distal end portions of the elongated tube and elongated inner member being relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the elongated inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening;

said elongated inner member having a distal end and an elongated passage opening at the distal end of the elongated inner member;

an elongated ultrasound needle in the elongated passage of the elongated inner member; and

means for imparting elongated ultrasonic energy to the ultrasound needle.

2. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated inner member having a resiliently deformable distal end portion which has an arc of curved configuration in a relaxed condition and sized to be received through an incision into the eye, said distal end portion of the elongated inner member being capable of performing a function within an eye;

said elongated inner member being at least partially received in the elongated passage of the elongated tube, said distal end portions of the elongated tube and elongated inner member being relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the elongated inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening;

said elongated inner member having a distal end and an elongated passage opening at the distal end of the elongated inner member;

an elongated ultrasound needle in the elongated passage of the elongated inner member; and

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the elongated ultrasound needle, said elongated ultrasound needle having a distal end portion which projects out of the distal opening of the elongated tube, the elongated inner member and the elongated tube being relatively movable between a first position in which the distal end portion of the elongated inner member extends distally of the distal end portion of the elongated ultrasound needle and a second position in which the distal end portion of the elongated ultrasound needle projects distally of the distal end of the elongated inner member.

3. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated inner member having a resiliently deformable distal end portion which has an arc of curved configuration in a relaxed condition and sized to be received through an incision into the eye, said distal end portion of the elongated inner member being capable of performing a function within an eye;

said elongated inner member being at least partially received in the elongated passage of the elongated tube, said distal end portions of the elongated tube and elongated inner member being relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the elongated inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening;

said elongated inner member having a distal end and an elongated passage opening at the distal end of the elongated inner member;

an elongated ultrasound needle in the elongated passage of the elongated inner member and having a needle passage and having a distal end; and

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the elongated ultrasound needle, said ophthalmic instrument including means for applying a suction force to the needle passage which tends to pull material into the distal end of the elongated ultrasound needle.

4. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated inner member having a resiliently deformable distal end portion which has an arc of curved configuration in a relaxed condition and sized to be received through an incision into the eye, said distal end portion of the elongated inner member being capable of performing a function within an eye;

said elongated inner member being at least partially received in the elongated passage of the elongated tube, said distal end portions of the elongated tube and elongated inner member being relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the elongated inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening;

said elongated inner member having a distal end and an elongated passage opening at the distal end of the elongated inner member;

an elongated ultrasound needle in the elongated passage of the elongated inner member; and

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the elongated ultrasound needle, said elongated ultrasound needle having a tapered outer periphery which is engageable with the elongated inner member in at least one longitudinal position of the elongated inner member to form a seal.

5. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

a handpiece having a distal end portion, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated inner member having a resiliently deformable distal end portion which has an arc of curved configuration in a relaxed condition and sized to be received through an incision into the eye, said distal end portion of the elongated inner member being capable of performing a function within an eye;

said elongated inner member being at least partially received in the elongated passage of the handpiece, at least the distal end portions of the handpiece and said elongated inner member being relatively movable longitudinally so that the distal end portion of the elongated inner member can be caused to project through the distal opening a variable amount to change the length of the arc of the curved configuration projecting from the distal opening, said elongated inner member having a distal end and an elongated passage opening at the distal end of the elongated inner member;

an elongated ultrasound elongated needle in the elongated passage of the elongated inner member; and

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the ultrasound needle.

6. An ophthalmic instrument being sized to be received through an incision into the eye comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

an elongated ultrasound needle movably mounted at least partially in the elongated passage of the tube;

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the elongated ultrasound needle; and

the elongated ultrasound needle having a proximal end, a distal end and an elongated needle passage opening at the distal end of the elongated ultrasound needle, said needle having an outer periphery of progressively increasing cross-sectional area from its distal end to its proximal end engageable with the elongated passage of said elongated tube to form a seal, said distal end portion of said elongated tube being deformable from a curved configuration in a relaxed condition, and means for axially shifting said elongated tube relative to said elongated ultrasonic needle distal end to change the configuration of said elongated tube.

7. An ophthalmic instrument comprising:

an elongated tube having proximal and distal end portions, a distal end and an elongated passage opening at a distal opening at the distal end;

said distal end portion of said elongated tube being deformable from a curved configuration in a relaxed condition;

said distal end portion of said elongated tube being sized to be received through an incision into the eye;

an elongated ultrasound needle movably mounted at least partially in the elongated passage of the elongated tube;

means for imparting ultrasonic energy to the elongated ultrasound needle;

the elongated ultrasound needle having a proximal end, a distal end and an elongated needle passage opening at the distal end of the elongated ultrasound needle; and

means for axially shifting said elongated tube relative to said needle distal end to change the configuration of the distal end portion of said elongated tube.

8. The instrument of claim 7 wherein said elongated ultrasound needle has a tapered outer periphery engageable with the elongated tube in at least one axially shifted position to form a seal.

9. A method of breaking up a natural lens of an eye and aspirating natural lens particles from the eye, said method comprising the steps of:

providing an instrument having a first tubular member with a flexible distal end portion that has a curved configuration in a relaxed condition and an aspirating passage therein;

providing a hollow ultrasonic needle in said aspirating passage, said hollow ultrasonic needle having a needle passage and a distal end portion;

sliding said flexible distal end portion of said first tubular member relative to said hollow ultrasonic needle so as to straighten said flexible distal end portion;

advancing the straightened distal end portion of said first tubular member and said hollow ultrasonic needle through an incision into the interior of the eye;

applying ultrasonic energy to said hollow ultrasonic needle to break up the natural lens;

relatively advancing said flexible distal end portion of said first tubular member beyond the distal end portion of said hollow ultrasonic needle to permit said flexible distal end portion to assume a curved configuration; and

applying suction to the needle passage and through said flexible distal end portion to aspirate natural lens particles from said eye cavity.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of flowing irrigation fluid in a path along said first tubular member.

11. The method of claim 9 including the step of providing an irrigation fluid flow conduit extending longitudinally of said hollow ultrasound needle, and flowing irrigation fluid through said conduit irrigation fluid flow.