Surgical system providing automatic reconfiguration

• US 5,997,528 A
• Filed: 08/28/1997
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Ritter, John Alan, Eberhardt, Christopher Michael, Cochran, Bruce Robert, Bisch, Michael Evremonde, Knight, Jeffery Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Buiz, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Woo, Julian W.
• Application Number:
  US08/919,608
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/4, 606/34, 606/41, 606/45, 600/301, 604/65
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods, e.g. tourniquets A61B18/00 takes precedence; contraceptive devices, pessaries, or applicators therefor A61F6/00; eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/14 Probes or electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00017 Electrical control of surgical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00057 Light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00154 pulsed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00185 Means for setting or varying the pulse height
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0019 Means for setting or varying the pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00199 with a console, e.g. a control panel with a display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00482 with a code
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00544 pneumatically
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00977 the depression depth determining the power rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/30 Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00736 Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments A61F9/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00763 with rotating or reciprocating cutting elements, e.g. concentric cutting needles atherectomy cutting instruments A61B17/3207; endoscopic cutting instruments A61B17/320016
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 : Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/28 : using pulse code
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2003/008 : with a haptic or a tactile feedback controlled by electrical means, e.g. a motor or magnetofriction
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/04 : Programmable interface between a set of switches and a set of functions, e.g. for reconfiguration of a control panel

Abstract

A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments connected thereto. The microsurgical instruments are for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures. The system includes a data communications bus and a user interface connected to the data communications bus. The user interface provides information to the user and receives information from the user which is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments. The system also includes surgical modules connected to and controlling the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters. The surgical modules are also connected to the data communications bus. The data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the surgical modules. Other features are also disclosed including a main control, an endo-illuminator system, a phacoemulsification handpiece, surgical scissors, a vitrectomy cutter, a surgical foot control, a remote control, a cart.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments connected thereto, said microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising:

a data communications bus;

a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments;

a first surgical module connected to and controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said first surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;

a second surgical module connected to and controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said second surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;

a central processor for executing routines to identify modules which may be ordered in a plurality of different locations in a base unit and initialize each of the modules communicating via the data communications bus;

wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the first and second surgical modules.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each module has at least one communications parameter identifying the module and wherein the modules connected to the data communications bus communicate as a function of the communications parameters, further comprising a memory storing a set of communications parameters corresponding to the modules connected to the data communications bus, and wherein the routines executed by the central processor include routines for detecting a change in the modules connected to the data communications bus and reconfiguring the set of communications parameters stored in the memory as a function of the change in the modules connected to the data communications bus.

3. A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments connected thereto, said microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising:

a data communications bus;

a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments;

a surgical module connected to and controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;

a central processor for executing routines to identify said module which may be in a plurality of different locations in a base unit and initialize the module communicating via the data communications bus;

wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the surgical module.

4. A method for automatically reconfiguring an ophthalmic microsurgical system comprising:

providing a data communications bus;

connecting a user interface to the data communications bus;

connecting a plurality of surgical modules for ophthalmic surgery to the data communications bus;

connecting a central processor to the data communications bus, wherein the central processor executes routines to identify and initialize each of the modules that are communicating via the data communications bus and that are movable to a plurality of different locations in a base unit.