Turbine driven vitrectomy cutter

• US 6,875,221 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2001
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bausch & Lomb Incorporated (Bausch Health Cos., Inc.)
• Inventors: Cull, Laurence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thaler, Michael H.
• Application Number:
  US10/017,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 606/171, 606/170, 606/166, 604/22
• US Class Current: 606/171
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00553 using a turbine
• 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

Abstract

A vitreous cutter 10 includes a plurality of vanes 14 rotatably attached within a housing 12. An inlet 16 receives pressurized fluid, which causes rotation of the vanes 14. An outlet 20 allows the pressurized fluid to exit the cutter 10. A cam 24 rotates upon rotation of the vanes 14, which causes reciprocal movement of a vitrectomy probe 28.

Claims

1. A vitreous cutter comprising:

a housing;

a plurality of vanes rotatably attached within the housing;

an inlet for receiving pressurized fluid causing rotation of the vanes;

an outlet for allowing the pressurized fluid to exit the cutter;

a cam attached to the vanes and rotatably attached within the housing and structured to rotate upon rotation of the vanes; and

a vitrectomy probe contained within the housing and structured for reciprocal movement caused by rotating the cam;

a brake for selectively stopping rotation of the cam;

wherein the brake is structured to stop rotation of the cam in less than one (1) revolution of the cam after the pressurized fluid has been cut-off from the inlet, such that the probe is stopped in a retracted position.

2. The vitreous cutter of claim 1 wherein the brake further includes:

a resilient arm fixedly attached to the housing at one end;

a brake-block attached to an opposing end of the arm;

a notched shaft-portion fixed upon an axis of rotation of the cam such that the notch receives the brake-block; and

wherein the resilient arm is deflected by the pressurized fluid to allow rotation of the cam and where the arm causes the brake-block to be received within the notch after the pressurized fluid has been cut-off from the inlet.