Repetitive progressive axial displacement pattern for phacoemulsifier needle tip

• US 6,939,317 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jaime Zacharias
• Original Assignee: Jaime Zacharias
• Inventors: Zacharias, Jaime
• Primary Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Virdi, Sundeep
• Application Number:
  US10/710,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20050096680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 604 20- 22, 604/19, 604/294, 606/107, 606/169, 623/6.12, 601/2, 601/46, 601/48, 601/87, 601/93, 601/101
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic

Abstract

A method to improve phacoemulsification efficiency by providing bursts of axial ultrasonic activity in synchronization with a fraction of a lower frequency axial oscillatory activity, the fraction corresponding to the portion of the low frequency signal that displaces toward the lens fragments and distally from the phacoemulsification hand-piece. Ultrasonic bursts synchronized with displacement of the phacoemulsification needle tip toward the lens tissue increases efficiency allowing the reduction of the required ultrasonic power minimizing heat generation and cavitation.

Claims

1. A method to improve the efficiency of a phacoemulsification system by delivering a burst of ultrasonic power synchronized with a fraction of a low frequency motion waveform at a phacoemulsification needle tip, the method comprising:

selecting an ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator to axially oscillate a phacoemulsifier needle at ultrasonic frequency;

selecting a low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to axially oscillate a phacoemulsifier needle at low frequency;

mechanically combining the ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator and the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to obtain an axial phacoemulsification needle displacement pattern corresponding to the combined action of both ultrasonic and low frequency electro-mechanic actuators;

selecting a low frequency driver signal waveform to oscillate the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator;

selecting an ultrasonic driver signal waveform to oscillate the ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator;

detecting a phase and position signal of the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to synchronize bursts of ultrasonic actuator activity;

in a way that bursts of axial ultrasonic activity of the phacoemulsifier needle are repeatedly produced in synchronization with a fraction of each low frequency electro-mechanic actuator cycle.