Modulated pulsed ultrasonic power delivery system and method

• US 8,020,565 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kadziauskas, Kenneth E., Rockley, Paul W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Farah; Ahmed M
• Application Number:
  US12/005,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 606 4- 6, 606 10- 12, 606/167, 606169-171, 604/19, 604/21, 604/22, 604/28, 604/44, 128/898, 600/437, 600/439, 600/446, 600/452, 601/2
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00176 Two pulses, e.g. second pulse having an effect different from the first one
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00194 Means for setting or varying the repetition rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0215 for generating pulses, e.g. bursts of oscillations, envelopes
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/023 and stepped in amplitude, e.g. square wave, 2-level signal
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0253 taken directly from the generator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/06 operating with piezoelectric effect or with electrostriction piezoelectric or electrostrictive devices per se H10N30/00
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0223 User address space allocation, e.g. contiguous or non contiguous base addressing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering energy during a surgical procedure such as phacoemulsification is provided. The method and apparatus include applying energy during at least one pulsed energy on period, typically sufficient or intended to rapidly induce and beneficially employ transient cavitation. Applying energy during the pulsed energy on period comprises applying energy during a first high energy period, and applying energy during a second nonzero lower energy period.

Claims

1. A method of delivering ultrasonic energy during a tissue removal procedure, comprising:

delivering pulses of ultrasonic energy during an on period using an ultrasonic energy delivery device, ultrasonic energy pulse delivery comprising;

delivering at least one high energy burst of ultrasonic energy having a relatively high energy amplitude; and

delivering at least one nonzero low energy burst of ultrasonic energy having at least one relatively low energy amplitude after delivering every high energy burst.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein energy delivery occurs in multiple on periods interspersed by multiple de minimis power application periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue removal procedure occurs within a tissue removal environment, and wherein delivering the high energy burst of ultrasonic energy tends to induce transient cavitation within the tissue removal environment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein time between high energy burst delivering and low energy burst delivering is essentially zero.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said at least one nonzero low energy burst of ultrasonic energy comprises two nonzero low energy bursts of ultrasonic energy having substantially different relatively low energy amplitudes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein high energy burst delivery has a duration of at most approximately three milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein high energy burst duration is at most approximately two milliseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein ultrasonic pulse delivery further comprises an ability to dynamically alter power application parameters, wherein power application parameters altered comprise performance of at least one selected from a group consisting of:

high energy burst delivery duration;

low energy burst delivery duration;

the relatively high energy amplitude; and

the relatively low energy amplitude.

9. A method of delivering ultrasonic energy during a tissue removal procedure, comprising:

delivering pulses of ultrasonic energy during an on period using an ultrasonic energy delivery device, ultrasonic energy pulse delivery comprising;

delivering at least one high ultrasonic energy burst having a relatively high energy amplitude; and

delivering at least one nonzero low ultrasonic energy burst having a relatively low energy amplitude after delivering every high ultrasonic energy burst, wherein energy delivery occurs in multiple on periods interspersed by multiple de minimis power application periods.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the tissue removal procedure occurs within a tissue removal environment, and wherein delivering the high energy burst of ultrasonic energy tends to induce transient cavitation within the tissue removal environment.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein time between high energy burst delivering and low energy burst delivering is essentially zero.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said at least one nonzero low ultrasonic energy burst comprises two nonzero low ultrasonic energy bursts having substantially different relatively low energy amplitudes.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein each high ultrasonic energy burst has a duration of at most approximately three milliseconds.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein high energy ultrasonic burst duration is at most approximately two milliseconds.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein ultrasonic pulse delivery further comprises an ability to dynamically alter power application parameters, wherein power application parameters altered comprise performance of at least one selected from a group consisting of:

high energy burst delivery duration;

low energy burst delivery duration;

the relatively high energy amplitude; and

the relatively low energy amplitude.