Steerable laser probe

• US 8,968,277 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2012
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katalyst Surgical, LLC (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Katalyst Surgical, LLC (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Scheller, Gregg D, Zeid, Matthew N
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lukjan, Sebastian X
• Application Number:
  US13/684,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20130150838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/4, 606/14
• US Class Current: 606/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00876 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00184 Moving parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00964 Features of probes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/70 Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/71 Manipulators operated by drive cable mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00863 Retina
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0006 for adjusting angular orientation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00821 for coagulation

Abstract

A steerable laser probe may include a handle, an actuation mechanism of the handle, an optic fiber, and a housing tube. The housing tube may include a first housing tube portion having a first stiffness and a second housing tube portion having a second stiffness. The second stiffness may be greater than the first stiffness. The optic fiber may be disposed within the housing tube and within an inner bore of the handle. A portion of the optic fiber may be fixed to an inner portion of the housing tube.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end;

a handle base of the handle, the handle base having a handle base distal end, a handle base proximal end, an outer cylinder interface, and a housing tube guide;

an outer cylinder of the handle, the outer cylinder having an outer cylinder distal end, an outer cylinder proximal end, and a handle base interface, the outer cylinder disposed over a portion of the handle base wherein the outer cylinder distal end is adjacent to the outer cylinder interface and the handle base proximal end is adjacent to the handle base interface;

an actuation mechanism of the handle, the actuation mechanism having an actuation mechanism distal end, an actuation mechanism proximal end, and a housing tube housing;

an actuation control of the actuation mechanism;

a single housing tube having a housing tube distal end and a housing tube proximal end, the housing tube disposed within the housing tube housing and the housing tube guide;

a wire having a wire distal end and a wire proximal end, the wire disposed within the housing tube and the handle wherein the wire distal end is fixed to an inner portion of the housing tube and the wire proximal end is fixed to a portion of the handle;

a first housing tube portion of the housing tube, the first housing tube portion having a first stiffness;

a second housing tube portion of the housing tube, the second housing tube portion having a second stiffness wherein the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness;

an optic fiber disposed in an inner bore of the handle and the housing tube, the optic fiber configured to transmit light for performing ophthalmic surgical procedures;

an actuation chamber of the actuation mechanism; and

a first static chamber of the handle, the actuation chamber and the first static chamber configured to temporarily fix the actuation control in a first position within an actuation channel of the handle wherein temporarily fixing the actuation control in the first position within the actuation channel of the handle is configured to temporarily fix the optic fiber in a first curved position.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an extension of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually curve the optic fiber.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the extension of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually curve the housing tube.

4. The instrument of claim 3 wherein the extension of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually extend the housing tube relative to the wire.

5. The instrument of claim 4 wherein the extension of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually compress a portion of the housing tube.

6. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising:

a second static chamber of the handle, the actuation chamber and the second static chamber of the handle configured to temporarily fix the actuation control in a second position within the actuation channel of the handle.

7. The instrument of claim 6 wherein temporarily fixing the actuation control in the second position within the actuation channel of the handle is configured to temporarily fix the optic fiber in a second curved position.

8. The instrument of claim 6 further comprising:

a third static chamber of the handle, the actuation chamber and the third static chamber of the handle configured to temporarily fix the actuation control in a third position within the actuation channel of the handle.

9. The instrument of claim 8 wherein temporarily fixing the actuation control in the third position within the actuation channel of the handle is configured to temporarily fix the optic fiber in a third curved position.

10. The instrument of claim 8 further comprising:

a fourth static chamber of the handle, the actuation chamber and the fourth static chamber of the handle configured to temporarily fix the actuation control in a fourth position within the actuation channel of the handle.

11. The instrument of claim 10 wherein temporarily fixing the actuation control within the fourth position within the actuation channel of the handle is configured to temporarily fix the optic fiber in a fourth curved position.

12. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising:

a magnet disposed in the actuation chamber of the actuation mechanism.

13. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising:

a magnet disposed in the first static chamber of the handle.

14. The instrument of claim 1 further comprising:

a first magnet disposed in the actuation chamber of the actuation mechanism;

and a second magnet disposed in the first static chamber of the handle.

15. An instrument comprising:

a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end;

a handle base of the handle, the handle base having a handle base distal end, a handle base proximal end, an outer cylinder interface, and a housing tube guide;

an outer cylinder of the handle, the outer cylinder having an outer cylinder distal end, an outer cylinder proximal end, and a handle base interface, the outer cylinder disposed over a portion of the handle base wherein the outer cylinder distal end is adjacent to the outer cylinder interface and the handle base proximal end is adjacent to the handle base interface;

an actuation mechanism of the handle having an actuation mechanism distal end, an actuation mechanism proximal end, and a housing tube housing;

a single housing tube having a housing tube distal end and a housing tube proximal end, the housing tube disposed within the housing tube guide and the housing tube housing wherein the housing tube proximal end is fixed within the actuation mechanism;

a first housing tube portion of the housing tube, the first housing tube portion having a first stiffness;

a second housing tube portion of the housing tube, the second housing tube portion having a second stiffness wherein the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness;

a wire configured to resist an extension of the housing tube relative to the handle proximal end having a wire distal end and a wire proximal end, the wire disposed within the housing tube and the handle wherein the wire distal end is fixed to an inner portion of the housing tube and the wire proximal end is fixed to a portion of the handle;

an optic fiber having an optic fiber distal end and an optic fiber proximal end, the optic fiber configured to transmit light for performing ophthalmic surgical procedures;

an actuation control of the actuation mechanism wherein an extension of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually curve the optic fiber;

an actuation chamber of the actuation mechanism; and

a first static chamber of the handle, the actuation chamber and the first static chamber configured to temporarily fix the actuation control in a first position within an actuation channel of the handle wherein temporarily fixing the actuation control in the first position within the actuation channel of the handle is configured to temporarily fix the optic fiber in a first curved position.

16. The instrument of claim 15 wherein the extension of the actuation mechanism relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually curve the optic fiber more than 90 degrees relative to the housing tube proximal end.

17. The instrument of claim 15 wherein a retraction of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually straighten the optic fiber.

18. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the retraction of the actuation control relative to the handle proximal end is configured to gradually straighten the optic fiber more than 90 degrees relative to the housing tube proximal end.