Surgical instrument ringing a titanium needle with a node of minimum amplitude in a substantially cylindrical portion of the needle
First Claim
1. A surgical instrument comprising:
- a handpiece that includes a piezoelectric transducer;
a titanium needle having a free distal tip and a supported end having a supported end structure that is attached to the handpiece, the titanium needle having a substantially cylindrical portion between the supported end structure and the free distal tip, the cylindrical portion having an outer diameter in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm and a length in the range 12 mm to 37 mm, the length being defined along a longitudinal axis of the titanium needle;
a circuit driving the piezoelectric transducer to periodically longitudinally expand and longitudinally contract at a driving frequency that rings the titanium needle with a standing wave that is characterized by longitudinal expansion and longitudinal contraction, the standing wave consisting of one node of minimum amplitude residing in the substantially cylindrical portion away from the supported end structure and the free distal tip.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A surgical instrument and method, for example to accomplish phacoemulsification, are disclosed. The surgical instrument includes a handpiece that has a piezoelectric transducer, and a titanium needle having a free distal tip and a supported end that is attached to the handpiece. The titanium needle has a substantially cylindrical portion with an outer diameter in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm and a length in the range 12 mm to 37 mm. A circuit drives the piezoelectric transducer to periodically longitudinally expand and longitudinally contract at a driving frequency. The driving frequency is selected to ring the titanium needle with a standing wave that is characterized by longitudinal expansion and longitudinal contraction, the standing wave having a distal node of minimum amplitude in the substantially cylindrical portion.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a handpiece that includes a piezoelectric transducer; a titanium needle having a free distal tip and a supported end having a supported end structure that is attached to the handpiece, the titanium needle having a substantially cylindrical portion between the supported end structure and the free distal tip, the cylindrical portion having an outer diameter in the range 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm and a length in the range 12 mm to 37 mm, the length being defined along a longitudinal axis of the titanium needle; a circuit driving the piezoelectric transducer to periodically longitudinally expand and longitudinally contract at a driving frequency that rings the titanium needle with a standing wave that is characterized by longitudinal expansion and longitudinal contraction, the standing wave consisting of one node of minimum amplitude residing in the substantially cylindrical portion away from the supported end structure and the free distal tip. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a phacoemulsification device possessing a handpiece and a titanium needle; the handpiece that includes a piezoelectric transducer; the titanium needle having a free distal tip and a supported end that is attached to the handpiece, the titanium needle having a substantially cylindrical portion between the supported end and the free distal tip; a circuit driving the piezoelectric transducer to periodically longitudinally expand and longitudinally contract at a driving frequency that rings the titanium needle with a standing wave that is characterized by longitudinal expansion and longitudinal contraction, the standing wave consisting a single node of minimum amplitude in the substantially cylindrical portion, the node of minimum amplitude does not include the supported end. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A surgical instrument comprising:
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a handpiece that includes a piezoelectric transducer; a titanium needle including a supported end structure and a hollow cylinder that extends from the supported end structure terminating at a free distal tip, the titanium needle attached to the handpiece via the supported end structure; a circuit driving the piezoelectric transducer to periodically longitudinally expand and longitudinally contract at a driving frequency that rings the titanium needle with a standing wave that is characterized by less than a full wavelength that lies along the hollow cylinder, the standing wave having only a single distal node of minimum amplitude in the hollow cylinder between the free distal tip and the supported end structure. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification