Steerable laser probe

• US 9,549,780 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2013
• Issued: 01/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2012
• 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): Crandall, Lynsey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kong, Qingjun
• Application Number:
  US13/862,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20130304048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,381 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2244 Features of optical fibre cables, e.g. claddings
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/225 Features of hand-pieces A61B2018/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00863 Retina
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00821 for coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00823 Laser features or special beam parameters therefor

Abstract

A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, an actuation lever of the handle, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and the flexible housing tube. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually curve the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber. An actuation of the actuation lever may gradually straighten the flexible housing tube and the optic fiber.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

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

an inner bore of the handle;

an optic fiber guide of the handle;

an actuation lever guide of the handle, the actuation lever guide disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end wherein the actuation lever guide is disposed between the inner bore and the optic fiber guide;

a pivot pin housing of the actuation lever guide;

an actuation lever channel of the actuation lever guide;

an actuation lever of the handle having an actuation lever distal end and an actuation lever proximal end wherein the actuation lever proximal end is disposed in the actuation lever guide and wherein the actuation lever distal end is not disposed in the actuation lever guide;

an optic fiber housing of the actuation lever, the optic fiber housing disposed in the actuation lever guide wherein the optic fiber housing is configured to actuate within the actuation lever guide;

a pivot pin chamber of the actuation lever;

a pivot pin disposed in the pivot pin housing and the pivot pin chamber, the pivot pin configured to limit an actuation of the actuation lever wherein the actuation lever is configured to actuate about the pivot pin in a first direction and in a second direction and wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to actuate the actuation lever proximal end towards the handle proximal end and away from the handle distal end and actuate the actuation lever distal end away from the handle proximal end and towards the handle distal end and an actuation of the actuation lever about pivot pin in the second direction is configured to actuate the actuation lever proximal end towards the handle distal end and away from the handle proximal end and actuate the actuation lever distal end away from the handle distal end and towards the handle proximal end;

a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, the flexible housing tube having dimensions configured for ophthalmic surgical procedures wherein the flexible housing tube proximal end is disposed in the optic fiber guide and wherein the flexible housing tube is fixed within the optic fiber guide;

an ultimate tensile strength of the flexible housing tube, the ultimate tensile strength in a range of 1000 to 1100 MPa;

a modulus of elasticity of the flexible housing tube, the modulus of elasticity in a range of 30 to 80 GPa; and

an optic fiber having an optic fiber distal end and an optic fiber proximal end, the optic fiber disposed in the inner bore of the handle, the optic fiber housing, the optic fiber guide, and the flexible housing tube wherein the optic fiber distal end is disposed adjacent to the flexible housing tube distal end and wherein a first portion of the optic fiber is fixed to an inner portion of the flexible housing tube and wherein a second portion of the optic fiber is fixed in the optic fiber housing.

2. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to gradually curve the optic fiber.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to gradually curve the flexible housing tube.

4. The instrument of claim 3 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to retract the optic fiber relative to the flexible housing tube.

5. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to gradually straighten the optic fiber.

6. The instrument of claim 5 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to gradually straighten the flexible housing tube.

7. The instrument of claim 6 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to extend the optic fiber relative to the flexible housing tube.

8. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber within an eye.

9. The instrument of claim 8 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber at least 45 degrees within the eye.

10. The instrument of claim 9 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber at least 90 degrees within the eye.

11. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber within an eye.

12. The instrument of claim 11 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber at least 45 degrees within the eye.

13. The instrument of claim 12 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber at least 90 degrees within the eye.

14. The instrument of claim 1 wherein the flexible housing tube is manufactured from Nitinol.

15. The instrument of claim 4 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to apply a compressive force to a portion of the flexible housing tube.

16. The instrument of claim 15 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to compress the portion of the flexible housing tube.

17. The instrument of claim 7 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to reduce a compressive force applied to a portion of the flexible housing tube.

18. The instrument of claim 17 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to decompress the portion of the flexible housing tube.

19. The instrument of claim 8 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to aim the optic fiber distal end at a target within the eye.

20. The instrument of claim 11 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to aim the optic fiber distal end at a target within the eye.