Steerable laser probe

• US 9,572,714 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2015
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katalyst Surgical, LLC (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Katalyst Surgical, LLC (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Scheller, Gregg D, Moore, Craig, Zeid, Matthew N
• Primary Examiner(s): Crandall, Lynsey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lukjan, Sebastian X
• Application Number:
  US14/795,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20150335476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 593 Days
• Field of Search: 606/4
• 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 2018/00196 reciprocating lengthwise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00202 rotating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00589 Coagulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/0091 Handpieces of the surgical instrument or device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/20357 by movable optical fibre end
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2238 with means for selectively laterally deflecting the tip of the fibre
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/225 Features of hand-pieces A61B2018/2255 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/3037 Translation along the common longitudinal axis, e.g. piston
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00863 Retina
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00802 for photoablation
• 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, and inner bore of the handle, an actuation lever of the handle, a housing tube, and an optic fiber disposed within the inner bore of the handle and the housing tube. The housing tube may have 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.

Claims

1. An instrument comprising:

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

an inner bore of the handle;

a piston guide of the handle;

an actuation lever guide of the handle, the actuation lever guide disposed between the inner bore and the piston guide;

a single piston having a piston distal end and a piston proximal end, the piston disposed within the piston guide of the inner bore of the handle wherein the piston distal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end and the piston proximal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end;

a housing tube having a housing tube distal end and a housing tube proximal end, the housing tube disposed within the piston and a housing tube guide of the handle wherein the housing tube proximal end is fixed within an inner bore of the piston and the housing tube distal end extends from the handle distal end;

an optic fiber having an optic fiber distal end and an optic fiber proximal end, the optic fiber disposed within the inner bore of the handle and the housing tube wherein the optic fiber distal end is adjacent to the housing tube distal end;

a single actuation lever having an actuation lever distal end, an actuation lever proximal end, and a pivot pin chamber, the actuation lever fixed to the handle by a pivot pin disposed within the pivot pin chamber 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, the actuation lever configured to actuate about the pivot pin and actuate the piston relative to the handle proximal end wherein the actuation lever is configured to actuate about the pivot pin in a first direction and in a second direction and wherein the piston is disposed between the handle distal end and the actuation lever; and

a cable having a cable distal end and a cable proximal end, the cable disposed within the housing tube and within the handle wherein a first portion of the cable is fixed to the housing tube and a second portion of the cable is fixed in a position relative to the handle.

2. 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.

3. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber within an eye without increasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

4. The instrument of claim 2 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber within an eye without decreasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

5. 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.

6. The instrument of claim 5 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber within an eye without increasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

7. The instrument of claim 5 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber within an eye without decreasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

8. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to extend the piston relative to the handle proximal end.

9. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to retract the piston relative to the handle proximal end.

10. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to extend the housing tube relative to the handle proximal end.

11. The instrument of claim 10 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to extend the housing tube relative to the cable.

12. The instrument of claim 1 wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to retract the housing tube relative to the handle proximal end.

13. The instrument of claim 12 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to retract the housing tube relative to the cable.

14. An instrument comprising:

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

an inner bore of the handle;

a piston guide of the handle;

an actuation lever guide of the handle, the actuation lever guide disposed between the inner bore and the piston guide;

a single piston having a piston distal end and a piston proximal end, the piston disposed within the piston guide of the inner bore of the handle wherein the piston distal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end and the piston proximal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end;

a housing tube having a housing tube distal end and a housing tube proximal end, the housing tube disposed within the piston and a housing tube guide of the handle wherein the housing tube proximal end is fixed within an inner bore of the piston and the housing tube distal end extends from the handle distal end;

an optic fiber having an optic fiber distal end and an optic fiber proximal end, the optic fiber disposed within the inner bore of the handle and the housing tube wherein the optic fiber distal end is adjacent to the housing tube distal end;

a single actuation lever having an actuation lever distal end, an actuation lever proximal end, and a pivot pin chamber, the actuation lever fixed to the handle by a pivot pin disposed within the pivot pin chamber 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, the actuation lever configured to actuate about the pivot pin and actuate the piston relative to the handle proximal end wherein the actuation lever is configured to actuate about the pivot pin in a first direction and in a second direction and wherein the piston is disposed between the handle distal end and the actuation lever; and

a cable having a cable distal end and a cable proximal end, the cable disposed within the housing tube and within the handle wherein a first portion of the cable is fixed to the housing tube and a second portion of the cable is fixed in a position relative to the handle and wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to extend the housing tube relative to the cable.

15. The instrument of claim 14 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber.

16. The instrument of claim 14 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber within an eye without increasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

17. The instrument of claim 14 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the first direction is configured to curve the optic fiber within an eye without decreasing a length of the instrument within the eye.

18. An instrument comprising:

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

an inner bore of the handle;

a piston guide of the handle;

an actuation lever guide of the handle, the actuation lever guide disposed between the inner bore and the piston guide;

a single piston having a piston distal end and a piston proximal end, the piston disposed within the piston guide of the inner bore of the handle wherein the piston distal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end and the piston proximal end is disposed between the handle distal end and the handle proximal end;

a housing tube having a housing tube distal end and a housing tube proximal end, the housing tube disposed within the piston and a housing tube guide of the handle wherein the housing tube proximal end is fixed within an inner bore of the piston and the housing tube distal end extends from the handle distal end;

an optic fiber having an optic fiber distal end and an optic fiber proximal end, the optic fiber disposed within the inner bore of the handle and the housing tube wherein the optic fiber distal end is adjacent to the housing tube distal end;

a single actuation lever having an actuation lever distal end, an actuation lever proximal end, and a pivot pin chamber, the actuation lever fixed to the handle by a pivot pin disposed within the pivot pin chamber 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, the actuation lever configured to actuate about the pivot pin and actuate the piston relative to the handle proximal end wherein the actuation lever is configured to actuate about the pivot pin in a first direction and in a second direction and wherein the piston is disposed between the handle distal end and the actuation lever; and

a cable having a cable distal end and a cable proximal end, the cable disposed within the housing tube and within the handle wherein a first portion of the cable is fixed to the housing tube and a second portion of the cable is fixed in a position relative to the handle and wherein an actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to retract the housing tube relative to the cable.

19. The instrument of claim 18 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the optic fiber.

20. The instrument of claim 19 wherein the actuation of the actuation lever about the pivot pin in the second direction is configured to straighten the housing tube.