Modulated pulsed ultrasonic power delivery system and method

• US 9,642,745 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• 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:
  US14/525,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20150112357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: 606 4- 6, 606 10- 12, 606166, 606167, 606169, 606170, 600437, 600439, 600446, 600452, 604 19- 22, 128898
• 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 energy during an on period, energy pulse delivery comprising;

delivering a first burst of energy having a first nonzero amplitude;

delivering a second burst of energy having a second amplitude after delivering the first burst of energy, wherein the second amplitude is nonzero and lower than the first amplitude; and

delivering a third burst of energy having a third amplitude after delivering the second burst of energy, wherein the third amplitude is lower than the second amplitude;

Wherein the energy delivery occurs in multiple on periods interspersed by multiple de minimis power application periods.

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

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the time between the first energy burst delivering and second energy delivering is zero.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least second burst of energy comprises two nonzero energy bursts of energy having different amplitudes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first burst delivery has a duration of at most three milliseconds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein first burst duration is at most two milliseconds.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse delivery further comprises an ability to dynamically after power application parameters, wherein the power application parameters altered comprise performance of at least one from a group comprising:

the first burst delivery duration;

the second burst delivery duration;

the first amplitude; and

the second amplitude.

8. A method for delivering energy during a surgical procedure, comprising:

applying ultrasonic energy during at least one energy on period, wherein applying ultrasonic energy during the energy on period comprises;

applying cavitation inducing ultrasonic energy at a first level during a first high energy period;

applying further ultrasonic energy at a second level lower than the first level subsequent to applying the cavitation inducing ultrasonic energy; and

applying additional ultrasonic energy at a third level lower than the second level subsequent to applying the further ultrasonic energy.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the surgical procedure is performed in a surgical environment, and wherein applying said cavitation inducing ultrasonic energy and applying said further ultrasonic energy tend to induce transient cavitation in the surgical environment.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the cavitation inducing ultrasonic energy duration is at most four milliseconds and induces transient cavitation.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cavitation inducing ultrasonic energy duration is at most two milliseconds and induces transient cavitation.

12. A method for delivering energy during a surgical procedure, comprising:

applying ultrasonic energy during a plurality of energy periods, said energy periods comprising a high energy surge period followed by an energy dropoff period, wherein energy applied during the high energy surge period is higher than energy applied during the energy dropoff period, wherein the energy dropoff period comprises energy applied at a plurality of different energy levels successively lower than the energy applied during the high energy surge period; and

wherein the energy delivery occurs in multiple on periods interspersed by multiple de minimis power application periods.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the surgical procedure is performed in a surgical environment, and wherein applying ultrasonic energy during the high energy surge period tends to induce transient cavitation in the surgical environment.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the high energy surge period duration is at most four milliseconds and energy provided during said high energy surge period induces transient cavitation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the high energy surge period duration is at most two milliseconds and energy provided during said high energy surge period induces transient cavitation.