Control of pulse duty cycle based upon footswitch displacement

• US 9,788,998 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2012
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Abbott Medical Optics Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Kadziauskas, Kenneth E., Rockley, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Price, Nathan R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Anh
• Application Number:
  US13/474,044
• Publication Number:
  US 20130131692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,979 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0003 of parts of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00106 ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00181 Means for setting or varying the pulse energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00185 Means for setting or varying the pulse height
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0019 Means for setting or varying the pulse width
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00194 Means for setting or varying the repetition rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00973 pedal-operated
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00977 the depression depth determining the power rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/32007 with suction or vacuum means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/320084 Irrigation sleeves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00636 Sensing and controlling the application of energy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00666 using a threshold value
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/007 Methods or devices for eye surgery
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00745 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0246 with a feedback signal
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 1/0253 taken directly from the generator circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/55 Piezoelectric transducer
• CPC Class Codes: B06B 2201/76 Medical, dental

Abstract

Phacoemulsification apparatus includes a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electrical circuitry for ultrasonic vibrating the needle. A power source provides pulsed electrical power to the handpiece electrical circuitry and an input is provided for enabling a surgeon to select an amplitude of dislighted pulses and a pulse width. A control system and pulse duty cycle is provided for controlling the off duty cycle to insure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse is activated, including a foot pedal switch.

Claims

1. A phacoemulsification apparatus comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle, the needle configured to be ultrasonically vibrated;

a power source configured to provide pulsed electrical power to the handpiece;

an irrigation source configured to provide irrigation fluid to the eye;

an aspiration source configured to provide aspiration of fluid from the eye;

a power level controller; and

a footswitch configured to enable a surgeon to select a first mode comprising a variable amplitude of the electrical pulses or a variable duty cycle of the electrical pulses;

wherein the power level controller is configured to vary the amplitude or duty cycle when the footswitch operates within a first zone of a plurality of defined zones according to a nonlinear profile provided within the first zone within an available directional travel range of the footswitch, the footswitch also configured to select a second mode comprising at least one of an irrigation flow and an aspiration flow, the second mode varying by operating the footswitch within a second zone of the plurality of defined zones within the available directional travel range of the footswitch.

2. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a computer configured to control the power source to provide electrical power at a pulse repetition rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second.

3. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 2, wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that electrical pulses further comprise an off duty cycle.

4. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the footswitch is further configured to control aspiration flow when operating the footswitch in a first portion of the second zone and irrigation/aspiration flow when operating the footswitch in a second portion of the second zone.

5. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is responsive to a selected pulse amplitude and a selected duty cycle for controlling an off duty cycle to ensure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse is activated.

6. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the footswitch is configured such that duty cycles are selected in a non-linear fashion based upon footswitch displacement.

7. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second mode of the footswitch enables a linear selection of at least one of the irrigation flow and the aspiration flow.

8. A method for operating a phacoemulsification system, the system including a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle, an irrigation source, an aspiration source, a power source configured to provide pulsed electrical power to the handpiece, and a footswitch, said method comprising:

applying pulsed electrical power from the power source to the handpiece;

receiving input from a user via the footswitch;

selecting a first mode comprising a variable amplitude of the electrical pulses or a variable duty cycle of the electrical pulses varying by operating the footswitch within a first zone of a plurality of defined zones according to a nonlinear profile provided within the first zone within an available directional travel range of the footswitch; and

selecting a second mode comprising at least one of an irrigation flow and an aspiration flow, the second mode varying by operating the footswitch within a second zone of the plurality of defined zones within the available directional travel range of the footswitch.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising controlling the power provided to the handpiece to have a pulse repetition rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein electrical pulses further comprise an off duty•

cycle.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the footswitch is further configured to control aspiration flow when operating the footswitch in a first portion of the second zone and irrigation/aspiration flow when operating the footswitch in a second portion of the second zone.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the system is responsive to a selected pulse amplitude and a selected duty cycle for controlling an off duty cycle to ensure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse is activated.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said footswitch is configured such that duty cycles are selected in a non-linear fashion based upon footswitch displacement.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the second mode enables a linear selection of at least one of the irrigation flow and the aspiration flow.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein a continuously variable footswitch displacement over a given footswitch angular range results in a continuously variable duty cycle.