Disposable cassette for ophthalmic surgery applications
First Claim
1. A cassette for sterile engagement with at least one tubing section to be clamped by an external actuator when the cassette is inserted into an associated mechanism, comprising:
- a cassette housing having a first external edge for engagement proximate at least one actuator element when inserted in the mechanism;
means within the housing providing at least one backup surface proximate an external edge surface of the housing when the cassette is inserted;
means disposed at the external edge surface of the housing for coupling tubing in and out of the cassette, the tubing being arranged within the housing with at least one section adjacent the backup surface; and
at least one slider element spanning from the first edge within the housing to at least one backup surface, to clamp the associated tubing section therebetween when the actuator element is operated within the mechanism.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A superior cassette is provided for maintaining sterility of internal tubing sections that are to be repeatedly clamped under the control of external actuators when the cassette is inserted in an associated system, such as an irrigation/aspiration system for ophthalmic surgery applications. An inserted leading edge presents faces of interior sliders to actuators which reciprocate the slider to engage and clamp tubing sections positioned near the opposite, intercoupling edge of the cassette. All contact is made within the sterile interior of the cassette so that sterile flows cannot be contaminated even if leakage or puncture occurs under handling or repeated operation.
134 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A cassette for sterile engagement with at least one tubing section to be clamped by an external actuator when the cassette is inserted into an associated mechanism, comprising:
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a cassette housing having a first external edge for engagement proximate at least one actuator element when inserted in the mechanism; means within the housing providing at least one backup surface proximate an external edge surface of the housing when the cassette is inserted; means disposed at the external edge surface of the housing for coupling tubing in and out of the cassette, the tubing being arranged within the housing with at least one section adjacent the backup surface; and at least one slider element spanning from the first edge within the housing to at least one backup surface, to clamp the associated tubing section therebetween when the actuator element is operated within the mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A cassette for transporting both sterile irrigation and non-sterile aspiration fluids to or from a surgical handpiece in a system having a peristaltic aspiration pump, a shunt control element, a vacuum control system fitting and an irrigation control element disposed in linear fashion for accessibility to the leading edge of the cassette, comprising:
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a housing for confining tubing sections in internal paths, the housing having a leading edge and an opposite intercoupling edge, and including tubing fittings for connections to and from a handpiece, from an irrigation fluid supply and to a waste bag along the intercoupling edge thereof; the housing further comprising means defining principal interior tubing section paths adjacent the intercoupling edge, and guide means extending from adjacent the leading edge toward the intercoupling edge in alignment with the shunt control element and irrigation control element; internal tubing sections disposed along the paths; and a pair of sliders engaging the guide means and movable inwardly under control of the control elements to clamp tubing sections therein. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A cassette including internal flexible tubing to be selectively clamped by an external actuator, wherein at least a first internal tubing section intercouples elements or lines within the cassette, the combination comprising:
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a cassette having an access opening along one edge for disposition adjacent the external actuator; a first tubing section interior to the cassette; fixed means adjacent the first tubing section on a side thereof opposite the access opening; slider means adjacent the first tubing section on the opposite side thereof from the fixed means, the first tubing section being disposed opposite the cassette edge including the access opening, wherein the slider means is linearly movable between the cassette edge and the first tubing section, the slider means being movable by the external actuator between a rest position in which the first tubing section is not occluded and a blocking position in which the first tubing section id occluded by engagement against the fixed means; a leading edge for insertion adjacent the external actuator, the slider means including an exposed end face for engagement by the external actuator and an end projection at the opposite end for engaging the first tubing section; and at least one additional access opening in the leading edge, at least a second tubing section and second fixed means, and at least a second slider means disposed between the additional access opening and the second tubing section.
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Specification