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US 10,893,978 B2Granted
Vitreous cutter pneumatic driver
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorConrad Sawicz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for driving the cutter of a vitrectomy handpiece using a substantially hermetically sealed system having a pneumatic pump for alternatively creating both positive pressure for pushing a first side of a diaphragm in the vitreous cutter and pulling negative pressure to pull the other side of the diagram, and vice versa.
Claims15
A pneumatic driver for push/pull driving of a diaphragm in an ophthalmic surgical handpiece comprising:
- a voice coil driver including a voice coil and a shaft driven by the voice coil;
- a master pneumatic pump positioned on a first side of the voice coil driver and a replica pneumatic pump positioned on a second side of the voice coil driver, the master pneumatic pump and replica pneumatic pump each having:
- an outer body;
- an outlet;
- and
- an internal pump coupled with a driving arm coupled with the shaft of the voice coil driver such that a motion of the shaft in a first direction produces positive pressure by the master pneumatic pump and pulls negative pressure in the replica pneumatic pump and a motion of the shaft in a second direction produces positive pressure by the replica pneumatic pump and pulls negative pressure in the master pneumatic pump;
- and
- an amplifier configured to provide a current to the voice coil driver for driving the shaft back and forth in the first and the second direction.
5 more elements
A surgical system comprising:
- a vitrectomy handpiece having a housing containing an inner cutting tube at least partially contained within an outer cutting tube and coupled with a pneumatic driver diaphragm, wherein a first side of the pneumatic driver diaphragm is in fluid communication with a first air port, and wherein a second side of the pneumatic driver diaphragm is in fluid communication with a second air port;
- a pneumatic driver for push/pull driving of a diaphragm in an ophthalmic surgical handpiece comprising:
- a voice coil driver including a voice coil and a shaft driven by the voice coil;
- a master pneumatic pump positioned on a first side of the voice coil driver and a replica pneumatic pump positioned on a second side of the voice coil driver, the master pneumatic pump and replica pneumatic pump each having:
- an outer body;
- an outlet;
- and
- an internal pump coupled with a driving arm coupled with the shaft of the voice coil driver such that a motion of the shaft in a first direction produces positive pressure by the master pneumatic pump and pulls negative pressure in the replica pneumatic pump and a motion of the shaft in a second direction produces positive pressure by the replica pneumatic pump and pulls negative pressure in the master pneumatic pump;
- an amplifier configured to provide a current to the voice coil driver for driving the shaft back and forth in the first and the second direction;
- and
- wherein the positive pneumatic pressure from the master pneumatic pump and the negative pressure from the replica pneumatic pump simultaneously pushes the first side of the pneumatic driver diaphragm to drive the inner cutting tube forward within the outer cutting tube, and
- wherein the positive pneumatic pressure from the replica pneumatic pump and the negative pressure from the master pneumatic pump simultaneously pushes the second side of the pneumatic driver diaphragm to drive the inner cutting tube back within the outer cutting tube.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.