# US 11,432,960 B1 · Ophthalmic medical instrument with illuminated snare > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,432,960 B1 - Document ID: US11432960B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/590,081 - Filed: 2022-02-01 - Granted: 2022-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2022-02-01 - Assignees: Accuvision Designs, LLC - Applicants: Accuvision Designs, LLC - Inventors: Richard James Mackool; Christopher Dean Smith; Evan Rittenhouse Jones; Richard Jonathan Mackool - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11432960B1 ## CPC - A61F 9/00736: {Instruments for removal of intra-ocular material or intra-ocular injection, e.g. cataract instruments (A61F9/008 takes precedence)} - A61B 2090/306: {using optical fibres} - A61B 2090/309: {using white LEDs} - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An ophthalmic surgical instrument for severing a lens of an eye has an elongated shaft and a snare formed by a wire extending along the elongated shaft and having a looped segment that moves between contracted and dilated configurations. When the shaft is inserted through the pupil and the looped segment is placed around the lens, the bottom portion of the looped segment engages and severs a bottom portion of the lens upon moving toward the contracted configuration. A light-conducting element extends along at least a portion of a length of the looped segment, and a light source is in communication with the light-conducting element, such that light from the light source travels through the element and illuminates at least a portion of the length of the looped segment. The light-conducting element can be a tube surrounding the wire, or can be a solid filament extending adjacent the wire. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ophthalmic surgical instrument for severing a lens of an eye, comprising: an elongated shaft having a distal end portion; a wire extending along the elongated shaft and having a looped segment disposed adjacent the distal end portion and being configured to move between a contracted configuration and a dilated configuration, in which the looped segment assumes a diameter approximating the a diameter and shape of a lens of an eye, the looped segment having a bottom portion configured to engage and sever a bottom portion of the lens upon moving toward the contracted configuration when the looped segment is placed around the lens, a light-conducting element extending along at least a portion of a length of the looped segment, and a light source in communication with the light-conducting element, such that light from the light source travels through the element and illuminates at least a portion of the length of the looped segment, wherein the light-conducting element is a tube that surrounds the wire, and wherein the wire is bent in two places in opposite directions at the bottom portion of the looped segment, so as to create an intermediate section that is not parallel to the looped segment and extends toward the elongated shaft, and wherein the tube terminates at the intermediate section of the looped segment, so that a distal end of the tube is facing the elongated shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting element is translucent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting element is made of polyurethane. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting element is opaque, or covered by an opaque coating or covering, so that light from the light source is only visible at the distal end of the light-conducting element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 4, wherein the light-conducting element and wire are covered by a covering that is woven or coiled. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 5, wherein the covering is made of metal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the wire is made of nitinol. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light-conducting element extends through the elongated shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, further comprising a housing connected to the elongated shaft, the housing comprising an actuator connected to the wire and being configured to move the wire between the contracted and dilated configurations. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the light source is disposed in the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the light source is located external to the housing and wherein the tube extends through the housing to the light source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the actuator comprises a sliding element disposed in a slot in the housing. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 9, wherein the light source is powered by a battery disposed in the housing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The ophthalmic surgical instrument according to claim 1, wherein the light source is a light-emitting diode (LED).