Device for automated capsulotomy
AssigneeCentricity Vision, Inc.
InventorChristopher Guild Keller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A surgical device is disclosed for cutting tissue, including for performing a capsulotomy of a lens capsule of an eye. This device includes a reversibly collapsible cutting element for cutting a portion of a capsule membrane of the eye. The cutting element includes an outer layer, an inner layer, and a bottom layer that has a higher electrical resistance than the electrical resistance of the outer layer and the inner layer. The bottom layer is configured to conduct an electrical current between the outer layer and the inner layer, which causes a temperature increase in the bottom layer for cutting tissue.
Claims18
A surgical device for tissue cutting, the device comprising:
- a reversibly collapsible supporting element;
- and
- a reversibly collapsible cutting element attached to the supporting element, the cutting element comprising:
- an electrically conductive outer layer on an outer diameter of the supporting element, the electrically conductive outer layer having a first thickness,
- an electrically conductive inner layer on an inner diameter of the supporting element, the electrically conductive inner layer having the first thickness, and
- a bottom layer on a bottom edge of the supporting element, the bottom layer having a second thickness, wherein the first thickness is thicker than the second thickness, the bottom layer configured to conduct an electrical current between the electrically conductive outer layer and the electrically conductive inner layer;
- wherein the inner layer, the outer layer and the bottom layer comprise an insulator configured to couple to the supporting element and to insulate the inner layer, the outer layer, and the bottom layer from the supporting element;
- and
- wherein a first lead is coupled to the outer layer and a second lead is coupled to the inner layer such that current is configured to flow between the first lead and the second lead through the outer layer, the bottom layer, and the inner layer.
A surgical device for cutting tissue, the device comprising:
- a reversibly collapsible supporting element;
- a reversibly collapsible cutting element attached to the supporting element, the cutting element comprising an electrically conductive surface layer on a surface of the supporting element, wherein the electrically conductive surface layer is configured to conduct an electrical current that causes a temperature increase in the electrically conductive surface layer for cutting the tissue and;
- wherein the electrically conductive surface layer comprises a tantalum layer coated with a tantalum oxide layer coated with a second tantalum layer configured to couple to the supporting element and to insulate the electrically conductive surface layer from the supporting element;
- and
- wherein current is configured to flow between a first lead and a second lead through the electrically conductive surface layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.