Grasping structure for membrane removal
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorsReto Grüebler, Luca Palmerini
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ophthalmic surgical instrument for peeling a retinal membrane includes a handle and an actuator mounted on the handle. An outer tube is mounted to the handle and an inner rod extends within the outer tube. A grasping structure is secured to a distal end of the inner rod having first and second polymer arms secured to the inner rod. Each of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arms has a distal end that is angled to conform to the retinal membrane. The actuator is configured to control relative position of the inner rod and the outer tube in order to extend the grasping structure out of the outer tube and withdraw the grasping structure within the outer tube.
Claims17
An ophthalmic surgical instrument for peeling a retinal membrane, comprising:
- a handle;
- an actuator mounted on the handle;
- an outer tube having a proximal end mounted to the handle and defining a longitudinal direction;
- an inner rod extending within the outer tube;
- and
- a grasping structure secured to a distal end of the inner rod, the grasping structure comprising:
- a first polymer arm and a second polymer arm secured to the inner rod and biased outwardly from one another along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm having a generally quadrilateral cross section including pairs of opposing surfaces that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction and transverse direction, and a distal end surface extending between the pairs of opposing surfaces that is at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees relative to a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction,
- wherein the actuator is configured to control relative position of the inner rod and the outer tube in order to extend the grasping structure out of the outer tube and withdraw the grasping structure within the outer tube,
- wherein the inner rod is within a material of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm without extending through the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm such that portions of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm extend beyond the inner rod in a longitudinal direction to allow the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm to flex or twist to enable the distal ends of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm to rest flat on the retinal membrane.
A method for peeling a membrane from a retina of a patient's eye, the method comprising:
- inserting a distal end of an outer tube through a cannula in the patient's eye;
- extending a grasping structure from the outer tube along a longitudinal direction, the grasping structure secured to an inner rod and having a first polymer arm and a second polymer arm secured to the inner rod and biased outwardly from one another along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, each of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm having a generally quadrilateral cross-section including pairs of opposing surfaces that are substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction and transverse direction, and a distal end surface extending between the pairs of opposing surfaces that is at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees relative to a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction;
- pressing the distal end of the first polymer arm and the distal end of the second polymer arm against the membrane;
- and
- withdrawing the grasping structure at least partially into the outer tube thereby urging the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm together in order to form a flap of the membrane and grasp the flap between the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm;
- wherein the inner rod is within a material of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm without extending through the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm such that portions of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm extend beyond the inner rod in a longitudinal direction to allow the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm to flex or twist to enable the distal ends of the first polymer arm and the second polymer arm to rest flat on the retinal membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.