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US 2013/0158582 A1Published application
Vitrectomy probe with adjustable cutter port size
AssigneeAlcon Research, Ltd.
InventorsJohn R. Underwood, Matthew Braden Flowers, Jack Robert Auld, John Christopher Huculak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Vitrectomy probes and system related thereto are disclosed herein. The disclosure describes vitrectomy probes having an adjustable cutting port size. In some instances, the cutting port size may be adjusted by altering a position of a stroke limiter via a pancake motor. Various example features are described for adjusting the size of the cutting port.
Claims17
A vitrectomy probe comprising:
- a housing;
- a cutter extending longitudinally from a first end of the housing, the cutter comprising:
- an outer cutting member coupled to the housing;
- an inner cutting member slideable within the outer cutting member, the inner cutting member slideable between a retracted position and an extended position;
- and
- an adjustable port, a size of the adjustable port defined by an edge of an opening formed in the outer cutting member and an end surface of the inner cutting member when the inner cutting member is in a fully retracted position:
- an oscillator operable to reciprocate the inner cutting member between the retracted position and the extended position, the oscillator comprising a first contact surface;
- and
- a stroke limiter operable to limit the size of the adjustable port, the stroke limiter comprising:
- a pancake motor;
- and
- a body longitudinally moveable in response to rotation of the pancake motor, the body comprising a second contact surface operable to contact the first contact surface to define the fully retracted position of the inner cutting member.
9 more elements
A vitrectomy probe comprising:
- a housing comprising a cavity, at least a portion of the cavity having a circular cross-section;
- a cutter extending longitudinally from a first end of the housing, the cutter comprising:
- an outer cutting member coupled to the housing;
- an interior assembly comprising:
- an inner cutting member slideable within the outer cutting member and comprising a first passage, the inner cutting member slideable between a retracted position and an extended position;
- and
- a tubular member, the tubular member comprising a second passage in communication with the first passage;
- and
- an adjustable port, a size of the adjustable port defined by an edge of an opening formed in the outer cutting member and an end surface of the inner cutting member when the inner cutting member is in a fully retracted position;
- an oscillator operable to reciprocate the inner cutting member between the retracted position and the extended position, the oscillator comprising a first contact surface;
- and
- a stroke limiter operable to limit the size of the adjustable port, the stroke limiter comprising:
- a pancake motor disposed in the cavity;
- and
- a body comprising longitudinally moveable in response to rotation of the pancake motor, the body comprising a second contact surface operable to contact the first contact surface to define the fully retracted position of the inner cutting member.
12 more elements
A method of limiting a cutter port size of a vitrectomy probe, the method comprising:
- oscillating an inner cutting member between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position relative to an outer cutting member, the oscillator comprising a motor;
- altering a position of a stroke limiter relative to the inner cutting member comprising:
- coupling the stroke limiter with a rotatable member, the stroke limiter rotatable with the rotatable member and slideable relative thereto;
- rotating the rotatable member;
- and
- converting the rotation of the stroke limiter into a longitudinal direction via a threaded interface between the stroke limiter and a housing;
- and
- contacting a portion of the motor with a portion of the stroke limiter to define the fully retracted position of the inner cutting member, the position of the inner cutting member at the fully retracted position relative to the outer cutting member defining the cutter port size.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.