Ophthalmic microsurgical system employing surgical module employing flash EEPROM and reprogrammable modules

A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments to be connected thereto, the microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising:

• a data communications bus;
• a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments, said user interface including a central processor;
• a surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said surgical module being connected to the data communications bus, said surgical module including a flash EEPROM storing executable routines for controlling the corresponding microsurgical instrument connected to it during performance of the surgical procedures;
• wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the surgical module;
• and
• wherein the central processor reprograms the flash EEPROM of the surgical module via the data communications bus in response to the information provided by the user.

A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments to be connected thereto, the microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising;

• a data communications bus;
• a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments;
• a first surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said first surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• a second surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said second surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the first and second surgical modules;
• and
• wherein each of the modules and the user interface includes a transceiver and a processor coupled to the transceiver for receiving data from and transmitting data to the data communications bus and wherein the data communications bus, the transceivers and the
• processors form a communications network whereby the modules communicate with each other and the user interface via the communications network.

A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments to be connected thereto, the microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising:

• a data communications bus;
• a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments;
• a first surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters said first surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• a second surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of a least one of the operating parameters, said second surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the first and second surgical modules;
• and
• wherein each module includes a flash EEPROM storing configuration and unique identification data and wherein the modules and the user interface communicate via the data communications bus as a function of the data stored in flash EEPROM.

A system for controlling a plurality of ophthalmic microsurgical instruments to be connected thereto, the microsurgical instruments for use by a user such as a surgeon in performing ophthalmic surgical procedures, said system comprising:

• a data communications bus;
• a user interface connected to the data communications bus, said user interface providing information to the user and receiving information from the user which information is representative of operating parameters of the microsurgical instruments;
• a first surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said first surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• a second surgical module for connection to and for controlling one of the microsurgical instruments as a function of at least one of the operating parameters, said second surgical module being connected to the data communications bus;
• wherein at least one of the first and second modules has a flash EEPROM storing executable routines;
• wherein the data communications bus provides communication of data representative of the operating parameters between the user interface and the first and second surgical modules;
• and
• wherein the user interface includes a central processor for reprogramming the flash EEPROM of at least one of the modules via the data communications bus.