Hard drive vitrectomy cutter

A surgical cutting device comprising:

• probe means for cutting tissue of a body, said probe means comprising
• an outer sleeve including perforation means, proximate a distal end of said outer sleeve, for receiving a portion of the tissue, and
• non-pneumatic cutter sleeve means, coaxially disposed within the outer sleeve, for shearing the portion of tissue by a linear motion thereof with respect to the outer sleeve;
• and mechanical means for driving of the linear motion of the cutter sleeve means at a selected stroke rate of between about one and about 1000 strokes per minute.

An ophthalmic surgical cutting device comprising:

• probe means for cutting tissue of an eye, said probe means including
• an outer sleeve including perforation means for receiving a portion of the tissue, and
• cutter sleeve means, coaxially disposed within said outer sleeve, for shearing the portion by a linear motion of the cutter sleeve with respect to the outer sleeve;
• and
• non-pneumatic mechanical means for enabling control of individual strokes of the linear motion, said mechanical means including cable means for connecting the probe means to a stepper motor in order to drive the linear motion of the cutter sleeve means.

An ophthalmic surgical cutting device comprising:

• probe means for cutting tissue of an eye, said probe means including
• an outer sleeve including perforation means for receiving a portion of the tissue, and
• cutter sleeve means, coaxially disposed within said outer sleeve, for shearing the portion by a linear motion of the cutter sleeve with respect to the outer sleeve;
• and
• mechanical means for enabling control of individual strokes of the linear motion, said mechanical means including
• an outer stationary cable and an inner cable slidably disposed therein, said inner cable being mounted in operative relationship with the cutter sleeve means,
• stepper motor means, connected to the inner cable, for driving the linear motion of the cutter sleeve means, and
• spring means for biasing the cutter sleeve means against a pulling force applied thereto by the stepper motor;
• and
• aspiration means for drawing the portion of tissue into the outer sleeve perforation and for removing the portion of tissue from the probe means.