Alcon, Inc.

Novartis Ag

Alcon Research, Ltd.

Alcon Laboratories, Inc.

Ahmad Salehi

Mikhail Boukhny

James Yong Chon

Ann Yadlowsky

Dan V Teodorescu

Glenn R Sussman

Raphael Gordon

Guangyao Jia

Michael D Morgan

Satish Yalamanchili

Kurt D Leukanech

Kenneth D Bassinger

Paul Avanzino

Ho Man Michael Fong

An ultrasonic handpiece includes a piezoelectric element assembly. Control signals drive the piezoelectric element assembly simultaneously in a first mode of oscillation and a second mode of oscillation. Feedback of a resulting oscillation of the piezoelectric element assembly in the first mode and the second mode is generated. Based on the feedback, the frequency of each of the first mode and second mode is independently adjusted, as needed, so that the resulting oscillation of each of the first mode and the second mode is each approximately at its respective resonant frequency.

Bi-modal ultrasonic handpiece system

A capsulorhexis apparatus includes a capsulorhexis probe configured for insertion into an eye through an incision and a pulse generator configured to deliver at least one radio-frequency (RF) pulse to the capsulorhexis probe. The delivered RF pulse has a pre-determined attenuation profile such that the power level of the delivered RF pulse is substantially attenuated over the RF pulse's duration. In some embodiments, the pulse generator is configured to deliver a series of two or more RF pulses to the eye, such that the energy of each of the second and subsequent pulses of the series is substantially attenuated relative to the energy of the immediately preceding pulse.

Attenuated RF power for automated capsulorhexis

A surgical system that is able to sense the onset of an occlusion or other surgical event as well as the instant an occlusion breaks. To help avoid overheating of the tip, the system determines an approximate temperature of the eye using an irrigation flow rate and reduces the power to the handpiece automatically if an overheating situation is predicted. Alternatively or in addition, the system monitors the power drawn by the handpiece, which is indicative of the cutting load on the tip, and automatically adjusts the power to the tip to compensate for increased loads on the tip.

Method of controlling a surgical system based on a load on the cutting tip of a handpiece

A handpiece having at least one set of piezoelectric elements polarized to produce longitudinal motion when excited at the relevant resonant frequency. The piezoelectric crystals are connected to an ultrasonic horn to which a cutting tip is attached. The horn and/or the cutting tip contains a plurality of diagonal slits or grooves. The slits or grooves produce optimized torsional movement in the cutting tip when the piezoelectric crystals are excited at a second resonant frequency.

Ultrasound handpiece

The present invention comprises a method of operating an ophthalmic surgical hand piece, providing a series of power pulses to the hand piece, each of the series of power pulses having a first portion that produces torsional movement of a cutting tip and a second portion that produces longitudinal movement of the cutting tip; measuring vacuum pressure; altering the duration of the first portion as vacuum pressure increases; and altering the duration of the second portion as vacuum pressure increases.

Vacuum level control of power for phacoemulsification hand piece

A control system for managing power supplied to a phacoemulsification hand piece includes a power source that provides power to the hand piece and a controller that controls the power source. The controller calculates a thermal value based on irrigation fluid flow and a power level and decreases the power level in proportion to the calculated thermal value when the calculated thermal value exceeds a threshold thermal value. Irrigation fluid flow can be calculated from irrigation fluid pressure.

Thermal management algorithm for phacoemulsification system

A surgical system that is able to sense the onset of an occlusion or other surgical event as well as the instant an occlusion breaks. To help avoid overheating of the tip, the system determines a temperature of an eye using irrigation flow rate and reduces the power to the handpiece automatically if an overheating situation is predicted. Alternatively or in addition, the system monitors the power drawn by the handpiece, which is indicative of the cutting load on the tip, and automatically adjusts the power or stroke of the tip to compensate for increased loads on the tip.

Method of controlling a surgical system based on irrigation flow

Embodiments of systems and methods for an interface for providing a user with feedback are presented. Specifically, embodiments of such an interface may include a head-up display unit which is mounted on a microscope utilized by a user when performing a surgical procedure. The heads-up display unit may include an eye-piece ring which is fitted onto or in one of the eye pieces of the microscope. The heads-up unit receives data regarding one or more parameters from a surgical console or other source and produces audio or visual feedback corresponding to a desired parameter. Any visual feedback produced may then be propagated to the eye piece ring allowing a user of the microscope to obtain the feedback when performing a surgical procedure utilizing the microscope and obviating the need to look at a screen of the surgical console to obtain such feedback. Thus, feedback is provided to a user in a non-intrusive manner such that the user can obtain this feedback without distracting from a surgical procedure.

System and method for a user interface

A surgical system that is able to sense the onset of an occlusion or other surgical event as well as when an occlusion breaks. To help avoid overheating of the tip, the system of the present invention predicts the temperature of the eye using irrigation flow rate and reduces the power to the handpiece automatically if an overheating situation is predicted. Alternatively or in addition, the system of the present invention monitors the power drawn by the handpiece, which is indicative of the cutting load on the tip, and automatically adjusts the power or stroke of the tip to compensate for increased loads on the tip.

Method of controlling a surgical system based on a rate of change of an operating parameter

A system and method for tuning and controlling ultrasonic handpieces by varying the frequency of the drive signal that is fed to the handpiece by a discrete dither increment. A digital signal processor may be used to measure the response of the handpiece to the varying drive signal and compare these responses to determine the probable value of the actual series resonance. The output of the digital signal processor is used to generate control parameters embodied within an appropriate control signal, which is fed to the source of the drive signal in order to alter aspects of the drive signal.

Growing community of inventors

Irvine, CA, United States of America

Ahmad Salehi