Alcon, Inc.

Novartis Ag

Alcon Research, Ltd.

Philipp Schaller

Reto Grueebler

Thomas Linsi

Stephen Lane

Steven Thomas Charles

Niels Alexander Abt

Niccolo Maschio

Timo Jung

Rodolfo Wolfer

Disclosed herein are surgical instruments used in ophthalmic surgical procedures and associated methods. Particular embodiments relate to a cannula assembly having a cannula tip that is retractable. The cannula assembly may comprise a cannula hub. The cannula assembly may further comprise an outer tube that extends from a distal end the cannula hub. The cannula assembly may further comprise an inner tube that extends from the distal end of the cannula hub and is disposed in the outer tube, wherein the inner tube has a cannula tip that extends from the outer tube and is retractable into the outer tube.

Retractable cannula assembly

A cannula assembly having a retractable cannula tip for use in ophthalmic surgical procedures is disclosed. The apparatus may include a housing having a valve bay disposed between its proximal and distal ends, and a cannula assembly, including an inner and outer tube, that extends from the distal end of the housing. The inner tube may include an elongated portion with a cannula tip at its distal end. The apparatus may further include a valve disposed in the valve bay of the housing. The valve may comprise a valve tubular for adjusting flow through the inner tube, and an actuator for moving the cannula tip from an extended position to a retracted position in the outer tube. The valve tubular may provide a biasing force to the inner tube in the retracted position to move the inner tube back to the extended position upon release of the actuator.

Retractable instrument

Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a rotational cutter for delaminating a membrane from a retina of an eye. The rotational cutter may comprise a first shaft and a second shaft comprising a blade portion, wherein the second shaft is coupled to a driver that is configured to at least partially rotate the second shaft relative to the first shaft, wherein rotating the second shaft rotates the blade portion for delaminating the membrane. The rotational cutter may also comprise a bottom portion configured to interface with a surface of the retina, wherein the bottom portion comprises one or more curved edges.

Rotational cutter

Certain embodiments provide a surgical instrument comprising a hand-piece, an outer tube having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the hand-piece, an inner tube housed within the outer tube and having a distal end coupled to a soft tip and a proximal end coupled to an actuator, and a valve housed inside the hand-piece and coupled to the proximal end of the actuator. Retraction of the actuator is configured to compress the valve and retract the soft tip into a distal end of the outer tube, such that the soft tip at least partially extends beyond the distal end of the outer tube when the valve is in an uncompressed state and at least partially retracts into the distal end of the outer tube when the valve is a compressed state.

Retractable backflush instrument

Vitreoretinal instruments and methods related thereto are disclosed herein. The disclosure describes various example vitreoretinal instruments having various aspirating port configurations. A vitreoretinal instrument may include a handle and a cannula coupled to the handle. The cannula may include a straight portion and a curved portion. The curved portion may be configurable between a straight configuration and a curved configuration. The curved configuration may include a first curved portion having a curvature defined by a first radius. The curved configuration may include a second curved portion having a curvature defined by a second radius different from the first radius. The curved portion may further include one or more ports formed in the curved portion.

Vitreoretinal instruments for fluid aspiration

An apparatus for manipulating tissue during a procedure performed within an eye of a patient is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a hand-held controller and an elongate member configured to be inserted into the eye of the patient. The elongate member has a proximal end and a distal end, with the proximal end of the elongate member being coupled to the hand-held controller. The elongate member also has a lumen extending through the length of the elongate member. The apparatus further includes a plurality of flexible grasping fibers extending through at least a portion of the lumen and beyond the distal end thereof. The grasping fibers are adjustable by the hand-held controller to advance or retract relative to the elongate member by altering a distance between distal ends of the grasping fibers and the distal end of the elongate member.

Systems and methods for a surgical tissue manipulator

A hand piece having an irrigation portion and an aspiration portion that are releasably coupled is disclosed. In an assembled configuration, the irrigation portion and the aspiration portion are coupled such that the hand piece may be manipulable by a user as a single unit. In a separated configuration, the irrigation portion and the aspiration portion may be utilized separate from each other. The irrigation portion and the aspiration portion may be freely moved between the assembled configuration and the separated configuration.

Combined coaxial and bimanual irrigation/aspiration apparatus

An ophthalmic instrument includes a shaft comprising a lumen. The instrument also includes a first arm extending from the lumen, the first arm having a first distal portion having a first flat tip. The instrument also includes a second arm extending from the lumen, the second arm having a second distal portion having a second flat tip that is positioned such that the second flat tip contacts the first flat tip when the first arm is forced towards the second arm. The first arm and the second arm comprise at least in part, a first material that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range of about 700-1200 nanometers (nm) and is substantially opaque to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range of about 400-700 nm.

OCT transparent surgical instruments and methods

Various systems and techniques may be used for moisturizing an eye during ocular surgery. In particular implementations, a system and a technique for moisturizing an eye may include the ability to determine whether an eye should be moisturized during ocular surgery and to activate a fluid control device if an eye should be moisturized. The activation of the fluid control device may allow fluid flow from a fluid reservoir to a fluid nozzle coupled to a nozzle mounting device adapted to hold the fluid nozzle stable relative to a patient's eye. The system and the technique may also include the ability to deactivate the fluid control device.

Systems and processes for eye moisturizing during ocular surgery

Tissue manipulation during ocular surgery may be achieved by a variety of systems and techniques. In particular implementations, a system may include spaced apart levers, hinge members, a grasping mechanism, and a guide mechanism located between the levers. A first hinge member may extend from one of the levers to the guide mechanism and move the guide mechanism in one of a proximal or distal direction when the levers are moved toward each other. The grasping mechanism may be coupled to the guide mechanism and extend distally from the guide mechanism. A second hinge member may extend from one of the levers and be coupled to a tube that surrounds a portion of the grasping mechanism. The second hinge member distally displaces the tube when the levers are moved towards each other. The relative motion of the guide mechanism and the tube may cause actuation of the grasping mechanism.

Systems and techniques for tissue manipulation during ocular surgery

Systems, devices, and methods include a hand-held instrument with an aspiration conduit extending therethrough and with an aspiration needle arranged to aspirate fluid from a surgical site. A vacuum limiter is associated with the aspiration conduit. The vacuum limiter includes an opening formed in a wall of the aspiration conduit, an actuator disposed in the opening, and a biasing element biasing the actuator to a closed position that prevents passage of fluid through the opening. The biasing element is arranged to permit the actuator to displace from the closed position to a relief position so that fluid passes through the opening when a threshold vacuum is reached within the lumen. The actuator can further displace to an override position that prevents passage of fluid through the opening.

Aspiration device with vacuum limiter

An illuminated surgical instrument is disclosed. One embodiment of the illuminated surgical instrument comprises a cannula and an injection-molded light-sleeve adjacent to and encircling at least a portion of the cannula. The surgical instrument can be a vitrectomy probe having a cutting port disposed at a distal end of the cannula. The light-sleeve can terminate near a distal end of the cannula, for example, near the cutting port of the vitrectomy probe. The light-sleeve is optically coupled to a light source. The light-sleeve can be injection-molded during manufacture using the cannula as an insert for the injection molding. The light-sleeve can be oriented for providing illumination in a direction along a longitudinal axis of the instrument.

Growing community of inventors

Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

Philipp Schaller