Alcon, Inc.

Alcon Research, Ltd.

Thomas Linsi

Reto Grueebler

Niels Alexander Abt

Philipp Schaller

Niccolo Maschio

Timo Jung

Steven Thomas Charles

Rodolfo Wolfer

Bogdan Vigaru

Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a surgical instrument comprising a device having a proximal end and a functional end configured to be inserted into a body part, an assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, a shaft coupled to the proximal end of the assembly, the shaft having a shaft housing, a bearing positioned around the assembly, wherein the bearing is configured to slide over the assembly, a hub having a sleeve tube. The basket comprises a plurality of grooved levers, each grooved lever having a proximal end received by the shaft housing and a distal end coupled to a tip of the basket, wherein compressing one or more of the plurality of grooved levers moves the bearing and the hub relative to the shaft and toward the functional end of the device, causing the sleeve tube to transition the device from the deactivated state to an activated state.

Actuation mechanism with grooved actuation levers

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

Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a membrane delamination device for delaminating a membrane from a retina of an eye. The membrane delamination device comprises a blade, a first lever coupled to the blade, and a second lever coupled to the blade. The first lever and the second lever are at least partially housed by a first shaft of a hand-piece. The first lever is fixedly coupled to the first shaft. The second lever is fixedly coupled to the hand-piece. The blade at least partially extends beyond a distal end of the first shaft. The membrane delamination device is configured to be actuated as a result of longitudinal movement of the second lever within and in relation to the first shaft. The second lever moves longitudinally within and in relation to the first shaft due to an application of force to the second lever through the hand-piece.

Membrane delamination device

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

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

Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a surgical instrument comprising a device having a functional end configured to be inserted into a body part, a shaft coupled to a proximal end of the device, and a shaft housing configured to receive a distal end of the shaft and operable to move along a central axis of the shaft. The surgical instrument further comprises a tube coupled to the distal end of the shaft housing and configured to partially house the device such that the functional end of the device at least partially extends beyond the distal end of the tube. The surgical instrument further comprises a plurality of arcuate levers such that pressing one or more of the plurality of arcuate levers moves the shaft housing and the tube toward the functional end of the device, causing the tube to transition the device from a deactivated state to an activated state.

Actuation mechanism with arcuate levers

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for selectively constraining an orientation of a portion of a surgical tool system relative to another. Example surgical tool systems may include a surgical tool having at least one movable component, at least one actuation component, and a surgical tool attachment. The surgical tool attachment may be operable selectively to engage and disengage the moveable component so as to prevent movement of the movable component relative to the surgical tool in an engaged configuration and to permit movement of the movable component relative to the surgical to in a disengaged configuration, respectively. In the engaged configuration, a dynamic component of the surgical tool system may be fixed relative to the surgical tool, and, in a disengaged configuration, the dynamic component may be freely movable relative to the surgical tool.

Surgical tool attachment systems and method of use

Various membrane delamination devices for removing proliferative membranes from underling tissues are disclosed herein. In some implementations, the delamination device may include a first shearing part and a second shearing part. One of the first shearing part and the second shearing part may be moveable relative to the other of the first shearing part and the second shearing part. One or more of the shearing parts may include a plurality of teeth formed at a leading edge thereof. A shearing action produced by operation of the shearing parts may be used to sever fibers joining proliferative membranes from an underlying tissue.

Membrane delamination devices

An exemplary surgical probe and methods of making the same are disclosed. An exemplary surgical probe may include a tubular body and a scissor assembly received at least partially within the body. The scissor assembly may include a first blade fixed to the tubular body that includes a body portion and an end portion. The scissor assembly may further include a second blade that is configured to move longitudinally within the tubular body. The body portions of the first and second blades may each define respective cross sections normal to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body. The cross sections may each define centrally disposed edges adjacent one another, and the cross sections may each be asymmetrical about a line substantially parallel to the centrally disposed edges.

Growing community of inventors

Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Thomas Linsi