Ophthalmic aspirator/irrigator and cystotome

Abstract

An ophthalmic aspirator and cystotome having a hand-held, motorized instrument which is operated by a battery-run control system. The instrument includes a disposable coaxial aspirator-irrigator tip and a wormdrive mechanism for bidirectional, variable speed operation and also includes a disposable scalpel tip with infusion/irrigation orifice for communication with an intraveneous solution bag. The scalpel tip is coupled through a clutch mechanism to the motor, which may be adjusted by the control system to make single or repeated cuts in either of two rotary directions. The aspirator's most frequently needed controls are mounted on the handpiece to provide an easily operable instrument of great precision for use in eye surgery. The instrument features an electronic control circuit housed in part within a desk top or suspendable unit and in part within the handpiece. The circuit may be switched between the aspirator mode and the cystotome mode and provides control signals to a motor carried within the handpiece. In the aspirator mode the circuit generates aspirate and backflush signals at the touch of a control switch mounted on the handpiece. Flow rates are continuously variable by means of a potentiometer control in the butt of the handpiece. In the cystotome mode the control switch commands either single cutting strokes or repeated cutting strokes in either of two rotary directions, the direction being selected by the potentiometer control.