Illuminated laser probe with adjustable area of illumination
Inventors
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-7972326-B2
Publication Date
2011-07-05
Expiration Date
Abstract
An illuminated laser probe primarily designed for ophthalmic surgery provides both illumination light to a surgical site and laser light to the surgical site. The probe has an elongate handle with a tubular tip extending from a distal end of the handle. A length of illumination optic fiber and a length of laser optic fiber extend through the handle and the tip. A mechanism is provided on the handle at a position where the mechanism can easily be manipulated by a finger of a surgeons hand holding the handle. The mechanism is operatively connected with the laser optic fiber and is manipulated to selectively extend a distal portion of the optic fiber from the instrument tip and retract the distal portion of the optic fiber back into the instrument tip.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a surgical instrument that provides both illumination light and laser light to a surgical site. The instrument includes a manually manipulatable handle with a tubular tip projecting to a distal end of the tip, an illumination optic fiber extending through the handle and the tip to an illumination optic fiber distal end positioned adjacent the tip distal end, and the illumination optic fiber is secured stationary relative to the tip.
A laser optic fiber also extends through the handle and the tip to a laser optic fiber distal end positioned adjacent the tip distal end and the illumination optic fiber distal end. The handle includes a mechanism operatively connected to the laser optic fiber to move the laser optic fiber through the handle and the tip between a retracted position and an extended position, where the laser optic fiber distal end is extended from the tip distal end and the illumination optic fiber distal end.
A portion of the laser optic fiber adjacent the laser optic fiber distal end has a curved configuration. The invention further includes a curved sleeve mounted on the laser optic fiber distal end portion that holds the laser optic fiber distal end portion in the curved configuration, and in another embodiment the handle has a forward piece and a rearward piece connected for relative rotation, with a finger tab in a handle cavity driving a reciprocating sleeve between rearward and forward positions while the illumination optic fiber remains secured stationary relative to the handle and the tip.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00005, and clm-00007. Across these independent claims, the coverage includes five main inventive feature groupings: dual illumination and laser fiber routing to a surgical site, a handle mechanism that moves the laser optic fiber between retracted and extended positions, a curved laser fiber held by a curved sleeve, a forward and rearward handle piece configuration with relative rotation, and a reciprocating sleeve driven by a finger tab.
Dual illumination and movable laser delivery through a tubular tip
A surgical instrument that provides both illumination light and laser light to a surgical site with a manually manipulatable handle, a tubular tip secured to the handle, an illumination optic fiber secured stationary relative to the tip, and a laser optic fiber positioned adjacent the tip distal end and the illumination optic fiber distal end.
Handle mechanism moving the laser optic fiber between retracted and extended positions
A mechanism on the handle operatively connected to the laser optic fiber to move the laser optic fiber through the handle and the tip between a retracted position where the laser optic fiber distal end is positioned adjacent the tip distal end and the illumination optic fiber distal end, and an extended position where the laser optic fiber distal end is extended from the tip distal end and the illumination optic fiber distal end.
Curved laser optic fiber portion held in a curved configuration by a curved sleeve
A portion of the laser optic fiber adjacent the laser optic fiber distal end having a curved configuration, and a curved sleeve mounted on the laser optic fiber distal end portion that holds the laser optic fiber distal end portion in the curved configuration.
Forward and rearward handle pieces with relative rotation and mechanism on the forward piece
The handle having a forward piece and a rearward piece connected for relative rotation of the forward piece and the rearward piece, the tip being mounted on the handle forward piece for relative movement of the tip and the handle forward piece, and the mechanism being on the handle forward piece.
Reciprocating sleeve driven by a finger tab for laser optic fiber extension
An elongate sleeve mounted in the handle interior bore and in the handle cavity for reciprocating movement, a finger tab in the handle cavity secured to the sleeve and movable between a rearward position adjacent the cavity proximal end and a forward position adjacent the cavity distal end, where the finger tab moves the sleeve toward the handle distal end to extend the laser optic fiber distal end from the tip distal end when moved toward the forward position.
The independent claims cover a dual-fiber surgical instrument in which an illumination optic fiber is secured stationary relative to the tip while a laser optic fiber is moved by a handle mechanism between retracted and extended positions. The claims also include structural arrangements such as a curved laser optic fiber portion held by a curved sleeve and, in further embodiments, a forward/rearward handle piece configuration with relative rotation and a reciprocating sleeve driven by a finger tab to control laser optic fiber extension relative to the tip.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
No documented applications found
Interested in licensing this patent?