Optical waveguides – With disengagable mechanical connector – Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-04
2002-03-19
Sanghavi, Hemang (Department: 2874)
Optical waveguides
With disengagable mechanical connector
Optical fiber/optical fiber cable termination structure
C385S056000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06357932
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to an assembly that is used to adapt a BNC type connector of a microsurgical optic fiber instrument to a threaded SMA type bushing connector of a light source.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In microsurgery such as ophthalmic surgery or surgery of the eye, various different types of instruments are available for use by the surgeon to deliver light to the interior of the eye. These instruments deliver light for illumination as well as laser light for use in surgery. A basic microsurgical instrument of this type is comprised of a handle with a projecting tubular probe or tip and a length of optic fiber entering the rearward end of the handle and passing through the handle and the tip to the tip distal end. The proximal end of the optic fiber opposite its connection to the handle is provided with a connector for connecting the fiber proximal end to a light source, either an illumination source or a laser light source. By positioning the proximal end of the optic fiber adjacent the light source, the light is transmitted through the fiber to its distal end and is emitted from the distal end. Where the light source is a source of laser light used in eye surgery, the positioning of the fiber proximal end relative to the laser light must be accurately controlled. Connectors employed for such a purpose are referred to as SMA type connectors.
FIGS. 1 and 2
show examples of prior art SMA connectors with
FIG. 1
illustrating the construction of a male optic fiber connector and
FIG. 2
illustrating the construction of a female optic fiber connector. These prior art connectors are widely used and will only be described generally.
The female connector or bushing
12
is provided with an alignment sleeve
18
in its interior that ensures a precise alignment of an optic fiber (not shown) extending through the male connector
10
along the male connector center axis
14
. A laser light source is positioned relative to the female connector
12
to direct a beam of laser light along the female connector center axis
16
. The female connector has a first set of external screw threading
20
that is employed in securing the female connector
12
to a wall or bracket of the laser light source to securely hold the female connector relative to the light source. A second set of external screw threading
22
on the female connector is employed in attaching the male connector
10
to the female connector.
The male connector
10
includes a center ferrule
24
on which a cable nut
26
is mounted for rotation. The cable nut
26
is secured on the ferrule
24
by a back post
28
that is screw threaded on the ferrule. The cable nut
26
has internal screw threading
30
that is complementary to the external screw threading
22
of the female connector. The optic fiber of the microsurgical instrument (not shown) passes through the back post
28
and the ferrule
24
with a distal end of the optic fiber being positioned adjacent the distal end of the ferrule
24
.
In attaching the male connector
20
to the female connector
12
, the ferrule
24
is first inserted through the interior bore of the female connector and into the alignment sleeve
18
. The cable nut
26
is turned causing its internal threading
30
to be screw threaded onto the external threading
22
of the female connector and to securely connect the male connector
10
with the female connector
12
with their respective axes aligned. In this way, the beam of laser light of the light source (not shown) is directed at the exposed end of the optic fiber contained in the male connector
10
.
Use of the prior art connectors described above has been found to be inconvenient in that it is necessary to completely unscrew the cable nut
26
of the male connector
10
from the external screw threading
22
of the female connector
12
when removing one instrument from the light source and then screw a cable nut
26
of another instrument onto the female connector external threading
22
when switching one microsurgical instrument for another. It would be more convenient if the male connector
10
could be quickly connected with and disconnected from the female connector
12
without requiring repeated rotations of a cable nut in connecting and disconnecting the two connectors.
The prior art also includes laser light sources having female connectors
12
and sets of microsurgical instruments having male connectors
10
that can only be used with each other. This has been found to be inconvenient when it is desirable to use other types of microsurgical instruments with the particular laser light source. The prior art laser light source is specifically designed so that it will not operate if a male connector of a microsurgical instrument is connected to the light source where the microsurgical instrument and male connector are not manufactured by the particular manufacturer of the light source. This is accomplished by encoding the male connector
10
of the surgical instrument with an electronic device that is recognized by the light source when the male connector is attached to the female connector of the light source. An example of such a male connector and female connector is disclosed in the U.S. patent of Kelsoe et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,492.
The above-described inconvenience could be overcome by an adapter that can be attached to the female connector of a laser light source of the type that operates only with associated electronically encoded surgical instruments where the adapter contains the electrical device recognized by the light source and also enables a quick connect and disconnect of the surgical instrument to the adapter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the inconveniences of prior art SMA type connectors described above by providing an adapter that enables a BNC type connector to be attached to the external screw threading of a female connector or bushing of the SMA type. In addition, the adapter also is electronically encoded and therefore enables use of any type of surgical instrument having a BNC type connector with a laser light source of the type that only recognizes electronically encoded surgical instruments.
The adapter of the invention is part of an assembly that includes a microsurgical optic fiber instrument having a BNC type connector in lieu of a SMA type connector usually found on these types of surgical instruments. Like the SMA connector, the BNC connector also has a center ferrule that projects from the connector and through which the optic fiber extends. However, instead of having the cable nut found on SMA connectors, the BNC connector of the invention has a conventional BNC type connector including a cylindrical collar with a pair of spiraling slots formed in the collar.
The adapter includes a cylindrical adapter sleeve constructed of a conductive material, preferably metal. The sleeve has an external surface with a pair of posts projecting from the surface on diametrically opposite sides of the sleeve. The posts are positioned to be engaged by the slots of the BNC connector to enable the BNC connector to be attached to the exterior surface of the sleeve by merely turning the BNC connector one quarter turn relative to the sleeve. The sleeve also has a cylindrical interior surface and a cylindrical insulator is secured inside the sleeve. The insulator does not extend through the entire length of the sleeve but is only positioned adjacent the end of the sleeve to be attached to the externally threaded female bushing of the laser light source of the type described earlier. The insulator has internal screw threading that is complementary to that of the female bushing of the laser light source. Screwing the insulator threading onto the external threading of the light source female bushing attaches the sleeve to the light source female bushing but insulates the conductive material of the sleeve from that of the bushing.
An annular conductive stop is also secured in the interior of the adapter sleeve. The stop
Knauss Scott A
Sanghavi Hemang
Synergetics, Inc.
Thompson & Coburn LLP
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