Surgery – Means for introducing or removing material from body for... – Material introduced into and removed from body through...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-29
2001-09-04
Kennedy, Sharon (Department: 3763)
Surgery
Means for introducing or removing material from body for...
Material introduced into and removed from body through...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283937
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an irrigation/aspiration apparatus which supplies an irrigation fluid to a surgical site and aspirates the irrigation fluid therefrom with residual tissue. More specifically, the present invention relates to a mechanism which is advantageous to damp out or absorb pulsations caused by a peristaltic suction pump.
2. Description of Related Art
One conventionally known irrigation/aspiration apparatus supplies an irrigation fluid through an irrigation tube into a surgical site and removes the irrigation fluid and residual tissue therefrom by suction. In the field of ophthalmology, this kind of apparatus is used, for example, in cataract surgery, vitreous surgery and the like. The apparatus is generally provided with a peristaltic pump as a pump for effecting suction of the residual tissue. The peristaltic pump, however, causes pulsations which result in the disadvantage that the suction pressure varies.
One known arrangement to address the above disadvantage is, as shown in
FIG. 7
, to provide an air chamber in which air is sealed in the vicinity of the peristaltic pump. The air sealed in the air chamber expands and contracts in response to change in the suction pressure, thereby to accomplish rising and falling movements of a fluid level. As a consequence, the pulsations are dammed out and controlled.
With such a configuration, however, when the suction pressure through the aspiration tube becomes high (becomes more negative), the air in the air chamber may leak into the aspiration tube, which raises a possibility of change in the amount of the air. This presents a problem that the pulsation damping may not be constant. In addition, the unlimited expansion and contraction in response to the suction pressure presents another problem that rising of the suction pressure (response to the suction) may be slow.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide an irrigation/aspiration apparatus which is excellent in response to the suction pressure and capable of stable damping of the pulsations.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an irrigation/aspiration apparatus for aspirating and discharging drainage from a surgical site by a surgical device to which an aspiration tube is being connected, the apparatus of this present invention comprises a suction pump which produces suction pressure through the aspiration tube, a chamber provided between the surgical device and the suction pump in communication with the aspiration tube, and an expansible and contractible gaseous-filed bag which is filled with gaseous and provided within the chamber.
According to the present invention, the pulsations caused by the peristaltic suction pump can be reduced, and therefore, excellent response to the suction pressure can be achieved at high suction pressure. In addition, abrupt change in the pressure within the surgical site may be controlled as well.
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Makihara Kiyoshi
Takamatsu Yuichi
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
Kennedy Sharon
Nidek Co. Ltd.
Serke Catherine
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