Surgery – Instruments – Means for removing – inserting or aiding in the removal or...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-09
2004-04-06
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Surgery
Instruments
Means for removing, inserting or aiding in the removal or...
C606S001000, C606S004000, C606S166000, C604S022000, C607S001000, C422S300000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06716219
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a surgical operation system, particularly an ophthalmologic surgical operation system for use during micro-surgical operations, particularly, ophthalmologic operation systems which utilize a supply unit providing at least one consumable, such as electric power, compressed air and/or a fluid, and multiple surgical instruments that are interchangeably connected to the supply unit using connecting tubes that carry the necessary consumables to the respective surgical instrument.
Over the past few years, the significance of micro-surgical operations in all surgical fields has increased considerably. A characteristic of such operations is the use of many different and various surgical instruments that often must be quickly interchanged.
An example is the removal of the natural optical lens of the eye because of clouding by cataract, and its replacement with an artificial intra-ocular lens. Ophthalmologic surgical operation systems (so-called phaco-machines) are used during such an operation. The phaco-machine includes a central supply unit with electrical power supply, a high-frequency generator, a tube and connecting system for surgical instruments, so-called head units, infusion bottles for rinsing fluid, and one or more pumps. If the head units are powered by compressed air, this is also provided.
Such a phaco-machine is known from the U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,121 wherein a central supply unit several head units is connected to. In this case, these include a piezo-electric-driven ultra-sound phaco-emulsification device, an aspiration and irrigation device, and a small light tube.
An ophthalmologic aspiration and irrigation system is known from European Patent No. 0 596 314 with which intra-ocular pressure during an operation may be held stable by introducing optionally a gaseous or fluid medium. The system includes a pressure unit, an aspiration unit, and an irrigation unit in the form of interchangeable inserts into a housing, which are connected together via external lines.
Head units are inserted into the interior of the eye through a small slit in the cornea. These head units are then used to penetrate the encapsulating sac containing the natural lens. Thereafter, the natural lens is shattered by ultra-sound from a phaco-emulsification device, the so-called phaco-head unit, and the fragments are vacuumed out using an aspiration and irrigation device and rinsing fluid. Other head units used include bi-polar high-frequency coagulators (to prevent hemorrhaging, or penetration of the encapsulating sac by the lens shards). The operator observes the operation area using an ophthalmologic stereomicroscope. He usually controls the head unit function by means of a foot switch.
When another head unit is required in the course of an operation, e.g., an aspiration and irrigation device instead of a phaco-head unit, the head unit formerly used must be disconnected from the supply tube and line connecting it to the phaco-machine, and the new head unit must be connected. Additionally, the supply unit must be re-adjusted in order to ensure proper supply to the new head unit. An adjustment unit such as a keypad, rotating switch or similar device is provided for this purpose so that the supply parameters may be adjusted for each operating device. Thus, for example, only one electrical connection is required for an electro-cauterizer, and no connection is required to an aspiration and irrigation device (thus, no fluid connections); such fluid connections are required, however, for the phaco-head unit and for a vitrectomy head unit.
Since such internal eye operations must be performed as quickly as possible in order to prevent unnecessary irritation to the patient and other side effects, the operator must have optimal support during the operation, particularly during exchange of head units so that the necessary new parameters for a head unit may be quickly and reliably set when the head unit is connected. This has usually been performed either by the operator himself or by a nurse participating in the operation and monitoring the proper function and manipulation of the phaco-machine. Therefore, optimal cooperation of the operating team is a requirement for rapid and successful machine operation.
A problem with existing phaco-machines is sterility and sterilization of the entire surgical operation system. If, for example, a head unit must be replaced because of improper sterilization, then the replacement of tubes with sterile ones, the filling of the tubes, the routing of the tubes through specified guides in the machine, and the establishment of connections between the pump and the pressure sensors (depending on the type of phaco-machine) can require from five to ten minutes for conventional phaco-machines. If it is necessary to re-configure the phaco-machine during the operation on a patient, this interval can be very long not only for the patient, but also for the operating team. Even sterilization of phaco-machine parts requires time. If, for example, a head unit must be sterilized, the head unit with its connecting tubes and lines must be disconnected from the phaco-machine and then sterilized in the sterilizer. Then a sterile head unit with its connecting tubes and lines must be connected to the phaco-machine, and the tubes must be filled with rinsing fluid. This reconfiguration is complicated and time-consuming.
Even the exchange between various head units is complicated for conventional phaco-machines. For this, both the hose and electrical connections of the used head unit must be disconnected and reconnected to the new head unit. Then the machine must be re-adjusted using the control unit so that the supply unit is informed regarding the necessary supply parameters for the new head unit. Only then can the operation continue with the new head unit. Repeated exchanges between various head units are very time-consuming and inconvenient with conventional systems, and can also cause additional risks if a new head unit is urgently needed, or when readjustment to the phaco-machine is required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide a conventional surgical operating system, particularly an ophthalmologic surgical operating system, so that any head unit required by the operator is quickly available to him, and such that re-adjustment of any necessary surgical operating system parameters is performed reliably. Additionally, reliable data should be displayed to the user that informs him/her regarding the functional condition of the operating system. It should particularly ensure that all units are in the condition and status required for the operation.
This object, as well as other objects which will become apparent from the discussion that follows, are achieved, according to the present invention, by providing a surgical operation system wherein the supply unit includes several connection interfaces, one for each surgical instrument; each surgical instrument is stored in its own sterilizer unit that is connectable to a connection interface; each sterilizer unit includes an identifying coded connector for the surgical instrument that fits into a querying connector of the supply unit when the sterilizer unit is connected to the supply unit; and a control unit is connected to all the connection interfaces using the querying connectors, it identifies the connected surgical instrument for each connection interface and it sets the parameters for its supply of consumables
Accordingly, the surgical operating system, e.g., the above-mentioned phaco-machine, includes a supply unit with several connection interfaces for each surgical instrument. Using this system, each surgical instrument is stored in a sterilizing unit which can be docked on the supply unit. Each sterilizing unit contains the head unit connection tubes and a roll-up mechanism for the head unit connection tubes. Further, it includes a coded identifying “querying” connector for the included head unit that connects to a corresponding mating connec
Conley Sean E.
Milde & Hoffberg LLP
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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