Cryogenic probes for surgical use

Claim 1

A SELF-CONTAINED LIGHTWEIGHT CRYOGENIC PROBE FOR SURGICAL USES COMPRISING, (A) A HOLLOW ELONGATED CYLINDRICAL HOUSING HAVING A CROSS-SECTINAL DIMENSION SUCH THAT IT MAY BE READILY HELD IN THE HAND OF THE SURGEON, (B) SAID HOUSING, DEFINING A CYLINDRICAL RECEPTACLE AT ONE END THEREOF AND AN EXPANSION CHAMBER ADJACENT SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID RECEPTACLE OPENING DIRECTLY INTO SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, (C) A CONTAINR OF A LIQUIFIED GAS WITHIN SAID RECEPTACLE, SAID CONTAINER INCLUDING A DISPENSING VALVE FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUIFIED GAS FROM SAID CONTAINER DIRECTLY INTO SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, (D) AN ELONGATED SOLID HEAT-CONDUCTIVE SLENDER PROBE RIGIDLY SUPPORTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS IN A WALL OF SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, SAID PROBE HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION IN COMPARISON TO ITS LENGTH AND SUCH THAT IT MAY BE EMPLOYED TO PROBE THE EYE, THE INNER END OF SAID PROBE EXTENDING INTO SAID EXPANSION CHAMBER, (E) MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID DISPENSING VALVE, (F) AND VENT MEANS FOR EXHAUSTING SPENT GASES FROM SAID HOUSING.