Rigid transparent fluid conduit for ophthalmic surgical irrigation

Claim 2

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an elongated tool connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging said handpiece; a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the too, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches; said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that, when said engaging means engages the handpiece, the tool, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve when it is inserted into an ocular incision; an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section; and, said tubular portion has a sleeve length-to-wall thickness of more than two.

Claim 3

The conduit of claim 1 including, said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene.

Claim 4

The conduit of claim 2 including said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.0-12.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 5

The conduit of claim 3 including said melt flow index being 10.0-11.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 6

The conduit of claim 2 including, said polypropylene having a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.

Claim 7

The conduit of claim 5 including, said molecular weight being about 250,000.

Claim 8

The conduit of claim 3 including, said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 10.0 to 11.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 250,000.

Claim 9

The conduit of claim 1 including, said wall thickness being not less than 0.005 inch.

Claim 10

The conduit of claim 1 including, said wall thickness being 0.0055 inch.

Claim 11

The conduit of claim 1 including, said engaging means including internal threads generally adjacent said open end of said body portion.

Claim 12

The conduit of claim 1 including, said body portion being generally cylindrical.

Claim 13

The conduit of claim 1 including, said sleeve portion having a light transmissivity of at least 68%.

Claim 14

The conduit of claim 1 including, said length-to-thickness ratio being more than 65.

Claim 15

The conduit of claim 13 including, said length-to-thickness ratio being at least 75.

Claim 16

The conduit of claim 1 including, said sleeve portion resulting in unacceptable material deterioration thereto following standard gamma sterilization thereof.

Claim 17

The conduit of claim 1 including, said resin being easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall.

Claim 18

The conduit of claim 1 including, said sealing ring being formed of a material which is incompatible with autoclave sterilization.

Claim 19

The conduit of claim 17 including, said material of said sealing ring being polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 20

An ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions comprising: (A) an elongated handpiece; (B) an irrigation fluid supply conduit positioned in said handpiece; (C) an elongated tool connected to said handpiece; and (D) an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with said irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging said handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround said too, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inch, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that said too, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, said sleeve portion having a light transmissivity of at least 68%, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section, and, said sleeve portion resulting in unacceptable material deterioration thereto following standard gamma sterilization thereof.

Claim 21

An ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions comprising: (A) an elongated handpiece; (B) an irrigation fluid supply conduit positioned in said handpiece; (C) an elongated tool connected to said handpiece; and (D) an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with said irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging said handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround said too, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inch, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that said too, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, said sleeve portion having a light transmissivity of at least 68%, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section, and, said sleeve portion resulting in unacceptable material deterioration thereto following standard gamma sterilization thereof.

Claim 22

The instrument of claim 20 including, said tool comprising a surgical aspiration tool.

Claim 23

The instrument of claim 20 including, said surgical aspiration tool being an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical aspiration tool.

Claim 24

The instrument of claim 19 including, said tool including an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical needle.

Claim 25

The instrument of claim 19 including, said tool having a tip, and said sleeve portion having the distal end thereof having an internal radius large enough to provide for transition therethrough of said tip of said tool.

Claim 26

The instrument of claim 19 including, said handpiece being generally cylindrical.

Claim 27

The instrument of claim 19 including, an elongated tubular aspiration fluid supply conduit at one end of said handpiece.

Claim 28

The instrument of claim 19 including, said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene.

Claim 29

The instrument of claim 26 including, said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.0-12.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 30

The instrument of claim 27 including, said melt flow index being 10.0-11.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 31

The instrument of claim 26 including, said polypropylene having a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.

Claim 32

The instrument of claim 29 including, said molecular weight being about 250,000.

Claim 33

The instrument of claim 26 including, said polypropylene, having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 10.0 to 11.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 250,000.

Claim 34

The instrument of claim 19 including, said wall thickness being not greater than 0.005 inch.

Claim 35

The instrument of claim 19 including, said engaging means including internal threads generally adjacent said open end of said body portion.

Claim 36

The instrument of claim 19 including, said body portion being generally cylindrical.

Claim 37

The instrument of claim 34 including, said wall thickness being 0.0055 inch.

Claim 38

The instrument of claim 34 including, said wall thickness being not less than 0.005 inch.

Claim 39

The instrument of claim 34 including, said resin being easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall.

Claim 40

The instrument of claim 34 including, said tubular sleeve portion having a length-to-thickness ratio of more than two.

Claim 41

The instrument of claim 38 including, said length-to-thickness ratio being more than 65.

Claim 42

The instrument of claim 39 including, said length-to-thickness ratio being at least 75.

Claim 43

The instrument of claim 19 including, said sealing ring being formed of a material which is incompatible with autoclave sterilization.

Claim 44

The instrument of claim 41 including, said material of said sealing ring being polyvinyl chloride.

Claim 45

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical needle connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging the handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the needle, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inch, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that, when said engaging means engages the handpiece, the needle, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when it is inserted into an ocular incision, and said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.00 to 12.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 220,000 to 280,000, and an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section.

Claim 46

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical needle connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging the handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the needle, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inch, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that, when said engaging means engages the handpiece, the needle, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when it is inserted into an ocular incision, and said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.00 to 12.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 220,000 to 280,000, and an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section.