Connector for irrigation-aspiration instrument

Claim 1

A medical instrument comprising: a handpiece having: a proximate end portion; a distal end portion; an aspiration port for connection to a low pressure source for aspiration through the aspiration port; an irrigation port for connection to a source of irrigation liquid for flow of irrigation liquid through the irrigation port; an inner wall having a distal end and a bore forming an aspiration channel extending from the first port and having an opening at the inner wall distal end; an outer wall surrounding the inner wall and forming an irrigation channel between the inner wall and the outer wall which irrigation channel extends from the second port and has an opening at the outer wall distal end; a separate connector constructed and arranged so as to be manually separable from the handpiece and having: a proximate end portion; a distal end; an aspiration channel extending through the connector from the proximate end portion thereof to the distal end thereof; an irrigation channel extending through the connector from the proximate end portion thereof to the distal end portion thereof; a stem on the connector proximate end portion adapted to be manually coupled to the distal end portion of the handpiece with the connector aspiration channel forming a continuation of the handpiece aspiration channel and the connector irrigation channel forming a continuation of the handpiece irrigation channel and the stem fitted within a distal end portion of the handpiece outer wall; a separate aspirator tip component having: a proximate end portion; a distal end portion; an aspiration channel extending through the tip component from the proximate end portion to the distal end portion; a stem on the tip component proximate end portion adapted to be coupled on to and uncoupled from the distal end of the connector with the tip component aspiration channel forming a continuation of the connector aspiration channel.