US8152798B2
Active / In Force
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Surgical variable-angle illuminator
Assignee: Alcon Inc
•
Filing: 2006-10-31
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Granted: 2012-04-10
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Expires: 2026-10-31
Abstract
Abstract A variable-angle, wide-angle illuminator is disclosed, one embodiment being a small-gauge, variable-angle illumination surgical system comprising: a light source for providing a light beam; an optical cable, optically coupled to the light source for receiving and transmitting the light beam; a handpiece, operably coupled to the optical cable; an optical fiber, operably coupled to the handpiece, wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical cable to receive and transmit the light beam; an optical assembly, optically coupled to a distal end of the optical fiber, for receiving the light beam and providing the light beam to illuminate a surgical field; and a cannula, operably coupled to the handpiece and optical assembly, for housing and directing the optical assembly to illuminate selected area. The optical assembly can comprise a fiber/polymer-dispersed-liquid-crystal (“PDLC”) diffuser optically coupled to an optical needle or a nested compound parabolic concentrator (“CPC”) cone.
Inventors
- 👤 Ronald T. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:26
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61B; A61B90/00; A61B90/30; A61B2090/306
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
177 words
A variable-angle illumination surgical system comprising: a light source for providing a light beam; an optical cable, optically coupled to the light source for receiving and transmitting the light beam; a handpiece, operably coupled to the optical cable; an optical fiber, operably coupled to the handpiece, wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical cable to receive and transmit the light beam; an optical assembly; and a cannula, wherein the cannula is operably coupled to the handpiece and optical assembly for housing and directing the optical assembly to illuminate an area; wherein the optical assembly is optically coupled to a distal end of the optical fiber for receiving the light beam and providing the light beam to illuminate the area; wherein the optical assembly comprises a male compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) cone element nested within a female CPC-cone element, wherein the female CPC-cone element translates over the male CPC-cone element to vary an air gap formed therebetween and thereby vary the off-axis, angular spread of light emitted out of a distal end of the cannula.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
177 words
A variable-angle illumination surgical system comprising: a light source for providing a light beam; an optical cable, optically coupled to the light source for receiving and transmitting the light beam; a handpiece, operably coupled to the optical cable; an optical fiber, operably coupled to the handpiece, wherein the optical fiber is optically coupled to the optical cable to receive and transmit the light beam; an optical assembly; and a cannula, wherein the cannula is operably coupled to the handpiece and optical assembly for housing and directing the optical assembly to illuminate an area; wherein the optical assembly is optically coupled to a distal end of the optical fiber for receiving the light beam and providing the light beam to illuminate the area; wherein the optical assembly comprises a male compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) cone element nested within a female CPC-cone element, wherein the female CPC-cone element translates over the male CPC-cone element to vary an air gap formed therebetween and thereby vary the off-axis, angular spread of light emitted out of a distal end of the cannula.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The variable-angle illumination surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the area comprises a surgical site.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The variable-angle illumination surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the optical fiber comprises an endo-illuminator optical fiber having a 0.50 NA.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The variable-angle illumination surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the angular spread of the light emitted by the optical assembly is determined by the proximity of the female CPC-cone element to the male CPC-cone element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The variable-angle illumination surgical system of claim 1 , wherein the cannula, optical assembly and the handpiece are fabricated from biocompatible materials.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for wide-angle illumination of a surgical field using a variable-angle illuminator comprising: generating a light beam; receiving the light beam with an optical cable, wherein a handpiece is operably coupled to the optical cable; transmitting the light beam from the optical cable to an optical fiber, wherein the handpiece is operably coupled to the optical fiber; optically coupling an optical assembly to a distal end of the optical fiber, wherein the optical assembly receives the light beam and comprises a male compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) cone element nested within a female CPC-cone element; directing the optical assembly to illuminate a selected area; translating the female CPC-cone element over the male CPC-cone element to vary an air gap formed between the male and female CPC-cones and thereby control the degree of diffusion of the light beam emitted out of the optical assembly.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
143 words
A method for wide-angle illumination of a surgical field using a variable-angle illuminator comprising: generating a light beam; receiving the light beam with an optical cable, wherein a handpiece is operably coupled to the optical cable; transmitting the light beam from the optical cable to an optical fiber, wherein the handpiece is operably coupled to the optical fiber; optically coupling an optical assembly to a distal end of the optical fiber, wherein the optical assembly receives the light beam and comprises a male compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) cone element nested within a female CPC-cone element; directing the optical assembly to illuminate a selected area; translating the female CPC-cone element over the male CPC-cone element to vary an air gap formed between the male and female CPC-cones and thereby control the degree of diffusion of the light beam emitted out of the optical assembly.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein the directing step further comprises illuminating a surgical site.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2015-04-10 | 2015-10-10 | 2016-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2019-04-10 | 2019-10-10 | 2020-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2023-04-10 | 2023-10-10 | 2024-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |