The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for assisted removal of the cortex, capsule polishing and destruction and/or removal of other intraocular structures. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a surgical apparatus configurable for removal of the cortex and the polishing of the capsule during cataract extraction surgery.

The present invention discloses a ball probe ultrasonic bone removal device that is designed to assist surgeons with foraminotomy procedures. The device comprises a shaft at a first end of the device and a spherical ball tip at a second end of the device. In between the shaft and the ball tip is a foot piece that connects to the shaft through an angle. On the foot piece, serrations or a coarse surface cover a portion of the circumference of the foot piece. In some embodiments, serrations or a coarse surface may also cover a portion of the circumference of the shaft. The spherical ball tip is smooth and designed to cause no damage to the sensitive nerves and tissue in the intervertebral foramina, but the surface with the serrations or the coarse protrusions are designed to remove bone and tissue under ultrasonic movement (e.g., vertical vibration, rotational oscillation).

A tip element for a lithotripter is provided. The tip element includes a proximal end configured for attachment to a waveguide of the lithotripter and a distal end configured for placement against at least one urinary tract stone. The lithotripter transmits energy from the tip element to the at least one urinary tract stone to break up the at least one urinary tract stone into fragments. The tip element may further include a tip element passage that extends between the proximal end and the distal end. The tip element passage communicates with a lumen of the waveguide for at least one of suctioning and irrigating a urinary tract. The distal end has one or more sharp edges to maintain contact between the at least one urinary tract stone and the distal end during suctioning. The distal end may be configured to limit the size of fragments from the at least one urinary tract stone drawn into the tip element passage during suctioning.

Provided is a fragmentation tip, an intraocular surgery device, a method for suppressing an occurrence of cavitation, and a cataract surgery method, which can suppress the occurrence of cavitation. The fragmentation tip, which is attached to an intraocular surgery device configured to apply ultrasonic vibration, includes: a cylindrical support portion configured to be mounted on the intraocular surgery device; and a cylindrical tip body provided at a distal end of the support portion to be in communication with an internal space of the support portion, wherein the tip body has a cross sectional shape having a length in a first direction that is larger than a length in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction, and vibration is applied to the support portion so that the tip body rotates back and forth about an axis of the tip body that passes through its center in the first and second directions.

A lithotripter is provided for fragmenting a stone inside a patient's body. In one form, the lithotripter includes a motor having at least two modes of operation and is configured to produce first and second waveforms. A wave guide shaft is configured to transmit the first and second waveforms to the stone. In one form, at least one of the first and second waveforms is provided to the stone at a frequency that is about equal to a natural frequency of the stone. In a variation, the lithotripter may include an ultrasonic driver configured to produce an ultrasonic frequency waveform and a sonic driver configured to produce a sonic frequency waveform. The sonic driver is mechanically coupled to the ultrasonic driver. The ultrasonic driver and the sonic driver may be disposed within a driver housing. In another variation, the lithotripter may include a brushless DC motor.

A lithotripter is provided for fragmenting a stone inside a patient's body. In one form, the lithotripter includes a motor having at least two modes of operation and is configured to produce first and second waveforms. A wave guide shaft is configured to transmit the first and second waveforms to the stone. In one form, at least one of the first and second waveforms is provided to the stone at a frequency that is about equal to a natural frequency of the stone. In a variation, the lithotripter may include an ultrasonic driver configured to produce an ultrasonic frequency waveform and a sonic driver configured to produce a sonic frequency waveform. The sonic driver is mechanically coupled to the ultrasonic driver. The ultrasonic driver and the sonic driver may be disposed within a driver housing. In another variation, the lithotripter may include a brushless DC motor.

A flue for use with an ultrasonic surgical tip, comprising protrusions or bumps on its inner surface with improved protrusion pattern, density and location. The flue has enhanced cooling effect for the ultrasonic surgical tip.

A surgical device. The surgical device may comprise a transducer configured to provide vibrations along a longitudinal axis and an end effector coupled to the transducer and extending from the transducer along the longitudinal axis. The surgical device also may comprise a lower jaw extending parallel to the end effector. The lower jaw may comprise a clamp face extending toward the longitudinal axis. Also, the lower jaw may be slidable relative to the end effector to bring the clamp face toward a distal end of the end effector.

A surgical system comprises an end effector for operating on tissue and a screen positioned around the end effector. The screen is fluidly coupled with a suction source by a conduit such as a tube. The screen is configured to communicate suction through the screen while preventing tissue from contacting the end effector. The screen is further configured to retract proximally relative to the end effector to thereby expose the end effector.

A lithotripter is provided for fragmenting a stone inside a patient's body. In one form, the lithotripter includes a motor having at least two modes of operation and is configured to produce first and second waveforms. A wave guide shaft is configured to transmit the first and second waveforms to the stone. In one form, at least one of the first and second waveforms is provided to the stone at a frequency that is about equal to a natural frequency of the stone. In a variation, the lithotripter may include an ultrasonic driver configured to produce an ultrasonic frequency waveform and a sonic driver configured to produce a sonic frequency waveform. The sonic driver is mechanically coupled to the ultrasonic driver. The ultrasonic driver and the sonic driver may be disposed within a driver housing. In another variation, the lithotripter may include a brushless DC motor.