TUBE FOR A MEDICAL TREATMENT SYSTEM, AND MEDICAL TREATMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

A tube for a medical treatment system has a first channel for feeding an irrigation fluid from a console of the system to a medical treatment instrument of the system and a second channel for discharging an aspiration fluid from the instrument to the console. The first and the second channels are arranged in parallel. The first channel has a first wall and the second channel has a second wall. A second material of the second wall has a greater hardness than a first material of the first wall. The tube is formed from two individual tube elements for the channels. The tube elements are welded or adhesively bonded in a connection region. The difference between the hardness of the first material and the hardness of the second material is at least 10 ShA and at most 15 ShA.

Claims

1. A tube for a medical treatment system, the tube comprising: a first channel for feeding an irrigation fluid from a console of the medical treatment system to a medical treatment instrument of the medical treatment system; a second channel for discharging an aspiration fluid from the medical treatment instrument to the console; said first channel and said second channel being arranged in parallel next to each other in a direction of longitudinal extent of the tube; said first channel having a first wall including a first material having a first hardness; said second channel having a second wall including a second material having a second hardness; said second hardness being greater than said first hardness; the tube being formed from two individual tube elements including a first tube element for said first channel and a second tube element for said second channel; said first tube element and said second tube element being welded or adhesively bonded in a connection region; and, wherein a difference in hardness between said first hardness and said second hardness is at least 10 ShA and at most 15 ShA.

2. The tube of claim 1, wherein said first wall of said first channel has a first thickness; said second wall of said second channel has a second thickness; and, said first thickness is smaller than said second thickness.

3. The tube of claim 2, wherein said first thickness is at least 2.5 millimeters.

4. The tube of claim 2, wherein said second thickness is at least 2.6 millimeters.

5. The tube of claim 3, wherein said second thickness is at least 2.6 millimeters.

6. The tube of claim 1, wherein said first channel has a first internal diameter of at least 3 millimeters; and, said second channel has a second internal diameter of at least 1.1 millimeters.

7. The tube of claim 1, wherein said first channel has a first external diameter of at least 5.5 millimeters; said second channel has a second external diameter of at least 4.1 millimeters; and, a difference between said first external diameter and said second external diameter is in a range of 0.9 millimeters to 1.6 millimeters.

8. The tube of claim 1, wherein the medical treatment system is an ophthalmosurgical system for treatment of an eye.

9. A medical treatment system comprising: a medical treatment instrument; a console configured to supply fluid to said medical treatment instrument in a defined operating mode of the medical treatment system; a tube for feeding an irrigation fluid from said console to said medical treatment instrument and for discharging an aspiration fluid from said medical treatment instrument to said console; said tube including a first channel for feeding an irrigation fluid from said console to said medical treatment instrument; said tube further including a second channel for discharging the aspiration fluid from said medical treatment instrument to said console; said first channel and said second channel being arranged in parallel next to each other in a direction of longitudinal extent of the tube; said first channel having a first wall including a first material having a first hardness; said second channel having a second wall including a second material having a second hardness; said second hardness being greater than said first hardness; said tube being formed from two individual tube elements including a first tube element for said first channel and a second tube element for said second channel; said first tube element and said second tube element being welded or adhesively bonded in a connection region; and, wherein a difference in hardness between said first hardness and said second hardness is at least 10 ShA and at most 15 ShA.

10. The medical treatment system of claim 9, wherein the medical treatment system is an ophthalmosurgical system for treating an eye.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an ophthalmosurgical system according to the disclosure, with a console, and with a handpiece coupled to the console by means of a tube; and,

[0028] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the tube from FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] FIG. 1 shows, in a schematic block diagram, an ophthalmosurgical system 1 as a medical treatment system which serves for treatment of an eye 2. The ophthalmosurgical system 1 has a medical treatment instrument, which in the present case is formed by a handpiece 3. Moreover, the ophthalmosurgical system 1 has a console 4 for attachment and operation of the handpiece 3 in a defined operating mode. Furthermore, the ophthalmosurgical system 1 has a foot-operated unit 5, which in the present case is configured as a foot pedal. The foot-operated unit 5 is able to be coupled wirelessly to the console 4 and has an electrical energy store 6 for supplying the foot-operated unit 5 with electrical energy, at least during the defined operating mode of the handpiece 3. Moreover, the console 4 has a control unit 7 and fluidic and electrical supply units 8 which, among other things, serve to feed an irrigation fluid to the handpiece 3 via an irrigation line 9 and to discharge an aspiration fluid from the handpiece 3 via an aspiration line 10.

[0030] In the present case, the irrigation line 9 and the aspiration line 10 are made available by a single tube 20, which will be explained in more detail below. The irrigation line 9 is formed by a first channel 24 of the tube 20. The aspiration line 10 is formed by a second channel 25 of the tube 20.

[0031] The foot-operated unit 5 in the present case is of a wireless configuration, for which reason it is supplied with electrical energy from the electrical energy store 6, at least during the defined operating mode. In addition, the foot-operated unit 5, in the defined operating mode, communicates with the control unit 7 via a wireless communication link 11, such that an operating state of the handpiece 3 can be at least partially adjusted.

[0032] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional view of the tube 20 in accordance with FIG. 1. It will be seen from FIG. 2 that the tube has two channels 24, 25, wherein a first channel 24 serves to feed the irrigation fluid from the console 4 of the medical treatment system 1 to the medical treatment instrument 3 of the medical treatment system 1. A second channel 25 serves to discharge the aspiration fluid from the medical treatment instrument 3 to the console 4. The first channel 24 and the second channel 25 are arranged in parallel next to each other, transversely with respect to a direction of longitudinal extent of the tube 20. The tube 20 provides for the first channel 24 a first wall 21 and for the second channel 25 a second wall 22 of predefinable thickness. The walls 21, 22 are connected to each other in a connection region 23. The connection region 23 extends in the present case over approximately the entire length of the tube 20. In an alternative embodiment, the connection region 23 can also extend over only a part of the length of the tube 20.

[0033] In the present embodiment, provision is made that a material of the second wall 22 of the second channel 25 has a greater hardness than the material of the first wall 21 of the first channel 24. In the present case, provision is made that the material of the first wall 21 is formed from a polyvinyl chloride (PVC), specifically of type AM157/F 00. In the present case, the material of the second wall 22 is formed by a PVC of type AM171/F.

[0034] It is thereby possible that the first wall 21 has a hardness of approximately 57 ShA, whereas the second wall 22 has a hardness of approximately 70 ShA. However, depending on what is needed, the hardness may also be varied, so as to be able to take better account of special requirements.

[0035] In order to improve the properties of the tube 20 as regards resistance to kinking, in particular transversely to its longitudinal extent, provision is made here that the thickness of the first wall 21 of the first channel 24 is approximately 2.5 mm. However, depending on requirements, this thickness can also be greater. The thickness of the second wall 22 of the second channel 25 is in the present case approximately 2.6 mm. Here too, the thickness can in some circumstances also be chosen to be greater than this.

[0036] The thickness of the first wall 21 of the first channel 24 can also be smaller than the thickness of the second wall 22 of the second channel 25. As a result of the greater thickness of the second wall 21, an increased stiffness can also be achieved in this region, such that a correspondingly increased resistance against kinking can also be achieved.

[0037] To be able to make available a sufficient cross section of flow for the defined operating mode of the ophthalmosurgical system, provision is made here that an internal diameter of the first channel 24 is approximately 3 mm. Depending on requirements, this internal diameter can also be chosen to be greater than this. By contrast, in the present case, an internal diameter of the second channel 25 is approximately 1.5 mm. Here too, the internal diameter can also be chosen to be greater than this. It is of importance that the internal diameter of the first channel 24 is always greater than the internal diameter of the second channel 25.

[0038] In the present case, an external diameter of the wall 21 of the first channel 24 is approximately 5.5 mm, whereas an external diameter of the wall 22 of the second channel 25 is in the present case approximately 4.1 mm. Depending on requirements, the external diameter of the walls 21, 22 can also be variable, in particular greater.

[0039] In the connection region 23, the two walls 21, 22 are cohesively bonded to each other. This can take place, for example, directly during an extrusion of the tube 20. However, the tube 20 can also be formed from two individual tube elements 26, 27 for the channels 24, 25. For example, the tube elements 26, 27 are then not co-extruded but instead extruded individually, after which they are welded or glued to each other. The walls 21, 22 can at least partially overlap in the connection region 23. In this way, the material of the walls 21, 22 can also be used at least in part for connecting the two channels 24, 25 in order to form the tube 20. Individually extruded and then glued or welded tube elements 26, 27 have the advantage that, if need be, the tube elements 26, 27 can later be safely and reliably separated again in the connection region 23 into two individual tube elements 26, 27 and the channels 24, 25 remain intact.

[0040] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the preferred embodiments of the invention and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0041] 1 ophthalmosurgical system [0042] 2 eye [0043] 3 handpiece [0044] 4 console [0045] 5 foot-operated unit [0046] 6 electrical energy store [0047] 7 control unit [0048] 8 supply unit [0049] 9 irrigation line [0050] 10 aspiration line [0051] 11 wireless communication link [0052] 20 tube [0053] 21 first wall [0054] 22 second wall [0055] 23 connection region [0056] 24 first channel [0057] 25 second channel [0058] 26 first tube element [0059] 27 second tube element