Abstract
An ophthalmo-surgical injector includes an injector body, a tip with which an intraocular lens can be pressed out of the injector, a first plunger mounted longitudinally displaceably on the injector body and having a first projection, a shaft rotatably mounted in the injector body and having a first guide and a second guide which are each wound about the shaft, and a second plunger mounted longitudinally displaceably on the injector body and having a second projection. The first projection engages in the first guide, such that the first plunger is configured to effect, with a longitudinal displacement of the first plunger, a rotation of the shaft about a longitudinal axis of the injector body, and the second projection engages in the second guide, as a result of which the shaft is configured to effect, with the rotation effected by the first plunger, a longitudinal displacement of the second plunger.
Claims
1. An ophthalmosurgical injector, comprising: an injector body; a tip with which an intraocular lens can be pushed out of the injector; a first plunger mounted longitudinally displaceably on the injector body; a first protrusion; a shaft mounted rotatably in the injector body and having a first guide slot and a second guide slot which each wind around the shaft; and a second plunger mounted longitudinally displaceably on the injector body and having a second protrusion, wherein the first protrusion engages in the first guide slot, such that the first plunger is configured to bring about a rotation of the shaft about a longitudinal axis of the injector body as a result of a longitudinal displacement of the first plunger, and wherein the second protrusion engages in the second guide slot, such that the shaft is configured to bring about a longitudinal displacement of the second plunger as a result of the rotation brought about with the first plunger.
2. The injector as claimed in claim 1, wherein a pitch ratio of the pitch of the first guide slot at the position in which the first protrusion engages to the pitch of the second guide slot at the position in which the second protrusion engages varies during the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger and of the second plunger.
3. The injector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pitch ratio becomes larger at least in some portions during the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger and of the second plunger toward the tip.
4. The injector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the pitch ratio increases monotonically along an end region of a displacement path of the second plunger toward the tip.
5. The injector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pitch ratio is larger than a pitch ratio along an end region of a displacement path of the second plunger toward the tip.
6. The injector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pitch ratio is larger than a pitch ratio along a starting region of a displacement path of the second plunger toward the tip.
7. The injector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide slot has a first portion and a second portion which each wind around the shaft, and a portion oriented in an axial direction of the shaft, via which portion the first protrusion can pass from the first portion into the second portion as a result of its longitudinal displacement away from the tip.
8. The injector as claimed in 1, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft and has a cavity, wherein the first plunger is arranged at least partially and at least temporarily in the cavity during its longitudinal displacement, and/or wherein the second plunger is arranged at least partially and at least temporarily in the cavity during the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger.
9. The injector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the shaft is a hollow shaft and has a cavity, and wherein the first guide slot and/or the second guide slot extend, in a radial direction of the shaft, all the way through a wall, bounding the cavity, of the shaft.
10. The injector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first guide slot is a first groove, and/or wherein the second guide slot is a second groove.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:
[0022] FIG. 1 shows an injector at a first time according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows the injector at a second time.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows the injector at a third time.
[0025] FIG. 4 shows a force-displacement curve for a conventional injector and for the injector according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure, respectively.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows, for a first exemplary embodiment of the injector, the plot of a displacement path of a first plunger of the injector versus a second plunger of the injector.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows, for the first exemplary embodiment, a shape of a first guide slot and of a second guide slot, respectively.
[0028] FIG. 7 shows, for the first exemplary embodiment, the pitch of the first guide slot and the pitch of the second guide slot.
[0029] FIG. 8 shows, for the first exemplary embodiment, the plot of a pitch ratio of the pitch of the first guide slot to the pitch of the second guide slot.
[0030] FIG. 9 shows a pitch ratio for a second exemplary embodiment of the injector.
DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0031] As is apparent from FIGS. 1 to 3, an ophthalmosurgical injector 1 has an injector body 2, a tip 7 with which an intraocular lens 1 can be pushed out of the injector 1, a first plunger 3 which is mounted on the injector body 2 so as to be longitudinally displaceable and has a first protrusion 10, a shaft 5 which is mounted rotatably in the injector body 2 and has a first guide slot 9 and a second guide slot 11 which each wind around the shaft 5, and a second plunger 4 which is mounted on the injector body 2 so as to be longitudinally displaceable and has a second protrusion 12. The first protrusion 10 engages in the first guide slot 9, with the result that the first plunger 3 is configured to bring about a rotation of the shaft 5 about a longitudinal axis of the injector body 2 as a result of a longitudinal displacement or movement in translation of the first plunger 3. The second protrusion 12 engages in the second guide slot 11, with the result that the shaft 5 is configured to bring about a longitudinal displacement or movement in translation of the second plunger 4 typically along the longitudinal axis of the injector body 2 as a result of the rotation of the shaft 5 brought about with the first plunger 3.
[0032] In order that the first guide slot 9 and the second guide slot 11 wind and thus the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger 3 results in the rotation of the shaft 5 and the rotation of the shaft 5 results in the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger, the first guide slot 9 and the second guide slot 11 can have pitches which are other than zero and infinite. The pitch of the first guide slot 9 and the pitch of the second guide slot 11 may be defined for example as the inclination of the respective guide slot 9, 11 with respect to the circumferential direction D of the shaft 5. If the respective guide slot 9, 11 had an infinite pitch in one region, this would correspond to an orientation of the region only in the axial direction z of the shaft 5. If the respective guide slot 9, 11 had a pitch of zero in one region, this would correspond to an orientation of the region only in the circumferential direction D of the shaft 5.
[0033] FIG. 1 shows the injector 1 at a first time at which the first plunger 3 is as far away from the tip 7 as possible. FIG. 3 shows the injector 1 at a third time at which the first plunger 2 is arranged as close to the tip 7 as possible. FIG. 2 shows the injector 1 at a second time which lies temporally between the first time and the third time and at which the first plunger 3 is arranged in a position between the position of the first plunger 3 at the first time and the position of the first plunger 3 at the third time. FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the injector 1 can be configured to convert the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger 3 toward the tip 7 into the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger 4 toward the tip 7, wherein the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger 3 and of the second plunger 4 take place substantially in the axial direction z of the shaft 5. It is apparent from the shape of the first guide slot 9 that, when the first plunger 3 is displaced toward the tip 7, the shaft 5, as seen in a direction from the first plunger 3 to the tip 7, is set in rotation in a counterclockwise direction. It is apparent from the shape of the second guide slot 11 that the rotation of the shaft 5 in the counterclockwise direction results in the second plunger 4 being displaced toward the tip 7. The rotation in the counterclockwise direction is likewise apparent from the pointer 17 which is drawn on the end side of the shaft 5 facing away from the tip 7.
[0034] In order to allow the first protrusion 10 to move in the first guide slot 9 and the second protrusion 12 to move in the second guide slot 11 with as little friction as possible, the contacting surfaces of the guide slots 9, 11 and of the protrusions 10, 12 may have been provided with a surface treatment, the injector 1 may have a lubricant which is configured to act between the contacting surfaces of the guide slots 9, 11 and of the protrusions 10, 12 and/or the injector 1 may have a respective ball bearing for each of the two guide slots 9, 11, wherein a respective ball of the ball bearing has been incorporated into each of the protrusions 10, 12.
[0035] The second plunger 4 may be configured, as a result of its longitudinal displacement, to push the intraocular lens into the tip 7 and subsequently to push it out of the injector 1. To this end, a plunger tip 15 may be arranged at that end of the second plunger 4 that faces away from the first plunger 3, said plunger tip being formed by a soft cushion or a fork. The longitudinal displacement of the second plunger 4 toward the tip may have the result that, at the end of the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger 4, the second plunger 4 extends all the way through the tip 7. It is also conceivable for the plunger tip 15 to be arranged outside the injector 1 at the end of the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger 4.
[0036] The injector 1 may have a storage chamber in which the intraocular lens is intended to be inserted or has already been inserted. In addition, the injector 1 may have a folding chamber 6 in which the intraocular lens is folded and compressed during the longitudinal displacement of the second plunger 4. It is conceivable for the folding chamber 6 to narrow in the direction of the tip 7 for this purpose. It is additionally conceivable for the folding chamber 6 to be arranged between the storage chamber and the tip 7 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5. The tip 7 may narrow in the direction of an outlet of the tip 7, wherein it is conceivable here for the tip 7 to narrow less steeply than the folding chamber 6. In addition, it is conceivable for the injector 1 to have the intraocular lens. In this case, it is conceivable for the intraocular lens to be arranged in the injector body 2 and in particular in the storage chamber. It is also apparent from FIGS. 1 to 3 that the first plunger 3 can have a thumb rest 16 at its longitudinal end facing away from the shaft 5.
[0037] FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the injector 1 can have a stop 8 which is configured to limit a movement of the shaft 5 toward the tip 7. In addition, FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the injector 1 can have a first anti-rotation means 13 which is configured to prevent rotation of the first plunger 3 relative to the injector body 2. To this end, in a plane, the normal of which is parallel to the axial direction z of the shaft 5, the first plunger 3 may have a cross section other than a circular cross section, which engages with a form fit in a first opening of the injector body 2. Additionally or alternatively, the injector 1 may have a second anti-rotation means 14 which is configured to prevent rotation of the second plunger 4 relative to the injector body 2. To this end, in a plane, the normal of which is parallel to the axial direction z of the shaft 5, the second plunger 4 may have a cross section other than a circular cross section, which engages with a form fit in a second opening of the injector body 2.
[0038] As is apparent from FIGS. 1 to 3, the shaft 5 may be a hollow shaft and thus have a cavity 18, wherein the first plunger 3 is arranged at least partially and at least temporarily in the cavity 18 during its longitudinal displacement and/or wherein the second plunger 4 is arranged at least partially and at least temporarily in the cavity 18 during its longitudinal displacement. Here, the first guide slot 9 and/or the second guide slot 11 can extend, in a radial direction of the shaft 5, all the way through a wall, bounding the cavity 18 of the shaft 5. Alternatively, it is conceivable for the first guide slot 9 to be in the form of a groove and/or for the second guide slot 11 to be in the form of a groove.
[0039] FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the first guide slot 9 may have a starting point 41 at which the first protrusion 10 is arranged at the first time and an end point 42 at which the first protrusion 10 is arranged at the third time. The distance from the starting point 41 of the first guide slot 9 to the end point 42 of the first guide slot 9 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 corresponds to the maximum displacement path of the first plunger 3. In addition, the second guide slot 11 may have a starting point 43 at which the second protrusion 12 is arranged at the first time and an end point 44 at which the second protrusion 12 is arranged at the third time. The distance from the starting point 43 of the second guide slot 11 to the end point 44 of the second guide slot 11 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 corresponds to the maximum displacement path of the second plunger 4. The distance of the starting point 41 of the first guide slot 9 from the end point 42 of the first guide slot 9 in the circumferential direction D of the shaft corresponds to the distance of the first protrusion 10 from the second protrusion 12 in the circumferential direction D of the shaft 5 in a radial spacing of the shaft 5 at which the guide slots 9, 11 are arranged. FIGS. 1 to 3 show that the maximum displacement path of the first plunger 3 can be longer than the maximum displacement path of the second plunger 4. This is illustrated for example in FIG. 5 in a plot in which a displacement path 24a of the first plunger 3 is plotted along the horizontal axis and a displacement path 24b of the second plunger 4 is plotted along the vertical axis. Also plotted is the angle bisector 19. It is apparent that in the case of short displacement paths 24a of the first plunger 3, the second plunger 4 can cover a longer displacement path 24b than the displacement path 24a of the first plunger 3 and that in the case of longer displacement paths 24a of the first plunger 3, the first plunger 3 can cover a longer displacement path 24a than the displacement path 24b of the second plunger 4. Since the first plunger 3 covers a longer displacement path 24a than the displacement path 24b of the second plunger 4, during the longitudinal displacement, a force acting on the first plunger 3 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 is converted into a stronger force acting on the second plunger 4.
[0040] FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate various diagrams of a first exemplary embodiment of the injector 1. In FIG. 6, the shape of the first guide slot 9 is illustrated in the left-hand plot and the shape of the second guide slot 11 is illustrated in the right-hand plot. In the left-hand plot, the distance 26 of the first guide slot 9 from the starting point 41 of the first guide slot 9 in the circumferential direction D of the shaft 5 is plotted along the horizontal axis and the distance 25 of the first guide slot 9 from the starting point 41 of the first guide slot 9 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 is plotted along the vertical axis. In the right-hand plot, the distance 30 of the second guide slot 11 from a reference point, located on the shaft 5, in the circumferential direction D of the shaft 5 is plotted along the horizontal axis and the distance 29 of the second guide slot 11 from the reference point in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 is plotted along the vertical axis. The plots in FIG. 6 thus correspond to a developed surface of the shaft 5. The shape of the first guide slot 9 may, as illustrated, be a Bezier curve 27, wherein the associated control polygon 28 is drawn in. The shape of the second guide slot 11 may, as illustrated, be a Bezier curve 31, wherein the associated control polygon 32 is drawn in. Instead of the Bezier curves 27, 31, other curve shapes are also conceivable, for example polynomials or splines. In the plots, (D11, z11) are the position of the first protrusion 10 at the first time, (D21, z21) are the position of the second protrusion 12 at the first time, (D12, z12) are the position of the first protrusion 10 at the second time, (D22, z22) are the position of the second protrusion 12 at the second time, (D13, z13) are the position of the first protrusion 10 at the third time, and (D23, z23) are the position of the second protrusion 12 at the third time. Because the distance of the first protrusion 10 from the second protrusion 12 is invariable in the circumferential direction D of the shaft during longitudinal displacement, the following applies: D13−D11=D23−D21 and D12−D11=D22−D21.
[0041] In FIG. 7, the pitch 33 of the first guide slot 9 from FIG. 6 is plotted in the left-hand plot and the pitch 35 of the second guide slot 11 from FIG. 6 is plotted in the right-hand plot, in each case with respect to a rotation angle 34 of the shaft 5. In FIG. 8, the pitch ratio 37 of the pitch 33 of the first guide slot 9 from FIG. 7 to the pitch 35 of the second guide slot 11 from FIG. 7 versus a displacement path 36 of the second plunger 4 is illustrated. The pitch ratio 37 is identical to a force ratio of a force acting on the second plunger 4 in an axial direction z of the shaft 5 to a force acting on the first plunger 3 in an axial direction z of the shaft 5. In FIG. 8, the pitch ratio 37 versus the displacement path 36 of the second plunger 4 for a second exemplary embodiment of the injector 1 is plotted, wherein, in the second exemplary embodiment, the shapes of the first guide slot 9 and of the second guide slot 11 are different than the shapes of the first guide slot 9 and of the second guide slot 11 of the first exemplary embodiment.
[0042] It is apparent from FIGS. 8 and 9 that a pitch ratio 37 of the pitch 33 of the first guide slot 9 at the position in which the first protrusion 10 engages to the pitch 35 of the second guide slot 11 at the position in which the second protrusion 12 engages can vary during the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger 3 and of the second plunger 4. It is also apparent that the pitch ratio 37 can become larger at least in some portions during the longitudinal displacement of the first plunger 3 and of the second plunger 4 toward the tip 7. In both exemplary embodiments, the pitch ratio 37 increases monotonically, and in particular strictly monotonically, along an end region of a displacement path of the second plunger 3 and thus also along an end region of a displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 toward the tip 7. It is conceivable for the pitch ratio 37 to increase monotonically, and in particular to increase strictly monotonically, along the entire displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3, as is the case for example in the first embodiment. Alternatively, it is conceivable for the pitch ratio 37 to drop monotonically, and in particular to drop strictly monotonically, along a starting region of the displacement path of the second plunger 4 and thus also along a starting region of the displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 toward the tip 7, as is the case in the second exemplary embodiment.
[0043] In particular for the first exemplary embodiment and the second exemplary embodiment, it is conceivable for the pitch ratio 37 to be larger than one or larger than 3.0 or larger than 4.0 along an end region of a displacement path of the second plunger 4 and thus also along an end region of a displacement path 36 of the first plunger 4 toward the tip 7. In particular for the second embodiment, it is conceivable for the pitch ratio 37 to be larger than one along a starting region of a displacement path of the second plunger 4 and thus also along a starting region of a displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 toward the tip 7. For the second exemplary embodiment, it is additionally conceivable for the pitch ratio 37 to be less than 1 in a region of the displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 that lies between the starting region and the end region of the first plunger 3. As a result, in regions of the displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 in which a great deal of force is necessary to displace the intraocular lens, the transmission ratio is selected such that the force acting on the second plunger 4 in the axial direction z is stronger than the force acting on the first plunger 3 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5. At the same time, in regions of the displacement path 36 of the first plunger 3 in which only a little force is necessary to displace the intraocular lens, the transmission ratio is selected such that the force acting on the second plunger 4 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5 is weaker than the force acting on the first plunger 3 in the axial direction z of the shaft 5.
[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates a comparison of a force-displacement curve 22 of a conventional injector, which does not have a transmission ratio, with a force-displacement curve 23 of the first plunger 3 of the second exemplary embodiment of the injector 1. The displacement path 20 of the first plunger 3 of the second exemplary embodiment and the displacement path 20 of the plunger of the conventional injector, respectively, are plotted along the horizontal axis, and the force 21 applied for displacement is plotted along the vertical axis. It is apparent that the displacement path 20 of the second exemplary embodiment is much longer and that the increase in the force in the region 23d is much lower than the increase in the force in the region 22d.
[0045] It is understood that the foregoing description is that of the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0046] 1 Injector [0047] 2 Injector body [0048] 3 First plunger [0049] 4 Second plunger [0050] 5 Shaft [0051] 6 Folding chamber [0052] 7 Tip [0053] 8 Stop [0054] 9 First guide slot [0055] 10 First protrusion [0056] 11 Second guide slot [0057] 12 Second protrusion [0058] 13 First anti-rotation means [0059] 14 Second anti-rotation means [0060] 15 Plunger tip [0061] 16 Thumb rest [0062] 17 Pointer [0063] 18 Cavity [0064] 19 Angle bisector [0065] 20 Displacement path [0066] 21 Force [0067] 22 Force-displacement curve of a plunger of a conventional injector [0068] 23 Force-displacement curve of the first plunger of the injector according to the disclosure [0069] 24a Displacement path of the first plunger [0070] 24b Displacement path of the second plunger [0071] 25 Distance of the first guide slot in the axial direction [0072] 26 Distance of the first guide slot in the circumferential direction [0073] 27 First Bezier curve [0074] 28 First control polygon [0075] 29 Distance of the second guide slot in the axial direction z [0076] 30 Distance of the second guide slot in the circumferential direction D [0077] 31 Second Bezier curve [0078] 32 Second control polygon [0079] 33 Pitch of the first guide slot [0080] 34 Rotation angle of the shaft [0081] 35 Pitch of the second guide slot [0082] 36 Displacement path of the first plunger [0083] 37 Pitch ratio/force ratio [0084] 41 Starting point of the first guide slot [0085] 42 End point of the first guide slot [0086] 43 Starting point of the second guide slot [0087] 44 End point of the second guide slot [0088] z Axial direction [0089] D Circumferential direction [0090] z1x Axial position of the first plunger at an x-th time [0091] D1x Circumferential position of the first protrusion relative to the shaft at an x-th time [0092] z2x Axial position of the second plunger at an x-th time [0093] D2x Circumferential position of the second protrusion relative to the shaft at an x-th time
