Rigid, transparent fluid conduit for surgical irrigation

Claim 2

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an elongated tool connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging the handpiece; a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the tool, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches; said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humour of the eye, so that, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which resin is easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision; and an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section.

Claim 3

The conduit of claim 1 including, said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene.

Claim 4

The conduit of claim 2 including said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.0-12.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 5

The conduit of claim 3 including, said melt flow index being 10.0-11.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 6

The conduit of claim 2 including, said polypropylene having a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.

Claim 7

The conduit of claim 5 including, said molecular weight being about 250,000.

Claim 8

The conduit of claim 2 including, said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 10.0 to 11.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 250,000.

Claim 9

The conduit of claim 1 including, said wall thickness being not greater than 0.005 inches.

Claim 10

The conduit of claim 1 including, said engaging means including internal threads generally adjacent said open end of said body portion.

Claim 11

The conduit of claim 1 including, said body portion being generally cylindrical.

Claim 12

An ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions comprising: (A) an elongated handpiece; (B) an irrigation fluid supply conduit positioned in said handpiece; (C) an elongated tool connected to said handpiece; and (D) an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with said irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging said handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that said tool, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which resin is easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, and an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section.

Claim 13

An ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions comprising: (A) an elongated handpiece; (B) an irrigation fluid supply conduit positioned in said handpiece; (C) an elongated tool connected to said handpiece; and (D) an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with said irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging said handpiece, a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches, said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that said tool, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which resin is easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, and an elastomeric sealing ring overmolding said first end opening of said body section.

Claim 14

The instrument of claim 11 including, said tool comprising a surgical aspiration tool.

Claim 15

The instrument of claim 12 including, said surgical aspiration tool being ultrasonically vibrated surgical aspiration tool.

Claim 16

The instrument of claim 11 including, said tool including an ultrasonically vibrated surgical needle.

Claim 17

The instrument of claim 11 including, said tool having a tip, and said sleeve portion having the distal end thereof having an internal radius large enough to provide for transition therethrough of said tip of said tool.

Claim 18

The instrument of claim 11 including, said handpiece being generally cylindrical.

Claim 19

The instrument of claim 11 including, an elongated tubular aspiration fluid supply conduit at one end of said handpiece.

Claim 20

The conduit of claim 11 including, said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene.

Claim 21

The conduit of claim 18 including, said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.0-12.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 22

The conduit of claim 19 including, said melt flow index being 10.0-11.0 grams/10 minutes.

Claim 23

The conduit of claim 18 including, said polypropylene having a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.

Claim 24

The conduit of claim 21 including, said molecular weight being about 250,000.

Claim 25

The conduit of claim 11 including, said polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 10.0-11.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 250,000.

Claim 26

The conduit of claim 11 including, said wall thickness being not greater than 0.005 inches.

Claim 27

The conduit of claim 11 including, said engaging means including internal threads generally adjacent said open end of said body portion.

Claim 28

The conduit of claim 11 including, said body portion being generally cylindrical.

Claim 29

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical needle connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging the handpiece; a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the needle, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches; and said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that, when said engaging means engages the handpiece, the needle, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which resin is easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, and said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.00 to 12.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.

Claim 30

For use with an ophthalmological surgical instrument providing irrigating and aspirating functions, having an elongated handpiece containing an irrigation fluid supply conduit, and having an ultrasonically-vibrated surgical needle connected to the handpiece, an irrigation fluid conduit comprising: a hollow body portion including body walls surrounding an axis, a first end open for fluid transmissive communication with the irrigation fluid supply conduit, a second end having an axial opening therein, and an engaging means for engaging the handpiece; a tubular sleeve portion in fluid transmissive communication with said axial opening in said second end and coaxially extending therefrom, configured to surround the needle, and having a thin sleeve wall whose thickness is not greater than 0.006 inches; and said hollow body portion and said tubular sleeve portion being homogeneously molded from a polyolefin synthetic resin which is transparent when immersed in the aqueous humor of the eye, so that, when said engaging means engages the handpiece, the needle, when in the eye, and the adjacent tissues can be visualized by the surgeon through said sleeve portion, and which resin is easy flowing to fully fill said thin sleeve wall, and which has a diametric rigidity great enough to prevent collapse of said sleeve portion when inserted into an ocular incision, and said polyolefin synthetic resin being polypropylene having a melt flow index by ASTM D1238 of 9.00 to 12.0 grams/10 minutes and a molecular weight of about 220,000 to about 280,000.