Patent Application
20080208110
The present invention pertains to a system used during ophthalmic surgery to facilitate the exchange of fluids within the interior of the eye; more particularly, the present invention pertains to a system for the infusion of fluid into the posterior segment of the eye.
During ophthalmic surgery, and in particular vitreoretinal surgery, the need arises to exchange the fluid within the eye with another fluid, typically a gas. A system by which such exchange may be accomplished is shown in
The exchange of fluid from within the interior of the eye with a gas, for example air, is typically performed by use of the automatic stopcock valve. Specifically, the automatic stopcock valve is opened by air pressure. This opening of the automatic stopcock valve to the flow of pressurized air stops the flow of the intraocular irrigating solution (e.g. BSS PLUS® intraocular irrigating solution available from Alcon Laboratories, Inc. of Fort Worth, Tex.) through the liquid infusion line and starts the flow of air through the air infusion line. For the eye surgeon—when time comes to stop the flow of surgical infusion solution and begin the flow of air—the eye surgeon will make the exchange of fluids by activating the flow of pressurized air using either a computer or manual control.
Downstream from the automatic stopcock valve is a connection for an infusion cannula. Downstream from the connection for the infusion cannula is the infusion cannula itself which conducts fluid into the eye of the patient.
During vitreoretinal surgery, the need often arises to inject a special fluid or medication into the eye. One of three techniques is typically employed to inject the special fluid or medication through the infusion cannula into the eye, as follows:
1. The special fluid or medication is injected using a manual, three way stopcock valve as shown in
2. The infusion line is disconnected at the connection point for the infusion cannula tubing set and the special fluid or medication is injected at the now dis-assembled connection point. The use of this technique requires that the liquid infusion line be clamped to prevent leakage of infusion fluid.
3. A small gauge needle is used by the surgeon to directly inject the special fluid or medication into the posterior segment of the eye. However, intraocular injections sometimes result in complications for the patient.
Whichever of the foregoing techniques is used, the eye surgeon is presented with an added degree of difficulty and a time delay when the need arises to inject a special fluid into the eye of the patient during ophthalmic surgery.
Accordingly, a need remains in the art for a system which will reduce the difficulty and the time required when the need arises to inject a special fluid or medication into the eye of a patient during ophthalmic surgery.
According to the present invention the difficulty and time required to inject a special fluid or medication into the eye of a patient during ophthalmic surgery is reduced.
The present invention is an infusion system having an injection site for the infusion of fluids during ophthalmic surgery. The injection site may be placed downstream from a manual stopcock valve, downstream from an automatic stopcock valve, or incorporated into a consumable automatic stopcock valve unit.
A better description of the infusion system with injection site of the present invention may be had by reference to attached drawing figures wherein:
Needleless injection sites, or needle-requiring injection sites, are products well know to the medical device industry. Such injection sites may be embodied in a Y fitting or T fitting which may be inserted into the type of plastic tubing typically used in a fluid infusion system, or which may include a luer lock at its ends for connection to the sections of the plastic tubing. A needleless injection site typically requires the use of a male luer tipped syringe. A needle-requiring injection site typically requires the use of a needle-requiring syringe. Still other injection sites are available and are well know to those of ordinary skill in the art.
According to the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Thus, according to the present invention the difficulty and time associated with the infusion of a special fluid or medication into the eye of a patient during ophthalmic surgery is reduced.
The present invention is illustrated herein by example, and various modifications may be made by a person of ordinary skill in the art. For example, gas infusion line 50 and liquid infusion line 60 may be fluid infusion lines that each conduct a different gas, or each conduct a different liquid. As another example, infusion line 50 may conduct a liquid, and infusion line 60 may conduct a gas.
While the present invention has been described according to its preferred and alternate embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that other embodiments have been enabled by the foregoing disclosure. Such other embodiments shall be included within the scope and meaning of the appended claims.
