1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to surgical pumps, and particularly to peristaltic pumps for use in ophthalmic surgery.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known to use pumps in surgery, including ophthalmic surgery, to pump aspirant (fluids and tissue) from a surgical site, such as a patient's eye. Such pumps vary in the method used to pump aspirant including venturi pumps, scroll pumps, and peristaltic pumps.
Peristaltic pumps are well known in ophthalmic surgery and typically include a rotating pump head with a plurality of rollers spaced about the circumference of the pump head. These rollers typically cooperate with a backing plate to pinch closed a small section of tubing placed between the rollers and backing plate. As the pump head rotates, the rollers revolve and provide a continuous pinch point along a length of tubing. The rollers and backing plate are constructed that multiple rollers will pinch closed the tubing. In this way, as the pump head rotates, a flow of liquid and tissue is created within the tubing. In this way, a length of aspirant tubing is connected to one end of the pump tubing and a collection reservoir, typically a bag is connected to the other end of the pump tubing. Thus, aspirant is peristaltically pumped from a surgical site to the collection bag.
Peristaltic pumps typically, require that a length of tubing be placed and held between the pump head and a backing plate. Getting the tubing between the pump head and backing plate has typically been achieved in one of three ways. The first method is to manually thread the tubing between the head and plate. This is somewhat cumbersome, time consuming, and inconvenient for a user. The second and third methods include the use of a cartridge that has a length of tubing exposed. The second method includes a threading member or finger that extends beyond the pump head and, as the pump head rotates, the finger threads the tubing onto the pump head. This requires a specially designed threading finger but generally results in an easy to load pump. A third method includes a cartridge with a portion of the cartridge forming the backing plate. The cartridge is then urged toward the pump head. This method is also convenient for the user but has a potential drawback in that the backing plate of the cartridge typically does not cooperate with the pump head over a sufficiently large radius. This relatively small radius of interaction can lead to unwanted pulsation in aspirant flow through the system.
One other prior art peristaltic pump does not use any backing plate at all. Instead, a cartridge with a loop of tubing is place around a pump head and a cartridge holder is then moved away from the pump head until the tubing loop is sufficiently stretched that the rollers of the pump head pinch closed the tubing without a backing plate. The extent to which the tubing must be stretched is a cause for concern. Also, without a backing plate unwanted pulsation is likely to occur. This pulsation can result in dangerous and undesirable intra-ocular pressure in the eye and may also effect chamber stability during surgery.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a peristaltic pump with the convenience of a cartridge that is easily loaded by a user.
Pump head 14 is preferably connected to a motor (not shown) and the pump head 14 causes rollers 16 to rotate about a central axis 22 of the pump head 14, such that the rollers 16 and the backing plate 18 cooperate to compress or pinch a length of surgical tubing and peristaltically pump fluids from a surgical site through the tubing to a collection bag, as described in further detail below. Pump head 14 preferably moves or translates in a straight line towards and away from the backing plate 18. Pump head 14 can be made to move by any manner known to those skilled in the art, such as by pneumatic or hydraulic pistons, or stepper motors, or other known means. In addition, pump head 14 may include various numbers of rollers 16, depending on the desired head 14 size and the performance requirements to be obtained.
Peristaltic pump 10 preferably further includes a cartridge-holding drawer 24 for insertion of a pump cartridge, as shown in more detail below. In addition, pump 10 further includes a pressure transducer interface 26 and spring housing 28 for urging a pressure transducer and a pump cartridge against pressure transducer interface 26.
Connected to pump cartridge 30 is an irrigation line 40, which is typically connected to a bottle or bag of balanced salt solution (BSS) (not shown). Irrigation line 40 is then connected to fluid venting conduit or tube 42 and to a second irrigation line 44 which extends across pump cartridge 30, as shown in further detail below to provide for a control valve, typically a pinch valve (not shown), that opens and closes irrigation line 44. Irrigation line 44 is then connected to a further length of tubing 46 that ultimately is connected to a surgical handpiece, such as a phacoemulsification (phaco) handpiece or other irrigation device for use in ophthalmic surgery. An aspiration line 48 is also connected to pump cartridge 30 which carries aspirant from a surgical handpiece.
When door or drawer 24 closes and pump head 14 translates from the open position, shown in
In this way, it can be seen that by having pump head 14 move relative to the backing plate 18 and the housing 12, a length of surgical tubing 50 attached to a pump cartridge 30 is then easily inserted between the rollers 16 and backing plate surface 20. The present invention does not rely on complicated threading mechanisms, such as found in the prior art nor does the present invention require the pump cartridge 30 to be grasped and pulled away from the pump head in order to stretch tubing across the pump head as also found in the prior art.
One aspect of the present invention, by using the advantage of the moveable pump head, allows for the elimination of the prior art pinch valve for air venting (thus, reducing costs of manufacture) and allows the venting to occur in a very short time period. This short venting duration reduces the amount of air introduced to the aspiration line and helps control an undesired surge of aspirant through the aspiration path, as compared to the prior art. Another way of describing the inventive air venting feature is to say the pump head 14 or the backing plate 18 is moveable from a tubing pinched or engaged position to a tubing vent position such that the tubing is vented by removing the pinch between the rollers 16 and the backing plate 18. In one embodiment of the invention, the pump head 14 is moveable to a vent position while the rollers 16 are rotating. In other embodiments the pump head may completely stop before moving to a vent position.
As is known in the prior art, it is preferred that aspirant line 48 be as non-compliant as possible, that is, as stiff and rigid as possible to prevent and minimize the collapse of tubing 48 upon the occurrence of an occlusion and the build-up of vacuum in the aspiration path. Housing 62 also preferably includes openings 71 and 72 to allow for operation of pinch valves (not shown), as is well known in the art. The operation of the pinch valve with relation to opening 71 will be described in detail below. Opening 72 is associated with irrigation line 40 and 44. Typically, a pinch valve of pump 10 passes through opening 72 and causes the opening and closing of irrigation tubing 44 to control the flow of BSS through irrigation line 40 and 46 to a handpiece not shown. End 74 of irrigation line 40 is typically connected to a BSS bottle as previously shown in
Irrigation line 42 and opening 71 cooperate with a pinch valve not shown to fluidly vent pressure transducer 80 when commended by console 52. The pinch valve operates to control the flow of irrigation fluid to the pressure transducer 80. A high vacuum is typically caused by an occlusion occurring within the eye being operated on when the aspiration port of the surgical handpiece is closed off or occluded by tissue. As the occlusion happens, the pump head 14 continues to attempt to pump aspirant through the aspiration path and into collection bag 64.
As explained above, the tubing loop 50 may be air vented by the movement of the pump head. Of course, the tubing 50 may also be air vented by the movement of the backing plate, though this is not shown. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize that the movement of backing plate 18 away from pump head 14 will also allow tubing 50 to become unpinched and therefore, vent air from the collection bag 64 to relieve the vacuum that has been created in aspiration line 48 and the surgical handpiece. In certain circumstances, it may be preferred to vent the aspiration path with liquid rather than air and liquid venting tube 42 and opening 71 cooperate with a pinch valve not shown to vent fluid directly to pressure transducer 80.
The prior art teaches fluid venting by venting fluids to the aspiration line 48; however, the most compliant portion of the aspiration path and that portion which displaces the most volume is the pressure transducer 80. By directly venting fluid to the pressure transducer 80, that portion of the aspiration path that is the most compliant and displaces the most volume upon the occurrence of an occlusion is most quickly stabilized by directly venting fluid to the pressure transducer 80. Directly venting to the pressure transducer 80 minimizes post occlusion surge, which is highly undesirable and, it is believed, the aspiration path is stabilized more quickly than known in the prior art. Pressure transducer 80 is preferably connected between a handpiece 56, as shown in
It is possible to form fitment 98 and collection bag 64 of materials other than polyethylene. However, in order to avoid the use of adhesives, it is important to use materials that have essentially the same co-efficient of expansion. Upon the introduction of heat, both materials should begin to melt at approximately the same temperature, and therefore, after the heat is removed, a seal will form between the bag and fitment. Fitment 98 provides a conduit for aspirant flow from the pump cartridge 62 to an interior of the bag 64.
A further inventive feature of fitment 98, is best shown in the perspective view of
The fitments 98 and 104 allow the collection bag 64 to be removed from cartridge 30 during surgery. This is highly desirable because a collection bag 64 may fill up prior to the end of surgery and changing collection bags is more efficient and less expensive than placing a new cartridge into the pump 10.
Thus, there has been shown and described a novel pump, cartridge, and venting methods. Variations and alternate embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims that follow. For instance, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art, that if a prior art peristaltic pump that does not require a backing plate is used (as described above), the inventive air venting can still be utilized by simply momentarily relieving the strain on the stretched loop of tubing to remove the pinch points created by the pump head rollers.
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