Ophthalmic surgical cutting system with varied cross section tube-set

Abstract

An ophthalmic surgical cutting apparatus. In one instance, the apparatus includes a pneumatically-powered surgical cutter driven by a pneumatic pulse generator and a tubing assembly comprising multi-stage tubing connecting the generator to the cutter. The multi-stage tubing has a length of about two feet or more and includes a first-stage tube and a second-stage tube. The first-stage tube has a first end coupled to the output port of the generator, a second end opposite the first end, and a first inner channel having a first diameter for transmitting the pressure pulses to the cutter. The second-stage tube has a first end in pneumatic communication with the second end of the first-stage tube, a second end opposite the first end of the second-stage tube coupled to the cutter, and a second inner channel having a second diameter different than the first diameter for transmitting the pressure pulses to the cutter.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ophthalmic surgical cutting apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a pneumatically-powered surgical cutter;   a first tubing assembly transmitting a first plurality of pressure pulses from a pneumatic pulse generator to the pneumatically-powered surgical cutter; and   a second tubing assembly transmitting a second plurality of pressure pulses from the pneumatic pulse generator to the pneumatically-powered surgical cutter;   the first tubing assembly comprising multi-stage tubing having a length of about two feet or more and including   a first-stage, the first-stage having
 a first end coupled to an output port of the pneumatic pulse generator, 
 a second end opposite the first end, and 
 a first inner channel for transmitting the first plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the first inner channel having a first cross-sectional area, and 
   a second-stage, the second-stage having
 a first end in pneumatic communication with the second end of the first-stage, 
 a second end opposite the first end of the second-stage coupled to the pneumatically-powered surgical cutter, and 
 a second inner channel for transmitting the first plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the second inner channel having a second cross-sectional area different than the first cross-sectional area. 
   
     
     
         2 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second tubing assembly comprises multi-stage tubing having a length of about two feet or more and including
 a first-stage, the first-stage having
 a first end coupled to an output port of a pneumatic pulse generator, 
 a second end opposite the first end, and 
 a first inner channel for transmitting the second plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the first inner channel having a first cross-sectional area, and 
   a second-stage, the second-stage having
 a first end in pneumatic communication with the second end of the first-stage, 
 a second end opposite the first end of the second-stage coupled to the pneumatically-powered surgical cutter, and 
 a second inner channel for transmitting the second plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the second inner channel having a second cross-sectional area different than the first cross-sectional area. 
   
     
     
         3 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first end of the first-stage of the first tubing assembly is configured to be connected to a first output port of a pneumatic pulse generator and wherein the first end of the first-stage of the second tubing assembly is configured to be connected to a second output port of the pneumatic pulse generator. 
     
     
         4 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first end of the first-stage of the first tubing assembly is configured to be connected to a first output port of a first pneumatic pulse generator and wherein the first end of the first-stage of the second tubing assembly is configured to be connected to a second output port of a second pneumatic pulse generator. 
     
     
         5 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second cross-sectional area is smaller than the first cross-sectional area. 
     
     
         6 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first-stage has a first length and the second-stage has a second length. 
     
     
         7 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second length is shorter than the first length. 
     
     
         8 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second length is about 11 inches. 
     
     
         9 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first cross-sectional area is substantially constant along the entire first length. 
     
     
         10 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second cross-sectional area is substantially constant along the entire second length. 
     
     
         11 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the ratio of the first length to the second length is about 6 to 1. 
     
     
         12 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first tubing assembly includes an adapter coupling the first-stage to the second stage. 
     
     
         13 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the multi-stage tubing comprises a continuous single piece of tubing including the first-stage and the second-stage. 
     
     
         14 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the continuous single piece of tubing includes the first-stage and the second-stage constructed in a step-wise fashion. 
     
     
         15 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the continuous single piece of tubing includes the first-stage and the second-stage constructed in a continuously-variable fashion. 
     
     
         16 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the continuous single piece of tubing includes an inner channel having a continuously-variable cross-sectional area over substantially an entire length of the continuous single piece of tubing. 
     
     
         17 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first cross-sectional area is a circular cross-sectional area with a diameter of about 3/32 of an inch and the second cross-sectional area is a circular cross-sectional area with a diameter of about 1/16 of an inch. 
     
     
         18 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tubing assembly transmits the first plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter at a rate of approximately 40 Hz or more. 
     
     
         19 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the tubing assembly transmits the first plurality of pressure pulses to the surgical cutter at a rate of approximately 80 Hz or more. 
     
     
         20 . The cutting apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-section area is a non-circular cross-sectional area. 
     
     
         21 . An ophthalmic surgical cutting apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
 a pneumatically-powered surgical cutter driven by a pneumatic pulse generator having an output port providing pressure pulses at a variable frequency; and   a tubing assembly comprising multi-stage tubing connecting the pneumatic pulse generator to the surgical cutter and for transmitting the pressure pulses from the pneumatic pulse generator to the surgical cutter, the multi-stage tubing having a length of about two feet or more and including   a first-stage tube, the first-stage tube having
 a first end coupled to the output port of the pneumatic pulse generator, 
 a second end opposite the first end, and 
 a first inner channel for transmitting the pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the first inner channel having a first diameter, and 
   a second-stage tube, the second-stage tube having
 a first end in pneumatic communication with the second end of the first-stage tube, 
 a second end opposite the first end of the second-stage tube coupled to the pneumatically-powered surgical cutter, and 
 a second inner channel for transmitting the pressure pulses to the surgical cutter, the second inner channel having a second diameter different than the first diameter.