Intraocular irrigator-aspirator tip component

Abstract

An ophthalmic irrigator-aspirator has a handpiece with aspiration and irrigation openings through its distal end. A tip component connects to the handpiece and has an aspiration cannula. A flexible sleeve has an annular hub for watertight connection to the handpiece or a base portion of the tip. The sleeve has an intermediate portion that forms a channel for an irrigation fluid along the exterior of the cannula to an irrigation port in the sleeve. The distal end portion of the sleeve is sized for a watertight connection over the distal portion of the cannula. Such distal end portion of the sleeve has an aspiration port in communication with the cannula aspiration port. The sleeve proximate, intermediate, and distal portions are integral with each other and are formed of a resilient material that allows the sleeve to be tightly fitted on the handpiece or tip base portion and the cannula.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A sleeve for an ophthalmic instrument, the sleeve comprising:
 a hub portion configured to connect, in a watertight fit, to an ophthalmic instrument having an irrigation channel and an aspiration port;   an intermediate portion projecting from the hub portion;   a distal portion projecting from the intermediate portion and having an irrigation port; and   a distal end portion projecting from the distal portion and having an aspiration port, wherein the aspiration port of the distal end portion is configured to be in fluid communication with the aspiration port of the ophthalmic instrument;   wherein the intermediate portion and the distal portion form an annular channel configured to be in fluid communication with the irrigation port of the distal portion and the irrigation channel of the ophthalmic instrument.   
     
     
         3 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , further comprising a bend in the distal portion of the sleeve disposed between the intermediate portion of the sleeve and the distal end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         4 . The sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein the irrigation port of the distal portion of the sleeve is disposed between the bend and the distal end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         5 . The sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein the bend is configured to be disposed adjacent to or overlapping with an edge of the irrigation port of the distal portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , further comprising an aspiration cavity configured to be in fluid communication with and disposed between the aspiration port of the distal end portion of the sleeve and the aspiration port of the ophthalmic instrument. 
     
     
         7 . The sleeve of  claim 6 , wherein the distal end portion of the sleeve comprises an annular shoulder configured to fluidly seal the aspiration cavity to the aspiration port of the ophthalmic instrument. 
     
     
         8 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the aspiration port of the distal end portion of the sleeve is disposed along a sidewall of the distal end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         9 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the hub portion of the sleeve comprises a wall thickness greater than a wall thickness of the intermediate portion of the sleeve and the distal portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         10 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein an internal face of a proximal end of the hub portion of the sleeve is tapered. 
     
     
         11 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the hub portion of the sleeve comprises a rib configured to form the watertight fit with the ophthalmic instrument. 
     
     
         12 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein a diameter of the intermediate portion of the sleeve decreases towards the distal portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The sleeve of  claim 3 , wherein a diameter of the distal portion of the sleeve decreases from the bend towards the distal end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         14 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , further comprising a mark for aligning the sleeve with the ophthalmic instrument. 
     
     
         15 . The sleeve of  claim 2 , wherein the hub portion of the sleeve comprises a non-cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         16 . A tip for an ophthalmic instrument, the tip comprising:
 a tip component comprising:
 a proximal end portion configured to connect, in a watertight fit, to a distal end of an ophthalmic instrument having an irrigation channel and an aspiration channel, 
 a cannula portion projecting distally from the proximal end portion, the cannula portion comprising a first aspiration port at or adjacent to a distal end of the cannula portion, and 
 a channel extending through the proximal end portion and the cannula portion, wherein the channel is configured to be in fluid communication with the first aspiration port of the cannula portion and the aspiration channel of the ophthalmic instrument; and 
   a sleeve comprising:
 a hub portion configured to connect, in a watertight fit, to the distal end of the ophthalmic instrument; 
 an intermediate portion projecting from the hub portion; 
 a distal portion projecting from the intermediate portion and having an irrigation port; and 
 a distal end portion projecting from the distal portion and having a second aspiration port, wherein the second aspiration port of the distal end portion is configured to be in fluid communication with the first aspiration port of the cannula portion of the tip component; 
 wherein the intermediate portion and the distal portion form an annular channel that surrounds at least a part of the tip component and is configured to be in fluid communication with the irrigation port of the distal portion of the sleeve and the irrigation channel of the ophthalmic instrument. 
   
     
     
         17 . The tip of  claim 16 , wherein the tip component comprises a first bend near the distal end of the cannula portion and the sleeve comprises a second bend in the distal portion near the distal end portion, wherein the second bend overlies the first bend. 
     
     
         18 . The tip of  claim 17 , wherein the irrigation port of the distal portion of the sleeve is disposed between the second bend of the sleeve and the distal end portion of the sleeve. 
     
     
         19 . The tip of  claim 16 , wherein the irrigation port of the distal portion of the sleeve is disposed along a sidewall of the distal portion of the sleeve and lateral to the second aspiration port. 
     
     
         20 . The tip of  claim 16 , wherein the sleeve covers the tip component.