Sleeve shielded needles for phaco-emulsification devices
US6013046A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 16, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jan 11, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 16, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B2090/08021
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sleeve-shielded needle, to be inserted through an incision for maintenance of aspiration and irrigation flows includes a soft sleeve portion about a small diameter needle tip, at a spacing sufficient to provide a flow gap for irrigation fluid while aspiration fluid flows oppositely through the center of the needle tip. A radially rigid tubular element within a proximal portion of the sleeve maintains a constant flow gap, allowing the edges of a small incision into which the needle is inserted to compress the soft sleeve without reducing the gap. At the distal end, however, the sleeve can compress in response to tissue resistance during insertion, minimizing the risks of tearing tissue or enlarging the incision.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.