Abstract: A method and system for controlling the cutting speed of a cutting device employable in an ocular surgical procedure is provided. The apparatus includes a control module, a variable gas pressure regulator arrangement configured to receive gas from a gas pressure supply, wherein the variable pressure regulator arrangement is connected to the control module and the control module is configured to regulate gas received from the gas pressure supply, and an accumulator configured to store gas received from the variable gas regulator arrangement at a selected gas pressure. Gas at the desired pressure is delivered from the accumulator to the cutting device. The gas may be air, and the variable gas pressure arrangement may include a single variable pressure regulator or multiple pressure regulators which typically are not variable with respect to the pressure delivered.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of calculating tear film lipid and aqueous layer thicknesses and/or corneal surface refractive index from interferometry data obtained from simultaneous measurements of the aqueous and lipid layers of the tear film along with a measurement of the corneal surface reflectance.

Abstract: Phacoemulsification apparatus includes a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electrical circuitry for ultrasonic vibrating the needle. A power source provides pulsed electrical power to the handpiece electrical circuitry and an input is provided for enabling a surgeon to select an amplitude of dislighted pulses and a pulse width. A control system and pulse duty cycle is provided for controlling the off duty cycle to insure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse is activated, including a foot pedal switch.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for dispersing fluid from a fluid dispersal line is provided. The method comprises initiating operation of the medical apparatus, determining whether fluid has been dispersed from the medical apparatus via the fluid dispersal line since said initiating occurred, and assessing whether fluid is available in the fluid dispersal line. If fluid has not been dispersed from the medical apparatus since said initiating occurred and fluid is not available in the fluid dispersal line, the method includes distributing a commanded quantity of fluid plus an amount of fluid determined to fill the fluid dispersal line. Otherwise the method disperses only the commanded quantity of fluid.

Abstract: Phacoemulsification apparatus includes a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electrical system for ultrasonically vibrating said needle along with a power source for providing pulsed electrical power to the handpiece electrical system. Irrigation fluid is provided to the handpiece needle and aspirating fluid is removed from the handpiece needle. A determination of a voltage current phase relationship of the provided electrical power is made and in response thereto a control system varies a power level duty cycle provided to the handpiece electrical system from the power source and/or modify the aspiration flow rate. In addition, a separate input enables manual control of pulse amplitude. The control system provides a pulsed electrical power of less than 20 millisecond pulse duration.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for controlling fluid flow provided by an apparatus to a patient's eye during a surgical procedure. The method includes automatically adjusting an irrigation fluid source to a predetermined height during the surgical procedure using the apparatus, receiving a request either that the irrigation fluid source be moved to a different height from the predetermined height or that a manual adjustment mode be entered, and ceasing automatic adjusting and requiring manual adjustment of the height of the irrigation fluid source until the surgical procedure is completed or an indication received to resume automatic height adjustment of the irrigation fluid source. As an alternative, fluid flow rate or intraocular pressure may be maintained, and the design may include making adjustments to default values in other modes based on the adjustment made.

Abstract: An intraocular lens for correcting or reducing the astigmatism of a cornea includes an optical element that has optical properties and characteristics that make it tolerant of rotational misalignment, when compared to a comparable lens having a uniform astigmatism orientation across its entire optical element, leading to more relaxed tolerances for a surgeon that implants the lens. The optical element of the toric ophthalmic lens has meridians associated therewith, including a high power meridian and a low power meridian orthogonal to the high power meridian. The optical element has at least one radially modulated meridian along which power monotonically varies with increasing radial position.

Abstract: A system for easily transferring an intraocular lens (IOL) from a lens case to an inserter, and then into a patient's eye. The lens case has a transfer mechanism therein which retains the IOL until engagement with the inserter. The transfer mechanism may include jaws having a closed configuration for retaining the IOL and an open configuration for releasing the IOL. Engagement of the inserter with the lens case automatically opens the jaws and transfers the IOL to the inserter. The IOL is transferred into a load chamber of a nosepiece rotatably coupled to a handpiece. After transfer of the IOL, the nosepiece is rotated from a load position to a delivery position. The IOL may have an optic and a haptic coupled to the optic, and the lens case may be capable of configuring the haptic as desired to facilitate its transfer into an inserter and/or into the eye. For instance, the lens case may fold one or both of the haptics over the optic.

Abstract: A phacoemulsification system for operating a surgical handpiece having a handpiece; an irrigation fluid source for supplying irrigation fluid to the eye; an aspiration source coupled to the handpiece in order to aspirate the irrigation fluid from the eye through the handpiece; and a controller for controlling a vacuum in the handpiece, the controller comprising: a sensor for sensing the vacuum in the handpiece; an occlusion parameter, the occlusion parameter being a vacuum level corresponding to an occlusion of the handpiece or a flow rate corresponding to an occlusion of the handpiece; a maximum allowable vacuum level in the handpiece, the maximum allowable vacuum level having at least a first predetermined level; and a trigger value that is set based in part on the occlusion parameter.

Abstract: A pump for moving a fluid through a fluidics system includes a surface and channel disposed along at least a portion of the surface. The pump also includes a driving mechanism having a rotatable shaft and a plurality of haptics operably coupled to the shaft. A closed portion is formed in the channel as the channel is compressed between the surface and at least one of the haptics, the closed portion having a thickness between the surface and the haptic. The pump additionally has a circular path and a shaft path. The surface has a radius of curvature in the vicinity of the closed portion that is greater than the sum of a radius of the circular path and the thickness of the closed portion.

Abstract: A method of treating glaucoma in an eye utilizing an implanted shunt having an elastomeric plate and a non-valved elastomeric drainage tube. The plate is positioned over a sclera of the eye with an outflow end of the elastomeric drainage tube open to an outer surface of the plate. An inflow end of the drainage tube tunnels through the sclera and cornea to the anterior chamber of the eye. The drainage tube collapses upon initial insertion within an incision in the sclera and cornea, or at a kink on the outside of the incision, but has sufficient resiliency to restore its patency over time. The effect is a flow restrictor that regulates outflow from the eye until a scar tissue bleb forms around the plate of the shunt. The plate desirably has a peripheral ridge and a large number of fenestrations, and a longer suturing tab extending from one side of the plate to enhance visibility and accessibility when suturing the shunt to the sclera.

Abstract: Intraocular lenses for providing accommodation include an anterior optic, a posterior optic, and a lens structure. In one such lens, the lens structure comprises an anterior element coupled to the anterior optic and a posterior element coupled to the posterior optic. The anterior and posterior elements are coupled to one another at a peripheral region of the intraocular lens. The intraocular lens may also includes a projection extending anteriorly from the posterior element that limits posterior motion of the anterior optic so as to maintain a minimum separation between anterior optic and an anterior surface of the posterior optic.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are provided for calibrating a vacuum component of a phacoemulsification system at different elevations. The design comprises running a vacuum component to be calibrated at an elevation; determining a maximum vacuum pressure available at the elevation; determining a range of vacuum pressure available from running the vacuum component at the elevation; calibrating the vacuum component based at least in part on a the maximum vacuum pressure available and the range of vacuum pressure available. The design also comprises a to be calibrated vacuum component; a pressure delivery device; an altimeter configured to determine the elevation of the vacuum component; component reading hardware configured to read at least one measured value from the pressure sensing components of the vacuum component when exposed to at least one pressure value from the pressure delivery device; and a computer configured to correlate a plurality of measured values to the elevation.

Abstract: A controller for a phacoemulsification system having a handpiece; an irrigation fluid source configured to supply an irrigation fluid to the eye; an aspiration source configured to aspirate the irrigation fluid from the eye through the handpiece; and a controller comprising a duration timer configured to provide a duration of an occlusion, the controller configured to: sense a value of an occlusion indicating parameter corresponding to an occlusion of the handpiece; measure a time since the occlusion of the handpiece; and control the aspiration source to the handpiece based at least in part on the measured time since the occlusion. The occlusion indicating parameter may be a vacuum level, an irrigation flow rate, and/or an aspiration flow rate.

Abstract: An intraocular lens for providing a subject with vision at various distances includes an optic having a first surface with a first shape, an opposing second surface with a second shape, a multifocal refractive profile, and one or more diffractive portions. The optic may include at least one multifocal diffractive profile. In some embodiments, multifocal diffractive and the multifocal refractive profiles are disposed on different, distinct, or non-overlapping portions or apertures of the optic. Alternatively, portions of the multifocal diffractive profiles and the multifocal refractive profiles may overlap within a common aperture or zone of the optic.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to improved methods, devices, and systems for eye surgery. In some embodiments, the invention may provide new and/or improved devices, systems, and methods for detecting surgical fluids in a fluidics cassette, particularly cassettes which are used to couple an eye treatment probe to an eye treatment console. Rather than relaying on internal reflection by a gas-liquid interface, the fluid detection techniques described herein may make use of the changes in propagation of light through a portion of the holding tank when the portion varies between empty and full. For example, light may propagate directly through the holding tank portion when there is no surgical fluid, but may be directed away from a light detector when the portion of the holding tank is filled with surgical fluid.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling vacuum pressure is provided. The apparatus includes a multiple axis controller, such as a dual axis footpedal, and a processing apparatus, such as an instrument host running software, configured to receive multiple axis data from the multiple axis controller. The apparatus also includes a first pump configured to provide nonzero fluid pressure at a first nonzero fluid pressure level based on a first axis state of the multiple axis controller and a second pump configured to provide nonzero fluid pressure at a second nonzero fluid pressure level based on a second axis state of the multiple axis controller. The processing apparatus causes switching between the first pump and the second pump based on the first axis state and the second axis state of the multiple axis controller.

Abstract: A lens and cartridge packaging system and method of use which simplify the removal and transfer of an IOL to an IOL insertion device is disclosed. The packaging system enables a user to easily load an IOL into a cartridge without the use of forceps. In addition, the packaging system also allows a user to fold and insert the IOL into a cartridge without damaging the IOL and/or compromising IOL sterility. In addition, the related methods of use minimize and/or eliminate damage to the IOL during unpackaging, folding, transfer and loading procedures.