Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical aspirator having an improved irrigation/aspiration manifold and components to facilitate quick connections of the irrigation and aspiration lines to a handpiece. In combination with a handle assembly having an ultrasonic vibrator for vibrating an ultrasonic tip and a nosecone, a nosecone extension defining a rotating joint for connection to the nosecone in an articulating joint for connection to a rigid or flexible flue is provided. The nosecone extension further defines an irrigation cowl having an irrigation port for receiving an irrigation connector for connecting the irrigation fluid to the nosecone extension for passage of irrigation fluid through the nosecone extension and a flue about the surgical tip. An aspiration tubulation connector adapted to securely fit a slot through the nosecone and nosecone extension connects an aspiration port on the tip to the aspiration tube for connection to a pump into a discard area.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical aspirator having an improved irrigation/aspiration manifold and components to facilitate quick connections of the irrigation and aspiration lines to a handpiece. In combination with a handle assembly having an ultrasonic vibrator for vibrating an ultrasonic tip and a nosecone, a nosecone extension defining a rotating joint for connection to the nosecone in an articulating joint for connection to a rigid or flexible flue is provided. The nosecone extension further defines an irrigation cowl having an irrigation port for receiving an irrigation connector for connecting the irrigation fluid to the nosecone extension for passage of irrigation fluid through the nosecone extension and a flue about the surgical tip. An aspiration tubulation connector adapted to securely fit a slot through the nosecone and nosecone extension connects an aspiration port on the tip to the aspiration tube for connection to a pump into a discard area.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for assembly and disassembly of interchangeable surgical acoustic members includes a fixture for securing by a key a handpiece to which a tip and/or extender is attached. A torquing wrench has a tightening head and an untightening head on the same body, wherein the tightening head permits torquing of the tip and/or extender to a predetermined tightening torque in cooperation with a socket having a central bore therethrough so that the wrench and socket may be slid over an axially elongated combination and used at a point intermediate along the length thereof. In use, the handpiece is secured in the handpiece fixture and receives the tip and/or extender in a handtightened condition to be torqued to a predetermined limit by the torquing wrench while secured against rotation in the handpiece fixture. A table support structure for supporting a handpiece fixture for an alternative operation is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for periodically interrupting ultrasonic power applied to a ultrasonically vibrating tip to control its amplitude between high and low or zero amplitudes with a selectible duty cycle and repetition rate provides enhanced fragmentation and improves surgical control. The duty cycle may also vary as a function of a remotely sensed parameter such as tissue temperature.

Abstract: A handpiece connector cooperates with the logic control circuit in an ultrasonic surgical system to distinguish types of handpieces, to indicate types of handpieces, to control differing operating frequencies for such differing handpieces, and to provide logic signals for controlling other system parameters dependent on the type of handpiece selected. A handpiece connector is prewired in a manner which is electrically indicative of one of several parameters to identify the selective handpiece. A logic control circuit, when connected to the handpiece, indicates that a handpiece is connected, indicates the type of handpiece so connected, indicates and controls the frequency of operation pertinent to that handpiece, and controls other system operating parameters related to the selected handpiece.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical aspirator having an improved irrigation/aspiration manifold and components to facilitate quick connections of the irrigation and aspiration lines to a handpiece. In combination with a handle assembly having an ultrasonic vibrator for vibrating an ultrasonic tip and a nosecone, a nosecone extension defining a rotating joint for connection to the nosecone in an articulating joint for connection to a rigid or flexible flue is provided. The nosecone extension further defines an irrigation cowl having an irrigation port for receiving an irrigation connector for connecting the irrigation fluid to the nosecone extension for passage of irrigation fluid through the nosecone extension and a flue about the surgical tip. An aspiration tubulation connector adapted to securely fit a slot through the nosecone and nosecone extension connects an aspiration port on the tip to the aspiration tube for connection to a pump into a discard area.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning and refurbishing the adjacent planar surfaces of a pair of interchangeable surgical acoustic members. The device includes a spaced pair of outwardly biased abrasive members mounted on a rotatable housing so that the tool can be located between the adjacent planar faces and about a threaded connection between them. Rotation of the device causes the abrasive members in contact with the opposed planar surfaces to clean and refurbish those surfaces. The method of using the device is also disclosed. The device is provided as a component of a maintenance kit for the acoustic members. The kit also includes a wire brush for cleaning the threaded joint, non-shredding swabs for wiping the threads and acoustic joint, and a brush for cleaning the bores of the acoustic member.

Abstract: A distributed-feedback dye laser having a tuning mirror for reflecting a pumping beam onto an impinging region of a dye cell. A four-link equilateral-parallelogram structure pivotally attached to the mirror is adjustable to translate the tuning mirror along the path of the pumping beam incident on the mirror while simultaneously changing the angular orientation of the mirror. The pumping beam reflected from the tuning mirror is directed toward a predetermined point for all positions of adjustment whereby the beam impinges generally the same region of the dye cell for a wide range of incident angles. The dye cell impinged by the pumping beam may also have a surface, through which the generated laser beam is transmitted, oblique to the laser beam and perpendicular to the dye cell region impinged by the pumping beam.

Abstract: An improved ultrasonic surgical handpiece includes an angled connecting body between the transducer and operative tip, with the connecting body being bent at a location between the node and antinode at its respective ends and with a second nodal plane support in the transducer section. The vibrating assembly is impedance matched to the frequency of a handpiece employing a straight connecting body of subtantially equal length and dimension whereby straight and angulated handpieces may be interchangeably used in an ultrasonic surgical system employing a common drive and common operative tips. In a preferred embodiment, the ultrasonic transducer has a nodal plane midway between its ends and is supported at this nodal plane.

Abstract: The invention provides a system with no moving parts for autocorrelating optical radiation signals. An incident optical radiation signal is first divided into first and second optical beams which, in the preferred embodiment, are directed respectively through first and second electro-optic crystals to produce a relative time adjustment between the optical beams. The optical beams are then combined and a product value is determined. Using the technique of autocorrelation, the product of the optical beams is measured over a range of time adjustments between the optical beams to provide a measurement of the incident optical radiation signal. The system and method described provide a vibration-free technique for autocorrelation which can be incorporated into laser resonator structures.

Abstract: A device for separating a shorter-wavelength component of a combination-wavelength beam from an orthoganally polarized, longer wavelength component. A combination beam generator produces such a beam which is directed into a positive uniaxial crystal having an input face, an output face, and a pair of parallel faces. Each of the faces is parallel to the crystal axis. The beam enters the crystal through the input face in a predetermined orientation and impinges on the pair of parallel faces at angles greater than the critical angle of the shorter component wavelength and less than the critical angle of the longer component wavelength. The shorter wavelength component is internally reflected on the pair of parallel faces until it exits from the output face. The longer wavelength component is partially externally transmitted at each point of reflection of the shorter wavelength components.

Abstract: An optical system for a surgical ophthalmic instrument 10 using a YAG laser reduces the size of the components and facilitates their combination with a binocular microscope 11. A parallel plate beam splitter 22 splits a beam 21 from a visible light He-Ne laser 20 into equal and separated He-Ne beams 21a and 21b. A pair of expanders 27 and 37 diverge the He-Ne beams and a beam 30 from the YAG laser 15. The diverging beams are combined on a coincident optical path, which is collimated and coincided with the optical path of microscope 11 between its binocular head 42 and objective 43. There, a mirror 50 coated to reflect the YAG laser light also has a pair of spaced-apart regions 51a and 51b with a second coating to reflect both the He-Ne beams 21a and 21b so that all laser light converges on the patient's eye. The central mirror region 52 is transparent to visible light so that most of the light reflected from the patient's eye is visible to the surgeon.

Abstract: Information relevant to a remote instrument is made viewable within a microscope 10 by a heads up display using a beam splitter 15 arranged in a collimated light region between binoculars 12 and objective 11 of microscope 10. An electronic digital display 16 relevant to a control setting for the remote instrument is arranged off the optical axis of microscope 10 and viewed by a convex mirror 20. A folding mirror 21 directs diverging light from convex mirror 20 toward beam splitter 15, and a collimating lens 22 collimates the diverging light enroute from folding mirror 21 to beam splitter 15. Collimated light from the lens is incident on beam splitter 15 to position an image of the digital display in a marginal region of the apparent field of one of the binoculars 12.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical aspirator having a transducer supported in a handpiece for generating ultrasonic vibrations which are transmitted to the tip of an operative probe through a transmitting structure including an elongated slender portion which is curved along at least a portion of its length to displace the longitudinal axis of the handpiece from the longitudinal axis of the probe attached to the end of the slender portion of the transmitting member to permit unobstructed vision along the probe. The radius of curvature of the curved portion of the transmitting structure is equal to or greater than 0.7 times the length of the longitudinal waves being transmitted.

Abstract: Equipment for abrasive stream cleaning delivers a stream of a gas and particles and a flow of liquid. A nozzle structure provides for entrainment of the liquid by a jet of particle-laden gas.

Abstract: The method of aspirating body tissue and blood from a surgical site along a suction passage having a suction port at an ultrasonically vibrated end of a tool for fragmenting the tissue at the surgical site is improved by introducing an anti-coagulant fluid into the suction passage independently of the suction port.

Abstract: An improved apparatus for dispensing cleaning powder in an air stream to be directed onto the surface of teeth includes a fluid-tight chamber for containing a supply of cleaning powder and having an open space above the powder, with an elongated tube mounted in the chamber and having a bottom end adjacent the bottom of the chamber and an open top end above the powder supply in the chamber, and with openings in the tube permitting limited flow of powder into the tube by gravity. Air under pressure is directed into the bottom of the tube to entrain the powder and discharge it in an air-powder stream from the open top of the tube. An outlet in the sidewall of the chamber permits air and powder to flow out under pressure, and a movable deflection member deflects the stream of air and entrained powder from the open top of the tube above the powder supply and generally toward the outlet.

Abstract: In a apparatus for aspirating material into an opening into a passage and along the passage, the apparatus has at least one additional opening or orifice for admitting (pre-aspirating) a fluid into the passage. The fluid facilitates aspirating the material along the passage and thus is preferably adjacent the opening through which the material enters the passage to facilitate the aspiration all along the passage. The apparatus is particularly for surgical use. In surgical uses the material to be aspirated contains blood which tends to coagulate in the passage and block it. The fluid which enters the passage through the orifice then dilutes the blood to reduce coagulation, lubricates the passage for better material flow therealong, and flushes the material along the passage.

Abstract: A device for rotating a member at relatively low rotational speeds is particularly useful for rotating a brush-type tooth polisher on an insert for an ultrasonic dental prophylaxis unit. The device comprises a vibrator which ultrasonically vibrates longitudinally and has a driving tip end portion which converts the longitudinal vibrations into elliptical motion. The elliptically moving driving tip tangentially engages at least one rotatable roller during an arc of the elliptical motion to rotate the roller. A speed reduction device couples the roller to a rotary polisher to rotate the polisher at a reduced speed. Preferably, the speed reduction device also isolates the axial and radial thrust applied, in use, to the polisher from the roller which receives some radial thrust from the vibrator. This reduces the bearing requirements for the polisher and roller. Also preferably, the roller, speed reduction and polisher elements are assembled as a unit separable from the vibrator for ready replacement.

Abstract: Soluble abrasive cleaning powder fed from a fluid-tight chamber and entrained in a stream of air is directed against a tooth surface to be cleaned from a manually controlled handpiece. The handpiece includes an improved air supply and control system having a first conduit for supplying air under pressure to the handpiece, a second conduit connected to the first for supplying air under pressure into the bottom portion of the fluid-tight chamber for entraining cleaning powder to be discharged through an outlet opening in the fluid-tight chamber and a third conduit connected to the first and to the fluid-tight chamber for directing a flow of air into the chamber at a point above the level of the cleaning powder in the chamber. A flow restricter and air filter are connected in the third conduit with the air filter being located in the fluid-tight chamber for filtering air flowing into and out of the system through the third conduit.