Abstract: A wavefront sensor is integrated with a surgical microscope for allowing a doctor to make repeated wavefront measurements of a patient's eye while the patient remains on an operating table in the surgical position. The device includes a wavefront sensor optically aligned with a surgical microscope such that their fields of view at least partially overlap. The inclusion of lightweight, compact diffractive optical components in the wavefront sensor allows the integrated device to be supported on a balancing mechanism above a patient's head during a surgical procedure. As a result, the need to reposition the device and/or the patient between measuring optical properties of the eye and performing surgical procedures on the eye is eliminated. Many surgical procedures may be improved or enhanced using the integrated device, including but not limited to cataract surgery, Conductive Keratoplasty, Lasik surgery, and corneal corrective surgery.

Abstract: An ultrasonic surgical instrument includes a reusable handle assembly and a removable and disposable shaft assembly. The handle assembly includes a trigger, a housing having a distal aperture formed in a distal end of the housing, and a drive member in communication with the trigger to actuate the drive member. The shaft assembly includes a proximal shaft portion, a rotator knob having a coupling feature, a transmission assembly extending distally from the proximal shaft portion, and an end effector coupled to the distal end of the transmission assembly. The drive member of the handle assembly is removably coupled to the proximal shaft portion of the shaft assembly. Another version includes a drive member of the handle assembly configured to removably engage a proximal shaft portion of the shaft assembly via a biasing member. Another version includes a waveguide of the transmission assembly non-threadably coupled to a transducer.

Abstract: Equipment of surgical instruments suitable for minimally invasive surgery, comprised by a multivalve device with adjustable separator to enter the patient's body and with at least one access simultaneous port for a number of components which includes an operative surgical device comprised by a control, a movement transmission element and an operative mounting clamp of a needle plier comprised by a control, a head connecting sheath, with a connecting needle lodged in its interior and the operative head; and a cauterization device comprised by a control, a movement transmitting element and the cautery.

Abstract: An ultrashort pulsed laser instrument is used to perform refractive surgery. The invention operates in ablative and incisional modalities. In the ablative mode, spiral ablation disks (10) consisting of individual laser pulses (40) are produced at high scanning speeds. Ablation profile (11) may be produced in cornea (22) by stacking and arranging multiple ablation disks (10) to produce a specified shape change. Placement of ablation disks (10) is assisted by an optical tracking and control system that compensates for eye motion. A preferred embodiment allows for ablative corrections to be performed on non-planar posterior surface (112) of a laser cut flap affixed to registration platen (120), thereby avoiding exposing the eye interior to high radiant power. Laser cut and contrast agent dyed fiduciary marks (30) may serve as reference features for the optical tracking system. Incisional procedures, such as corneal flaps for LASIK, may also be performed.

Abstract: Systems and methods to treat a region of a cornea of an eye having an epithelial layer disposed over a stromal layer. The system comprises a device to map a thickness of the epithelial layer over the region of the cornea to generate a map of epithelial thickness over the region, and a laser to generate a laser beam of an ablative radiation. A movable scan component is coupled to the laser to scan the laser beam over the region. A processor system is coupled to the laser and the movable scan component, and the processor system is configured to arrange pulses of laser beam to ablate the epithelial layer of the region in response to the map of epithelial thickness.

Abstract: A robotic control system is placed in clutch mode so that a slave manipulator holding a surgical instrument is temporarily disengaged from control by a master manipulator in order to allow manual positioning of the surgical instrument at a surgical site within a patient. Control systems implemented in a processor compensate for internally generated frictional and inertial resistance experienced during the positioning, thereby making movement more comfortable to the mover, and stabler from a control standpoint. Each control system drives a joint motor in the slave manipulator with a saturated torque command signal which has been generated to compensate for non-linear viscous forces, coulomb friction, cogging effects, and inertia forces subjected to the joint, using estimated joint angular velocities, accelerations and externally applied torques generated by an observer in the control system from sampled displacement measurements received from a sensor associated with the joint.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that are capable of selectively treating a vein using photothermolysis techniques, where an electromagnetic radiation is applied to tissue containing the vein. The radiation can be selected so that it may be more effectively absorbed by veins as compared to arteries. Thus, unwanted thermal damage to arteries in the vicinity of the vein being treated can be reduced or avoided. The radiation can have a frequency of approximately 654 nm, which can provide a ratio of absorption by veins to absorption by arteries of about 3.7. Other wavelengths near 654 nm may be provided, for example, which can have an absorption ratio greater than, e.g., about 3.3 to 3.6.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes a hollow cylindrical member having a flexible region along at least a part of the hollow cylindrical member and a malleable tubing disposed over at least an outer surface of the flexible region of the hollow cylindrical member. The flexible region and the malleable tubing disposed over the flexible region can bend multiple times. The malleable tubing can maintain a bent orientation until the malleable tubing is re-bent by a user. The surgical instrument also includes connections that prevent the malleable tubing from moving longitudinally relative to the hollow cylindrical member. The malleable tubing may be made of various materials, one example of which is anodized, annealed aluminum.

Abstract: A device for performing a procedure may include an elongate tube having a proximal end and a distal end and an adapted link having a proximal end and a distal end. The distal end may include a first mating surface, where the proximal end may be configured to attach to the distal end of the elongate tube. The device may also include a rotating link having a second mating surface configured to rotatably interface with the adapted link first mating surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of altering the refractive properties of the eye, the method including applying a substance to a cornea of an eye, the substance configured to facilitate cross linking of the cornea, irradiating the cornea so as to activate cross linkers in the cornea, and altering the cornea so as to change the refractive properties of the eye.

Abstract: A multiple-purpose surgical instrument having a reflecting, rendering, and sizing tool to increase visibility and provide three-dimensional depth perception of a surgical site so that realization of a condition of the surgical site and safety are enhanced during an arthroscopic or laparoscopic procedure.

Abstract: An electromechanical surgical device includes a motor system configured to drive drive-shafts and a steering cable arrangement. A control system may be provided for controlling the motor system. A remote control unit may also be provided for controlling the motor system via the control system. Optical or Hall-effect devices, may be provided for determining the position of the elements of the surgical instrument based on the detected rotation of the drive-shafts. A memory unit stores a plurality of operating programs or algorithms, each corresponding to a type of surgical instrument attachable to the electro-mechanical surgical device. The control system reads or selects from the plurality of operating programs or algorithms, the operating program or algorithm corresponding to the type of surgical instrument attached to the electromechanical surgical device.

Abstract: In a method for generating an ablation program for ablation of material from a surface of a body according to a predetermined desired ablation profile by emission of pulses of a pulsed laser beam onto the surface, the ablation program is generated from the desired ablation profile as a function of the shape of a beam profile of the laser beam and of an inclination of the surface to be ablated and/or considering a water content of the material to be ablated.

Abstract: A system and method of replacing a lens to treat a cataract is disclosed. Cataractous tissue is ablated via a multi-photon process using focused, ultra-short laser pulses. Multi-photon ablation requires an energy intensity between 1013 to 1015 W/cm2. Using lasers having femto-second duration pulses, this intensity is achieved with 50 micro-Joules of energy, allowing material disruption with very little heating or shock. The multi-photon ablated material is removed through a micro-channel that leads from the multi-photon ablated region to at least the surface of the eye. Once the material is removed a pre-polymer fluid is injected in to fill the void. This polymerizes into a gel once inside the lens. The polymerized, transformed material matches both the transparency to visible light and the Young's modulus of healthy lens.

Abstract: A system and method of altering damaged mammalian skin using a multiphoton processes is disclosed. A femtosecond laser initiates a multiphoton event using pulse energies of 2-5 mJ thereby causing multiphoton ablation without damaging surrounding tissue. The laser is focused to the vicinity of a target organelle that occurs naturally within the damaged skin, and is related to the dermatological condition being addressed. The type of organelle depends on the condition being addressed, and may be targeted by the depth beneath the surface of the skin at which it is located. The femtosecond laser beam is focused to an intensity of least 1012 W/cm2 to initiate the multiphoton event transforms the targeted organelle to mitigate the damage to the skin.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multifunctional device for exploration and/or intervention, especially for medical use, comprising a hollow handle, which is continued by a main catheter, and a carriage which is mounted so as to slide along the handle and which is coupled to an instrument by a mechanical connection extending inside the main catheter. According to the invention, at least one intermediate carriage is mounted so as to slide along the handle, each of said intermediate carriages having an attachment housed in the handle via a longitudinal slot, in the continuation of which there is a secondary catheter extending inside the main catheter. Moreover, an auxiliary carriage is mounted so as to slide along each intermediate carriage, each of said auxiliary carriages being coupled to an instrument by a mechanical connection extending inside the secondary catheter.

Abstract: Configurations are described for conducting ophthalmic procedures to address cataract-related clinical challenges. In one embodiment, a one-piece patient contact interface may be utilized to couple a diagnostic and/or interventional system to a cornea of a patient; in another embodiment, a two-part configuration may be utilized; in another embodiment, a liquid interface two-part embodiment may be utilized.

Abstract: An apparatus for delivering energy, and in particular laser energy, to a tissue includes a protective quartz cap that is secured to a laser delivery fiber by a crimp sleeve. The fiber may have a conical tip, and the quartz cap may be secured to the crimp sleeve by a layer of epoxy.

Abstract: The invention provides an irradiating device and a program which can appropriately set a cross sectional shape of human tissue at a time of incising the human tissue by beam irradiation. For example, when a cornea (100) is incised by an irradiating device which outputs femtosecond laser, a cross sectional shape in an intersecting direction to a direction of advancing to a back surface side from a front surface side of the cornea in an incision (101) is set to a non-rectilinear shape, for example, a circular arc shape. As a result, there can be achieved effects such as suppression of drawing of the incision in the case of inserting the instrument by opening the incision, and self-closing of the incised site.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an open type car treatment module which, when worn, allows simultaneous laser therapy and music therapy for brain-nervous system tissue by arranging the light source for low level laser therapy (LLLT) and sound source for music therapy (MT) properly, and can release the heat generated by the light source to outside by allowing ventilation with outside through open type configuration of module itself.