Abstract: An ophthalmic surgical cassette for collecting aspirant fluid and/or tissue during an ophthalmic surgical procedure. The ophthalmic surgical cassette includes a rigid walled container having an interior volume for collecting aspirant fluid and/or tissue and an aspiration manifold coupled to the rigid walled container. The aspiration manifold is connected to an aspiration tube in fluidic communication with the interior volume, a first aspiration line for coupling a first surgical handpiece, a second aspiration line for coupling a second surgical handpiece, and a reflux bulb in fluidic communication with the first and second aspiration lines.

Abstract: A flow control system that includes a vacuum device configured to control the level of vacuum applied for urging the flow of aspirated fluid from a surgical site, and a vacuum sensor configured to communicate a signal representative of the sensed vacuum level. A flow sensor control is configured to generate a signal indicative of the rate of aspirated fluid flow. A flow controller monitors the vacuum sensor and the flow measurement device, and communicates a requested vacuum level to the vacuum device for establishing a desired vacuum level. The flow controller employs a first feed back loop that compares the actual sensed vacuum level with the requested vacuum level and adjusts the requested vacuum level as needed. The flow controller implements a second feedback loop that compares the actual flow rate of aspirated fluid with a desired flow rate, and adjusts the requested vacuum level to achieve the desired flow rate.

Abstract: A method of eliminating post-excitation vibration provided from a surgical handpiece to a patient's eye during ophthalmic surgery. The surgical handpiece includes an ultrasonic vibration structure for generating vibration and a needle for transmitting the vibration into the patients eye. The method includes exciting the ultrasonic vibration structure and thereby causing the needle to vibrate for emulsifying tissue in the patient's eye, ceasing the excitation of the crystal structure, and generating a brake signal to restrain the vibration of the needle, upon ceasing the excitation of the crystal structure, thereby reducing the vibration provided to the patient's eye after excitation of the crystal structure has ceased.

Abstract: A flow control system that includes a vacuum device configured to control the level of vacuum applied for urging the flow of aspirated fluid from a surgical site, and a vacuum sensor configured to communicate a signal representative of the sensed vacuum level. A flow sensor control is configured to generate a signal indicative of the rate of aspirated fluid flow. A flow controller monitors the vacuum sensor and the flow measurement device, and communicates a requested vacuum level to the vacuum device for establishing a desired vacuum level. The flow controller employs a first feed back loop that compares the actual sensed vacuum level with the requested vacuum level and adjusts the requested vacuum level as needed. The flow controller implements a second feedback loop that compares the actual flow rate of aspirated fluid with a desired flow rate, and adjusts the requested vacuum level to achieve the desired flow rate.

Abstract: An ophthalmic surgical cassette for collecting aspirant fluid and/or tissue during an ophthalmic surgical procedure. The ophthalmic surgical cassette includes a rigid walled container having an interior volume for collecting aspirant fluid and/or tissue and an aspiration manifold coupled to the rigid walled container. The aspiration manifold is connected to an aspiration tube in fluidic communication with the interior volume, a first aspiration line for coupling a first surgical handpiece, a second aspiration line for coupling a second surgical handpiece, and a reflux bulb in fluidic communication with the first and second aspiration lines.