Abstract: An ear-wearable device includes a shell shaped for wearing in a user's ear. The shell comprises a tunnel wall shaped to define a tunnel that passes through the ear-wearable device. The tunnel wall defines one or more contact pin apertures through which distal ends of two or more contact pins pass. One or more electrical components are encased within the shell. The contact pins are conductors from the one or more electrical components. The distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug that is removably inserted into the tunnel.

Abstract: An ear-wearable device includes a shell shaped for wearing in a user's ear. The shell comprises a tunnel wall shaped to define a tunnel that passes through the ear-wearable device. The tunnel wall defines one or more contact pin apertures through which distal ends of two or more contact pins pass. One or more electrical components are encased within the shell. The contact pins are conductors from the one or more electrical components. The distal ends of the contact pins are positioned to make electrical contact with terminals of a cable plug that is removably inserted into the tunnel.

Abstract: An example probe multi-spot, multi-fiber, laser probe includes a plurality of optical fibers extending from a proximal end of the laser probe to at least near a distal end of the laser probe, and a cannula having a distal end and surrounding the plurality of optical fibers along at least a portion of the laser probe at or near the distal end of the laser probe. A distal pass-through element is positioned within the cannula and at or near the distal end of the cannula and has a groove and/or channel corresponding to each fiber and through which a respective optical fiber passes, and is formed so as to induce a radial rotation of each of the plurality of optical fibers, relative to a central longitudinal axis of the cannula, as the respective optical fiber passes through the distal pass-through element.

Abstract: A pneumatic valve directs pressurized air to and air exhaust from a surgical implement, such as a dual actuation vitreous probe. The pneumatic valve includes an axially symmetric valve body configured to rotate from a first position, in which the pneumatic valve places a first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized air and a second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the air exhaust, to a second position, in which the pneumatic valve places the first port in fluid communication with the air exhaust and the second port in fluid communication with the pressurized air, and back to the first position, in one rotational direction. As such, the axially symmetric valve body continuously rotates in one rotational direction to alternate the pressurized air and the air exhaust between the two ports of the surgical implement to drive the dual actuation operation.

Abstract: According to one example, an ophthalmic surgical probe for treating an eye of a patient includes a body arranged for grasping by a surgeon and a cutting element extending distally from the body. The cutting element includes a sleeve member and an inner member disposed within the sleeve member, the inner member being movable axially with respect to the sleeve member. The probe also includes an actuating element configured to reciprocally move the inner member relative to the sleeve member. The actuating element includes a first coil secured within the body, a first magnet operatively secured to the inner member, and a second magnet that is not secured to the inner member, the second magnet being positioned and arranged to move in an opposite direction of the first magnet upon application of a voltage to the first coil.

Abstract: A contact lens is placed on a patient's eye during ophthalmic surgery, such as vitreoretinal surgery. The contact lens rests on a cornea of an eye of a patient during the surgery and is supported by a contact lens mounting speculum having multiple degrees of freedom to accommodate small movements of the eye while enabling alignment to an optical axis of the surgical microscope. The contact lens mounting speculum may be used with different patients, speculum blades, contact lenses (direct and indirect), and lens mounting positions.

Abstract: A vitrectomy probe for treating an eye of a patient, the probe including a body arranged for grasping by a surgeon, and a photodisruption element extending from the body. The photodisruption element includes a needle having a main lumen extending from the body, the needle comprising a port at an end, a fiber cannula within the main lumen, the fiber cannula having a fiber lumen, and an optical fiber within the fiber lumen, the optical fiber being mechanically agitatable within the fiber lumen.

Abstract: An example probe multi-spot, multi-fiber, laser probe includes a plurality of optical fibers extending from a proximal end of the laser probe to at least near a distal end of the laser probe, and a cannula having a distal end and surrounding the plurality of optical fibers along at least a portion of the laser probe at or near the distal end of the laser probe. A distal pass-through element is positioned within the cannula and at or near the distal end of the cannula and has a groove and/or channel corresponding to each fiber and through which a respective optical fiber passes, and is formed so as to induce a radial rotation of each of the plurality of optical fibers, relative to a central longitudinal axis of the cannula, as the respective optical fiber passes through the distal pass-through element.

Abstract: A contact lens is placed on a patient's eye during ophthalmic surgery, such as vitreoretinal surgery. The contact lens rests on a cornea of an eye of a patient during the surgery and is supported by a contact lens mounting speculum having multiple degrees of freedom to accommodate small movements of the eye while enabling alignment to an optical axis of the surgical microscope. The contact lens mounting speculum may be used with different patients, speculum blades, contact lenses (direct and indirect), and lens mounting positions.

Abstract: A contact lens is placed on a patient's eye during ophthalmic surgery, such as vitreoretinal surgery. The contact lens rests on a cornea of an eye of a patient during the surgery and is supported by a contact lens mounting speculum having multiple degrees of freedom to accommodate small movements of the eye while enabling alignment to an optical axis of the surgical microscope. The contact lens mounting speculum may be used with different patients, speculum blades, contact lenses (direct and indirect), and lens mounting positions.

Abstract: A vitrectomy probe includes a hand-graspable body and an outer tube extending from the hand-graspable body. The outer tube includes a closed distal end and a first port sized to receive tissue. The vitrectomy probe also includes an inner tube within the outer tube with a second port that is selectively alignable with a portion of the first port to allow fluid flow and uniquely sized to increase fluid flow. The inner tube includes a distal tip with a cutting edge on each of the distal and proximal sides of the tip. The distal tip has a smaller diameter than that of the inner tube at a proximal side of the second port. The proximal side of the second port includes a guiding surface that slidably bears on an inner surface of the outer tube to prevent the distal tip from excessively protruding from the first port of the outer tube.

Abstract: A contact lens is placed on a patient's eye during ophthalmic surgery, such as vitreoretinal surgery. The contact lens rests on a cornea of an eye of a patient during the surgery and is supported by a contact lens mounting speculum having multiple degrees of freedom to accommodate small movements of the eye while enabling alignment to an optical axis of the surgical microscope. The contact lens mounting speculum may be used with different patients, speculum blades, contact lenses (direct and indirect), and lens mounting positions.

Abstract: A pneumatic valve directs pressurized air to and air exhaust from a surgical implement, such as a dual actuation vitreous probe. The pneumatic valve includes an axially symmetric valve body configured to rotate from a first position, in which the pneumatic valve places a first port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the pressurized air and a second port of the surgical implement in fluid communication with the air exhaust, to a second position, in which the pneumatic valve places the first port in fluid communication with the air exhaust and the second port in fluid communication with the pressurized air, and back to the first position, in one rotational direction. As such, the axially symmetric valve body continuously rotates in one rotational direction to alternate the pressurized air and the air exhaust between the two ports of the surgical implement to drive the dual actuation operation.

Abstract: A vitrectomy probe includes a hand-graspable body and an outer tube extending from the hand-graspable body. The outer tube includes a closed distal end and a first port sized to receive tissue. The vitrectomy probe also includes an inner tube within the outer tube with a second port that is selectively alignable with a portion of the first port to allow fluid flow and uniquely sized to increase fluid flow. The inner tube includes a distal tip with a cutting edge on each of the distal and proximal sides of the tip. The distal tip has a smaller diameter than that of the inner tube at a proximal side of the second port. The proximal side of the second port includes a guiding surface that slidably bears on an inner surface of the outer tube to prevent the distal tip from excessively protruding from the first port of the outer tube.

Abstract: A vitrectomy probe for treating an eye of a patient, the probe including a body arranged for grasping by a surgeon, and a photodisruption element extending from the body. The photodisruption element includes a needle having a main lumen extending from the body, the needle comprising a port at an end, a fiber cannula within the main lumen, the fiber cannula having a fiber lumen, and an optical fiber within the fiber lumen, the optical fiber being mechanically agitatable within the fiber lumen.

Abstract: According to one example, an ophthalmic surgical probe for treating an eye of a patient includes a body arranged for grasping by a surgeon and a cutting element extending distally from the body. The cutting element includes a sleeve member and an inner member disposed within the sleeve member, the inner member being movable axially with respect to the sleeve member. The probe also includes an actuating element configured to reciprocally move the inner member relative to the sleeve member. The actuating element includes a first coil secured within the body, a first magnet operatively secured to the inner member, and a second magnet that is not secured to the inner member, the second magnet being positioned and arranged to move in an opposite direction of the first magnet upon application of a voltage to the first coil.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for shutting down a laser system in an intelligent and flexible manner. An intelligent laser interlock system includes both hardwired components, and intelligent components configured to execute computing instructions. The hardwired components and the intelligent components are configured to shutdown the laser system to one or more alternative shutdown states in response to one or more interlock signals.

Abstract: In exemplary embodiments, an ultra short pulse system comprises a laser platform which includes an optical source configured to generate an optical pulse, an optical amplifier configured to amplify the optical pulse, and a compressor configured to temporally compress the amplified optical pulse. The ultra short pulse system further comprises monitor circuitry configured to monitor one or more performance aspects of the laser platform. Additionally, the ultra short pulse system may comprise logic configured to control the one or more performance aspects of the laser platform in response to at least the monitored one or more performance aspects.

Abstract: A transceiver module having integrated eye diagram opening functionality for reducing jitter is described. The transceiver module may include a transmitter eye opener and a receiver eye opener integrated in a single circuit. The transceiver module may also include serial control and various other integrated components. Other functionalities that may be integrated on the transceiver module include loopback modes, bypass features, bit error rate testing, and power down modes.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for shutting down a laser system in an intelligent and flexible manner. An intelligent laser interlock system includes both hardwired components, and intelligent components configured to execute computing instructions. The hardwired components and the intelligent components are configured to shutdown the laser system to one or more alternative shutdown states in response to one or more interlock signals.