Abstract: A method and system of establishing communications between at least two independent software modules in a safety critical system, such as a medical system, is provided. The design comprises providing a media connection between software modules, wherein the software modules employ a communications protocol and participate in a bi-directional master-slave relationship between a master module and a slave module. The design further comprises sending an arbitrary length of data between the master and slave modules, wherein the arbitrary length of data is used by the master module to control and obtain status from the slave module, and sending arbitrary data further enables the slave module to return data and status information to the master module. The design also employs a safety critical communications watchdog between the master and slave modules, wherein the safety critical communications watchdog monitors communications quality between the master and slave modules.

Abstract: The invention is generally directed to systems and methods for medical care, and more particularly to systems and methods for historical display of surgical operating parameters. A first embodiment is a surgical system that includes a surgical instrument having a plurality of associated surgical parameters, each parameter having a value at each instant during an associate surgical procedure. The system further includes a computer system configured to record the values of each associated surgical parameter at each instant during an associate surgical procedure and display the values of each associated surgical parameter at each instant in a human readable form.

Abstract: A method and system for superimposing a ruler on a visual representation of a surgical procedure is presented. The design includes providing a reference object while recording the visual representation of the surgical procedure, scaling the ruler to correspond to the reference object within the visual representation of the surgical procedure, and superimposing the ruler from the scaling on the visual representation for subsequent viewing.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to programming a foot pedal and switches located therewith that is used with a medical device and/or medical device system. A user may select any switch or directional movement available on the foot pedal for programming by activating the switch and/or moving a treadle located on the foot pedal or by selecting a foot pedal feature on a display. The programming options available for the selected switch or directional movement are displayed on the display screen. Using the foot pedal, the display screen, voice command or combinations thereof, the user can navigate through different options to select one or more options and confirm the chosen option(s) for the particular switch or directional movement. The control and feel of the movement of the treadle and/or switch provides the user with the ability to program custom settings that suit the user's foot position(s) and/or particular style of surgery.

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: The invention is generally directed to systems and methods for medical care, and more particularly to systems and methods for voice control of a medical device. A first embodiment includes a voice controlled surgical system, such as a phacoemulsification system, a microphone coupled to the surgical system, and a voice controlled computer interface coupled with the surgical system. The voice controlled interface is configured to receive a request to invoke a voice command via the microphone, to listen for a voice command upon receipt of a valid request to invoke a voice command, and to forward a valid voice command upon receipt of the valid voice command to the surgical system for execution.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a system (or engine) that monitors a system's performance during a surgery, analyzes that performance, and makes recommendations to the user/surgeon for changes in his settings and/or programs that will result in more effective and time-efficient surgeries. Further, the system may comprise one or more components, including, but not limited to, a user preference filter, a surgical circumstances filter, a surgical instrument, a real time data collection module, and an analysis module.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for automatically switching different aspiration levels to an ocular probe are disclosed herein. The probe may be a phacoemulsification probe. A first aspiration level, supplied by a first pump, may be applied to the probe simultaneously with ultrasonic energy. A second aspiration level, supplied by a second pump, may be automatically switched from the first aspiration level. Control feed back of the pumps may be varied according to set thresholds.

Abstract: Methods and systems for automatically pulsing different aspiration levels to an ocular probe are disclosed. The probe may be a phacoemulsification probe. A first aspiration level, supplied by a first pump, may be applied to the probe simultaneously with ultrasonic energy. A second aspiration level, supplied by a second pump, may be automatically switched from the first aspiration level, and applied to the probe in a pulsed manner.

Abstract: A method for operating a surgical system including placing a handpiece in an operative relationship with an eye for a surgical procedure. The method also comprises supplying irrigation fluid from an irrigation fluid source to the eye and applying vacuum from an aspiration source to the handpiece in order to aspirate the irrigation fluid from the eye through the handpiece. The method further comprises sensing a value of an occlusion indicating parameter corresponding to an occlusion of the handpiece and, from the sensing of the value, determining a duration of occlusion. The method additionally comprises controlling a controlled system parameter based at least in part on the duration of occlusion.

Abstract: A method and system of establishing communications between at least two independent software modules is provided. The design comprises providing a media connection between software modules, wherein the software modules employ a communications protocol and participate in a bi-directional master-slave relationship between a master module and a slave module. The design further comprises sending arbitrary data between the master and slave modules, wherein the arbitrary data is used by the master module to control and obtain status from the slave module, and sending arbitrary data further enables the slave module to return data and status information to the master module. The design also employs a communications watchdog between the master and slave modules, wherein the communications watchdog monitors communications quality between the master and slave modules and impairs functionality in the master and slave modules when communications quality degrades.

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: 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 method for operating a surgical system including a control unit having a vacuum sensor and/or a flow rate sensor, the method including placing a handpiece in an operative relationship with an eye for a surgical procedure and thereafter supplying irrigation fluid to the handpiece while applying a vacuum to the handpiece to aspirate the irrigation fluid from the eye through the handpiece. During fluid aspiration, a vacuum level and/or flow rate is sensed which corresponds to an occlusion of the handpiece and from the sensed vacuum level and/or flow rate, a duration of the occlusion is determined. In response to the determined duration of occlusion, at least one of the handpiece parameters is varied.

Abstract: A design for dynamically adjusting parameters applied to a surgical instrument, such as an ocular surgical instrument, is presented. The method includes detecting surgical events from image data collected by a surgical microscope focused on an ocular surgical procedure, establishing a desired response for each detected surgical event, delivering the desired response to the ocular surgical instrument as a set of software instructions, and altering the surgical procedure based on the desired response received as the set of software instructions.

Abstract: A method and system for calibrating an analog sensor used in a digital measurement system is provided. The design comprises generating a precise pressure value set at multiple calibration points and supplying said precise pressure value set to an uncalibrated pressure sensor, detecting sensor changes for the uncalibrated pressure sensor based on each precise pressure value generated, polling an actual pressure reading associated with a sensor change for the uncalibrated pressure sensor for each calibration point, and establishing a mathematical relationship between measured value readings and actual pressure for the uncalibrated sensor. Establishing the mathematical relationship converts the uncalibrated sensor to a newly calibrated sensor. A known good sensor may be employed to enhance calibration reliability.

Abstract: A method and system for superimposing a ruler on a visual representation of a surgical procedure is presented. The design includes providing a reference object while recording the visual representation of the surgical procedure, scaling the ruler to correspond to the reference object within the visual representation of the surgical procedure, and superimposing the ruler from the scaling on the visual representation for subsequent viewing.

Abstract: A medical system is presented, where the system includes a medical profile directory configured to maintain a set of medical system profiles, a medical profile manager configured to update and maintain medical system profiles within the medical profile directory, and a server configured to interface with the medical profile manager to facilitate medical system profile maintenance. The server is configured to transmit information from at least one medical system profile to a surgical system, thereby enabling the surgical system to employ a current operational parameter within the medical system profile desired by a user.

Abstract: A method and system for acquiring and transmitting video image data with parameter data superimposed thereon is provided. The design includes an input device configured to receive said video image data and separately receiving said parameter data, the input device configured to transmit the video image data and parameter data as separate data streams. The design further includes a computing device comprising a computer based utility configured to receive the separate data streams, store the separate data streams, edit at least one data stream, and generate combined video data. Combined video data represents combined video image data and parameter data. The design also includes a display device configured to present the combined video data.

Abstract: A method and system for maintaining medical items is provided. The system includes a medical database structure, a medical database utility configured to maintain medical database contents by organizing medical information into levels, and a user interface component configured to enable a user to access the medical database utility. The medical database utility provides a user with an ability to access the user's collections of settings in the medical database, the user's collection of settings maintained separately from settings accessible by other users. The method stores medical data items in a database configured with multiple levels of organization, establishes a logical relationship between medical data items at each level of organization, presents a user with available medical system choices at each level of organization, and enables the user to select from among the available medical system choices presented at each level of organization.