Abstract: Vitreoretinal instruments and methods related thereto are disclosed herein. The disclosure describes various example vitreoretinal instruments having various aspirating port configurations. A vitreoretinal instrument may include a handle and a cannula coupled to the handle. The cannula may include a straight portion and a curved portion. The curved portion may be configurable between a straight configuration and a curved configuration. The curved configuration may include a first curved portion having a curvature defined by a first radius. The curved configuration may include a second curved portion having a curvature defined by a second radius different from the first radius. The curved portion may further include one or more ports formed in the curved portion.

Abstract: Surgical instruments and, particularly, ophthalmic surgical instruments are disclosed. Example surgical instruments include forceps for removal of an internal limiting membrane (ILM). The example forceps may include a textured surface formed at a distal end of the forceps jaws. The textured surface may have a plurality of microposts that operate to increase a coefficient of friction between the ILM and the forceps in order to reduce a normal force, applied by the forceps, needed to engage the ILM.

Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a membrane delamination device for delaminating a membrane from a retina of an eye. The membrane delamination device comprises a blade, a first lever coupled to the blade, and a second lever coupled to the blade. The first lever and the second lever are at least partially housed by a first shaft of a hand-piece. The first lever is fixedly coupled to the first shaft. The second lever is fixedly coupled to the hand-piece. The blade at least partially extends beyond a distal end of the first shaft. The membrane delamination device is configured to be actuated as a result of longitudinal movement of the second lever within and in relation to the first shaft. The second lever moves longitudinally within and in relation to the first shaft due to an application of force to the second lever through the hand-piece.

Abstract: A surgical instrument such as for use in vitreoretinal surgeries is described. The surgical instrument may include a pair of pincers resiliently biased toward an opened configuration and being movable toward each other into a closed configuration to engage a membrane. Each pincer may include a rounded grasping edge. The grasping edges may include a textured surface operable to induce a capillary effect between a membrane and the forceps to promote adhesion therebetween.

Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a surgical instrument comprising a device having a proximal end and a functional end configured to be inserted into a body part, an assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, a shaft coupled to the proximal end of the assembly, the shaft having a shaft housing, a bearing positioned around the assembly, wherein the bearing is configured to slide over the assembly, a hub having a sleeve tube. The basket comprises a plurality of grooved levers, each grooved lever having a proximal end received by the shaft housing and a distal end coupled to a tip of the basket, wherein compressing one or more of the plurality of grooved levers moves the bearing and the hub relative to the shaft and toward the functional end of the device, causing the sleeve tube to transition the device from the deactivated state to an activated state.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are surgical instruments used in ophthalmic surgical procedures and associated methods. Particular embodiments relate to a cannula assembly having a cannula tip that is retractable. The cannula assembly may comprise a cannula hub. The cannula assembly may further comprise an outer tube that extends from a distal end the cannula hub. The cannula assembly may further comprise an inner tube that extends from the distal end of the cannula hub and is disposed in the outer tube, wherein the inner tube has a cannula tip that extends from the outer tube and is retractable into the outer tube.

Abstract: A cannula assembly having a retractable cannula tip for use in ophthalmic surgical procedures is disclosed. The apparatus may include a housing having a valve bay disposed between its proximal and distal ends, and a cannula assembly, including an inner and outer tube, that extends from the distal end of the housing. The inner tube may include an elongated portion with a cannula tip at its distal end. The apparatus may further include a valve disposed in the valve bay of the housing. The valve may comprise a valve tubular for adjusting flow through the inner tube, and an actuator for moving the cannula tip from an extended position to a retracted position in the outer tube. The valve tubular may provide a biasing force to the inner tube in the retracted position to move the inner tube back to the extended position upon release of the actuator.

Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a retina massage and smoothing device. In certain embodiments, the device comprises a tip configured to be used for manipulating a surface of a retina inside an eye, and a shaft coupled to the tip, the shaft having a proximal end configured to be coupled to a handle, wherein the shaft is further configured to be at least partially housed by an outer tube of the handle.

Abstract: Particular embodiments disclosed herein provide a rotational cutter for delaminating a membrane from a retina of an eye. The rotational cutter may comprise a first shaft and a second shaft comprising a blade portion, wherein the second shaft is coupled to a driver that is configured to at least partially rotate the second shaft relative to the first shaft, wherein rotating the second shaft rotates the blade portion for delaminating the membrane. The rotational cutter may also comprise a bottom portion configured to interface with a surface of the retina, wherein the bottom portion comprises one or more curved edges.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a surgical instrument comprising a hand-piece, an outer tube having a proximal end coupled to a distal end of the hand-piece, an inner tube housed within the outer tube and having a distal end coupled to a soft tip and a proximal end coupled to an actuator, and a valve housed inside the hand-piece and coupled to the proximal end of the actuator. Retraction of the actuator is configured to compress the valve and retract the soft tip into a distal end of the outer tube, such that the soft tip at least partially extends beyond the distal end of the outer tube when the valve is in an uncompressed state and at least partially retracts into the distal end of the outer tube when the valve is a compressed state.

Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a surgical instrument comprising surgical instrument comprising an device having a functional end and a main handle comprising a distal end coupled to the device. The surgical instrument further comprises an actuation handle insert comprising a number of first rolling components and an actuation tube coupled to the actuation handle insert, wherein the functional end of the device at least partially extends outside of the actuation tube when the device is deactivated. The surgical instrument further comprises levers comprising second rolling components. The surgical instrument further comprises a plurality of rolling elements, wherein each of the rolling elements is placed between one of the second rolling components and one of the first rolling components and pressing one or more of the levers pushes the actuation handle insert forward relative to the device, causing the actuation tube to transition the device from the deactivated state to an activated state.

Abstract: Various membrane delamination devices for removing proliferative membranes from underling tissues are disclosed herein. In some implementations, the delamination device may include a first shearing part and a second shearing part. One of the first shearing part and the second shearing part may be moveable relative to the other of the first shearing part and the second shearing part. One or more of the shearing parts may include a plurality of teeth formed at a leading edge thereof. A shearing action produced by operation of the shearing parts may be used to sever fibers joining proliferative membranes from an underlying tissue.

Abstract: A hand piece having an irrigation portion and an aspiration portion that are releasably coupled is disclosed. In an assembled configuration, the irrigation portion and the aspiration portion are coupled such that the hand piece may be manipulable by a user as a single unit. In a separated configuration, the irrigation portion and the aspiration portion may be utilized separate from each other. The irrigation portion and the aspiration portion may be freely moved between the assembled configuration and the separated configuration.

Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a low friction trocar valve comprising a set of sheets arranged circularly and defining an entry point for the insertion of an instrument. In certain aspects, each sheet of the trocar valve's set of sheets comprises areas that overlap with two adjacent sheets. The trocar valve is formed in an opening of a valve housing coupled to or formed as part of a trocar cannula to provide a sealing mechanism for preventing the escape of pressurized fluids from the trocar cannula.

Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for illuminating an interior portion of an eye are disclosed herein. In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for use in ophthalmic surgery. The apparatus may include a light guide including an optical fiber, a transition region, and a light sleeve. The transition region may be disposed between the optical fiber and the light sleeve for transmission of light from the optical fiber to the light sleeve such that the light sleeve is operable to emit the light at a distal end of the light sleeve.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to alignment assistors, such as for guiding a surgical tool into axial alignment with a trocar cannula, for instance. Some embodiments are particularly directed to an alignment assistor that connects with a trocar cannula via a first end and receives and guides surgical instruments utilizing the trocar cannula into alignment with an axis of the trocar cannula. In one or more embodiments, for example, an apparatus for use in ocular surgery may include an alignment assistor with a coupling portion and a receiving portion joined via a base. In some embodiments, the coupling portion may include a trocar cannula coupler for connecting with a trocar cannula along an axis of the trocar cannula. The trocar cannula may provide a surgical instrument with access to an interior of an eye, along the axis, via the alignment assistor.

Abstract: Various embodiments are generally directed to a trocar cannula for providing a surgical instrument with access to the interior of an eye, such as a soft tip cannula used in ocular surgery, for instance. Some embodiments are particularly directed to a trocar cannula that facilitates alignment of a surgical instrument with an axis of the cannula with a guidance valve. In one or more embodiments, the trocar cannula may keep one or more portions of the surgical instrument straight as the surgical instrument utilizes the trocar cannula to access the interior of an eye. Many embodiments are directed to a trocar cannula that reduces the amount of intraocular pressure loss when a surgical instrument utilizes the trocar cannula to access the interior of an eye.

Abstract: Illumination of an interior portion of an eye is disclosed herein. In an exemplary aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a cannula assembly. The cannula assembly may include a cannula comprising an outer cannula surface. The cannula assembly may include a cannula hub at a proximal end of the cannula. The cannula assembly may include an optical fiber extending longitudinally along the outer cannula surface, wherein the optical fiber has an optical fiber tip at a distal end of the cannula. The cannula assembly may include a transparent covering disposed over the optical fiber tip.

Abstract: An ophthalmic instrument includes a shaft comprising a lumen. The instrument also includes a first arm extending from the lumen, the first arm having a first distal portion having a first flat tip. The instrument also includes a second arm extending from the lumen, the second arm having a second distal portion having a second flat tip that is positioned such that the second flat tip contacts the first flat tip when the first arm is forced towards the second arm. The first arm and the second arm comprise at least in part, a first material that is substantially transparent to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range of about 700-1200 nanometers (nm) and is substantially opaque to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength within a range of about 400-700 nm.

Abstract: Surgical instruments for use in membrane peeling in treatments of different macular surface diseases are disclosed herein. Membrane forceps may include a forceps extension and forceps jaws extending from a distal termination of the forceps extension. The forceps jaws may include a first jaw and a second jaw. Each of the first jaw and the second jaw may include a gripping tip that abuts one another when the forceps jaws are in a closed configuration so as to grasp a membrane The first jaw and the second jaw may each include a coating at a distal end of the forceps jaws configured to increase a frictional force between the membrane and the forceps jaws.