Multi-Sleeved Ultrasonic Phacoemulsification Tool Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
During phacoemulsification, the use of a bare ultrasonic needle increases the risk of thermal injury to surrounding tissues due to the absence of surrounding rigid sleeves and fluid coolant, leading to potential thermal damage, especially at the external surface of the incision, where environmental air is a poor conductor of heat.
Innovation Solution
A surgical tool with an ultrasonically driven vibratory needle equipped with multiple sleeves, including an inner rigid sleeve to reduce friction and guide irrigation fluid, a middle flexible sleeve to channel fluid into the eye, and an outer cooling sleeve with peak and valley formations to direct cooling fluid flow externally, preventing thermal damage by efficiently cooling the incision area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a bare ultrasonic needle is used for phacoemulsification, then the device complexity is reduced, but thermal injury risk to surrounding tissues increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested sleeve structure where multiple sleeves are positioned concentrically around the ultrasonic needle. The innermost sleeve is adjacent to the needle, followed by intermediate sleeves, and finally an outermost sleeve. This nested arrangement allows each sleeve to perform specific cooling functions without increasing overall device complexity significantly, while effectively dissipating heat from the needle to prevent thermal injury to surrounding ocular tissues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluid-cooled sleeves as intermediary elements between the ultrasonic needle and the surrounding ocular tissues. These sleeves act as thermal mediators by channeling cooling fluid through their walls, creating a thermal barrier that protects sensitive ocular structures from heat generated by the ultrasonic needle during phacoemulsification procedures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If multiple cooled sleeves are added around the ultrasonic needle, then thermal protection is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the cooling function into multiple segmented sleeves, each with specific positioning and fluid channeling capabilities. The innermost sleeve provides cooling closest to the needle, intermediate sleeves provide mid-level cooling, and the outermost sleeve provides external cooling. This segmentation allows targeted thermal management at different zones around the needle, improving overall thermal protection while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes hydraulic principles by channeling cooling fluid through the walls of multiple sleeves. Fluid enters each sleeve and flows through its wall structure to the outer surface, where it dissipates heat from the ultrasonic needle. This hydraulic cooling system provides efficient thermal management without requiring complex mechanical moving parts, thereby improving thermal protection while keeping device complexity relatively low.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If fluid is channeled through sleeve walls to cool external tissue, then thermal injury prevention is improved, but fluid pressure control difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements different local qualities in each sleeve by varying their positioning, wall thickness, and fluid channeling characteristics. The innermost sleeve has specific cooling properties optimized for proximity to the needle, while intermediate and outermost sleeves have different properties optimized for their respective zones. This local differentiation allows effective thermal protection at each level while maintaining relatively simple fluid pressure control, as each sleeve operates semi-independently in its designated zone.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The tool effectively reduces the risk of thermal injury by rapidly and efficiently cooling the external tissue area at the incision, preventing medically unacceptable temperature rises during the procedure, while maintaining control over fluid pressure and minimizing trauma to the eye.
Implementation Method 1
The tip of the needle vibrates at ultrasonic frequency to sculpt and emulsify the cataract
Implementation Method 2
The outer cooling sleeve serves to channel fluid flow to cool an external surface area about the incision
Implementation Method 3
The distal end of the outer cooling sleeve is shaped with peak and valley formations so that the fluid flow passes across the valleys and outward to the external surface
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-sleeve handpiece for performing phacoemulsification with a vibratory, ported needle and for cooling an exterior of an incision. The vibratory, ported needle breaks up and aspirates broken eye tissue. The handpiece has at least one inner sleeve that guides irrigation fluid to the eye and/or reduces friction between the vibrating tool and the surrounding rigid sleeve or tissues. The handpiece has an outer, cooling sleeve that is concentric with the inner sleeve and the needle and whose distal end has peak and valley formations. The cooling sleeve is collapsible to engage incision tissue with the peak formations and allow the cooling fluid to flow across the valley formations to cool the tissue via heat transfer.