Apparatus for removing blood clots, cataracts and other objects from the eye

Claim 2

Apparatus for cutting and then removing material from a portion of the body of a human being or other animal in vivo comprising elongated removal means adapted to be inserted within said body portion, said elongated removal means formed with at least one passage through a portion thereof and having a pair of jaws located in proximity to and in communication with one end of said passage at the operative end of the removal means with the other end of said passage exiting from the removal means, at least one of said jaws having cutting means thereon, means for mounting said jaws such that one is rotatable relative to the other to cut the material from the body while said removal means is located therein, and means connected to said removal means for providing a suction force in said passage, said jaws being formed to present an opening at the operative end of the instrument during a portion of arc of rotation of one jaw relative to the other to bring by the action of the suction force the material being removed in proximity to said pair of jaws for cutting thereby, the material cut by said jaws being conveyed by the suction force through the exiting end of the passage while said removal means is still located in the body.

Claim 3

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, and further including drive means operatively associated with said removal means for rotating said jaws relative to each other.

Claim 4

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said removal means comprises two elongated members located one within the other, a jaw being formed at the free end of each said member, one of said members having an opening for communicating with said passage, and means for angularly rotating one of said members relative to the other.

Claim 5

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said members are rotatable by said rotating means for 360* relative to each other.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising mean for supplying fluid through a said passage proximate to said jaws.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein one of said elongated members is formed to define the passage for the suction force.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 4 further comprising means for moving one of said members axially relative to the other to control the cutting action of said jaws.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of said jaws has an opening therein and said jaws are adapted to be moved from an open to a closed position, permitting material to enter said opening in said open position and substantially preventing material from entering said opening in said closed position.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said removal means includes: a. an elongate inner member with a central longitudinal opening forming said passage, a conduit member communicating with the flow passage, b. an inner jaw adjacent one end of said inner member communicating with the flow passage, c. an elongate outer member rotatably mounted about the inner member, and d. an outer jaw adjacent one end of said outer member and shiftable into and out of register with said inner jaw in the inner assembly upon relative rotation of said inner and outer members.

Claim 11

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein both jaws are formed with openings, the relative cross-sectional areas of the openings of said jaws being such that when in their open position with their openings in register with each other, material may enter said passage means, and when in their closed position with their openings out of register with each other they substantially seal off said passage means and prevent material from entering therein.

Claim 12

Apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the forward end of said outer member defines a tapered configuration to facilitate penetration within the body by said removal means.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defiNed in claim 9, a. wherein said jaw of said outer member defines an opening having an elongated shaped surface with an outer edge and spaced apart inner edge, said surface inclined upwardly from said inner edge to said outer edge, and the forward extremity of said outer edge extending above the axis of said outer member by a distance at least equal to the wall thickness of said outer member jaw so as to prevent rotation of said object by the rotation of the inner member jaw relative to the outer member jaw, and b. wherein said inner member jaw defines an opening having an elongated shaped surface with an outer edge and a spaced apart inner edge, said surface inclined upwardly from said inner edge to said outer edge, and c. at least one edge on each of said jaws defining a cutting edge for severing the object extending therebetween.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said removal means includes: a. an elongate outer member with a central, longitudinal opening forming said passage, means on said outer member to connect with a conducting member, said conducting member communicating with the flow passage, b. an outer jaw adjacent one end of said outer member communicating with the flow passage, c. an elongate inner member extending within said outer member for angular displacement relative thereto, and d. an inner jaw at substantially one end of said inner member and shiftable into and out of register with the outer jaw upon relative rotation of said inner and outer members.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said outer member jaw defines an opening having an elongated shaped surface with an outer edge and spaced apart inner edge, said surface inclined upwardly from said outer edge to said inner edge, with at least one of said edges defining a cutting edge, and the forward extremity of said inner edge extending above the axis of said outer member by a distance at least equal to the wall thickness of said outer member jaw so as to prevent rotation of the object by rotation of the inner jaw.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein said inner member jaw defines a head portion having substantially parallel spaced apart faces with a transversely extending opening therebetween defining one or more spaced apart cutting edges at said faces.

Claim 17

Apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising means as part of said elongated removal means for supplying a second fluid to exit from the operative end of said removal means to the portion of the body from which the material is being removed.

Claim 18

Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said fluid supply means includes a passage formed in said elongated removal means which is separate from the passage through which said suction force is provided.

Claim 19

Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said fluid supply means includes the same passage through which said suction force is provided.

Claim 20

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said removal means comprises two elongated tubular members located one within the other, means for mounting said members for relative angular rotation with respect to each other, each of said members having an opening at the free end thereof at least a portion of which can be brought into registration with the opening of the other member, at least one of said members being formed with a cutting means surrounding at least a portion of its opening so that upon angular rotation of the members relative to each other material which is located in the path between said cutting means and the surface surrounding the other opening will be cut.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 19 wherein one of said elongated tubular members defines the passage which is in communication with said means for applying said suction force.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said removal means comprises a first elongated tubular member forming a fluid flow passage and having an opening in proximity to one end thereof, jaw means formed at said one end of said first member, a second elongated member havIng jaw means at one end thereof, one of said jaw means being formed with cutting means and defining with the jaw means of said other member a cutting surface, and means for mounting said first and second members for relative rotation with respect to each other.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 21 further comprising a second tubular elongated member forming a second fluid flow passage, said second tubular member having an opening adjacent the end thereof at the operative end of the elongated removal means which communicates with said fluid flow passage defined by said member.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said second elongated member has a knife blade at the end thereof which defines its jaw and coacts with the jaw means of said first elongated member.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 23 wherein said second elongated member has a double faced knife blade.

Claim 26

Apparatus as in claim 22 wherein said second elongated member includes a helical cutting surface, the end of said surface defining the jaw means of said second member, which jaw means coacts with the jaw means of said first member to cut the material, said cut material being removed by said helical surface.

Claim 27

Apparatus as in claim 21 further comprising motor means for rotating said first member relative to said second member.

Claim 28

Apparatus for removing an object from within the eye of a human being or other animal in vivo, comprising: A. removal means adapted to be inserted within said eye and including: a. an elongate outer assembly with a central flow passage forming passage means, with an outer jaw substantially at one end of said outer assembly connected to the flow passage, and b. an elongate inner assembly extending within said outer assembly for angular displacement relative thereto, with an inner jaw at substantially one end of said outer assembly and shiftable relative to said outer jaw upon relative rotation of said inner and outer assembly, c. said outer jaw defines opening having an elongated shaped surface with an outer edge and spaced apart inner edge, said surface inclined upwardly from said outer edge to said inner edge, with at least one of said edges defining a cutting edge, and the forward extremity of said inner edge extending above the axis of said outer assembly by a distance at least equal to the wall thickness of said outer jaw so as to prevent rotation of the object by rotation of the inner jaw, and d. said inner jaw defines a head portion having substantially parallel spaced apart faces with a transversely extending opening therebetween defining spaced apart cutting edges at said faces, B. mounting means within said removal means for supporting said inner and outer assembly for relative angular displacement relative to each other so as to sever any material of said object extending between said jaws as they are moved relative to each other, said removed material of said object being contained within said passage means, C. means for maintaining a suction force in said passage means to maintain said object in a substantially fixed position relative to said jaws, said suction force being applied through said passage means to said object, D. means for forming a fluidized suspension of said removed material by supplying a treatment fluid proximate to said jaws, and E. means for removing said fluidized suspension from said passage means, said means including suction means connected to said passage means for removal of said fluidized suspension therefrom.

Claim 29

Apparatus for removing an object from within the eye of a human being or other animal in vivo, comprising: A. removal means adapted to be inserted within said eye and including: a. an elongate outer assembly with a central flow passage forming passage means, with an outer jaw substantially at one end of said outer assembly connected to the flow passage, and b. an elongate inner assembly extending within said outer assembly for angular displacement relative thereto, with an inner jaw at substantially one end of said outer assembly and shiftable relative to said outer jaw upon relative rotation of said inner and outer assembly, c. said outer jaw defines opening having an elongated shaped surface with an outer edge and spaced apart inner edge, said surface inclined upwardly from said outer edge to said inner edge, with at least one of said edges defining a cutting edge, and the forward extremity of said inner edge extending above the axis of said outer assembly by a distance at least equal to the wall thickness of said outer jaw so as to prevent rotation of the object by rotation of the inner jaw, and d. said inner jaw defines a head portion having substantially parallel spaced apart faces with a transversely extending opening therebetween defining spaced apart cutting edges at said faces, B. mounting means within said removal means for supporting said inner and outer assembly for relative angular displacement relative to each other so as to sever any material of said object extending between said jaws as they are moved relative to each other, said removed material of said object being contained within said passage means, C. means for maintaining a suction force in said passage means to maintain said object in a substantially fixed position relative to said jaws, said suction force being applied through said passage means to said object, D. means for forming a fluidized suspension of said removed material by supplying a treatment fluid proximate to said jaws, and E. means for removing said fluidized suspension from said passage means, said means including suction means connected to said passage means for removal of said fluidized suspension therefrom.

Claim 30

Apparatus for performing eye surgery in a human being or other animal in vivo, comprising: A. means for progressively removing the lens of the eye from within its capsule, said removal means including passage means and a pair of jaws connected thereto at proximately one end thereof, said jaws adapted to be moved relative to each other, and B. means for maintaining a suction force in said passage means to retain said lens in substantially fixed position relative to said Jaws, C. means for effecting relative movement of said jaws so as to sever the material of the lens extending therebetween as they are moved relative to each other, said removed lens material being contained within said passage means, and D. means for supplying a fluid internally to said capsule to prevent collapse thereof during removal of said lens.

Claim 31

Apparatus for performing eye surgery in a human being or other animal in vivo, comprising: A. means for progressively removing the lens of the eye from within its capsule, said removal means including passage means and a pair of jaws connected thereto at proximately one end thereof, said jaws adapted to be moved relative to each other, and B. means for maintaining a suction force in said passage means to retain said lens in substantially fixed position relative to said Jaws, C. means for effecting relative movement of said jaws so as to sever the material of the lens extending therebetween as they are moved relative to each other, said removed lens material being contained within said passage means, and D. means for supplying a fluid internally to said capsule to prevent collapse thereof during removal of said lens.