Ophthalmic surgical instrument with beveled tip

Claim 2

An ophthalmic surgical instrument comprising rigid coaxial inner and outer tubular members with the inner tubular member axially slidable within the outer tubular member and in substantially continuous contact with the inside walls thereof, said outer tubular member having a closed distal end which is beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member, said inner tubular member having an open distal end which is beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member and which is movable into the beveled end of the outer tubular member, and said outer tubular member being provided with a distal side wall opening which occupies at least part of the non-beveled area opposite the beveled portion of the outer tubular member, wherein the portion of the distal edge surface of said inner tubular member which moves across the distal side wall opening in the outer tubular member is counter-beveled to provide a sharpened cutting edge which is spaced away from the edge of the distal side opening lying along the inside surface of the outer tubular member.

Claim 3

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the oblique angle defined between the beveled end of the inner tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member is substantially equal to the oblique angle defined between the beveled end of the outer tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member.

Claim 4

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said counter-bevel is formed at an angle of about 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member.

Claim 5

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 2, wherein said inner and outer tubular members are circular in cross-section, and wherein the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member is closed by a flat elliptical disk joined to the side walls of the outer tubular member.

Claim 6

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distal ends of said inner and outer tubular members are each beveled at an angle of about 45° with respect to their respective longitudinal axes.

Claim 7

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the side opening in the outer tubular member is elliptical in shape and has its major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member.

Claim 8

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 6, wherein at least a portion the edge of said side opening which lies along the inside surface of the outer tubular member is sharpened to provide a second cutting edge.

Claim 9

An ophthalmic surgical instrument comprising: (a) an elongated rigid outer tubular member having a circular cross-section with a constant inside diameter, said outer tubular member having its distal end beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said outer tubular member, said distal end being closed by an inclined end wall joined to the side walls of said outer tubular member; (b) an elongated rigid inner tubular member having a circular cross-section with a constant outside diameter, said inner tubular member being slidably and coaxially received within said outer tubular member and having an open distal end which is beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member, said last-mentioned oblique angle being substantially equal to the oblique angle defined between the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member; (c) said inner tubular member being arranged for reciprocating forward and reverse movement within said outer tubular member along the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member, with the forward movement of the inner tubular member carrying substantially the entire beveled distal end thereof into the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member and into close proximity to said inclined end wall; (d) said outer tubular member being provided with a side opening in close proximity to its distal end, said opening occupying at least part of the non-beveled side wall area of the outer tubular member that is opposite the inclined end wall; and (e) said inner tubular member having a counter-beveled cutting edge along the portion of its open distal end which sweeps past the side opening in the outer tubular member during the forward and reverse movement of the inner tubular member, said counter-bevel providing a sharpened cutting edge which is spaced away from the edge of the distal side opening lying along the inside surface of the outer tubular member.

Claim 10

An ophthalmic surgical instrument comprising: (a) an elongated rigid outer tubular member having a circular cross-section with a constant inside diameter, said outer tubular member having its distal end beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of said outer tubular member, said distal end being closed by an inclined end wall joined to the side walls of said outer tubular member; (b) an elongated rigid inner tubular member having a circular cross-section with a constant outside diameter, said inner tubular member being slidably and coaxially received within said outer tubular member and having an open distal end which is beveled at an oblique angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member, said last-mentioned oblique angle being substantially equal to the oblique angle defined between the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member; (c) said inner tubular member being arranged for reciprocating forward and reverse movement within said outer tubular member along the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member, with the forward movement of the inner tubular member carrying substantially the entire beveled distal end thereof into the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member and into close proximity to said inclined end wall; (d) said outer tubular member being provided with a side opening in close proximity to its distal end, said opening occupying at least part of the non-beveled side wall area of the outer tubular member that is opposite the inclined end wall; and (e) said inner tubular member having a counter-beveled cutting edge along the portion of its open distal end which sweeps past the side opening in the outer tubular member during the forward and reverse movement of the inner tubular member, said counter-bevel providing a sharpened cutting edge which is spaced away from the edge of the distal side opening lying along the inside surface of the outer tubular member.

Claim 11

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein said inclined end wall comprises a flat elliptical disk joined to the side walls of the outer tubular member at the beveled distal end thereof.

Claim 12

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 9, wherein the oblique angle defined between the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member, and the oblique angle defined between the beveled distal end of the inner tubular member and the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member, are both about 45°.

Claim 13

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 10, wherein said counter-bevel is formed at an angle of about 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member.

Claim 14

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 9, wherein the side opening in said outer tubular member is elliptical in shape and has its major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member.

Claim 15

An ophthalmic surgical instrument as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least a portion of the edge of said side opening which lies along the inside surface of the outer tubular member is sharpened to provide a second cutting edge.

Claim 16

In an ophthalmic surgical apparatus comprising a handpiece portion and a projecting instrument portion, said instrument portion comprising rigid coaxial inner and outer tubular members with the inner tubular member axially slidable within the outer tubular member, and said handpiece portion comprising power-operated means for axially reciprocating said inner tubular member within said outer tubular member to produce a desired cutting function at the instrument tip, the improved instrument portion comprising an outer tubular member having a closed and beveled distal end, an inner tubular member having an open distal end which is similarly beveled and which is movable into the beveled end of the outer tubular member, said outer tubular member being provided with a distal side wall opening which occupies at least part of the non-beveled area opposite the beveled portion of the outer tubular member, and said inner tubular member being in substantially continuous contact with the inside walls of the outer tubular member and having a counter-beveled cutting edge at its open distal end.

Claim 17

In an ophthalmic surgical apparatus comprising a handpiece portion and a projecting instrument portion, said instrument portion comprising rigid coaxial inner and outer tubular members with the inner tubular member axially slidable within the outer tubular member, and said handpiece portion comprising power-operated means for axially reciprocating said inner tubular member within said outer tubular member to produce a desired cutting function at the instrument tip, the improved instrument portion comprising an outer tubular member having a closed and beveled distal end, an inner tubular member having an open distal end which is similarly beveled and which is movable into the beveled end of the outer tubular member, said outer tubular member being provided with a distal side wall opening which occupies at least part of the non-beveled area opposite the beveled portion of the outer tubular member, and said inner tubular member being in substantially continuous contact with the inside walls of the outer tubular member and having a counter-beveled cutting edge at its open distal end.

Claim 18

An ophthalmic surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said counter-bevel is formed at an angle of about 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the inner tubular member.

Claim 19

An ophthalmic surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said inner and outer tubular members are circular in cross-section, and wherein the beveled distal end of the outer tubular member is closed by a flat elliptical disk joined to the side walls of the outer tubular member.

Claim 20

An ophthalmic surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the distal ends of said inner and outer tubular members are each beveled at an angle of about 45° with respect to their respective longitudinal axes.

Claim 21

An ophthalmic surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein the side opening in the outer tubular member is elliptical in shape and has its major axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the outer tubular member.

Claim 22

An ophthalmic surgical apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the edge of said opening which lies along the inside surface of the outer tubular member is sharpened to provide a second cutting edge.