Surgical irrigation cassette

1 . A surgical irrigation cassette comprising:

a substantially rigid cassette housing defining a chamber therein and a first console connector including a first pneumatic connector port;

a liquid transfer portion of a pump including an intake side of the pump and an output side of the pump; and

a plurality of fluid pathways disposed at least in part within the chamber, including:

a first fluid pathway including a first end connected with the intake side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a supply fluid container;

a second fluid pathway including a first end connected with the output side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a handpiece;

a third fluid pathway including a first end for connecting with the handpiece, and a second end for connecting with a waste container; and

a fourth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the first console connector, a second end for connecting with the waste container, and a liquid-blocking filter.

2 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a first wall and a substantially parallel second wall connected by a peripheral third wall.

3 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the housing has a substantially C-shaped side defining a first arm and a second arm, the first console connector is fixed to the first arm, and a second console connector including a second pneumatic connector port is fixed to one of the first arm and the second arm.

4 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 3 , wherein the second console connector is fixed to the second arm.

5 . A surgical irrigation cassette comprising:

a substantially rigid cassette housing defining a chamber therein and a first console connector including a first pneumatic connector port;

a liquid transfer portion of a pump including an intake side of the pump and an output side of the pump; and

a plurality of fluid pathways disposed at least in part within the chamber, including:

a first fluid pathway including a first end connected with the intake side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a supply fluid container;

a second fluid pathway including a first end connected with the output side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a handpiece;

a third fluid pathway including a first end for connecting with the handpiece, and a second end for connecting with a waste container; and

a fourth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the first console connector, and a second end for connecting with the waste container,

wherein the housing has a substantially C-shaped side defining a first arm and a second arm, the first console connector is fixed to the first arm, a second console connector including a second pneumatic connector port is fixed to one of the first arm and the second arm, the pneumatic connector ports are each defined by an associated aperture for receiving a port tube, and the console connectors further each includes a seal for sealing engagement with the port tube.

6 . A surgical irrigation cassette comprising:

a substantially rigid cassette housing defining a chamber therein and a first console connector including a first pneumatic connector port;

a liquid transfer portion of a pump including an intake side of the pump and an output side of the pump; and

a plurality of fluid pathways disposed at least in part within the chamber, including:

a first fluid pathway including a first end connected with the intake side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a supply fluid container;

a second fluid pathway including a first end connected with the output side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a handpiece;

a third fluid pathway including a first end for connecting with the handpiece, and a second end for connecting with a waste container; and

a fourth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the first console connector, and a second end for connecting with the waste container,

wherein the housing has a substantially C-shaped side defining a first arm and a second arm, the first console connector is fixed to the first arm, a second console connector including a second pneumatic connector port is fixed to one of the first arm and the second arm, and the console connectors each includes a seal for pneumatic sealing engagement with a pneumatic port tube of a console.

7 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 6 , wherein each console connector includes a bidirectional valve having a closed condition when the console connectors are not in receipt of the pneumatic port tubes.

8 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 7 , wherein the bidirectional valve is formed of a polymeric material and the bidirectional valve includes a concave shape from an exterior orientation with slits therethrough.

9 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 8 , wherein the bidirectional valve and the seal are formed integrally of the polymeric material.

10 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a window disposed over one of the pathways for receiving a path restrictor.

11 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a window disposed over the third fluid pathway for receiving a path restrictor.

12 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , further comprising a fifth fluid pathway that includes a first end connected with the third fluid pathway, and a second end connected with a second console connector of the housing.

13 . A surgical irrigation cassette comprising:

a substantially rigid cassette housing defining a chamber therein and a first console connector including a first pneumatic connector port;

a liquid transfer portion of a pump including an intake side of the pump and an output side of the pump; and

a plurality of fluid pathways disposed at least in part within the chamber, including:

a first fluid pathway including a first end connected with the intake side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a supply fluid container;

a second fluid pathway including a first end connected with the output side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a handpiece;

a third fluid pathway including a first end for connecting with the handpiece, and a second end for connecting with a waste container;

a fourth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the first console connector, and a second end for connecting with the waste container; and

a fifth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the third fluid pathway, and a second end connected with a second console connector of the housing; and

a liquid stop connector that comprises:

a reservoir disposed in the housing between the third fluid pathway and the fifth fluid pathway; and

a normally open one-way valve disposed between the third fluid pathway and the reservoir.

14 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 13 , further comprising a pipe disposed in and comprising part of the third fluid pathway, wherein the reservoir is disposed between the pipe and the fifth fluid pathway and the one-way valve is disposed between the pipe and the reservoir.

15 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 13 , wherein the one-way valve comprises a ball-check valve and wherein in an installed orientation a ball of the ball-check valve is biased to an open position by gravity and is forced upward to a closed position by one of impingement of liquid from the third fluid pathway thereagainst and an increase in fluid pressure in the third fluid pathway relative to the fifth fluid pathway.

16 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 15 , wherein the reservoir includes an angled floor above the ball-check valve tapering toward the ball-check valve, defining a liquid flow path in the installed orientation from the reservoir to the ball-check valve for flow therepast and into the third fluid pathway in the open position.

17 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 16 , wherein the reservoir includes a baffle wall horizontally positioned between the ball-check valve and a connection to the fifth fluid pathway.

18 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 17 , wherein the baffle wall has a lower end defining a liquid-return gap between the baffle wall and the floor and a top end in engagement with a cover of the reservoir.

19 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , further including a handpiece connector connected to the second end of the second fluid pathway and the first end of the third fluid pathway, the handpiece connector comprising part of each of the second fluid pathway and the third fluid pathway.

20 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid pathway includes an IV bag connector.

21 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the liquid transfer portion of the pump comprises a compressible peristaltic pump tube disposed outside of the housing.

22 . A surgical irrigation cassette comprising:

a substantially rigid cassette housing defining a chamber therein and a first console connector including a first pneumatic connector port;

a liquid transfer portion of a pump including an intake side of the pump and an output side of the pump, the liquid transfer portion of the pump comprising a compressible peristaltic pump tube disposed outside the housing;

a plurality of fluid pathways disposed at least in part within the chamber, including:

a first fluid pathway including a first end connected with the intake side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a supply fluid container;

a second fluid pathway including a first end connected with the output side of the pump, and a second end for connecting with a handpiece;

a third fluid pathway including a first end for connecting with the handpiece, and a second end for connecting with a waste container; and

a fourth fluid pathway including a first end connected with the first console connector, and a second end for connecting with the waste container; and

a second console connector, wherein each of the console connectors includes:

a substantially rigid connector housing having a receiving tube that is in engagement with the peristaltic pump tube with the receiving tube defining a part of one of the first fluid pathway and the second fluid pathway; and

a pneumatic interface sleeve formed as part of the connector housing and having an aperture therethrough and a seal disposed in the aperture.

23 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 22 , further including in each console connector a bidirectional valve having a closed condition when the cassette is not disposed in a console.

24 . The surgical irrigation cassette of claim 1 , wherein the fluid pathways disposed within the housing comprise at least in part flexible tubes and the housing includes internal support walls along which the flexible tubes are disposed.