IP Library › Granted Patent US 12697249
Granted Patent B2
US 12697249 · App. 17/715,091 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Irrigation in a phacoemulsification system

Inventors: Assaf Govari (Haifa, IL); Eran Aharon (Haifa, IL); Yehuda Algawi (Binyamina, IL); Ilya Sitnitsky (Nahariya, IL)
Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc.
A61F9/00745A61M1/74A61M1/77A61M2210/0612
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12697249
App. No.
17/715,091
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one example, a phacoemulsification system includes a phacoemulsification probe including a distal end comprising a needle, and a piezoelectric crystal configured to vibrate the needle so as to emulsify a lens of an eye, an irrigation reservoir configured to store irrigation fluid, an irrigation line extending from the irrigation reservoir to the distal end of phacoemulsification probe, a pumping sub-system configured to pump the irrigation fluid from the irrigation reservoir to the distal end of the phacoemulsification probe via the irrigation line, and a pressure damping insert disposed in the irrigation line between the pumping sub-system and the distal end, and comprising multiple paths therethrough configured to divide a flow of the irrigation fluid entering the pressure damping insert in order to dampen pressure elevations in the irrigation fluid exiting the pumping sub-system.

Claims (18)

1 . A phacoemulsification system, comprising:

a phacoemulsification probe including:

a distal end comprising a needle; and

a piezoelectric crystal configured to vibrate the needle so as to emulsify a lens of an eye;

an irrigation reservoir configured to store irrigation fluid;

an irrigation line extending from the irrigation reservoir to the distal end of phacoemulsification probe;

a pumping sub-system configured to pump the irrigation fluid from the irrigation reservoir to the distal end of the phacoemulsification probe via the irrigation line; and

a pressure damping insert disposed in the irrigation line between the pumping sub-system and the distal end, and comprising multiple paths therethrough configured to divide a flow of the irrigation fluid entering the pressure damping insert in order to dampen pressure elevations in the irrigation fluid exiting the pumping sub-system.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a filter disposed in the irrigation line between the pumping sub-system and the distal end configured to prevent fragments deposited in the irrigation fluid by the pumping sub-system from reaching the distal end.

3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the filter is configured to filter fragments smaller than 20 microns.

4 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the filter and the pressure damping insert are comprised in a unitary item.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure damping insert includes an elastic material forming the multiple paths.

6 . The system according to claim 5 , wherein the elastic material includes pores forming the multiple paths.

7 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the elastic material includes expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein a size of each of the pores in between 0.5 and 20 microns.

9 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the pressure damping insert includes an ePTFE membrane having a thickness between 50 and 300 microns.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the pressure damping insert includes a mesh material.

11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the mesh material includes fiberglass.