Vitrector and method for performing a one-step posterior vitrectomy using the same
A vitrector for removing material from an eye includes a hand piece, a shaft coupled at a first end to a first end of the hand piece, the shaft having a sharp second end opposite the first end of the shaft, and a cutting device positioned within the shaft and configured for removing the material from the eye. The sharp second end of the shaft is configured for piercing a pars plana of the eye and a sclera of the eye. A method for removing material from an eye includes forming a single opening through a pars plana of the eye and a sclera of the eye using a sharp point of a shaft of a vitrector, cutting the material using a cutting device incorporated within the shaft, and removing the material from the eye using the vitrector.
1 . A method of performing a surgery on an eye, the method comprising:
removing one or more floaters from a vitreous portion of the eye with an intraocular lens already disposed within the eye by:
infusing a fluid into an anterior chamber of the eye to maintain the anterior chamber while the one or more floaters are removed; and
while infusing the anterior chamber of the eye:
forming a single insertion entry port through a portion of the eye using a vitrector comprising a hand piece, a shaft fixedly attached at a first end thereof to a first end of the hand piece, and a sharply pointed needle tip fixedly connected to a second end of the shaft for piercing the portion of the eye;
operating a cutter incorporated within the shaft to sever the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye; and
aspirating the one or more floaters from the eye.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the cutter is a pneumatically driven cutter; and
the method further comprises operatively connecting a source of pneumatic air to a second end of the hand piece such that the source of pneumatic air is pneumatically connected to the pneumatically driven cutter.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
fluidically connecting an aspiration line to the cutter for aspirating the one or more floaters severed from the vitreous portion of the eye by the cutter.
4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
operatively connecting the aspiration line to a second end of the hand piece such that the aspiration line is fluidically connected to the cutter.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to operating the cutter, positioning the needle tip in a mid-vitreous portion of the eye.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein positioning the needle tip in the mid-vitreous portion of the eye comprises positioning the needle tip behind the intraocular lens of the eye.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein positioning the needle tip in the mid-vitreous portion of the eye comprises passing the needle tip through a pars plana and conjunctiva of the eye.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
visualizing the vitreous portion of the eye through a dilated pupil of the eye and the intraocular lens without inserting a separate light source into the eye, wherein forming the single insertion entry port, operating the cutter, and aspirating the one or more floaters is performed while visualizing the vitreous portion of the eye.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye further comprises:
removing the needle tip from the eye; and
after removing the needle tip from the eye, infusing a saline solution into the anterior chamber of the eye to restore a pressure within the anterior chamber to a normal physiological level.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a length of the shaft is at least 0.5 inches.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the length of the shaft is between 0.5 inches and 0.5625 inches.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the shaft has a diameter of 27 gauge or a smaller diameter; and
the shaft has an inherent stiffness sufficient to pierce a pars plana and sclera of the eye without prior insertion of a trocar.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the shaft has a 27 gauge diameter.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the surgery comprises a cataract surgery, and wherein the method further comprises
implanting the intraocular lens in the eye before removing the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising hydrating an incision formed in the eye during implantation of the intraocular lens.
16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye further comprises:
measuring a distance 3 mm to 3.5 mm posterior to a surgical limbus of the eye; and
based on the measurement, positioning the needle tip of the vitrector in an anterior portion of the eye or a mid-vitreous portion of the eye.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein positioning the needle tip of the vitrector in the anterior portion of the eye or the mid-vitreous portion of the eye comprises positioning the needle tip behind the intraocular lens implanted in the eye.
18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the fluid from the anterior chamber of the eye after aspirating the one or more floaters from the eye.
19 . A method of performing a surgery on an eye, the method comprising:
removing one or more floaters from a vitreous portion of the eye with an intraocular lens already disposed within the eye by:
infusing a fluid into an anterior chamber of the eye to maintain the anterior chamber while the one or more floaters are removed; and
while infusing the anterior chamber of the eye:
forming a single insertion entry port through a portion of the eye using a vitrector;
severing the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye using a cutter of the vitrector; and
aspirating the one or more floaters from the eye.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the cutter is a pneumatically driven guillotine cutter incorporated within a shaft of the vitrector; and
severing the one or more floaters from the vitreous portion of the eye comprises pneumatically driving the pneumatically driven guillotine cutter.