Control of pulse duty cycle based upon footswitch displacement

1. A phacoemulsification apparatus comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle, and an electric circuit having one or more piezoelectric transducers, having an electrical load, for ultrasonically vibrating said needle;

a power source configured to provide a pulse of electrical power to the handpiece having a pulse duty cycle, a drive voltage, and a frequency that causes the needle to be driven along its longitudinal axis;

an input enabling a surgeon to select an ultrasonic pulse amplitude and the pulse duty cycle supplied to the handpiece;

a computer programmed to adjust the power in response to the selected pulse amplitude and to adjust the pulse duty cycle in response to the selected pulse duty cycle, wherein said computer is enabled to control the power source to provide the pulse of electrical power at a surgeon selectable rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second, further wherein the computer is configured to adjust the drive voltage of the electrical power in response to a change in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers during operation.

2. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is an off duty cycle in between the pulses of electrical power to ensure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse of electrical power is activated.

3. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is a period of no power to the needle that drives the needle along its longitudinal axis in between the pulses of electrical power.

4. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is a period where a minimal amount of power is applied to the needle that causes the needle to oscillate generally along its longitudinal axis in between the pulses of electrical power.

5. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 1 , further including a switch configured to receive input for the selection of the pulse duty cycle.

6. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said switch comprises a footswitch operatively coupled to the computer, wherein the computer is further programmed to enable the surgeon to vary the pulse duty cycle as a function of displacement of the footswitch and that enables the surgeon to reduce the pulse duty cycle to a pulse less than 20 milliseconds.

7. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said switch enables a linear selection of the ultrasonic power amplitude.

8. A phacoemulsification apparatus comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electrical circuit having one or more piezoelectric transducers, having an electrical load, for ultrasonically vibrating said needle;

a power source configured to apply a period of electrical power, having a drive voltage, to the handpiece, wherein the power within the period is applied at a frequency that causes the needle to be driven generally along its longitudinal axis;

an input enabling a surgeon to select a power amplitude and a duration of the period; and

a computer programmed to respond to the selected power amplitude and the selected duration of the period of electrical power, wherein the computer enables a selection of a duration of less than twenty (20) milliseconds, and further wherein the computer is programmed to adjust the drive voltage of the electrical power in response to a change in the electrical load of the one or inure piezoelectric transducers during operation;

wherein said computer controls the power source to provide said period of electrical power repeatedly at a surgeon selectable rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second.

9. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is an off duty cycle in between said periods of electrical power to ensure heat dissipation in between said periods of electrical power.

10. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is an interval in between said periods of electrical power wherein there is no power to the handpiece that drives the needle along its longitudinal axis in between said periods of electrical power.

11. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is an interval in between said periods of electrical power wherein any longitudinal vibration of the needle is minimized.

12. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the computer is further programmed to control the power source such that there is an interval in between said periods of electrical power wherein there is substantially no longitudinal vibration of the needle.

13. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the input includes a footswitch operatively coupled to the computer and enables a surgeon to vary the period as a function of displacement of the footswitch.

14. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the footswitch enables a linear selection of the power amplitude and period.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 or 8 , wherein the computer is programmed to increase the drive voltage in response to an increase in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers and to decrease the drive voltage in response to a decrease in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers.

16. A phacoemulsification apparatus comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electric circuit having one or more piezoelectric transducers, having an electrical load, for ultrasonically vibrating said needle;

a power source configured to provide electrical power to the handpiece having a drive voltage, and a frequency that causes the needle to be driven along its longitudinal axis;

a control unit configured to enable electrical power to be provided to the handpiece in pulses having a pulse duty cycle and that adjusts drive voltage of the electrical power in response to a change in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers during operation; and

a footswitch operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the control unit is further configured to enable a surgeon to vary the pulse duty cycle as a function of displacement of the footswitch and that enables the surgeon to reduce a pulse to less than 20 milliseconds;

wherein the control unit is further configured to enable the pulses to be delivered to the handpiece at a surgeon selectable rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second.

17. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the power source such that there is an off duty cycle in between the pulses of electrical power to ensure heat dissipation before a subsequent pulse of electrical power is activated.

18. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the power source such that there is a period of no power to the needle that drives the needle along its longitudinal axis in between the pulses of electrical power.

19. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the power source such that there is a period where a minimal amount of power is applied to the needle that causes the needle to oscillate generally along its longitudinal axis in between the pulses of electrical power.

20. The phacoemulsification apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase the drive voltage in response to an increase in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers and to decrease the drive voltage in response to a decrease in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers.

21. A phacoemulsification apparatus comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle and an electric circuit having one or more piezoelectric transducers, having an electrical load, for ultrasonically vibrating said needle;

a power source configured to provide electrical power, having a drive voltage, to the electric circuit of the handpiece;

a control unit configured to enable electrical power to be provided to the handpiece in pulses, having a pulse duty cycle, at a surgeon selectable repetition rate of between about 25 and about 2000 pulses per second and further configured to increase the drive voltage of the electrical power in response to an increase in the electrical load of the one or more piezoelectric transducers and to decrease the drive voltage of the electrical power in response to a decrease in the electrical load during operation; and

a footswitch operatively coupled to the control unit, wherein the control unit is further configured to enable a surgeon to vary the pulse duty cycle as a function of displacement of the footswitch.