Systems and methods for controlling vacuum within phacoemulsification systems

1. A phacoemulsification system comprising:

a phacoemulsification handpiece having a needle;

wherein the needle is coupled to a power source configured to cause the needle to be ultrasonically vibrated during operation;

wherein the needle further defines an aspiration port that is coupled to an aspiration source;

a footpedal defining a first position and a second position; and

a computer program product operatively coupled to the phacoemulsification handpiece and the footpedal, the computer program product having a non-transitory computer-usable medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, causes said processor to execute a process that controls power from the power source and vacuum from the aspiration source applied to the phacoemulsification handpiece, said process comprising:

providing the vacuum at a first vacuum level to the handpiece up to a first maximum vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal is at the first position;

determining if a time counter has reached a time counter limit, wherein the time counter is actuated on a condition that the footpedal transitions from the first position to the second position; and

providing power to the handpiece on a condition that the footpedal is at the second position; and reducing the vacuum to a second vacuum level up to a new maximum vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions from the first position to the second position and the time counter limit is reached, wherein the new maximum vacuum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the new maximum vacuum level is based on the transition of the footpedal from the first position to the second position displacing the footpedal at the second position for a programmable period of time.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second vacuum level, the process further comprising modulating the vacuum between the second vacuum level and a third vacuum level, the third vacuum level is less than the new maximum vacuum level.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the footpedal further defines a third position and subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising reducing the vacuum level to a third vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions to said third position.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the footpedal further defines a third position and subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising raising the new maximum vacuum level to an adjusted maximum vacuum level and raising the vacuum level up to the adjusted maximum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions to said third position, the adjusted maximum level is less than the first maximum vacuum level and greater than the new maximum vacuum level.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions back from the second position to the first position.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the footpedal further defines a yaw position and, subsequent to reducing the vacuum to a second level, the process further comprising resetting the new maximum vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions to said yaw position.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface console to modify the computer program product.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user interface console modifies at least one selected from the group consisting of: (1) selecting a pulse shape amplitude mode; (2) setting the maximum first vacuum level from the aspiration source; (3) setting a minimum pulse shape amplitude; (4) setting a maximum pulse shape amplitude; and (5) irrigation rates.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second vacuum level is sufficient to clear an occlusion.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein providing the vacuum linearly raises the first vacuum level to the first maximum vacuum level on a condition that the footpedal transitions into the first position.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the vacuum level linearly rises to the first vacuum level from a non-zero value.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aspiration source is a vacuum-based pump or a combination of a vacuum-based pump and a flow-based pump.