Vitreous cutter sleeve and a vitreous cutter system using the same

1. A vitreous cutter sleeve, comprising:

an elongate tubular body having a first end and a second end disposed opposite to said first end, said elongate tubular body including a peripheral sidewall and a central passageway disposed through said elongate tubular body, said central passageway of said elongate tubular body configured to receive a vitreous cutter therein, at least a portion of said elongate tubular body being formed from a material that is transparent to visible light and electrically conductive, said material being further configured to conduct at least one of infrared radiation and radiofrequency radiation; and

an illumination device operatively coupled to said peripheral sidewall at said first end of said elongate tubular body, said elongate tubular body configured to transmit light from said illumination device in an axial direction along a length of said elongate tubular body such that said illumination device is capable of providing illumination to an inside portion of an eye through at least a portion of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said illumination device being in the form of a fiber optic; and

wherein said first end of said elongate tubular body comprises a light-transmitting connector member for connecting said fiber optic to said elongate tubular body of said vitreous cutter sleeve so that light is capable of being transmitted from said fiber optic to an interior of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said light-transmitting connector member being disposed on a portion of said elongate tubular body that does not enter said eye.

2. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of following devices operatively coupled to said vitreous cutter sleeve: (i) a laser generation device for generating electromagnetic radiation ranging from blue light to infrared radiation, inclusive, (ii) a radiofrequency generation device for generating radiofrequency radiation, and (iii) an electrocautery device for generating an electrical current that is capable of cauterizing tissue of said eye.

3. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said first end of said elongate tubular body comprises a flared end portion configured to prevent said vitreous cutter sleeve from entering too deep into said eye, and wherein said vitreous cutter sleeve further includes a pierceable membrane disposed within said central passageway of said elongate tubular body proximate to said first end, said pierceable membrane configured to create a substantially liquid-tight seal between an outer peripheral surface of said vitreous cutter and an inner peripheral surface of said peripheral sidewall of said vitreous cutter sleeve after said vitreous cutter has penetrated said pierceable membrane.

4. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said second end of said elongate tubular body comprises a pointed tip configured to cut through tissue of said eye.

5. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said elongate tubular body comprises a plurality of opaque band portions spaced apart along a length thereof, each of said plurality of opaque bands portions being spaced apart from one another by a respective one of a plurality of transparent band portions, each of said plurality of transparent band portions being transparent to visible light.

6. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 5 , wherein each of said plurality of opaque band portions are spaced apart from one another by a substantially constant distance such that said plurality of opaque bands portions and said plurality of transparent band portions are capable of being used to determine a depth of insertion of said vitreous cutter sleeve into tissue of said eye.

7. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 5 , wherein said plurality of opaque band portions of said elongate tubular body are formed by coating said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body with a black material.

8. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said elongate tubular body comprises an opaque coating from said first end to an exposed tip at said second end so as to enable said exposed tip to function as a localized light source.

9. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said material is transparent to visible light from 400-800 nm, and wherein said material comprises one of: (i) metal glass, (ii) amorphous glass, (iii) palladium alloy, (iv) zirconium alloy, and (v) aluminum nitryloxyde.

10. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 1 , wherein said elongate tubular body comprises insulation from said first end to an exposed tip at said second end so as to enable said exposed tip to function as a localized cauterizer.

11. A vitreous cutter sleeve, comprising:

an elongate tubular body having a first end and a second end disposed opposite to said first end, said elongate tubular body including a peripheral sidewall and a central passageway disposed through said elongate tubular body, said central passageway of said elongate tubular body configured to receive a vitreous cutter therein, at least a portion of said elongate tubular body being formed from a material that is transparent to visible light, said material being further configured to conduct at least one of infrared radiation, radiofrequency radiation, and an electrical current, said first end of said elongate tubular body comprising a flared end portion configured to prevent said vitreous cutter sleeve from entering too deep into said eye, and said second end of said elongate tubular body comprising a pointed tip formed with said elongate tubular body so as to be capable of transmitting said visible light, said pointed tip configured to cut through tissue of said eye; and

an illumination device operatively coupled to said peripheral sidewall at said first end of said elongate tubular body, said elongate tubular body configured to transmit light from said illumination device in an axial direction along a length of said elongate tubular body such that said illumination device is capable of providing illumination to an inside portion of an eye through at least a portion of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said illumination device being in the form of a fiber optic; and

wherein said first end of said elongate tubular body comprises a light-transmitting connector member for connecting said fiber optic to said elongate tubular body of said vitreous cutter sleeve so that light is capable of being transmitted from said fiber optic to an interior of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said light-transmitting connector member being disposed on a portion of said elongate tubular body that does not enter said eye.

12. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 11 , wherein said elongate tubular body comprises a plurality of opaque band portions spaced apart along a length thereof, each of said plurality of opaque bands portions being spaced apart from one another by a respective one of a plurality of transparent band portions, each of said plurality of transparent band portions being transparent to visible light.

13. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 12 , wherein each of said plurality of opaque band portions are spaced apart from one another by a substantially constant distance such that said plurality of opaque bands portions and said plurality of transparent band portions are capable of being used to determine a depth of insertion of said vitreous cutter sleeve into tissue of said eye.

14. The vitreous cutter sleeve according to claim 11 , further comprising at least one of following devices operatively coupled to said vitreous cutter sleeve: (i) a laser generation device for generating electromagnetic radiation ranging from blue light to infrared radiation, inclusive, (ii) a radiofrequency generation device for generating radiofrequency radiation, and (iii) an electrocautery device for generating an electrical current that is capable of cauterizing tissue of said eye.

15. A vitreous cutter system, comprising:

a vitreous cutter that includes:

an elongate outer tube with a body having a closed end tip, said body of said elongate outer tube including a sidewall extending in axial direction from said closed end tip, said body of said elongate outer tube defining a linear passageway closed at a distal end by said closed end tip, said elongate outer tube further including an opening disposed in said sidewall of said body, said opening being disposed proximate to said closed end tip of said body, and said opening being configured to enable cutting of vitreous or tissue; and

an elongate inner tube arranged concentrically within said elongate outer tube, said elongate inner tube being configured to oscillate so as to be capable of cutting the vitreous or the tissue that enters said opening in said body of said elongate outer tube; and

a vitreous cutter sleeve that includes:

an elongate tubular body having a first end and a second end disposed opposite to said first end, said elongate tubular body including a peripheral sidewall and a central passageway disposed through said elongate tubular body, said central passageway of said elongate tubular body slidingly receiving said vitreous cutter therein, at least a portion of said elongate tubular body being formed from a material that is transparent to visible light and electrically conductive, said material being further configured to conduct at least one of infrared radiation and radiofrequency radiation, said first end of said elongate tubular body comprising a flared end portion configured to prevent said vitreous cutter sleeve from entering too deep into said eye, and said second end of said elongate tubular body comprising a pointed tip formed with said elongate tubular body so as to be capable of transmitting said visible light, said pointed tip configured to cut through tissue of said eye; and

an illumination device operatively coupled to said elongate tubular body such that said illumination device is capable of providing illumination to an inside portion of an eye through at least a portion of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said illumination device being in the form of a fiber optic; and

wherein said first end of said elongate tubular body comprises a light-transmitting connector member for connecting said fiber optic to said elongate tubular body of said vitreous cutter sleeve so that light is capable of being transmitted from said fiber optic to an interior of said peripheral sidewall of said elongate tubular body, said light-transmitting connector member being disposed on a portion of said elongate tubular body that does not enter said eye.

16. The vitreous cutter system according to claim 15 , wherein said elongate inner tube of said vitreous cutter is configured to remove the cut vitreous or the cut tissue by said vitreous cutter applying an aspiration force to the cut vitreous or the cut tissue.

17. The vitreous cutter system according to claim 16 , wherein said aspiration force applied by said vitreous cutter is configured to draw the cut vitreous or the cut tissue through said opening disposed in said sidewall of said body of said elongate outer tube.

18. The vitreous cutter system according to claim 15 , wherein said vitreous cutter sleeve is configured to contain said closed end tip of said vitreous cutter when said vitreous cutter is being removed from said eye so as to prevent said closed end tip from contacting and contaminating healthy tissue in said eye.

19. The vitreous cutter system according to claim 15 , wherein said elongate tubular body comprises a plurality of opaque band portions spaced apart along a length thereof, each of said plurality of opaque bands portions being spaced apart from one another by a respective one of a plurality of transparent band portions, each of said plurality of transparent band portions being transparent to visible light; and

wherein each of said plurality of opaque band portions are spaced apart from one another by a substantially constant distance such that said plurality of opaque bands portions and said plurality of transparent band portions are capable of being used to determine a depth of insertion of said vitreous cutter sleeve into tissue of said eye.