Ophthalmic fluidics system with eddy current pressure sensor

1. An ophthalmic surgical system comprising:

a handpiece with a working tip for performing an ophthalmic surgical procedure inside an eye;

an irrigation system for delivering irrigation fluid to the eye during the ophthalmic surgical procedure, the irrigation system comprising an irrigation source, an irrigation path in the handpiece, and irrigation tubing between the irrigation source and the irrigation path in the handpiece;

an aspiration system for aspirating aspiration fluid from the eye during the ophthalmic surgical procedure, the aspiration system comprising an aspiration path in the handpiece, aspiration tubing extending from the aspiration path in the handpiece, and a pump for providing suction through the aspiration tubing and aspiration path in the handpiece; and

a pressure sensor system in communication with one of the irrigation path or the aspiration path, the pressure sensor system comprising:

a conductive, movable diaphragm having a first side opposite a second side, the first side of the diaphragm facing a flow path for one of the aspiration fluid being aspirated from the eye or the irrigation fluid being delivered to the eye, wherein the diaphragm is configured to move in response to fluid pressure in the flow path, the fluid pressure being exerted on the first side of the diaphragm; and

an eddy current position sensor in communication with the diaphragm without contacting the diaphragm, the eddy current position sensor comprising a position sensor coil activatable by high frequency alternating current and signal conditioning electronics capable of sensing variation in inductance, impedance, or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil as a gap between the second side of the diaphragm and the position sensor coil changes in response to the fluid pressure in the flow path and of translating that variation into a displacement signal correlated to the fluid pressure in the flow path.

2. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing inductance in the position sensor coil.

3. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing impedance in the position sensor coil.

4. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing resonant frequency in the position sensor coil.

5. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the first side of the diaphragm faces a flow path for aspiration fluid being aspirated from the eye.

6. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the first side of the diaphragm faces a flow path for irrigation fluid being delivered to the eye.

7. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , wherein the position sensor coil is housed in a non-conductive housing.

8. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 1 , further comprising a high frequency oscillator for activating the position sensor coil at a high frequency.

9. An ophthalmic surgical system comprising a fluidics module in combination with a fluidics cassette, the fluidics module and fluidics cassette together comprising:

an irrigation flow path through which irrigation fluid is delivered to an eye during an ophthalmic surgical procedure;

an aspiration flow path through which aspirated fluid is aspirated from the eye during the ophthalmic surgical procedure; and

a pressure sensor system in communication with a flow path, wherein the flow path is one of the irrigation flow path or the aspiration flow path, the pressure sensor system comprising:

a conductive, movable diaphragm having a first side opposite a second side, the first side of the diaphragm facing the flow path, wherein the diaphragm is configured to move in response to fluid pressure in the flow path, the fluid pressure being exerted on the first side of the diaphragm; and

an eddy current position sensor positioned in communication with the diaphragm without contacting the diaphragm, the eddy current position sensor comprising a position sensor coil activatable by high frequency alternating current and signal conditioning electronics capable of sensing variation in inductance, impedance, or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil as a gap between the diaphragm and the position sensor coil changes in response to the fluid pressure in the flow path and of translating that variation into a displacement signal correlated to the fluid pressure in the flow path.

10. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing inductance in the position sensor coil.

11. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing impedance in the position sensor coil.

12. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the signal conditioning electronics are capable of sensing resonant frequency in the position sensor coil.

13. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the first side of the diaphragm faces the aspiration flow path.

14. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the first side of the diaphragm faces the irrigation flow path.

15. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , wherein the position sensor coil is housed in a non-conductive housing.

16. An ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 9 , further comprising a high frequency oscillator for activating the position sensor coil at a high frequency.

17. A method of measuring fluid pressure in an ophthalmic surgical system, the method comprising:

passing fluid through a fluid flow path during an ophthalmic surgical procedure, wherein a conductive, movable diaphragm having a first side opposite a second side is positioned with the first side of the diaphragm facing the fluid flow path, and wherein the fluid flow path is for one of aspiration fluid being aspirated from an eye or irrigation fluid being delivered to the eye;

activating a position sensor coil by high frequency alternating current, wherein:

the position sensor coil is in communication with the diaphragm without contacting the diaphragm; and

the diaphragm is configured to move in response to fluid pressure in the fluid flow path, the fluid pressure being exerted on the first side of the diaphragm;

sensing variation of inductance or impedance or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil as a gap between the second side of the diaphragm and the position sensor coil changes due to the fluid pressure in the fluid flow path; and

translating that variation into a displacement signal correlated to the fluid pressure in the fluid flow path.

18. A method of measuring fluid pressure in an ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 17 , wherein the step of sensing variation of inductance or impedance or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil comprises sensing inductance variation in the position sensor coil.

19. A method of measuring fluid pressure in an ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 17 , wherein the step of sensing variation of inductance or impedance or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil comprises sensing impedance variation in the position sensor coil.

20. A method of measuring fluid pressure in an ophthalmic surgical system as in claim 17 , wherein the step of sensing variation of inductance or impedance or resonant frequency in the position sensor coil comprises sensing resonant frequency variation in the position sensor coil.