Device, system and method for assessing attitude and alignment of a surgical cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9386922-B2
Application number	US-201313827958-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 17, 2012
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

A system and method of receiving a cassette to a console of a phacoemulsification system. The system and method may include receiving the cassette in close proximity to a cassette receptacle comprising a receiving surface, sensing variations in at least two variable resistances mounted respectively diagonally about the receiving surface, and comparing the variations as between the at least two variable resistances to assess an attitude of the cassette. The system and method may optionally include clamping the cassette responsively to the comparing step.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cassette attitude assessment system, comprising:
a cassette receiver configured to couple with a cassette having positioning surfaces;
two detectors mounted diagonally within an area defined by said cassette receiver, each of said detectors providing a depressable rod in the area defined by the cassette receiver, wherein each of the depressable rods is configured to be depressed by one of the positioning surfaces of the cassette; and
a comparator configured to compare, based on an electrical resistance reading, an extent of the depression of one of the depressable rods with that of another of the depressable rods to assess an attitude of the cassette.

2. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , wherein each of the detectors comprises a potentiometer.

3. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 2 , wherein the depressable rod is mounted to a spring loaded axial shaft for each potentiometer.

4. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 3 , wherein each of the potentiometers comprises a mounting body mounted at a face of the cassette receiver opposite the cassette.

5. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , wherein said comparator is further configured to compare an extent of the depression of one of the depressable rods with another of the depressable rods to assess an alignment of the cassette.

6. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , wherein said comparator is further configured to compare an extent of the depression of more than one of the depressable rods to assess a complete loading of the cassette.

7. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , further comprising third and fourth detectors.

8. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , further comprising a clamping mechanism for clamping the cassette into the cassette receiver based on an assessment by said comparator of a minimum threshold alignment.

9. The cassette attitude assessment system of claim 1 , wherein each of the depressable rods provides a continuous resistance that varies with the extent of depression of the respective depressable rod.

Assignees

• Abbott Medical Optics Inc

Inventors

• Ross Mark W
• Gerg James
• Lynn Kyle
• Hickey Lauren M

Classifications

• A61M3/022

  Volume; Flow rate · CPC title

• A61M2205/505

  Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches · CPC title

• A61M3/0216

  Pressure · CPC title

• A61M2205/3331

  Pressure; Flow · CPC title

• A61M2205/12

  with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit · CPC title