US-12622758-B2 - Console for an ophthalmic surgical system for operating a handpiece, and ophthalmic surgical system

US12622758B2US 12622758 B2US12622758 B2US 12622758B2US-12622758-B2

Abstract

A console is for an ophthalmic surgical system for operating a handpiece driven by a work fluid. The work fluid is supplied to a respective work chamber depending on the switching states of work valves. The valves are switched between a switched-on state and a switched-off state by a respective drive unit by respective electrical switching signals being applied to the drive units. Each valve switches from the switched-off switching state into the switched-on switching state during a switch-on time delay and switches from the switched-on state to the switched-off state during a switch-off time delay. The switching signals at least intermittently adopt the switch-on electric potential concurrently during a difference time period if the switch-on delay is longer than the switch-off delay, with a length of time of the difference period arising on the difference between the switch-on delay and the switch-off delay of the valves.

Inventors

Matthias Bolsinger
Caroline Kraft

Assignees

CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230512
Priority Date: 20220513

Claims (11)

1 . A console for an ophthalmic surgical system for operating a handpiece which is drivable via a work fluid, the handpiece being suitable for use in an ophthalmic surgical method for treating an eye, the console comprising: a first work valve for applying the work fluid to a first work chamber of the handpiece in dependence upon a switching state of said first work valve, said first work valve including a first electric drive unit configured to switch said first work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state; a second work valve for applying the work fluid to a second work chamber of the handpiece in dependence upon a switching state of said second work valve, said second work valve including a second electric drive unit configured to switch said second work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state; each of said first work valve and said second work valve being configured to switch from the switched-off switching state to the switched-on switching state during a switch-on time delay and to switch from the switched-on switching state to the switched-off switching state during a switch-off time delay; a control unit electrically coupled to said first electric drive unit and to said second electric drive unit and configured to actuate said first electric drive unit via a first electrical switching signal and said second electric drive unit via a second electrical switching signal such that a corresponding one of said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal successively over time applies a switch-on electric potential for the switched-on switching state and a switch-off electric potential for the switched-off switching state to a corresponding one of said first electric drive unit and said second electric drive unit so that said first work valve and said second work valve in each case alternately adopt the switched-on and the switched-off switching state, wherein in relation to a respective change of the switching states of said first work valve and said second work valve, said control unit is configured such that: said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal assigned to corresponding ones of said first work valve and said second work valve at least intermittently adopt the switch-on electric potential concurrently during a difference time period if the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve is longer than the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve, or said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal assigned to corresponding ones of said first work valve and said second work valve at least intermittently adopt the switch-off electric potential concurrently during the difference time period if the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve is shorter than the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve; and, wherein the length of time of the difference time period arises on a basis of a difference between the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve and the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve.
2 . The console of claim 1 , wherein the console is configured to drain the work fluid from a corresponding one of the first work chamber and the second work chamber in the switched-off switching state of the correspondingly assigned one of said first work valve and said second work valve.
3 . The console of claim 2 , wherein the work fluid is drained via a corresponding one of said first work valve and said second work valve.
4 . The console of claim 2 , wherein the work fluid is drained via a corresponding first or second release valve.
5 . The console of claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to determine the length of time of the difference time period independently of a frequency of said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal.
6 . The console of claim 1 , wherein for a purpose of determining the switch-on time delay or switch-off time delay of a respective one of said first work valve and said second work valve, said control unit is configured to detect a handpiece-side pressure of the work fluid via a corresponding pressure sensor at said first work valve and said second work valve.
7 . The console of claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to detect, via a position sensor, at least one end position of a drive piston movably arranged between the first work chamber and the second work chamber, and to additionally adjust said first and second electrical switching signals on a basis of the at least one detected end position.
8 . The console of claim 1 , wherein said handpiece is a vitrectomy cutting tool and said control unit is configured to additionally determine a duty cycle of said first and said second electrical switching signals for a specified cycle rate, at least on a basis of the specified cycle rate, a maximum cycle rate and the switch-on time delay or switch-off time delay of said first and second work valves.
9 . The console of claim 1 , wherein said control unit is configured to additionally determine a duty cycle of said first and second electrical switching signals for a specified or specifiable cycle rate, at least on the basis of a period duration of the specified or specifiable cycle rate, a period duration of a maximum cycle rate and the switching time delays of said first and second work valves.
10 . An ophthalmic surgical system comprising: a handpiece configured to be driven via a work fluid; said handpiece having a first work chamber, a second work chamber, and a drive piston; said drive piston being movably arranged between said first work chamber and said second work chamber and wherein the work fluid from said first and said second work chambers is applicable to said drive piston; a console for coupling said first work chamber and said second work chamber with the work fluid and for applying the work fluid to said first work chamber and said second work chamber; a work fluid source for providing the work fluid; said console having a first work valve, a second work valve, and a control unit; said first work valve being configured to apply the work fluid to said first work chamber of said handpiece in dependence upon a switching state of said first work valve, said first work valve including a first electric drive unit configured to switch said first work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state; said second work valve being configured to apply the work fluid to said second work chamber of said handpiece in dependence upon a switching state of said second work valve, said second work valve including a second electric drive unit configured to switch said second work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state; each of said first work valve and said second work valve being configured to switch from the switched-off switching state to the switched-on switching state during a switch-on time delay and to switch from the switched-on switching state to the switched-off switching state during a switch-off time delay; said control unit being electrically coupled to said first electric drive unit and to said second electric drive unit and configured to actuate said first electric drive unit via a first electrical switching signal and said second electric drive unit via a second electrical switching signal such that a corresponding one of said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal successively over time applies a switch-on electric potential for the switched-on switching state and a switch-off electric potential for the switched-off switching state to a corresponding one of said first electric drive unit and said second electric drive unit so that said first work valve and said second work valve in each case alternately adopt the switched-on and the switched-off switching state, wherein in relation to a respective change of the switching states of said first work valve and said second work valve, said control unit is configured such that said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal assigned to corresponding ones of said first work valve and said second work valve at least intermittently adopt the switch-on electric potential concurrently during a difference time period if the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve is longer than the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve, or such that said first electrical switching signal and said second electrical switching signal assigned to corresponding ones of said first work valve and said second work valve at least intermittently adopt the switch-off electric potential concurrently during the difference time period if the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve is shorter than the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve; and, wherein the length of time of the difference time period arises on a basis of a difference between the switch-on time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve and the switch-off time delay of said first work valve and said second work valve.
11 . The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 10 , wherein said handpiece is configured for ophthalmic surgical methods for treating an eye.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority of German patent application no. 10 2022 112 103.8, filed May 13, 2022, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates to a console for an ophthalmic surgical system for operating a handpiece which is drivable via a work fluid, with the handpiece being suitable in particular for use in an ophthalmic surgical method for treating an eye. The console includes a first work valve for applying the work fluid to a first work chamber of the handpiece depending on a switching state of the first work valve, with the first work valve including a first electric drive unit for switching the first work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state. Further, the console includes a second work valve for applying a work fluid to a second work chamber of the handpiece depending on a switching state of the second work valve, with the second work valve including a second electric drive unit for switching the second work valve between a switched-on switching state and a switched-off switching state. Each work valve is configured to switch from the switched-off switching state to the switched-on switching state during a switching-on time delay and to switch from the switched-on switching state to the switched-off switching state during a switching-off time delay. Moreover, the console includes a control unit which is electrically coupled to the first and to the second electric drive unit and which is configured to actuate the first and the second electric drive unit with respective first and second electrical switching signals such that a respective switching signal successively over time applies a switch-on electric potential for the switched-on switching state and a switch-off electric potential for the switched-off switching state to the respective electric drive unit. As a result, the work valves can in each case alternately adopt the switched-on and the switched-off switching state. Finally, the disclosure also relates to an ophthalmic surgical system having at least one handpiece which is drivable via a work fluid and which is suitable in particular for use in an ophthalmic surgical method for treating the eye. The handpiece includes a first and a second work chamber and a work piston which is movably arranged between the first and the second work chamber and to which the work fluid from the work chambers is able to be applied. Further, the ophthalmic surgical system includes a console for coupling the work chambers of the handpiece with the work fluid and for applying the work fluid to the chambers, and a work fluid source for providing the work fluid. BACKGROUND Generic methods, consoles and ophthalmic surgical systems are comprehensively known in the prior art, with the result that in principle there is no need for separate documentary evidence in this respect. They can be used, inter alia, for treatments of an eye, in particular of a human eye. However, the use is not restricted thereto. Treatment of an eye refers in particular to a treatment of a body with an eye-like consistency, for example a gel body, a tissue body which includes an at least partly elastic or flowable substance of high viscosity, an eye-like test body, a non-living eye, for example an eye taken from a human or animal body, and/or the like. By way of example, the gel body or the tissue body can be at least partly dimensionally stable. Moreover, provision can be made, for example, for the handpiece to be able to be used for treatment of the living eye. In particular, the handpiece can be suitably configured for a treatment of the living eye. The handpiece is preferably an ophthalmic surgical handpiece. Depending on type and application and/or requirement of the treatment, the handpiece is configured with appropriate adaptations, for example for treatment of the vitreous humor of the eye or else retina as a vitrectomy cutting tool (also referred to as a vitrectomy cutter), as a handpiece for phacoemulsification or the like. For their intended use, the handpieces are coupled to the console which inter alia provides power and auxiliary and operating substances for the intended use. Vitrectomy cutting tools and their function are explained in, for example, “Vitreoretinal instruments: Vitrectomy-Cutters, Endoillumination and White-Angel-Viewing Systems” by Paolo Riccardo Javez de Olivera et al. in “International Journal of Retina and Vitreus”, published on Dec. 5, 2016 in International Journal of Retina an Vitreus, 2021. For example, this document discloses a vitrectomy cutting tool which has a cutting blade that is driven mechanically via a work piston. The vitrectomy cutting tool includes a work cylinder having a first and a second work chamber, the work piston being movably arranged between the first and the second work chamber and, via the work chambers, being able to be impinged upon by the