TUBING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Abstract: A tubing management system (10) is provided for use with surgical instrumentation requiring irrigation and aspiration of fluids and a peristaltic pump (14). The tubing management system includes a housing (42) and a manifold (66) for connecting a transfer tube with aspiration (24) and irrigation (22) lines from the surgical instrumentation (16) and with waste (38) and supply (32) lines. An opening in the housing (42) enables access to the transfer tube in order to control fluid flow therein. A diaphragm (74) mounted to the housing and in fluid communication with the aspiration tube (58) enables pressure measurement in the tubing when the housing (42) is inserted into a drawer (44) in the console (12) and in operative engagement with a peristaltic pump head (14) disposed therein.

Description: TϋBING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM The present invention generally relates to irrigation/aspiration apparatus for surgical proce- dures and more particularly relates to the tubing management system for use with a surgical instrument for endophthalmic surgery. The removal of cataracts, for example, involves surgery on a normally pressurized eye in which instru¬ ments are passed through a small incision at the edge of the cornea in order to access and remove opaque cataract material. The cataracts may be fragmentized by cutting apparatus, vibratory apparatus, or the like, and the fragments are aspirated from the eye. In order to maintain normal pressure within the eye, a balanced salt solution is supplied from an elevated chamber, the chamber being elevated to a position to provide proper head, or pressure. The irrigation and aspiration of fluid through the eye must be carefully monitored in order to maintain normal pressure within the eye during surgical procedures. An underpressure may cause distortion of the eye which often may interfere with surgical procedures. Over pressure may cause damage to the eye and in extreme cases, rupture thereof. As it has been hereinabove noted, pressure in the eye may be controlled by the physical elevation of the chamber of balanced salt solution, which is connected to the surgical instrument. Aspiration fluid, on the other hand, is controlled in the eye with a peri¬ staltic pump. Typical apparatus includes instrument console for controlling the flow of fluids. Various devices have been developed for the coordinated flow of fluids and some include a phacocassette, tubing and management system, which may be disposable or autoclavable, for interconnecting from the various tubes and lines for proper irrigation and aspiration. A general discussion of the advantages of this type of cassette is set forth in U.S. Patent No. 4,713,051. Cassettes, such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 4,713,051, provide means for housing a portion of each of the irrigation and aspiration tubing, together with a drain bag structured so that all fluid and connections are precisely made to the equipment by insertion of the cassette into a console. Thus, the reliability of the fluid connections is enhanced. While the prior art devices, such as the one described in U.S. Patent No. 4,713,051, provide a significant step forward in the art up to management, these devices do not provide full cooperation with a surgical instrument utilizing irrigation and aspira¬ tion lines. For example, during surgical procedures, often fragments of broken tissue can temporarily block an aspiration line. This may lead to a serious deviation in pressure which is typically accommodated by ceasing or slowing aspiration through regulation of the peristaltic pump connected to the aspiration line. In addition, fluid flow may be temporarily reversed so that the blockage may be dislodged. None of these procedures are handled by prior art tubing management systems. However, the tubing management system, in accor¬ dance with the present invention, facilitates the reversal of fluid flow in a surgical instrument's irrigation and aspiration lines. Naturally, this facilitates operating procedures and, at the same time, provides increased reliability of high pressure during an operation. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A typical management system in accordance with the present invention is suitable for use with sur¬ gical instrumentation requiring irrigation and aspira- tion of fluids and a peristaltic pumps. Generally, the system includes a housing having means for both supporting an aspiration tube and enabling access thereto for contact with a peristaltic pump head and for connecting the aspiration tube with an aspiration line of a surgical device. Means are also provided for connecting an irrigation tube to both the aspiration line and an irrigation line of the surgical device. Importantly, means are provided for enabling the regulation of irrigation fluid flow in the irrigation tube into both the irrigation and the aspiration lines. As hereinafter set forth, this structure enables back flushing of the surgical instrument through the aspiration line in order to remove block¬ ages therefrom. Structure of the present invention enables this procedure without venting of the aspiration line as is necessary in prior art devices. In this manner, pressure may be more precisely controlled during both normal aspiration of fluids from the surgical device aspiration tube and during back flushing of the irrigation fluid through the aspiration line. The means for enabling the regulation of irriga¬ tion fluid flow includes transfer tubes interconnect¬ ing the irrigation tube with both the irrigation and aspiration lines and further means defining openings in housing for enabling access to the transfer tubes. More specifically, the means for enabling access to the transfer tubes includes bridge means spanning each opening, for enabling the transfer tubes to be com- pressed thereagainst in order to regulate the fluid flow therein. Additionally, the tubing management system according to the present invention may include means for enabling pressure measurement of the fluid in the aspiration tube. Pressure measurement is enabled by a diaphragm mounted to the housing in fluid communica¬ tion with both the aspiration tube, the aspiration line and a transfer tube. The diaphragn includes means for removably coupling the diaphragm to an external transducer. In this manner, the tubing management system, in accordance with the present invention, includes not only the tubing configuration hereinabove set forth, but also incorporated therewith the pressure measure¬ ment device, thus eliminating a separate tubing connection with an additional external device for measuring pressure. Manifold means may be provided which are removably attached to the housing for connecting the transfer tubes with the aspiration and irrigation lines. This structure facilitates the organization and the assembly of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention will be better understood by the following description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schmatic representation of the tubing management system in accordance with the present invention showing interconnection with a surgical instrument a saline solution supply, and a waste receptacle; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the tubing management system as it may be inserted into a console drawer; Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a diagragn assembly for enabling fluid pressure measure¬ ment; Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the tubing management system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 5 is a perspective view of the tubing management system fully assembled; and Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the tubing management system showing compression of transfer tubes therein for controlling fluid flow. DETAILED DESCRIPTION In Figure 1, there is shown a tubing management system (or cassette) 10, in accordance with the present invention suitable for use with instrument console 12 having a peristaltic pump head 14, see Figure 2, and a surgical instrument 16, see Figure 1. As hereinabove described, the present invention is used in conjunction with the surgical instrument or handpiece 16 for ophthalmic surgery, requiring irrigation and aspiration of fluids. As will be hereinafter discussed in greater detail, the cassette 10 is connected with an irrigation line 22 and an aspiration line 24 for providing fluid communication between the surgical handpiece 16 and a source 30 of balanced saline solution (BSS) through a BSS line 32 and also with a waste receptacle 36 through a waste line 38. All these are diagrammatically represented in Figure 1. As will be described hereinafter in greater detail, the cassette 10 includes a housing 42 (Figure 3) which is sized for insertion into a drawer 44 in the console 12 (Figure 2) . The housing 42 may consist of the rear half 48 and a front half 50 which is formed from any suitable plastic material. If the cassette 10 is disposable, the rear and front halves 48 and 50 may be plastic welded or glued together to form the cassette 10. In this instance, a lower grade of plastic for the cassette 10 may be employed. Alternatively, if the cassette is to be reused, the rear and front halves 48 and 50 may be snapped or screwed together in any suitable fashion in order to facilitate disassembly of the cassette 10. In this instance, the rear and front halves 48 and 50 should preferably be formed from a plastic suitable for autoclaving. The rear half 48 includes a channel 50 in order to provide a means for supporting an aspiration tube 58 when the rear half 48 is assembled to the front half to form the housing 42. Openings 62, 64 in the rear half and front half 48 and 50, enable access to the aspiration tube 58 for contact with the peristal¬ tic pump head 14. A manifold 66 includes nipples 68, 70 which provide means for connecting the aspiration tube 58 with the waste line 38. The diaphragm assembly 74 includes a housing 76 with an upper inlet 78 which provides a means for connecting the aspiration tube 58 to the aspiration line 24. The diaphragm assembly 74 will be described in greater particularity hereinafter. The manifold 66 may be formed from a suitable plastic and include a slot 80 for enabling attachment of the manifold 66 to a rib 82 molded into the rear half 48 of the housing 42. A Y formed into the manifold 66 includes an external nipple 88 communi¬ cating with nipples 92, 94 which provides means for connecting the irrigation line 32 to both the aspira- tion line 24 and the irrigation line 22 of the surgi¬ cal device 16. An upper transfer tube 100 interconnects the nipple 92 with a lower inlet 102 in the diaphragm housing while a lower transfer tube 104 connected with the lower nipple 94 is connected by nipples 108, 110 to the irrigation line 22 of the surgical instrument 116. The upper transfer tube 100 is centered in the opening 114 in the front half 50 and the lower trans¬ fer tube 104 is centered in opening 116 in the front half and the openings 114, 116 provide a means for enabling the regulation of irrigation fluid flow in the irrigation line 32 into both the irrigation line 22 and aspiration line 24 of the surgical instrument 16. Bridges 120, 122 formed in the front half 50 and spanning the openings 114, 116 respectively provide a means for enabling the transfer tubes 100, 104 to be compressed thereagainst, as hereinafter described, in order to regulate the fluid flow in the transfer tubes 100, 104 and thereby divert irrigation fluid from the BSS line 32 into either the irrigation line 22 or aspiration line 24 of the surgical instrument 16. As hereinabove described, the diversion of irrigation fluid from the line 32 into the aspiration line 24 of the surgical instrument is made in order to free blockages which may occur in the aspiration line 24 from time to time. Importantly, the irrigation of fluid is diverted through the diaphragm housing in order that the pressure thereof during back flushing of the aspiration line 24 may be monitored. Turning now to Figure 2, the console drawer 44 is sized for accepting the cassette 10 in the manner illustrated with the aspiration tube 58 to a curved portion 126 of the drawer 44 and forced against pump head rollers 14 when the drawer 44 is closed with the cassette 10 therein. Any conventional peristaltic pump head 14 with rollers 14 may be utilized in conjunction with the curved surface 126 to effect a peristaltic-type pumping of fluid from the aspiration line 24 of the surgical handpiece 16 when the pump head is rotated. The pump head and curved surface may be as described in the co-pending application entitled "Precision Peristaltic Pump," U.S. Serial No. 07/892,788 filed June 3, 1992. This referenced patent application is incorporated into the present application, in toto, by this specific reference thereton. Also included in the console are solenoid-acti¬ vated plungers 130, 132 which, when activated, move outwardly from the console to engagement with the transfer tubes 100, 104 respectively through the holes 114, 116, in order to compress the transfer tubes 100, 104 against the bridges 120, 122, respectively, in order to divert irrigation fluid from the irrigation line 32 to the diaphragm housing 74 or directly into the irrigation line 22 of the surgical handpiece 16. The plungers 130, 132 may be activated and operated in any conventional manner through switches in the console 12 or by remote control, as may be desired. Returning to Figure 3, the diaphragm housing 74 generally includes a cap 140, which is ultrasonically welded to the rear half 48 in an opening 142 therein. The diaphragm 144 is disposed over an opening 146 in the front of the housing 76 and secured and sealed therein by the retainer 150 which is ultrasonically sealed to the housing 76. A ferromagnetic disk 154 is bonded to the diaphragm 144 and provides means for removably coupling the diaphragm to a transducer 158, see Figure 2, disposed in the instrument console 12 when the cassette 10 is inserted into the instrument console drawer 44. As more completely described in the present patent application entitled "Pressure Transducer Interface," Serial No. 07/893,331 filed on June 3, 1992, the transducer 158 may be a force transducer, providing a means for measuring force exerted by fluid within the diaphragm housing on one side 162 of the diaphragm 144, independent of the diaphragm position. This cited reference, "Pressure Transducer Interface," is incorporated into the present application by this specific reference thereto. As pointed out in this reference, this force measurement eliminates a number of practical problems associated with the changing characteristics of the diaphragm as a function of its position. A permanent magnet attached to the transducer couples with the ferromagnetic disk 154 when the cassette 10 is dis- posed in the drawer 44 and closed so that the magnet 166 is abutted with the disk 154 to effect the coupling therebetween. Simultaneously, upon closing the drawer, plungers 130, 132 are positioned in a spaced apart relationship with the transfer tubes 100, 104 in order that engagement therewith may be effected by the movement, or displacement, of the plungers so as to selectively engage and compress the transfer tubes 100, 104 against the bridges 120, 122 respec- tively. The diaphragm housing 76 may be coupled to the irrigation line 22 by means of the nipple 170 and therefore enables irrigation fluid diverted through the transfer tube 100 by sealing of the transfer tube 104 against the bridge 122, into the aspiration line 24. Alternatively, when the transfer tube 100 is compressed against the bridge 120, irrigation fluid flows into the irrigation line 24 through the transfer tube 104. When irrigation fluid is diverted into the aspiration line 24, the peristaltic pump head may be stopped to prevent aspiration of the irrigation fluid directly from the diaphragm housing 76. It is important that during both normal flow of irrigation fluid through the transfer tube 104 and and during the back flush of fluids through the transfer tube 100 into the aspiration line 24, that the dia¬ phragm assembly 74 is operative for enabling pressure measurement on a continuous basis in order to monitor the pressure. Although there has been hereinabove described a tubing management system, in accordance with the present invention, for the purpose of illus¬ trating the manner in which the invention may be used to advantage, it should be appreciated that the invention is not limited thereto. Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations, or equivalent arrangements which may occur to those skilled in the art, should be considered to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims: 1784 WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A tubing management system for use with surgical instrumentation requiring irrigation and aspiration of fluids and a peristaltic pump, said tubing management system comprising: 5 a housing comprising means for both supporting an aspiration tube and enabling access thereto for contact with a peri¬ staltic pump head and for connecting said 10 aspiration tube with an aspiration line of a surgical device; means for connecting an irrigation line to both the aspiration line and an irriga¬ tion line of the surgical device; and 15 means for enabling the regulation of irrigation fluid flow in said irrigation line into both said irrigation and aspira¬ tion lines of the surgical device. 2. The tubing management system according to claim 1 wherein said means for enabling the regulation of irrigation fluid flow comprises transfer tubes interconnecting said irrigation line with both said 5 irrigation and aspiration lines and means, defining openings in said housing, for enabling access to the transfer tubes. 3. The tubing management system according to claim 2 wherein said means for enabling access to the transfer tubes further comprises bridge means, spanning each opening, for enabling the transfer tube 5 to be compressed thereagainst in order to regulate fluid flow therein. 4. The tubing management system according to claim 3 further comprising means for enabling pressure measurement of the fluid in said aspiration tube. 5. The tubing management system according to claim 4 wherein said means for enabling pressure measurement comprises a diaphragm mounted to said housing and in fluid communication with said aspira- tion tube, said diaphragm including means for removably coupling said diaphragm to an external transducer. 6. A tubing management system for use with surgical instrumentation requiring irrigation and aspiration of fluids and a peristaltic pump, said tubing management system comprising: a housing; manifold means, removably attached to said housing, for connecting transfer tube with aspiration and irrigation lines from the surgical instrumentation and with waste and supply lines; means, defining an opening in said housing, for enabling access to a transfer tube connected to the aspiration line for engagement with a peristaltic pump head; and means for enabling control of fluid from said supply line to both said aspira¬ tion and irrigation lines through said transfer tubes. 7. The tubing management system according to claim 6 wherein said means for enabling the control of fluid flow comprises means, defining openings in said housing, for enabling access to the transfer tubes. 8. The tubing management system according to claim 7 wherein said means for enabling access to the transfer tubes further comprises bridge means, spanning each opening, for enabling the transfer tubes to be compressed thereagainst in order to regulate fluid flow therein. 9. The tubing management system according to claim 8 further comprising means for enabling pressure measurement of the fluid in said aspiration tube. 10. The tubing management system according to claim 9 wherein said means for enabling pressure measurement comprises a diaphragm mounted to said housing and in fluid communication with said aspira- tion tubes, said diaphragm including means for removably coupling said diaphragm to an external transducer. 11. A tubing management system for use with surgical instruments requiring irrigation and aspira¬ tion of fluids and an instrument console having a peristaltic pump head and an opening for access thereto, said tubing management system comprising: a housing adapted for insertion into the instrument console opening and comprising means for both supporting an aspiration tube and for enabling operational contact therewith by said peristaltic pump head when the housing is inserted into the instrument console opening; a diaphragm attached to said housing and in fluid communication with said aspira¬ tion tube; and means, attached to said diaphragm, for removably coupling said diaphragm to a transducer, disposed in said instrument console, when said housing is inserted into the instrument console opening. 12. The tubing management system according to claim 11 wherein said means for enabling the regula¬ tion of irrigation fluid flow in said irrigation tube into both said irrigation and aspiration lines. 13. The tubing management system according to claim 12 wherein said means for enabling the regula¬ tion of irrigation fluid flow comprises transfer tubes interconnecting said irrigation line with both said irrigation and aspiration lines and means, defining openings in said housing, for enabling access to the transfer tubes. 14. The tubing management system according to claim 13 wherein said means for enabling access to the transfer tubes further comprises bridge means, spanning each opening, for enabling the transfer tube to be compressed thereagainst in order to regulate fluid flow therein. 15. The tubing management system according to claim 11 wherein said means for removably coupling said diaphragm to a transducer comprises a ferromag¬ netic plate attached to said diaphragm and a magnet attached to said transducer. 16. The tubing management system according to claim 15 wherein said magnet comprises a permanent magnet.

Inventors: ZANGER FRANK, ZANGER, FRANK
Applicants: ALLERGAN INC, ALLERGAN, INC.
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61F9
IPC codes: A61F9, A61M1