Patent ID: 6939317

Claim:
A method to improve the efficiency of a phacoemulsification system by delivering a burst of ultrasonic power synchronized with a fraction of a low frequency motion waveform at a phacoemulsification needle tip, the method comprising: selecting an ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator to axially oscillate a phacoemulsifier needle at ultrasonic frequency; selecting a low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to axially oscillate a phacoemulsifier needle at low frequency; mechanically combining the ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator and the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to obtain an axial phacoemulsification needle displacement pattern corresponding to the combined action of both ultrasonic and low frequency electro-mechanic actuators; selecting a low frequency driver signal waveform to oscillate the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator; selecting an ultrasonic driver signal waveform to oscillate the ultrasonic electro-mechanic actuator; detecting a phase and position signal of the low frequency electro-mechanic actuator to synchronize bursts of ultrasonic actuator activity; in a way that bursts of axial ultrasonic activity of the phacoemulsifier needle are repeatedly produced in synchronization with a fraction of each low frequency electro-mechanic actuator cycle.