Patent ID: 7758546

Claim:
A surgical system, comprising: a surgical console; a handpiece, the handpiece coupled to the surgical console by an irrigation tubing and an aspiration tubing; an aspiration fluid channel, with an enlarged portion located within the handpiece, coupled to the aspiration tubing; and a movable flow restrictor in the enlarged portion of the aspiration fluid channel, the movable flow restrictor moving in response to a command provided by the surgical console to vary fluid flow resistance in the aspiration fluid channel in response to a sensed vacuum pressure in the aspiration fluid channel; wherein the command provided by the surgical console to vary fluid flow resistance in the aspiration fluid channel is provided to the handpiece through a control cable connecting the handpiece to the surgical console; wherein the movable flow restrictor is coupled to a linear actuator and wherein linear movement of the linear actuator moves the movable flow restrictor to increase or decrease a cross sectional area of the aspiration fluid channel available for fluid flow; wherein the linear actuator is configured to move the movable flow restrictor in an automated, pre-programmed manner to increase or decrease a cross sectional area of the aspiration fluid channel available for fluid flow in response to the command provided by the surgical console; wherein the command is provided via a feedback loop with input associated with pressure sensed in the aspiration fluid channel.