Patent ID: 8142388

Claim:
An apparatus to facilitate removal of cataracts from the eyes, said apparatus including a hand piece for grasping by the physician during performance of a cataract operation, said hand piece including a horn to convey ultrasonic waves generated by the transducer to the back end of a needle, said needle interconnected with the front end of the horn, the needle being applicable for transmission of ultrasonic waves to the cataract, and to provide for a very high frequency alternating force at the needle tip to fracture the cataracts, the front end of the horn having external threads to facilitate its joining with the back end of the needle, and the back end of the needle having internal threads to provide for their threaded engagement onto the horn threads, and an annealed nickel washer provided at the interface between the front end of the horn and the back end of the needle, said nickel washer provided for eliminating any gaps between the front end of said horn and the back end of said needle, and to occupy all space without any air gaps at the interface thereof, the front end of the horn having a front face, the back end of the needle having a back face, and said nickel washer being located and compressed intermediate thereof to facilitate and enhance the uniform flow of the ultrasonic waves therethrough without any significant temperature increase and uncontrolled heating for the apparatus needle, and through such threaded connection providing for the transmission of a higher percentage of ultrasonic waves through the needle and to the cataracts for fracture and removal; said apparatus including a venturi nozzle at the tip of the needle, to increase a vacuuming force of the suction water at the tip of the needle to facilitate the vacuum removal of the pieces of fractured cataract from the eves anterior chamber during the performance of an operation.