Patent ID: 7695447

Claim:
A microsurgical system, comprising: a surgical handpiece; a source of surgical fluid fluidly coupled to said handpiece and having an ability to provide said surgical fluid to said handpiece in response to application of a pneumatic pressure; a pneumatic pressure source; and a control system having: a valve fluidly coupled to said pneumatic pressure source; a pressure transducer fluidly coupled to said valve; and a computer operatively coupled to said valve and said pressure transducer; whereby said control system has an ability to: provide a desired pneumatic pressure to said source of surgical fluid; determine a first amount of time that it takes to provide said desired pneumatic pressure to said source of surgical fluid; and determine when said first amount of time equals or exceeds a predetermined second amount of time corresponding to a time it takes said control system to provide said desired pneumatic pressure when said source of surgical fluid contains a predetermined amount of said surgical fluid.