Patent ID: 7947023

Claim:
A disposable cassette system for use with an existing vitrectomy unit, comprising: a primary cassette associated with said vitrectomy unit, said primary cassette including a vacuum chamber, whereby when said primary cassette is plugged into said vitrectomy unit, interactive means therebetween produces a vacuum in said vacuum chamber; a secondary cassette including a sealed aspirated fluid receiving chamber; means for connecting said vacuum chamber of said primary cassette to said aspirated fluid receiving chamber of said secondary cassette, for producing a vacuum in the latter whenever a vacuum is produced in the former; means for directly connecting during surgery at least one ophthalmic surgical device to the aspirated fluid receiving chamber of said secondary cassette, whereby aspirated fluid is drawn from ophthalmic surgical device into said chamber whenever a vacuum is present therein, and means included in said vacuum chamber connecting means for blocking the flow of aspirated fluid from said secondary cassette into said primary cassette, thereby keeping said primary cassette free of contamination from said aspirated fluid to permit reuse of the primary cassette in successive surgeries, and disposal of the contaminated said secondary cassette after each surgery.