Composite irrigation/aspiration needle with ball tip

摘要

An irrigation/aspiration needle has a rigid needle body over which an elastomeric sleeve is fitted. The elastomeric sleeve terminates in a smooth, relatively soft, rounded tip through which a passageway extends, communicating with a passageway in the sleeve which, in turn, communicates with passageways in the needle body and needle mount, forming a liquid flow path through the needle. The softness of the elastomeric sleeve and, particularly, the sleeve tip protects delicate eye tissue when the needle is used for aspiration from or irrigation of the eye during surgery.

主权项

1. A surgical instrument, said surgical instrument comprising:
a needle mount having a passageway; a needle having a rigid needle body, said needle body having a length between proximal and distal ends, said proximal end extending from said needle mount, said needle body having a passageway extending from said proximal end to said distal end, said needle body passageway communicating with said needle mount passageway, said needle body passageway terminating at said distal end at a needle shaft end, a hollow elastomeric sleeve having a length and a passageway, said elastomeric sleeve being relatively substantially more flexible than said needle body, said sleeve passageway sized and shaped to allow said sleeve to fit over said needle shaft end and at least a portion of said needle body so that the sleeve fully surrounds the needle shaft end, said sleeve having a sleeve body extending from said needle shaft end terminating at a rounded sleeve tip, said sleeve having spaced lengthwise ends; and a passageway formed through said sleeve tip whereby said tip passageway, said sleeve passageway, said needle passageway and said mount passageway define a continuous flow path.