Abstract
Abstract Background: In current vitrectomy, the surgeon guides the vitrectome and a rigid fiber light guide with one hand each. It would be desirable to have a free hand for other surgical instruments and maneuvers. Methods: In the feasibility study presented here, a 20 gauge vitrectome is equipped with a miniature white LED that could eliminate the need for the separate light guide and therefore free one hand. The functionality of the system is proved in a ping-pong ball filled with agar and an ex-vivo porcine eye. Results: The brightness of the approach appears to be sufficient without any realistic phototoxic retinal hazard while the functionality of the vitrectome, in combination with the LED, is still given. Conclusion: The combination of a 20 gauge vitrectome with a LED illumination unit was successfully tested. The approach can be transferred to small vitrectomes in the future
Highlights
Machemer et al are considered the fathers of today's pars plana vitrectomy
This study investigates the feasibility of an illumination approach with a white miniature LED on the tip of a vitrectome
The instrument was first tested on a ping-pong ball filled with agar and on a porcine eye with regard to the achievable brightness (Figures 3 and 4)
Summary
In the early 1970s, they introduced their "Vitreous Infusion Suction Cutter", a vitrectome that cuts and During vitrectomy, the surgeon removes the vitreous and potentially other objects and gets very close to the retina, which must not be harmed For this very fine work, a very good illumination of the surgical area is necessary. They used a slit lamp as a light source, but were not satisfied with the quality of illumination that could be achieved They already recognized that local illumination of the surgical area would be desirable and constructed an illumination for the vitrectomy tip using a halogen lamp and a fiber bundle, but this exhibited the disadvantage of increasing the effective vitrectomy diameter to 13 gauge [9]. The approach can be transferred to small vitrectomes in the future
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