| abstract |
A surgical handpiece having a tube used to inject heated surgical fluid for liquefying a cataractous lens. A portion of the tube is enlarged to form a pumping chamber. The pumping chamber works by boiling a small volume of the surgical fluid. As the fluid boils, it expands rapidly, thereby propelling the liquid downstream of the pumping chamber out of the second tube. The pumping chamber may use a pair of electrodes. To control the expulsion of the fluid, valves are placed on either side of the boiling chamber. |