Visualization of fluid turbulence and acoustic cavitation during phacoemulsification

To describe a technique for visualizing fluid turbulence and cavitational energy created by ultrasonic phaco tips.

University Eye Clinic of Trieste, Trieste, Italy.

Generation of cavitational energy by the phaco tip was visualized using an optical test bench comprising several components. The technique uses a telescope system to expand a laser light source into a coherent, collimated beam of light with a diameter of approximately 50.0 mm. The expanded laser beam shines on the test tube containing the tip activated in a medium of water or ophthalmic viscosurgical device (OVD). Two precision optical collimators complete the optical test bench and form the system used to focus data onto a charge-coupled device television camera connected to a recorder.

Images of irrigation, irrigation combined with aspiration, irrigation/aspiration, and phacosonication were obtained with the tip immersed in a tube containing water or OVD.

Optical image processing enabled acoustic cavitation to be visualized during phacosonication. The system is a possible means of evaluating a single phaco apparatus power setting and comparing phaco machines and techniques.