Confocal laser eye surgery system and improved confocal bypass assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016250068-A1
Application number	US-201615148913-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of reversibly separating an imaging assembly from an optical path in a laser surgical system includes generating an electromagnetic beam, propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam, reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element, wherein the confocal bypass assembly automatically exits the optical path when a power loss occurs to one or more components of the system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of reversibly separating an imaging assembly from an optical path in a laser surgical system, the method comprising:
using a beam source to generate an electromagnetic beam; propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam, the first optical element being positioned between the beam source and the scanner; focusing the electromagnetic beam to a focal point at a location within the eye; using the scanner to scan the focal point to different locations within the eye; propagating a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path to the first optical element, the first optical element diverting a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor; using the sensor to generate an intensity signal indicative of an intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location and propagated to the sensor via the first optical element; and reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element, wherein the beam direction and position are substantially the same at the entry of and exit from the diversion optical path in a direction transverse to the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic beam, wherein the confocal bypass assembly automatically exits the optical path when a power loss occurs to one or more components of the system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first optical element is a beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the beam-splitter is stationary.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the beam splitter is not a polarizing beam splitter.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 20% of the incident light, more preferably less than 10%, more preferably less than 5% and more preferably 1% or less of the incident light.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 10% of the electromagnetic beam.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic beam is configured to modify tissue when the electromagnetic beam is diverted along the diversion optical path.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the component is the confocal bypass assembly.

10 . An eye surgery system comprising:
A light source for generating an electromagnetic beam; an eye interface device configured to interface with an eye of a patient; a scanning assembly supporting the eye interface device and operable to scan a focal point of an electromagnetic beam to different locations within the eye; a light source configured to generate the electromagnetic beam; an optical path configured to propagate the electromagnetic beam from the light source to the focal point and also configured to propagate a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam in a direction from the light source to the scanner and that also diverts a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor; a detection assembly configured to generate an intensity signal indicative of intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location; and a confocal bypass assembly configured to reversibly divert the radiation beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element when the confocal bypass assembly is inserted into the optical path, and wherein the confocal bypass assembly is configured to exit the optical path upon a loss of power to one or more components of the eye surgery system.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the first optical element is a nonpolarizing beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the confocal bypass assembly comprises a bypass prism.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the electromagnetic beam is diverted by reversibly moving the bypass prism into the optical path, thereby diverting the electromagnetic beam along the diversion optical path.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 20% of the electromagnetic beam.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 10% of the electromagnetic beam.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam.

17 . A method of reversibly separating an imaging assembly from an optical path in a laser surgical system, the method comprising:
using a beam source to generate an electromagnetic beam; propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a non-polarizing first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam, the first optical element being positioned between the beam source and the scanner; focusing the electromagnetic beam to a focal point at a location within the eye; using the scanner to scan the focal point to different locations within the eye; propagating a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path to the first optical element, the first optical element diverting a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor; using the sensor to generate an intensity signal indicative of an intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location and propagated to the sensor via the first optical element; and reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element, wherein the beam direction and position are substantially the same at the entry of and exit from the diversion optical path in a direction transverse to the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic beam.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first optical element is a beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 20% of the electromagnetic beam.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 10% of the electromagnetic beam.

21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam.

Assignees

• Optimedica Corp

Inventors

• Dewey David A
• Schuele Georg
• Bareket Noah
• Hart John S
• Gonzalez Javier G
• Woo Raymond
• Teisseyre Thomas Z
• Golda Jeffrey A
• Sheehy Katrina B
• O'Meara Madeleine C
• Woodley Bruce

Classifications

• A61F2009/00878

  Planning · CPC title

• A61B3/0025

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title

• A61F9/009

  Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, {e.g. goniolenses (apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008)} · CPC title

• A61F2009/00844

  Feedback systems · CPC title

• A61F2009/00882

  based on topography · CPC title