Apparatus and method for LASIK

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9974690-B2
Application number	US-40912309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2009
Priority date	Mar 23, 2009
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for LASIK is equipped with the following:
a first laser radiation source for generating first laser radiation pulses; first means for guiding and shaping the first laser radiation pulses; a second laser radiation source for generating second laser radiation pulses; second means for guiding and shaping the second laser radiation pulses; a controller with:
a first treatment program for controlling the first means and the first laser radiation pulses for the purpose of producing an incision in the cornea, the first treatment program generating regular corneal surface structures; a second treatment program for controlling the second means and the second laser radiation pulses for the purpose of reshaping the cornea and changing its imaging properties; and a third treatment program which controls the second means and the second laser radiation pulses for the purpose of removing the aforementioned regular structures.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Apparatus for laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), with:
a first laser radiation source for generating first laser radiation pulses having a power density configured for bringing about disruptions in corneal tissue,
a second laser radiation source for generating second laser radiation pulses having a power density configured for bringing about ablation of corneal tissue,
a controller configured to:
control application of the first laser radiation pulses for generating an incision in a cornea, the application of the first laser radiation pulses producing undesired grating structures in first and second regions of the cornea that cause a rainbow-glare effect associated with the cornea;
control application of the second laser radiation pulses for reshaping the cornea and changing its refractive properties in a desired manner to correct refractive errors, wherein reshaping the cornea includes the removal of an ablation volume from the first region of the cornea but not the second region of the cornea and wherein removal of the ablation volume includes removal of the undesired grating structures from the first region of the cornea, but not from the second region of the cornea such that the undesired grating structures remain in the second region of the cornea; and
control the application of the second laser radiation pulses for removing the undesired grating structures in the second region of the cornea to minimize the undesired rainbow glare effect of the eye without causing undesired changes in the first region of the cornea and without changing the refractive properties of the eye, wherein the removing the undesired grating structures includes removing a volume from the second region of the cornea but not the first region of the cornea, and wherein the first region and second region do not overlap.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 for LASIK treatment of myopia, wherein the first region of the cornea is a middle region of the cornea and the second region of the cornea is a marginal region of the cornea.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 for LASIK treatment of hyperopia, wherein the first region of the cornea is a marginal region of the cornea and the second region of the cornea is a middle region of the cornea.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ablation volume is calculated to achieve a desired refractive effect by taking into account the removal of tissue in the second region of the cornea associated with removing the regular corneal surface structures in the second region of the cornea.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein removing the regular corneal surface structures in the second region of the cornea comprises resecting a tissue layer having thickness up to 10 μm.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the application of the second laser radiation pulses for reshaping the cornea and changing its refractive properties and controlling the application of the second laser radiation pulses for removing the undesired grating structures in the second region of the cornea are combined in a single computer program executable by the controller.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein controlling the application of the first laser radiation pulses for generating the incision in the cornea is combined with the application of the second laser radiation pulses for reshaping the cornea and changing its refractive properties, and controlling the application of the second laser radiation pulses for removing the undesired grating structures in the second region of the cornea are combined in the single computer program executable by the controller.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein controlling the application of the first laser radiation pulses for generating the incision in the cornea, controlling the application of the second laser radiation pulses for reshaping the cornea and changing its refractive properties, and controlling the application of the second laser radiation pulses for removing the undesired grating structures in the second region of the cornea are each part of a separate computer program executable by the controller.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein controlling control the application of the second laser radiation pulses for removing the undesired grating structures in the second region of the cornea to minimize the undesired rainbow glare effect of the eye without causing undesired changes in the first region of the cornea and without changing the refractive properties of the eye, wherein the removing the undesired grating structures includes removing a volume from the second region of the cornea but not the first region of the cornea, and wherein the first region and second region do not overlap further comprises:
removing the volume from the second region of the cornea, the volume corresponding to a depth of 15 μm to 20 μm across the second region.

10. An apparatus for laser in-situ keratomileusis (LASIK), comprising:
a first laser radiation source;
a second laser radiation source separate from the first laser radiation source and having a lower power density than the first laser radiation source;
a controller in communication with the first and second laser radiation sources, the controller configured to control operation of the first and second laser radiation sources to control application of laser radiation to an eye from the first and second laser radiation sources, wherein the controller controls operation of the first and second laser radiation sources such that:
laser radiation from the first laser radiation source is utilized to form a flap incision in a cornea of the eye to expose a stromal surface, the laser radiation from the first laser radiation source resulting in the formation of undesired grating structures in central and marginal regions of the cornea causing an undesired rainbow glare effect of the eye;
after formation of the flap incision, laser radiation from the second laser radiation source is utilized to remove an ablation volume of corneal tissue in the central region of the cornea to change the refractive properties of the cornea in a desired manner to correct myopia, wherein the removal of the ablation volume removes the undesired grating structures from the central region of the cornea, but not from the marginal region of the cornea such that the undesired grating structures remain in the marginal region of the cornea; and
after removal of the ablation volume of the corneal tissue in the central region of the cornea, laser radiation from the second laser radiation source is utilized to smooth the exposed stromal surface in the marginal region of the cornea, and not the central region of the cornea, to remove the undesired grating structures in the marginal region of the cornea to minimize the undesired rainbow glare effect of the eye without causing undesired changes in the central region of the cornea and without changing the refractive properties of the eye, wherein the central region includes the exposed stromal surface spaced from the flap incision, wherein the marginal region includes the exposed stromal surface adjacent to the flap incision, and wherein the central region and the marginal region do not overlap.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first laser radiation source is a femtosecond laser.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the second laser radiation source is an excimer laser.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to control operation of the first and second laser radiation sources such that the laser radiation from the second laser radiation source u

Assignees

• Wuellner Christian
• Vogler Klaus
• Donitzky Christof
• Wavelight Gmbh

Inventors

• Wüllner Christian
• Vogler Klaus
• Donitzky Christof

Classifications

• A61F9/00836

  Flap cutting · CPC title

• A61F9/008 Primary

  using laser · CPC title

• A61F9/00804

  Refractive treatments · CPC title

• A61F2009/00872

  Cornea · CPC title