Method for the minimal-to non-invase optical treatment of tissues of the eye and for diagnosis thereof and device for carrying out said method
First Claim
1. A process for minimally invasive to non-invasive optical treatment and recognition of tissues of the eye by means of pulsed laser radiation, in particular for refractive corneal surgery, characterised by focused linear, planar or spatial scanning while adhering to equal, in order of magnitude, focusing-point diameters and point spacings below 5 μ
- m with a radiation within the spectral range from 500 nm to 1200 nm, wherein, by virtue of a pulse duration in the order of femtoseconds and an energy of the individual pulse in the order of nanojoules and below, the destruction of the tissue is substantially limited to a region <
5 μ
m around the focusing-point and permanent changes by virtue of propagation of energy beyond this region are avoided.
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Abstract
The invention relates to a process for minimally invasive to non-invasive optical treatment of tissues of the eye and also for diagnosis thereof and to a device for implementing this process. The object underlying the invention is to create a process and a laser arrangement for minimally invasive to non-invasive optical treatment in the interior of the eye, particularly of cases of defective vision, by ablation of tissue, said treatment being distinguished by a hitherto unattained high precision, with possible widths of incision in the range less than 2 μm, without a significant mechanical impairment of the surrounding tissue occurring that has been generated by photodisruption. The process and the arrangement are to be inexpensive and easy to operate. In addition, at the same time the arrangement is to enable a three-dimensional imaging of the tissue. This object is achieved by virtue of a process in which the ablation is effected by focused planar or spatial scanning while adhering to equal, in order of magnitude, focusing-point diameters and point spacings below 5 μm with a radiation within the spectral range from 500 nm to 1200 nm, whereby, by virtue of a pulse duration in the order of femtoseconds and an energy of the individual pulse in the order of nanojoules and below, the destruction of the tissue is substantially limited to the diameter of the point, and permanent changes by virtue of propagation of energy beyond this diameter are avoided. The invention can be applied in ophthalmology.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A process for minimally invasive to non-invasive optical treatment and recognition of tissues of the eye by means of pulsed laser radiation, in particular for refractive corneal surgery, characterised by focused linear, planar or spatial scanning while adhering to equal, in order of magnitude, focusing-point diameters and point spacings below 5 μ
- m with a radiation within the spectral range from 500 nm to 1200 nm, wherein, by virtue of a pulse duration in the order of femtoseconds and an energy of the individual pulse in the order of nanojoules and below, the destruction of the tissue is substantially limited to a region <
5 μ
m around the focusing-point and permanent changes by virtue of propagation of energy beyond this region are avoided. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- m with a radiation within the spectral range from 500 nm to 1200 nm, wherein, by virtue of a pulse duration in the order of femtoseconds and an energy of the individual pulse in the order of nanojoules and below, the destruction of the tissue is substantially limited to a region <
- 9. An arrangement for minimally invasive to non-invasive optical treatment and recognition of tissues of the eye, in particular for refractive corneal surgery, with a pulsed laser and a device for focusing the laser radiation in a linear, planar or spatial pattern, characterised in that the treatment-beam path extends from the laser (1) via a high-speed, preferably electro-optical switch (3), an x-y deflection system (4), a widening optical system (5), a first beam-splitter (6) and a focusing optical system (9) with a z-direction fine adjustment (8) to the eye (12) of the patient, the first beam-splitter (6) being transparent to a fraction of the radiation conducted to the eye (12) in the direction of a detector (7) for the purpose of output measurement and control and also to the radiation coming from the eye (12) in the direction of an evaluation-beam path.
Specification