Apparatus, Systems And Techniques For Interfacing With An Eye In Laser Surgery

• US 20090069794A1
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon LenSx, Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kurtz, Ronald M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,504,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00851 Optical coherence topography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/0087 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/0088 based on wavefront
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00882 based on topography
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00825 for photodisruption
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00836 Flap cutting
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/009 Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, e.g. goniolenses apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008

Abstract

Apparatus, techniques and systems are provided for interfacing with an eye in laser surgery.

Claims

1. A device for applanation of an eye for laser surgery, comprising:

a frame having a fixation end and an attachment end, the attachment end configured to engage to an optics module that delivers light;

a fixation ring attached to the fixation end of the frame to hold an eye, the fixation ring have a ring frame that has a ring aperture to allow transmission of light delivered from the optics module;

a plurality of guides that connect the fixation end of the frame to the attachment end and are structured to receive an applanation lens and to guide the applanation lens to the aperture of the fixation ring; and

a locking mechanism to lock the applanation lens to the fixation ring.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the fixation ring comprises a suction mechanism that holds the eye via a suction action.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the fixation ring comprises fixation teeth to hold the eye.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein at least part of the frame, the fixation ring and the guides is disposable.

5. A laser surgical system, comprising:

a surgical laser that produces a surgical laser beam of surgical laser pulses that cause surgical changes in a target tissue under surgery;

a patient interface mount that engages a patient interface in contact with the target tissue to hold the target tissue in position;

an optics module located between the surgical laser and the patient interface and configured to direct the surgical laser beam to the target tissue through the patient interface, the laser beam delivery module operable to scan the surgical laser beam in the target tissue along a predetermined surgical pattern,

wherein the patient interface mount comprises;

an attachment end to engage to an optics module that delivers light;

a fixation end comprising a fixation ring that holds the target tissue and comprises a ring aperture to allow transmission of light delivered from the optics module;

one or more guides that connect the fixation end to the attachment end and are structured to receive an applanation lens and to guide the applanation lens to the aperture of the fixation ring; and

a locking mechanism to lock the applanation lens to the fixation ring to be in direct contact with the target tissue to create an interface for laser surgery.

6. The device as in claim 5, comprising:

a control unit that controls the surgical laser and the optics module to focus the surgical laser pulses a targeted location on the target tissue.

7. The device as in claim 6, wherein the control controls the surgical laser and the optics module to direct the surgical laser pulses to the cornea of the eye.

8. The device as in claim 6, wherein the control controls the surgical laser and the optics module to direct the surgical laser pulses to crystalline lens tissue or lens capsule tissue of the eye.

9. The device as in claim 6, wherein the control controls the surgical laser and the optics module to direct the surgical laser pulses to the cornea and crystalline lens tissue or lens capsule tissue of the eye to provide reference marks for subsequent surgical manipulations.

10. A method for performing laser surgery on an eye, comprising:

centering a fixation ring at a target area of an eye for surgery to align an aperture in the fixation ring to the target area;

attaching the fixation ring to the target area of the eye to applanate the target area;

inserting an applanation lens into rigid guides connected to the fixation ring to place the applanation lens inside the aperture of the fixation ring;

locking the applanation lens to the fixation ring; and

controlling a pulsed laser to deliver surgical laser pulses through applanation lens to a target area.

11. The method as in claim 10, comprising:

directing the laser pulses through the applanation lens to the cornea of the eye.

12. The method as in claim 10, comprising:

directing the laser pulses through the applanation lens to crystalline lens tissue or lens capsule tissue of the eye.

13. The method as in claim 10, comprising:

directing the laser pulses through the applanation lens to the cornea and crystalline lens tissue or lens capsule tissue of the eye to provide reference marks for subsequent surgical manipulations.

14. The method as in claim 10, comprising:

after completion of a surgery, replacing the fixation ring and the applanation lens with a new fixation ring and a new applanation lens to perform a next surgery.