APPARATUS FOR COUPLING AN ELEMENT TO THE EYE (as amended)

• US 20100274228A1
• Filed: 03/13/2008
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: WaveLight AG (WaveLight GmbH)
• Inventors: Donitzky, Christof, Mrochen, Michael, Bueler, Michael, Wüllner, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 8,475,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/541
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00857 considering biodynamics
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/008 using laser
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/013 Instruments for compensation of ocular refraction A61F9/008 takes precedence; Instruments for use in cornea removal, for reshaping or performing incisions in the cornea

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction ring (2) for ophthalmic surgery, with a first suction region (4), which is designed to suck the suction ring onto an eye (18), and with a second suction region (10), which is designed to aspirate a functional element (12). The functional element and/or the suction ring may exhibit measuring means. The functional element may be formed in the manner of a container, so that it can receive a liquid which in operation is located between the cornea of the eye and a lens.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. An eye-suction device comprising:

a first suction region which is operable to suck the eye-suction device onto an eye; and

a functional element having a second suction region which is operable to suck the functional element onto the suction device.

29. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the functional element is an optical element.

30. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the functional element is a retaining element.

31. Eye-suction device according to claim 30, further including an optical element capable of being arranged on the retaining element.

32. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the functional element is designed to be coupled with an optical device.

33. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the eye-suction device includes a first partial-vacuum feed, which is connected to the first suction region, and a second partial-vacuum feed, which is connected to the second suction region.

34. Eye-suction device according to claim 33, wherein the first partial-vacuum feed is controllable to create a first partial vacuum in the first suction region that is different from a second partial vacuum established in the second suction region.

35. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the functional element is configured to engage at least one region of the cornea of an eye and at least a portion of an optical element.

36. Eye-suction device according to claim 34, wherein the eye-suction device includes a third suction region wherein fluidic communication with a surface of the functional element and with a surface of an optical element attached thereto, against which the cornea of the eye rests in operation.

37. Eye-suction device according to claim 36, wherein the third suction region is connected to a third partial-vacuum feed.

38. Eye-suction device according to claim 29, wherein the optical element is an applanation element and in operation is inseparably attached to the eye-suction device.

39. Eye-suction device according to claim 29,

wherein the functional element takes the form of a container element which includes a first axial end which in operation is aspirated by the second suction region of the eye-suction device;

a second axial end which is opposed to the first end; and

a wall which extends from the first axial end to the second axial end;

the container element being open at its first and second axial ends, being closed around the axial direction by the wall, and an optical element being arranged at the second axial end; and

,

the wall exhibiting a first opening, through which a fluid can enter, and a second opening, through which a fluid can emerge.

40. Eye-suction device according to claim 39, wherein the eye-suction device does not include an applanation element.

41. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein the eye-suction device includes at least one measuring means.

42. Eye-suction device according to claim 28, wherein one of the functional elements and an optical element arranged thereon include at least one measuring means.

43. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means is designed to carry out a measurement with respect to a property of the eye.

44. Eye-suction device according to claim 43, wherein the measuring means is designed to measure a property of the cornea of the eye.

45. Eye-suction device according to claim 44, wherein the means for measuring a property of the cornea of the eye includes one or more of the following:

means for measuring the water content of the cornea;

means for measuring a biomechanical property of the cornea; and

means for measuring the transparency of the cornea.

46. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means is designed to carry out a measurement with respect to a quantity acting on the eye.

47. Eye-suction device according to claim 46, wherein the measuring means for measuring a quantity acting on the eye is designed to measure a force acting on the eye.

48. Eye-suction device according to claim 47, wherein the measuring means is designed to determine the intraocular pressure.

49. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means is designed to carry out a measurement with respect to one of the properties of the eye or of the eye-suction device with respect to the environment.

50. Eye-suction device according to claim 49, wherein the measuring means includes a means for measuring one of the properties of the eye, of the retaining element or of the eye-suction device in relation to the environment and is designed to measure one of the positions of the eye, of the retaining element or of the eye-suction device in space.

51. Eye-suction device according to claim 50, wherein the means for measuring the position of the eye of the retaining element, or of the eye-suction device in space is designed to interact with positioning means for one of the treatment couches or with positioning means for a laser radiation.

52. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means is hermetically sealed for easier disinfecting and/or sterilising.

53. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means is designed to transmit ascertained measurement data.

54. Eye-suction device according to claim 42, wherein the measuring means further includes a communications device.