Adaptive Patient Interface

• US 20110319873A1
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: LensX Lasers, Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Raksi, Ferenc, Juhasz, Tibor
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/1
• 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

A patient interface for an ophthalmic system can include an attachment module, attachable to the ophthalmic system, and a contact module, configured to accommodate a viscoelastic substance between the patient interface and a procedure eye. The viscoelastic substance can include a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material. The refractive index of the viscoelastic substance can be within a range of approximately 1.24-1.52 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system. The patient interface can further include input ports, output ports, and a suction system. It can be an integrated design or a multi-piece patient interface. The viscoelastic substance can be provided by injection, on the cornea, at the contact module, or in a space bounded by soft elastic films or membranes, such as in a bag.

Claims

1. A patient interface for an ophthalmic system, comprising:

an attachment module, attachable to the ophthalmic system; and

a contact module, configured to accommodate a viscoelastic substance between the patient interface and a procedure eye.

2. The patient interface of claim 1, the viscoelastic substance comprising at least one of:

a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material.

3. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

a refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is closer to a refractive index of a cornea of the procedure eye than to a refractive index of air at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

4. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

a refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is within a range of approximately 1.24-1.52 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

5. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

a refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is within a range of approximately 1.35-1.41 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

6. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment module and the contact module are separate and connectable.

7. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment module and the contact module are integrated components of the patient interface.

8. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

a component of the patient interface is at least one of disposable, sterilizable, and reusable.

9. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

one or more input ports to introduce the viscoelastic substance into an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module.

10. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

one or more output openings configured to enable a discharge of at least one of air, gas, and the viscoelastic substance from the contact module.

11. The patient interface of claim 10, the one or more output openings comprising:

a vent port, configured to keep a pressure in an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module at approximately ambient pressure.

12. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

a suction subsystem,

configured to at least partially immobilize the procedure eye for an ophthalmic procedure.

13. The patient interface system of claim 12, wherein:

the suction subsystem is arranged in relation to the contact module; and

the suction subsystem is connectable to a vacuum suction system to create a partial vacuum between the suction subsystem and the procedure eye.

14. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the patient interface is configured to keep a change of an apical curvature of a cornea of the procedure eye below 10% upon an attachment of the patient interface to the procedure eye.

15. The patient interface of claim 14, wherein:

the patient interface is configured to keep a change of the apical curvature of the cornea of the procedure eye below 3% upon the attachment of the patient interface to the procedure eye.

16. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the ophthalmic system includes at least one of an imaging system, a diagnostic system, a laser system, or an ophthalmic surgical system.

17. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the contact module is configured to accommodate the viscoelastic substance before being attached to the procedure eye.

18. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the contact module is configured to accommodate the viscoelastic substance after the viscoelastic substance has been applied to the procedure eye.

19. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

a soft film or membrane, configured

to contain the viscoelastic substance in an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module, and

to form a soft contact surface for the procedure eye.

20. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

a soft bag, containing the viscoelastic substance.

21. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the patient interface is connectable to a degassing subsystem, configured to degas the viscoelastic substance.

22. A patient interface for an ophthalmic system, comprising:

a contact module, configured

to be attachable to a first eye with an apical corneal radius of R1 and separately to a second eye with an apical corneal radius of R2; and

to limit a change of each apical corneal radius to less than 0.5*|R1-R2| when the contact module is attached to the first eye and separately to the second eye,

wherein the apical corneal radii R1 and R2 are between 7.5 mm and 8.2 mm.

23. The patient interface of claim 22, wherein:

the contact module is configured to limit the change of each apical corneal radius to less than 0.25*|R1-R2| when the contact module is attached to the eyes.

24. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

an attachment module, attachable to a distal end of the ophthalmic system, wherein

the attachment module and the contact module are one of

separate and connectable, or

integrated components of the patient interface.

25. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

one or more fluid ports,

configured to introduce a fluid or gel into a containment space at least partially defined by the procedure eye and the patient interface.

26. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

one or more output ports,

configured to enable a discharge of at least one of air, fluid or gel from a containment space at least partially defined by the patient interface and the procedure eye.

27. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

a suction port,

configured to enable a creation of a partial vacuum between a portion of the patient interface and a portion of the procedure eye.

28. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

a distal lens, wherein

the distal lens does not contact a cornea of the procedure eye after an attachment of the patient interface to the procedure eye.

29. The patient interface of claim 22, comprising:

a soft layer, configured

to contain a viscoelastic substance, and

to provide a soft contact surface for a procedure eye.

30. A method of utilizing a patient interface for an ophthalmic procedure, the method comprising:

applying the patient interface to a procedure eye in preparation for the ophthalmic procedure; and

providing a viscoelastic substance to at least one of a cornea of the procedure eye and a contact portion of the patient interface, wherein

the providing is performed before, during or after the applying.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein providing the viscoelastic substance comprises providing at least one of:

a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material.

32. The method of claim 30, the providing comprising:

introducing the viscoelastic substance through an input port of the patient interface into a contact space at least partially bordered by the patient interface and the procedure eye after the applying.

33. The method of claim 30, the providing comprising:

introducing the viscoelastic substance onto the cornea of the procedure eye before the applying.

34. The method of claim 30, the providing comprising:

providing the viscoelastic substance at the contact portion of the patient interface before the applying.

35. The method of claim 34, the providing comprising:

providing the viscoelastic substance in a space at least partially defined by one or more soft films or membranes.

36. The method of claim 30, the providing comprising:

using a syringe to introduce the viscoelastic substance.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein the ophthalmic procedure comprises at least one of:

an imaging procedure, a diagnostic procedure, a laser-assisted procedure, or an ophthalmic surgical procedure.

38. The method of claim 30, comprising:

degassing the viscoelastic substance.

39. The method of claim 38, the degassing comprising at least one of:

reducing a pressure, heating, performing membrane degasification, substituting an inert gas, or adding a reductant.