Patient Interface Defogger

• US 20130035672A1
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon LenSx, Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Raksi, Ferenc
• Granted Patent: US 8,939,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00846 Eyetracking
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00851 Optical coherence topography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00825 for photodisruption
• 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

An ophthalmic docking system is presented that can reduce a condensation of a patient interface of a surgical laser system. The ophthalmic docking system includes a patient interface that has a proximal portion configured to be attached to an ophthalmic system, a distal portion configured to be attached to an eye that includes a contact lens and an interface attachment system; and a decondenser, coupled to the patient interface and configured to reduce a vapor condensation on the contact lens.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic docking system, comprising:

a patient interface, having

a proximal portion configured to be attached to an ophthalmic system,

a distal portion configured to be attached to an eye, comprising

a contact lens, and

an interface attachment system; and

a decondenser, coupled to the patient interface and configured to reduce a vapor condensation on the contact lens.

2. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the decondenser comprising:

an air pump, configured to pump air towards the interface attachment system.

3. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the decondenser comprising:

a dehumidifier, configured to reduce a vapor content of an airflow directed towards the interface attachment system.

4. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the decondenser comprising:

an air-heater, configured to increase a temperature of an airflow directed towards the interface attachment system.

5. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 2, the decondenser comprising:

a reservoir, configured

to store high-pressure air pumped by the air pump at a pressure higher than an ambient pressure, and

to forward the high-pressure air towards the interface attachment system.

6. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 5, the decondenser comprising:

a pressure-regulator, coupled to the reservoir and configured to forward the high-pressure air towards the interface attachment system with a pressure fluctuation smaller than a pressure fluctuation of the high-pressure air pumped by the air pump to the reservoir.

7. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the decondenser comprising:

a gas container, configured

to store a high-pressure gas at a pressure higher than an ambient pressure, and

to forward the high-pressure gas towards the interface attachment system.

8. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the interface attachment system comprising:

a vacuum-suction ring, configured to form a sealable coupling when attached to the eye; and

a vacuum-hose, configured to couple a vacuum-suction pump and the vacuum-suction ring to transfer a vacuum suction, generated by the vacuum-suction pump, to the vacuum-suction ring to create the sealed coupling between the vacuum-suction ring and the eye, thereby attaching the patient interface to the eye.

9. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 8, wherein:

the decondenser is coupled to the vacuum-suction ring via a decondenser-hose.

10. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 9, wherein:

the ophthalmic docking system comprises a valve, coupled to the vacuum-suction ring; and

the vacuum-hose and the decondenser-hose are coupled to the vacuum-suction ring through the valve, wherein the valve is capable of switching between a first fluid communication channel coupling the vacuum-pump and the vacuum-suction ring and a second fluid communication channel coupling the decondenser and the vacuum-suction ring.

11. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, wherein:

the interface attachment system comprises a vacuum-suction ring;

the ophthalmic docking system comprises a valve, coupled to the vacuum-suction ring and the decondenser; and

the decondenser comprises an air pump, wherein

the valve is capable of switching between a first fluid communication channel coupling an air-intake port of the air pump and the vacuum-suction ring, and a second fluid communication channel coupling an air-output port of the air pump and the vacuum-suction ring.

12. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, wherein:

the interface attachment system comprises a vacuum-suction ring, configured to partially define a toroidal volume when attached to the eye; and

the decondenser comprises an air pump, coupled to the vacuum-suction ring by a vacuum-decondenser-hose, wherein

an operation of the air pump can be switched between a first mode to apply pumped air for the contact lens through the vacuum-decondenser-hose, and a second mode to apply vacuum suction to the vacuum-suction ring through the vacuum-decondenser-hose.

13. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, wherein:

the decondenser is configured to heat the contact lens on a side that does not contact the eye.

14. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the decondenser comprising:

an electric heater or a radiative heater.

15. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, wherein:

the proximal portion and the distal portion are separate elements; and

the proximal portion and the distal portion can be coupled together after the distal portion has been attached to the eye.

16. The ophthalmic docking system of claim 1, the distal portion comprising:

a grip system, configured to assist the mechanical fastening of the patient interface to the eye.

17. A method of ophthalmic docking, the method comprising:

providing a patient interface having a contact lens and coupled to a decondenser;

generating a decondensing gas flow by the decondenser for the contact lens prior to a docking of the patient interface to an eye; and

docking the patient interface to the eye.

18. The method of claim 17, the generating comprising:

generating a heated airflow by an air pump and an air heater.

19. The method of claim 17, the generating comprising:

generating a dehumidified airflow by an air pump and a dehumidifier.

20. The method of claim 17, the generating comprising:

generating a pressure-regulated airflow by an air pump and a reservoir.

21. An ophthalmic interface system, comprising:

a patient interface, attachable to an ophthalmic laser system;

the patient interface comprising a contact lens to be docked to an eye; and

a desiccating system, configured to direct a desiccating gas flow towards the contact lens.

22. The ophthalmic interface system of claim 21, wherein:

the docking of the contact lens to the eye is assisted by contact pads.

23. The ophthalmic interface system of claim 21, wherein:

the patient interface comprises a vacuum suction ring to facilitate the attachment of the patient interface to the eye by applying vacuum suction;

the ophthalmic interface system comprises a vacuum pump to provide the vacuum suction; and

the desiccating gas and the vacuum suction is coupled into the vacuum-suction ring through a shared tubing.