LIQUID OPTICAL INTERFACE FOR LASER EYE SURGERY SYSTEM

• US 20140128821A1
• Filed: 10/31/2013
• Published: 05/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AMO Development LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: OptiMedica Corporation (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Beltran, Christine, Talamo, Jonathan H., Gooding, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 9,987,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/290
• 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 9/008 using laser
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/73 comprising sensors or indicators for physical values
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/74 Suction control underwater drainage A61M1/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/782 using valves with freely moving parts, e.g. float valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/784 by filtering, sterilising or disinfecting the exhaust air, e.g. swellable filter valves
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0612 Eyes

Abstract

Apparatus to treat an eye comprises an annular retention structure to couple to an anterior surface of the eye. The retention structure is coupled to a suction line to couple the retention structure to the eye with suction. A coupling sensor is coupled to the retention structure or the suction line to determine coupling of the retention structure to the eye. A fluid collecting container can be coupled to the retention structure to receive and collect liquid or viscous material from the retention structure. A fluid stop comprising a porous structure can be coupled to an outlet of the fluid collecting container to inhibit passage of the liquid or viscous material when the container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material. The coupling sensor can be coupled upstream of the porous structure to provide a rapid measurement of the coupling of the retention structure to the eye.

Claims

1. An apparatus to treat an eye, the apparatus comprising:

a patient interface comprising,

an annular structure to engage an anterior surface of the eye, the annular structure comprising an opening to receive a portion of the eye and channel to couple to the eye with suction, and

an optically transmissive structure to transmit light through the opening of the annular structure, wherein the optically transmissive structure and the annular structure define portions of an interface container when coupled to the eye, the interface container comprising an interface container volume; and

a fluid collection container comprising an inlet, an outlet, and a fluid stop, the inlet coupled to the channel of the annular structure, the fluid collection container comprising a collection volume greater than the interface container volume,

wherein the fluid stop is configured to pass gas and inhibit flow of a liquid or viscous material received from the fluid collection container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid stop comprises a porous structure having channels sized to pass gas and inhibit flow of the liquid or viscous material received from the fluid collection container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid stop comprises a float valve.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interface container comprises an interface chamber when an optically transmissive structure is coupled to the annular structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid stop is coupled to the outlet of the fluid collection container to receive fluid from the fluid collection container and inhibit flow of the liquid or viscous material when the fluid collection container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material greater than the interface container volume of the patient interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second channel located on the annular structure or the optically transmissive structure to couple the annular structure to the optically transmissive structure with suction, and a second fluid collection container having a second fluid collection container volume coupled to a second fluid stop to inhibit flow when the second fluid collection container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material corresponding to the second fluid collection container volume.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the annular structure comprises a suction ring and the channel comprises an annular channel extending substantially around a posterior portion of the suction ring to couple the suction ring to the eye and wherein the second channel comprises a second substantially annular channel extending substantially around an anterior portion of the suction ring to couple the annular ring to the optically transmissive structure to the annular ring with suction.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the posterior portion of the suction ring comprises a first outside diameter and the anterior portion of the suction ring comprises a second outside diameter greater than the first outside diameter such that a conic section extends along the outer surface of the suction ring from the posterior portion of the suction ring to the anterior portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the optically transmissive structure comprises an optical element and a holder, the optical element comprising one or more of a plate or a lens, the holder comprising a first annular portion sized to contact the anterior portion of the suction ring and a second annular portion opposite the first annular portion sized to contact a receptacle of the laser system and wherein the holder positions a posterior surface of the one or more of the plate or the lens so as to define the interface container volume along with inner dimensions of the suction ring.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first annular portion comprises a first outer diameter and the second annular portion comprises a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter such that the holder comprises a conically shaped outer surface extending from the first annular portion to the second annular portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the porous structure comprises one or more of a filter, a membrane, a porous membrane having holes, a plate having holes, a hydrophobic material, a porous material, or a combination thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein porous structure comprises a membrane having holes formed in a hydrophobic material, the holes having a cross-sectional size of no more than about 10 um across to block the passage of the liquid or viscous material through the membrane.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas comprises air and the liquid or viscous material comprises saline.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid or viscous material comprises one or more of a solvent, water, a liquid material, a solution, saline, a viscous material, or a viscoelastic material.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fluid collection container volume comprises no more than about twenty times the interface container volume to couple the annular structure to the anterior surface of the eye.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the fluid collection container volume comprises no more than about five times the interface container volume to couple the annular structure to the anterior surface of the eye.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a suction line coupled to the porous structure, the interface container, and the channel of the annular structure to couple a suction source to the eye;

a line pressure sensor coupled to the suction line downstream of the porous structure to monitor the suction line; and

a coupling pressure sensor coupled to one or more of the annular channel or the suction line upstream of the porous structure to monitor a coupling pressure of the patient interface to the eye.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a processor coupled to the second pressure sensor, the processor comprising instructions to interrupt firing of a laser when the coupling pressure measured with the coupling pressure sensor rises above a threshold amount.

19. A method of treating an eye, the method comprising:

coupling a patient interface to the eye with suction so as to define an optically transmissive interface container on the eye, the interface container having an interface container volume comprising one or more of a liquid or a viscous material;

receiving the one or more of the liquid or viscous material from the patient interface into a fluid collection container; and

inhibiting flow of the liquid or viscous material with a porous structure when the fluid collection container has received an amount of the liquid or viscous material greater than the chamber volume.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising monitoring an amount of suction pressure of the patient interface upstream of the porous structure and interrupting treatment when the suction pressure rises above a threshold amount.

21. An apparatus to treat an eye, the apparatus comprising:

an annular structure to engage an anterior surface of the eye, the annular structure comprising an opening to receive a portion of the eye and a channel to couple to the eye with suction;

a fluid stop coupled to the annular structure with a suction line and adapted to pass gas and inhibit flow of a liquid or viscous material from the container; and

a coupling sensor coupled to one or more of the annular structure or the suction line upstream of the fluid stop to determine coupling of the annular structure to the eye.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a processor coupled to the coupling sensor and a laser, the processor comprising instructions to interrupt firing of the laser when a pressure of the suction line comprises an amount above a threshold.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the fluid stop comprises a porous structure having channels sized to pass gas and inhibit flow of the liquid or viscous material from the container.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the fluid stop comprises a float valve.