Method and apparatus for removing epithelium from the surface of the eye
First Claim
1. An apparatus for removing epithelium from a removal region on the cornea of the eye where the epithelium has been treated with a dye that fluoresces when stimulated by laser light, comprising:
- (a) a laser that emits a laser beam having a suitable wavelength;
(b) an optical system that images said laser beam onto the cornea forming a laser spot on the cornea of a size and at a location;
(c) an imaging system focused onto the cornea, said imaging system capable of detecting fluorescence of the epithelium treated with the dye; and
(d) a control system coupled to the laser, the optical system, and the imaging system, said control system for firing said laser responsive to said imaging system detecting fluorescence from the epithelium treated with the dye in the removal region.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A apparatus and method for controlling an apparatus for removing tissue from the eye performs various types of corrections using a relatively large beam, but oscillating, or dithering, that being to prevent reinforcing ridges from being formed during the tissue removal process. Further, various types of correction, such as hyperopia and astigmatism correction, are performed using a large beam that is scanned over the area to be ablated using overlapping shots. Further, the epithelium in the area to be treated is removed using an infrared fluorescent dye to dye the epithelium, and then observing the fluorescent patterns from the epithelium area to be removed. Once a certain area is no longer fluorescent after laser shots, smaller shots are then applied, selectively removing the epithelium from the remaining regions. Again, the fluorescence patterns are observed, and the process is repeated until no epithelium remains. At this point, all of the epithelium is removed, and further a map is created of the initial epithelial thickness at each point in the area from which the epithelium was removed.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. An apparatus for removing epithelium from a removal region on the cornea of the eye where the epithelium has been treated with a dye that fluoresces when stimulated by laser light, comprising:
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(a) a laser that emits a laser beam having a suitable wavelength; (b) an optical system that images said laser beam onto the cornea forming a laser spot on the cornea of a size and at a location; (c) an imaging system focused onto the cornea, said imaging system capable of detecting fluorescence of the epithelium treated with the dye; and (d) a control system coupled to the laser, the optical system, and the imaging system, said control system for firing said laser responsive to said imaging system detecting fluorescence from the epithelium treated with the dye in the removal region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for controlling a laser system for removing epithelium from a removal region on a cornea that has been dyed with a dye that fluoresces when stimulated, the laser system creating a laser spot of a spot size and with a center with a location on a cornea, the removal region having a size, the laser system including an imaging system that detects fluorescence from the removal region, comprising the steps of:
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(a) setting the spot size to the size of the removal region; (b) providing the laser spot to the removal region; and (c) detecting whether the removal region fluoresces, and if so, repeating said step (b). - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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Specification