Contact lens element for examination or treatment of ocular tissues

• US 6,019,472 A
• Filed: 05/08/1998
• Issued: 02/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles J. Koester, James E. Roberts
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Koester, James E. Roberts
• Inventors: Roberts, James E., Koester, Charles J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/074,402
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 351/212, 351/213, 351/214, 351/219, 351/221, 351/205, 351/206, 359/382, 359/383, 359/656, D16/131
• US Class Current: 351/219
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/125 with contact lenses contact lenses per se G02C7/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00821 for coagulation
• 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

Multi-layered contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues. The multi-layered contact lens element includes a plurality of lens elements in layers including a first lens element having a recess capable of holding a volume of liquid against a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated. Contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues includes a lens including a contact surface and an exterior convex surface, the contact surface including a protruding contact ring which forms a recess which is capable of providing a volume for liquid between the lens and a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated when the protruding contact ring is in contact with the cornea. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues includes: an optically clear liquid having a refractive index greater than 1.338; and a contact lens element capable of holding the liquid against a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues includes: a liquid; a contact lens element having a recess capable of holding a volume of the liquid against a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated; and a microscope connected to the contact lens element. A system for examining ocular tissue includes: a microscope having at least one lens including an external lens; and a transparent, malleable material attached to the external lens of the microscope, the malleable material being capable of contacting and conforming to a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated. Methods for using the contact lens elements.

Claims

1. A multi-layered contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising a plurality of lens elements in layers including a first lens element having a recess capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with a liquid, the recess being capable of allowing a central portion of the cornea to be in its natural shape when a peripheral portion of the contact lens element is in contact with a peripheral portion of the cornea.

2. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the recess comprises a concave surface having a radius of curvature of about 5.5 to 7.6 mm.

3. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the contact lens element includes a hole therethrough for injecting a liquid into a space between the contact lens element and the cornea when the contact lens element is in contact with the cornea.

4. The contact lens element of claim 3, wherein the contact lens element includes a vent.

5. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lens elements further comprises:

a second lens element attached to the first lens element; and

a third lens element attached to the second lens element, the third lens element having an exterior convex surface.

6. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the contact lens element comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass and plastic.

7. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the first lens element comprises a rim which is capable of contacting the cornea, wherein the rim comprises a protruding contact ring which protrudes from a concave surface which forms a portion of the recess.

8. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of separate pieces.

9. The contact lens element of claim 1, wherein the contact lens element comprises a microscope objective.

10. A contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising a concave surface capable of contacting a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated having a radius of curvature that is less than approximately a radius of curvature of the cornea and having a diameter of about 7 to 12 mm, and an exterior convex surface having a diameter of about 13 to 19 mm, the contact lens element having a thickness of about 8 to 20 mm, wherein the contact lens element includes a hole therethrough for injecting a liquid into a space between the contact lens element and the cornea when the contact lens element is in contact with the cornea, and wherein the contact lens element includes a vent.

11. The contact lens element of claim 10, wherein the concave surface has a radius of curvature less than about 8 mm.

12. The contact lens element of claim 10, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of lens elements.

13. The contact lens element of claim 12, wherein the plurality of lens elements comprises:

a first lens element forming the concave surface;

a second lens element attached to the first lens element; and

a third lens element attached to the second lens element, the third lens element forming the exterior convex surface.

14. The contact lens element of claim 10, wherein the contact lens element comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass and plastic.

15. The contact lens element of claim 10, wherein the contact lens element comprises a rim which is capable of contacting the cornea.

16. The contact lens element of claim 10, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of separate pieces.

17. A contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising a lens including a contact surface and an exterior convex surface, the contact surface comprising a protruding contact ring which forms a recess which is capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated when the protruding contact ring is in contact with the cornea, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with a liquid and wherein the protruding contact ring protrudes from a concave surface which forms a portion of the recess.

18. The contact lens element of claim 17, wherein the lens comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass.

19. The contact lens element of claim 17, wherein the recess comprises a concave surface.

20. The contact lens element of claim 17, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of lens elements.

21. The contact lens element of claim 17, wherein the contact lens element comprises a microscope objective.

22. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising:

an optically clear liquid having a refractive index greater than 1.338; and

a contact lens element capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with a liquid, and wherein the contact lens element comprises a rounded surface which is capable of contacting a cornea without distorting a shape of the cornea inside of a contact ring region.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the liquid has a refractive index of about 1.366 to 1.386.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the liquid comprises an aqueous solution.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the aqueous solution comprises a salt solution.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the aqueous solution comprises an organic solution.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the organic solution comprises at least one protein selected from the group consisting of albumin and gelatin.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the aqueous solution comprises a sugar solution.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element includes a circular rim which is capable of contacting the cornea.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element comprises a surface having a radius of curvature of about 5.5 to 7.6 mm.

31. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of separate pieces.

32. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element comprises a part of an imaging system for examining structures within an eye.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the imaging system comprises a microscope.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the contact lens element is rigidly attached to and aligned with the imaging system.

35. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element comprises a microscope objective.

36. The system of claim 22, wherein the contact lens element comprises a hole for allowing the liquid to be injected into a space between the contact lens element and the cornea, and a vent for allowing at least one of air and excess liquid to escape.

37. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising:

a liquid;

a contact lens element having a recess capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with the liquid, the recess being capable of allowing a central portion of the cornea to be in its natural shape when a peripheral portion of the contact lens element is in contact with a peripheral portion of the cornea; and

a microscope connected to the contact lens element.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the liquid has a refractive index of about 1.366 to 1.386.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the liquid comprises an aqueous solution.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the aqueous solution comprises a salt solution.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the aqueous solution comprises an organic solution.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the organic solution comprises at least one protein selected from the group consisting of albumin and gelatin.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the aqueous solution comprises a sugar solution.

44. The system of claim 37, wherein the recess of the contact lens element comprises a concave surface having a radius of curvature that is less than approximately a radius of curvature of the cornea.

45. The system of claim 37, wherein the contact lens element includes a hole therethrough for injecting the liquid into a space between the contact lens element and the cornea when the contact lens element is in contact with the cornea.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the contact lens element forms a vent.

47. The system of claim 37, wherein the contact lens element comprises a plurality of lens elements.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the plurality of lens elements comprises:

a first lens element capable of contacting the cornea;

a second lens element attached to the first lens element; and

a third lens element attached to the second lens element.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the first lens element comprises the recess which comprises a concave surface with a radius of curvature that is less than approximately a radius of curvature of the cornea.

50. The system of claim 37, wherein the contact lens element comprises a rim which is capable of contacting the cornea.

51. The system of claim 37, wherein the contact lens element comprises a contact surface having a protruding contact ring which is capable of contacting the cornea.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the contact lens element has a radius of curvature which is sufficient to provide a volume for the liquid between the contact lens element and the cornea when the protruding contact ring is in contact with the cornea.

53. The system of claim 37, wherein the contact lens element comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass.

54. The system of claim 37, further comprising a bag containing the liquid.

55. A system for examining ocular tissue, comprising:

a microscope having at least one lens comprising an external lens; and

a transparent, malleable material attached to the external lens of the microscope, the malleable material being capable of contacting and conforming to a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, without significantly distorting a shape of the cornea.

56. The system of claim 55, wherein the malleable material comprises an optically homogeneous, biocompatible substance which has a refractive index of about 1.366 to 1.386.

57. The system of claim 55, wherein the malleable material comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of sodium hyaluronate and methylcellulose solution.

58. The system of claim 55, wherein the malleable material comprises a resilient material having a concave surface for contacting the cornea.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the resilient material comprises a contact lens comprising water.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the resilient material is connected to the external lens of the microscope via a substrate.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the substrate comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of plastic and glass.

62. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising:

a microscope objective;

a lens associated with the microscope objective;

a hollow tube including an open end adapted to contact a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated;

an adjustable chamber at the open end of the hollow tube, the adjustable chamber being defined by a movable wall member, a portion of the hollow tube, and an opening forming the open end of the hollow tube, the lens comprising a portion of the movable wall; and

at least one aperture associated with the adjustable chamber for introducing a variable volume of liquid into the adjustable chamber when the opening is placed against the cornea.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the lens is connected to the microscope objective.

64. The system of claim 62, wherein the lens forms a part of the microscope objective.

65. The system of claim 62, further comprising a fine focus mechanism capable of adjusting a position of the microscope objective relative to the cornea.

66. The system of claim 62, further comprising a reservoir associated with the at least one aperture.

67. A method for at least one of examining and treating ocular tissue, comprising:

providing a contact lens element associated with a microscope, the contact lens element having a recessed surface;

contacting the contact lens element with a cornea to form a substantially enclosed space between the recessed surface of the contact lens element and the cornea while allowing a central portion of the cornea to be in its natural shape when a peripheral portion of the contact lens element is in contact with a peripheral portion of the cornea;

at least one of filling the substantially enclosed space with liquid and allowing the substantially enclosed space to become filled with liquid; and

at least one of examining and treating ocular tissue by light transmission through the liquid and the contact lens element.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein the recessed surface comprises a concave surface having a radius of curvature that is less than approximately a radius of curvature of the cornea.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein the contact lens element is circular, and wherein the contact lens element is placed on the cornea concentric with a region of the ocular tissue to be examined or treated.

70. The method of claim 67, wherein the substantially enclosed space forms a meniscus.

71. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one of filling the substantially enclosed space with liquid and allowing the substantially enclosed space to become filled with liquid comprises filling the substantially enclosed space with liquid by using a hypodermic needle that is inserted into a hole in the contact lens element which leads from an outside to the substantially enclosed space, and wherein the contact lens element includes a vent.

72. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one of examining and treating of the ocular tissue comprises examining a crystalline lens.

73. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one of examining and treating of the ocular tissue comprises examining an iris.

74. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one of examining and treating of the ocular tissue comprises examining a retina.

75. The method of claim 67, wherein the at least one of examining and treating of ocular tissue comprises using a laser.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein the laser comprises a laser photocoagulator.

77. The method of claim 75, wherein the laser comprises a laser photodisrupter.

78. The method of claim 67, wherein the liquid is contained within a bag.

79. A method for at least one of examining and treating ocular tissue, comprising:

attaching a transparent, malleable material to a lens of a microscope;

contacting the malleable material with a cornea such that the malleable material conforms to a natural shape of the cornea; and

at least one of examining and treating ocular tissue by light transmission through the malleable material.

80. A multi-layered contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising a plurality of lens elements in layers including a first lens element having a recess capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with a liquid, and wherein at least one surface of each lens element of the plurality of lens elements contacts a surface of another lens of the plurality of lens elements.

81. A contact lens element for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising a concave surface capable of contacting a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated having a radius of curvature that is less than approximately a radius of curvature of the cornea and having a diameter of about 7 to 12 mm, and an exterior convex surface having a diameter of about 13 to 19 mm, the contact lens element having a thickness of about 8 to 20 mm, wherein the contact lens element includes a vent.

82. A system for at least one of examination and treatment of ocular tissues, comprising:

an optically clear liquid having a refractive index greater than 1.338; and

a contact lens element capable of forming a substantially enclosed space with a cornea of an eye to be examined or treated, the substantially enclosed space being capable of being filled with the liquid, and wherein the contact lens element comprises at least one hole for filling the liquid.