Method and device for completely correcting visual defects of the human eye

• US 6,616,275 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Asclepion-Meditec GmbH
• Inventors: Fiedler, Joachim, Dick, Manfred, Maeusezahl, Holger, Molebny, Vasyl, Schroeder, Eckhard
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US09/807,133
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/206, 351/211, 351/212, 351/246, 351/247, 623/6.31, 356/124
• US Class Current: 351/212
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/107 for determining the shape or measuring the curvature of the cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/117 for examining the anterior chamber or the anterior chamber angle, e.g. gonioscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00872 Cornea
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00806 Correction of higher orders
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/00812 Inlays; Onlays; Intraocular lenses [IOL]
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 9/013 Instruments for compensation of ocular refraction A61F9/008 takes precedence; Instruments for use in cornea removal, for reshaping or performing incisions in the cornea
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/06 Shaping the laser beam, e.g. by masks or multi-focusing
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/064 by means of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors or prisms
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0648 comprising lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 9/00 Measuring optical phase difference devices or arrangements for controlling the phase of light beams G02F1/01; Determining degree of coherence; Measuring optical wavelength spectrometry G01J3/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and to a device for completely correcting visual defects of the human eye. The invention mentions combinations of measuring and treatment methods that allow the complete correction of defects of the human eye if applied according to the invention. Measuring methods are used that precisely detect the surface of the cornea and that also register the aberrations that occur in the beam path up to the retina. The computer-assisted evaluation of these measurement results combined with the calculation of optimally corrected lenses (for example after a cataract operation) or of optimally correcting cornea surfaces makes it possible to produce a patient-specific lens and/or to shape the retina so that it optimally corrects the aberration. To this end, the invention preferably uses a spot scanning excimer laser system and makes use of the topography of the eye.

Claims

1. A method for correcting visual defects of an eye comprising:

determining an optical path of the eye via a wavefront analysis;

calculating an ideal optical system which would result in a correction of the visual defects of the eye;

manufacturing individual provisional elements of the ideal optical system;

testing the ideal optical system using the individual provisional elements; and

replacing the individual provisional elements with other correspondingly reshaped elements.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the individual provisional elements are lenses and the other correspondingly reshaped elements include a correspondingly reshaped cornea.