Adaptive patient interface

• US 8,845,624 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2010
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcon Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alcon LenSx, Inc. (Alcon Incorporated)
• Inventors: Raksi, Ferenc, Juhasz, Tibor
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Downey, John R.
• Application Number:
  US12/824,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 606 4- 6
• US Class Current: 606/4
• 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

A patient interface for an ophthalmic system can include an attachment module, attachable to the ophthalmic system, and a contact module, configured to accommodate a viscoelastic substance between the patient interface and a procedure eye. The viscoelastic substance can include a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material. The refractive index of the viscoelastic substance can be within a range of approximately 1.24-1.52 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system. The patient interface can further include input ports, output ports, and a suction system. It can be an integrated design or a multi-piece patient interface. The viscoelastic substance can be provided by injection, on the cornea, at the contact module, or in a space bounded by soft elastic films or membranes, such as in a bag.

Claims

1. A patient interface system for an ophthalmic system, comprising:

a patient interface, comprising

an attachment module, attachable to the ophthalmic system,

a contact module, configured to accommodate a viscoelastic substance between the patient interface and a procedure eye, and

a suction subsystem, coupled to the contact module, connectable to a vacuum suction system to create a partial vacuum between the suction subsystem and the procedure eye to reduce a mobility of the procedure eye for an ophthalmic procedure; and

a degassing subsystem, coupled to the patient interface, comprising at least one of

a pressure-reduction system, a heating system, a membrane degasification system, an inert gas substitution system, a surface tension manipulating system, and a reductant-adding system.

2. The patient interface system of claim 1, comprising:

the viscoelastic substance, comprising at least one of

a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material.

3. The patient interface system of claim 1, comprising:

the viscoelastic substance whose refractive index is closer to a refractive index of a cornea of the procedure eye than to a refractive index of air at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

4. The patient interface system of claim 1, comprising:

the viscoelastic substance, whose refractive index is within a range of 1.24-1.52 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

5. The patient interface system of claim 1, comprising:

the viscoelastic substance, whose refractive index is within a range of 1.35-1.41 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system.

6. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment module and the contact module are separate and connectable.

7. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment module and the contact module are integrated components of the patient interface.

8. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

a component of the patient interface is at least one of disposable, sterilizable, and reusable.

9. The patient interface system of claim 1, the patient interface comprising:

one or more input ports to introduce the viscoelastic substance into an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module.

10. The patient interface system of claim 1, the patient interface comprising:

one or more output openings configured to enable a discharge of at least one of air, gas, and the viscoelastic substance from the contact module.

11. The patient interface system of claim 10, the one or more output openings comprising:

a vent port, configured to keep a pressure in an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module at approximately ambient pressure.

12. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the patient interface is configured to keep a change of an apical curvature of a cornea of the procedure eye below 10% upon an attachment of the patient interface to the procedure eye.

13. The patient interface system of claim 12, wherein:

the patient interface is configured to keep a change of the apical curvature of the cornea of the procedure eye below 3% upon the attachment of the patient interface to the procedure eye.

14. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the ophthalmic system includes at least one of an imaging system, a diagnostic system, a laser system, or an ophthalmic surgical system.

15. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the contact module is configured to accommodate the viscoelastic substance before being attached to the procedure eye.

16. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the contact module is configured to accommodate the viscoelastic substance after the viscoelastic substance has been applied to the procedure eye.

17. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

a soft film or membrane, configured

to contain the viscoelastic substance in an accommodation space at least partially defined by the contact module, and

to form a soft contact surface for the procedure eye.

18. The patient interface of claim 1, comprising:

a soft bag, containing the viscoelastic substance.

19. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the suction subsystem and the active degassing subsystem are separate subsystems.

20. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the suction subsystem and the active degassing subsystem are part of a single integrated subsystems.

21. The patient interface system of claim 1, wherein:

the active degassing subsystem is adjustable to degas the viscoelastic substance to an adjustable degree.

22. The patient interface of claim 1, wherein:

the degassing system is an active degassing subsystem, configured to degas the viscoelastic substance to a greater degree than an exposure to an ambient pressure.