Patent EP0151869B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0151869B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Apparatus for ophthalmological surgery
Assignee: AMO Manufacturing USA LLC
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Filing: 1984-11-16
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Granted: 1990-01-31
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Expires: 2004-11-16
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Francis A. L'esperance
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 14:04
CPC Classifications
B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/08; A; A61; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61F9/008; A61F9/00802; A61F9/00804; B23K26/082; A61B; A61B17/00; A61B17/30; A61B2017/306; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B2018/2035; A61B2018/20351; A61B2018/20355; A61F2009/00861; A61F2009/00872; A61F2009/00897; A61F9/009
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
211 words
Sculpture apparatus for performing ophthalmological surgery on the optically used portion of the anterior surface of the cornea, said apparatus comprising: laser means (13) adapted for producing an output beam having a cross-section that at corneal impingement is small in relation to said optically used portions, said output beam being in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and being capable of achieving selective ablation of said anterior surface with penetration into the stroma to achieve a volumetric removal of corneal tissue by photodecomposition, laser control means (16), including a microprocessor, for controlling the operation of said laser means (13) so as to effect a predetermined operative procedure, said laser control means including means (14) for scan deflection of said beam for selectively impinging the beam throughout a predetermined area within said optically used portion, the irradiated flux density and exposure time of laser-beam impingement at the cornea being such as to achieve for each scan an ablation depth which is but a fraction of the maximum depth of a required penetration; and said laser control means (16) being adapted, at least in part by the programming of said microprocessor, to effect successive scans within said predetermined area, whereby to achieve said required penetration as a result of said successive scans.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
211 words
Sculpture apparatus for performing ophthalmological surgery on the optically used portion of the anterior surface of the cornea, said apparatus comprising: laser means (13) adapted for producing an output beam having a cross-section that at corneal impingement is small in relation to said optically used portions, said output beam being in the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum and being capable of achieving selective ablation of said anterior surface with penetration into the stroma to achieve a volumetric removal of corneal tissue by photodecomposition, laser control means (16), including a microprocessor, for controlling the operation of said laser means (13) so as to effect a predetermined operative procedure, said laser control means including means (14) for scan deflection of said beam for selectively impinging the beam throughout a predetermined area within said optically used portion, the irradiated flux density and exposure time of laser-beam impingement at the cornea being such as to achieve for each scan an ablation depth which is but a fraction of the maximum depth of a required penetration; and said laser control means (16) being adapted, at least in part by the programming of said microprocessor, to effect successive scans within said predetermined area, whereby to achieve said required penetration as a result of said successive scans.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said laser means (13) is an excimer laser operative with a gas comprising fluorine, argon fluoride, krypton fluoride, xenon chloride or xenon fluoride.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said laser means (13) is adapted to produce an output beam having a wavelength not substantially exceeding 400 nm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim comprising positioning means (10, 18, 20) for determining the position of an eye to be operated upon relative to said laser means, and wherein said positioning means includes optical-fixation means (20) fixed with respect to said laser means (13) and aligned for observation through the other eye of the patient.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
108 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein eye-fixation means (18) is provided for steadying the cornea of the eye which is to be operated upon with respect to said laser means (13) and with the central area of the cornea centred on the central axis of scan deflection of the laser output beam, said eye-fixation means (18) including a circumferentially continuous hollow annular ring (23) which is air permeable on one axial side, said side being contoured for adaptation to the corneal scleral region of an eye, and an external connection port (24) communicating with the hollow of said ring for external air- evacuating connection of the same.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said laser means (13) includes means (26) for reducing the beam cross-section at the eye of the patient to a spot size in the range of 30 microns to 0.5 mm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said means (14) for scan deflection of said laser beam comprises mechanically displaceable optical components and means for displacing said optical components to effect a predetermined deflection of said beam.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said laser means (13) includes means for adjusting beam-exposure flux to a level at which resultant corneal-tissue ablation scan is to an ascertained elemental depth which is but a fraction of the desired maximum depth of ablation into the stroma region of the eye.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said laser output beam is a pulsed beam, and said adjusting means is adapted for setting the beam intensity to produce tissue penetration to a depth per pulsed exposure which is but a fraction of said desired maximum depth.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
137 words
Apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein said means (14) for scan deflection of said laser beam provides for controlled beam deflection transverse to the beam propagation direction for enabling beam impingement area coverage of an optically functioning area of the cornea, and said laser control means (16) is adapted to establish a plurality of different perimeter limits of area-scan action within the perimeter of said optically functioning area of the cornea and to co-ordinate the operation of said means (14) for scan deflection of said laser beam in a controlled program of limitation of one area scan within one perimeter limit before- repeating such co-ordination within the next successive perimeter limit, whereby ablative penetration to the desired depth is the cumulative result of plural area scans of each of a succession of different but overlapping areas.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
69 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said means (14) for scan deflection of said laser beam is radially operative with respect to the axis of said beam at incidence with the cornea and includes means for rotating the direction in which the radial deflection is operative whereby, in the course of a given scanning operation, each area scan is the result of a spirally developed course of beam deflection.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 in which said perimeter limits are circular outer limits of successively reducing different concentrically related scanned circular areas, whereby the cumulative result of successive area scanning of the cornea is myopia correcting.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
44 words
Apparatus according to claim 10 or 11 in which said perimeter limits are circular limits of different concentrically related scanned annular areas of constant outer diameter and successively increasing inner diameter, whereby the cumulative result of successive area scanning of the cornea is hyperopia-correcting.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
51 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9 in which the perimeter limit of successive area scanning is a circle of constant radius, whereby the cumulative result of successive area scanning of the cornea is to prepare a circular corneal recess of constant depth for reception of a corneal transplant.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 13 wherein said laser control means (16) is arranged such that successive area scans create a Fresnel-type stepped development of the desired ultimate curvature.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
86 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said laser control means (16) is arranged to control the operation of said means (14) for scan deflection of the laser beam in each of a plurality of concentrically related adjacent annular zonal areas, and said laser control means (16) is further arranged for successive area scanning of each annular zonal area in a pattern of outer perimeter radius variation at constant inner perimeter radius, the apparatus thereby being arranged for producing a Fresnel-characterized myopia- correcting anterior corneal surface profile.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
85 words
Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said laser control means (16) is arranged to control the operation of said means (14) for scan deflection of the laser beam in each of a plurality of concentrically related adjacent annular zonal areas, and said laser control means (16) is further arranged for successive area scanning of each annular zonal area in a pattern of inner perimeter radius variation at constant outer perimeter radius, the apparatus thereby being arranged for producing a Fresnel-characterized hyperopia-correcting anterior corneal surface profile.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
119 words
Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 9 wherein said means (14) for scan deflection of the laser beam is adapted to provide two orthogonal components of controlled beam deflection transverse to the beam propagation direction, and said laser control means (16) is adapted for co-ordinating the operation of said means (14) for scan deflection of the laser beam in a controlled program of area coverage to establish greatest cumulative beam exposure along the alignment of the central axis of symmetry of an ascertained astigmatic condition, with cumulative beam exposure decreasing as a function of increasing lateral offset on both sides of said central axis of symmetry, the apparatus thereby being adapted for correction of an astigmatic condition.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
24 words
Apparatus according to claim 18 in which cumulative beam exposure is varied by varying the scan rate of said laser output beam scanning means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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