System and method for irradiating an artificial lens

1 . An ophthalmic surgical system, the system comprising:

an artificial lens;

one or more irradiation sources for two-photon or multi-photon irradiating said artificial lens with an irradiation beam focused with an optic and of a first wavelength and/or a second wavelength different from the first wavelength,

a scanner coupled to the one or more irradiation sources and configured to scan said irradiation beam across said artificial lens, and

an input unit coupled to the one or more irradiation sources and the scanner, wherein the input unit is configured to input data for treating said artificial lens by scanning said irradiation beam across said artificial lens based on the input data, and

wherein the first wavelength is between 600 nm and 800 nm and the artificial lens is configured to absorb the irradiation beam of the first wavelength via a two-photon or multi-photon absorption process and to locally decrease, as a result of said absorption process, a polarizability of irradiated portions of said artificial lens, and

wherein the second wavelength is between 400 nm and 590 nm and the artificial lens is configured to absorb the irradiation beam of the second wavelength via a two-photon or multi-photon absorption process and to locally increase, as a result of said absorption process, the polarizability of irradiated portions of said artificial lens.

2 . The system according to claim 1 wherein the artificial lens is a contact lens or intraocular lens.

3 . The system according to claim 1 wherein the artificial lens is arranged within an eye of a patient.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a positioning system for determining a position of a focus of said irradiation beam within said eye of said patient, wherein the positioning system is coupled to the scanner and wherein the scanning, by the scanner, of said irradiation beam across said artificial lens is based on the position of said focus of said irradiation beam within the eye.

5 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the system is configured to determine a location and/or orientation of said artificial lens relative to the eye and an outlet of the irradiation beam, and wherein the scanning, by the scanner, of said irradiation beam across said artificial lens is based on the location and/or orientation of said artificial lens relative to the eye.

6 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising an eye interface system configured to keep said eye of said patient in a fixed position.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the input data comprises lens data of said artificial lens and/or treatment plan data relating to a treatment plan for said treating of said artificial lens.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the lens data comprises data relating to a radiation absorption property of said artificial lens, and wherein the system is configured to adjust the first wavelength and/or the second wavelength for said artificial lens to locally change the polarizability based on the two-photon or multi-photon absorption process.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a temperature management unit coupled to one or both of (i) the one or more irradiation sources and (ii) the scanner, wherein the temperature management unit is configured to determine, based on an irradiation beam property of said irradiation beam and an artificial lens property of said artificial lens, a temperature of a part of said artificial lens during said treating of said artificial lens by said scanning, and wherein the system is configured to control, based on said determination of the temperature, one or both of (i) the one or more irradiation sources and (ii) the scanner.

10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein the temperature management unit is configured to predict said temperature during said treating of said artificial lens, and wherein said input data comprises the predicted temperature.

11 . A process for adjusting a polarizability of an artificial lens comprising a body formed of a polymeric optical material based on a two- or multi-photon absorption process, the process comprising the steps of:

providing said artificial lens; and

adjusting the polarizability of said artificial lens through irradiation of said lens by using a system which comprises one or more irradiation sources generating a first and a second focused irradiation beam and a scanner configured to scan the first and second focused irrational beams across said artificial lens, thereupon changing the polymeric optical material with significant differences in a UV/Vis spectrum with respect to non-irradiated polymeric optical material of the artificial lens, the adjusting step including:

irradiating a first portion of the artificial lens with the first irradiation beam having a first wavelength between 600 nm and 800 nm, wherein the artificial lens absorbs the first irradiation beam via the two- or multi-photon absorption process and locally decreases, as a result of the absorption process, a polarizability of the first portion of the artificial lens, and

irradiating a second portion of the artificial lens with the second irradiation beam having a second wavelength between 400 nm and 590 nm, wherein the artificial lens absorbs the second irradiation beam via the two- or multi-photon absorption process and locally increases, as a result of the absorption process, a polarizability of the second portion of the artificial lens.

12 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein said irradiating a first portion of the artificial lens with the first irradiation beam having the first wavelength of between 600 nm and 800 nm changes the polymeric optical material with significant differences of the UV/Vis spectrum namely loss in peak absorption in a range of 300 nm to 400 nm with respect to the non-irradiated polymeric optical material of the artificial lens.

13 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein said irradiating a second portion of the artificial lens with the second irradiation beam having the second wavelength of between 400 nm and 590 nm changes the polymeric optical material with significant differences of the UV/Vis spectrum namely increase in peak absorption in a range of 300 nm to 400 nm with respect to the non-irradiated polymeric optical material of the artificial lens.

14 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein said polymeric optical material of the artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising covalently bound photoactive units comprising a non-aromatic double bond which is able to dimerize by forming a cyclobutane ring by means of a [2π+2π] cycloaddition under the effect of the two-photon or multi-photon absorption process.

15 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein said optical material of the artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising covalently bound photoactive units comprising a non-aromatic double bond which is able to dimerize by forming a cyclobutane ring by means of a [2π+2π] cycloaddition under the effect of the two-photon or multi-photon absorption process together with already dimerized photoactive units.

16 . The process according to claim 15 , wherein the provided artificial lens is irradiated with the irradiation beam of the first wavelength said irradiation causes the dimerization of said photoactive units thereby decreasing the polarizability of said artificial lens and thereby modifying the provided artificial lens in that the modified artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising more dimerized photoactive units derived from said [2π+2π] cycloaddition, or wherein the provided artificial lens is irradiated with the irradiation beam of the second wavelength, said irradiation causes the separation of said dimerized photoactive units thereby increasing the polarizability of said artificial lens and thereby modifying the provided artificial lens in that the modified artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising more photoactive units able to dimerize by forming a cyclobutane ring by means of a [2π+2π] cycloaddition.

17 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein said polymeric optical material of the artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising covalently bound dimerized photoactive units as sole photoactive units which are able to separate under the effect of the two-photon or generally multi-photon absorption process.

18 . The process according to claim 17 , wherein the provided artificial lens is irradiated with the irradiation beam of the second wavelength, said irradiation causes the separation of said dimerized photoactive units thereby increasing the polarizability of said artificial lens and thereby modifying the provided artificial lens in that the modified artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising photoactive units able to dimerize again and optionally irradiating said modified artificial lens with an irradiation beam of the first wavelength for locally decreasing the polarizability of said modified artificial lens by partially dimerizing said photoactive units.

19 . The process according to claim 11 , wherein the provided artificial lens comprising a polymeric matrix comprises covalently bound photoactive units comprising a non-aromatic double bond which is able to dimerize by forming a cyclobutane ring by means of a [2π+2π] cycloaddition is irradiated with the irradiation beam of the first wavelength, said irradiation causes the dimerization of said photoactive units thereby decreasing the polarizability of said artificial lens and thereby modifying the provided artificial lens in that the modified artificial lens comprises a polymeric matrix comprising partially or fully dimerized photoactive units derived from said [2π+2π] cycloaddition and optionally irradiating said modified artificial lens with an irradiation beam of the second wavelength for locally increasing the polarizability of said modified artificial lens by partially cleaving said dimerized photoactive units.