Scanning ophthalmic fixation method and apparatus

1. An optical scanning system for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

a light source for producing fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction and procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

a scanning device for deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye, and for deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye; and

a controller for controlling the scanning device such that the fixation pattern dynamically changes in shape or color.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic change of the fixation pattern includes causing the fixation pattern to change in color.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic change of the fixation pattern includes causing the fixation pattern to change in shape.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the scanning device such that at least one of the fixation and procedure patterns is moved relative to the other of the fixation and procedure patterns.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the fixation pattern and procedure pattern are produced on the eye in a temporally interleaved manner.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the procedure pattern and the fixation pattern are produced on the eye simultaneously.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fixation pattern includes one or more individual spots, and wherein the dynamic change of the fixation pattern includes causing the spots to dynamically change in shape or color.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern includes a continuously scanned segment.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the light source produces visible aiming light, and wherein the scanning device deflects the aiming light for visually indicating a position of the procedure pattern on the eye.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the scanning device such that the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern do not overlap each other on the eye.

11. An optical scanning system for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

a light source for producing fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction and procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

a scanning device for deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye, and for deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye; and

a controller for controlling the scanning device such that the fixation pattern dynamically changes;

wherein:

the light source produces additional light;

the scanning device deflects the additional light to produce a system information pattern of the additional light on the eye; and

the system information pattern indicates status information of the system.

12. An optical scanning system for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

a light source for producing fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction and procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

a scanning device for deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye, and for deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye;

a controller for controlling the scanning device such that the fixation pattern dynamically changes; and

a movable focusing optical element for altering a size of at least one of the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern on the eye.

13. A method of treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

generating fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction;

generating procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye;

deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye; and

dynamically changing a shape or a color of the fixation pattern on the eye.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dynamically changing of the fixation pattern includes causing the fixation pattern to change in color.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dynamically changing of the fixation pattern includes causing the fixation pattern to change in shape.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

moving at least one of the fixation and procedure patterns relative to the other of the fixation and procedure patterns.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the fixation pattern and procedure pattern are produced onto the eye in a temporally interleaved manner.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the procedure pattern and the fixation pattern are produced on the eye simultaneously.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the fixation pattern includes one or more individual spots, and wherein the dynamic change of the fixation pattern includes causing the spots to dynamically change in shape or color.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein at least one of the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern includes a continuously scanned segment.

21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

generating visible aiming light; and

deflecting the aiming light to produce visible light on the eye indicating a position of the procedure pattern on the eye.

22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the deflectings are performed such that the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern do not overlap each other on the eye.

23. A method of treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

generating fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction;

generating procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye;

deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye;

dynamically changing the fixation pattern on the eye;

generating additional light; and

deflecting the additional light to produce a system information pattern of the additional light on the eye, wherein the system information pattern indicates status information.

24. A method of treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

generating fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction;

generating procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye;

deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye;

dynamically changing the fixation pattern on the eye; and

moving a focusing optical element to altering a size of at least one of the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern on the eye.

25. A method of treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye, comprising:

generating fixation light which is light for attracting and keeping said patient's gaze in a nominally fixed direction;

generating procedure light which is light for treating and/or diagnosing said patient's eye;

deflecting the fixation light to produce a fixation pattern of the fixation light on the eye;

deflecting the procedure light to produce a procedure pattern of the procedure light on the eye; and

dynamically changing the fixation pattern on the eye;

wherein:

the deflectings are performed such that the fixation pattern and the procedure pattern do not overlap each other on the eye;

the deflecting of the fixation light includes moving a first optical element; and

the deflecting of the procedure light includes moving a second optical element independently from the moving of the first optical element.