Method and system for modifying eye tissue and intraocular lenses
As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, a method and system for making physical modifications to intraocular targets is disclosed. In varying embodiments, the method and system disclosed herein provide many advantages over the current standard of care. Specifically, linear absorption facilitated photodecomposition and linear absorption facilitated plasma generation to modify intraocular tissues and synthetic intraocular lenses.
1. A system for ophthalmic surgery of an eye of a patient, comprising:
a laser source, under the operative control of a controller, configured to alternatively deliver an ultraviolet treatment laser beam and an ultraviolet probe laser beam, each laser beam comprising a plurality of ultraviolet laser pulses having a wavelength between 320 nanometers and 370 nanometers, the ultraviolet treatment laser beam having a pulse duration between 400 picoseconds and 700 picoseconds, and a pulse energy between 0.01 microJoules and 500 microJoules, wherein a pulse energy of the ultraviolet probe laser beam is lower than the pulse energy of the ultraviolet treatment laser beam;
an optical system operatively coupled to the laser source by the controller, the optical system having a numerical aperture of 0.15 and a scan range of 6 mm to 10 mm in a direction lateral to a Z-axis aligned with the laser beam; and
an imaging system operatively coupled to the laser source and optical system by the controller,
wherein the controller is programmed to operate the laser source, the optical system and imaging system to:
focus the ultraviolet treatment laser beam to a focal spot and direct the focal spot in a pattern into the one or more intraocular targets selected from the group consisting of a cornea, a limbus, a sclera, a lens capsule, a crystalline lens, and a synthetic intraocular lens implant; and
direct the ultraviolet probe laser beam to the at least one or more intraocular targets and to confocally detect back reflected light of the probe laser beam from the at least one or more intraocular targets, thereby obtaining image data corresponding to the one or more intraocular targets,
wherein the pattern creates one or more cuts in the one or more intraocular targets selected from the group consisting of one or more corneal relaxing incisions, one or more limbal relaxing incisions, one or more astigmatic keratotomies, one or more corneal flaps, one or more corneal transplant shapes, and one or more capsulotomies.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wavelength is 355 nm.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pulse energy is between 0.5 microJoules and 10 microJoules.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laser pulses have a repetition rate of between 500 Hertz and 500 kiloHertz.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the focal spot is between 0.5 microns and 10 microns within the one or more intraocular targets.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein an index of refraction of the modified target is changed.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein an irradiance of the ultraviolet treatment laser beam is less than or equal to 120 gigawatts per square centimeter.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the imaging system is configured to (1) locate the target structure and (2) monitor for the occurrence of a cavitation event associated with formation of plasma,
wherein detection of a cavitation event results in reduction of pulse energy of subsequent laser pulses in order to avoid cavitation.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a segment in the Z-axis that is aligned with the treatment laser beam, and the optical system comprises an X-Y scan device and a Z-scan device, the Z-scan device being operable to automatically move the focal spot along the segment in the z-axis that is aligned with the treatment laser beam, the X-Y scan device being operable to move the focal spot laterally to the z-axis, and wherein the treatment laser beam propagates through the Z-scan device prior to propagating to the X-Y scan device.
10. The system of claim 1 , further comprising wherein the controller automatically generates the treatment scan pattern based at least in part on the image data.
11. A system for ophthalmic surgery of an eye of a patient, comprising:
a laser source, under the operative control of a controller, configured to alternatively deliver an ultraviolet treatment laser beam and an ultraviolet probe laser beam, each laser beam comprising a plurality of ultraviolet laser pulses having a wavelength between 320 nm and 400 nm, a pulse duration between 400 picoseconds and 700 picoseconds, and a pulse energy, wherein the pulse energy of the ultraviolet probe laser beam is lower than the pulse energy of the ultraviolet treatment laser beam;
an optical system operatively coupled to the laser source by the controller, the optical system having a numerical aperture of 0.15 and a scan range of 6 mm to 10 mm in a direction lateral to a Z-axis aligned with the laser beam; and
an imaging system operatively coupled to the laser source and optical system by the controller,
wherein the controller is to operate the laser source, the optical system and imaging system to:
focus the ultraviolet treatment laser beam to a focal spot and direct the focal spot in a treatment scan pattern into the one or more intraocular targets selected from the group consisting of a cornea, a limbus, a sclera, a lens capsule, a crystalline lens, and a synthetic intraocular lens implant; and
direct the ultraviolet probe laser beam to the at least one or more intraocular targets and to confocally detect back reflected light of the ultraviolet probe laser beam from the at least one or more intraocular targets, thereby obtaining image data corresponding to the one or more intraocular targets,
wherein the treatment scan pattern creates one or more cuts in the one or more intraocular targets selected from the group consisting of one or more corneal relaxing incisions, one or more limbal relaxing incisions, one or more astigmatic keratotomies, one or more corneal flaps, one or more corneal transplant shapes, and one or more capsulotomies.
12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a second laser source configured to fragment the lens with a wavelength between 800 nanometers and 1100 nanometers.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the imaging system is configured to locate the intraocular target.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller automatically generates the treatment scan pattern based at least in part on the image data.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the pulse energy of the laser pulses is between 0.01 microJoules and 500 microJoules.