SYSTEM FOR CHARACTERIZING A CORNEA AND OBTAINING AN OPHTHALMIC LENS
A system for determining the shape of a cornea of an eye illuminates at least one of the interior surface, the posterior surface, and the interior region of the eye with infrared light of a wavelength that can generate fluorescent light from the portion of the cornea illuminated. The generated fluorescent light is then detected. A step of illuminating can comprise focusing the infrared light in a plurality of different planes substantially perpendicular to the optical axis of the eye. From the detected light it is possible to create a map of at least a portion of the interior surface, at least a portion of the posterior surface, and/or portion of the interior region of the cornea. Clarity of vision can be determined by generating autofluorescence from proteins in the pigment epithelial cells of the retina.
1 - 16 . (canceled)
17 . A method for determining an optical adjustment for a custom IOL for a patient comprising the steps of:
a) generating a map of a cornea of an eye of the patient by
i) illuminating the portion of the cornea with light of a wavelength that generates autofluorescent light from the portion of the cornea illuminated, said portion comprising an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and an interior region between the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea;
ii) detecting the generated autofluorescent light; and
iii) generating the map from the detected autofluorescent light, wherein the map is of a refractive property and/or shape of the portion of the cornea illuminated; and
b) determining a diopter power correction needed by the eye from the generated map of the cornea.
18 . The method of claim 17 comprising the additional steps of:
a) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as an IOL; and
b) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power correction.
19 . The method of claim 17 comprising the additional step of determining the aspheric correction from the generated map of the cornea.
20 . The method of claim 19 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as an IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power and spherical corrections.
21 . The method of claim 17 comprising the additional step of determining the tonic correction from the generated map of the cornea.
22 . The method of claim 17 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as an IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power and toric corrections.
23 . The method of claim 17 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as an IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power, spheric, and tonic corrections.
24 - 34 . (canceled)
35 . A method for determining an optical adjustment for a custom IOL for a patient comprising:
a) generating a map of the optical path length differences of a cornea of an eye by
i) illuminating a portion of the cornea with light of a wavelength that generates autofluorescent light from the portion of the cornea illuminated, said portion comprising an anterior surface, a posterior surface, and an interior region between the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea;
ii) detecting the generated autofluorescent light;
iii) measuring the optical path length at a plurality of locations from the detected autofluorescent light; and
iv) generating the map of the portion of the cornea illuminated from the detected autofluorescent light, wherein the map is of the spatial distribution of optical path lengths for the portion of the cornea illuminated; and
b) determining a diopter power correction needed by the eye from the generated map of the optical path length differences.
36 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as the IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power correction.
37 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional step of determining the aspheric correction from the generated map of the cornea.
38 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as the IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power and spherical corrections.
39 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional step of determining the toric correction from the generated map of the cornea.
40 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as the IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power and toric corrections.
41 . The method of claim 35 comprising the additional steps of:
c) selecting a lens blank sized to serve as an IOL; and
d) modifying the index of refraction at a plurality of locations in the blank to yield the determined diopter power, spheric and toric corrections.