Eye therapy system

1. A system for controlling cross-linking in corneal tissue, comprising:

a cross-linking system configured to apply a cross-linking agent to a cornea and activate the applied cross-linking agent to cause cross-linking in corneal fibrils of the cornea;

a monitoring system configured to determine an amount of cross-linking in the cornea; and

a delivery device configured to provide a gas mixture at a surface of the cornea, the gas mixture determining an O 2 content for activation of the cross-linking agent in the cornea, the delivery device being configured to selectively increase or decrease the O 2 content provided at the surface of the cornea to control the rate of cross-linking in response to the amount of cross-linking in the cornea determined by the monitoring system.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device includes a controller.

3. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cross-linking-agent source storing the cross-linking agent, the cross-linking agent being Riboflavin or Rose Bengal.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery device includes a ring that includes one or more ports that direct the gas mixture at the cornea.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery device includes an enclosure that is pressurized with the gas mixture against the surface of the cornea.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the gas mixture within the enclosure establishes a steady state of O 2 above the surface of the cornea.

7. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the enclosure includes one or more walls, at least a portion of the one or more walls being configured to allow microwave energy or photoactivating light generated by the cross-linking system to pass through the enclosure to activate the cross-linking agent.

8. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the cross-linking system includes an activator that provides microwave energy or photoactivating light to the cornea, the activator being disposed within the enclosure.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-linking system includes an activator configured to provide microwave energy to the cornea that activates the cross-linking agent.

10. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the cross-linking system includes a light source configured to provide photoactivating light to the cornea that activates the cross-linking agent.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring system employs polarimetry to measure corneal birefringence and to determine the amount of cross-linking in the cornea in real time.

12. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the delivery device initially provides a first gas mixture that determines a first O 2 content in the cornea and, in response to the amount of cross-linking determined by the monitoring system, provides a second gas mixture that determines a second O 2 content in the cornea, the first gas mixture and the second gas mixture providing different amounts of O 2 , the delivery device providing dynamic control of cross-linking in the cornea.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the delivery device is configured such that one of the first and second gas mixtures consists of one or more non-O 2 gases.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the monitoring system is configured to determine the stiffness of the corneal tissue.

15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the monitoring system is configure to determine the stiffness of the corneal tissue by employing polarimetry to measure a corneal birefringence.

16. A system for controlling cross-linking in corneal tissue, comprising:

a vessel that stores a cross-linking agent under O 2 pressure higher than ambient pressure that increases the equilibrium concentration of O 2 for the cross-linking agent causing the cross-linking agent to be saturated or supersaturated with O 2 ; and

a cross-linking system configured to apply the cross-linking agent to corneal fibrils in the corneal tissue, the saturation or supersaturation of the cross-linking agent increasing the O 2 content in the corneal tissue when the cross-linking agent is applied, the cross-linking system being further configured to activate the applied cross-linking agent, the activated cross-linking agent causing cross-linking in the corneal fibrils.

17. The system according to claim 16 , further comprising a cross-linking-agent source storing the cross-linking agent, wherein the cross-linking agent is Riboflavin or Rose Bengal.

18. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the cross-linking system includes an activator configured to activate the cross-linking agent with microwave energy or photactivating light.

19. A system for controlling cross-linking in corneal tissue, comprising:

an applicator configured to apply a cross-linking agent to a cornea;

an activator configured to activate the cross-linking agent causing cross-linking in corneal fibrils of the cornea;

a delivery device configured to provide a gas mixture at a surface of the cornea, the gas mixture determining an O 2 content for activation of the cross-linking agent in the cornea, the delivery device being configured to selectively increase or decrease the O 2 content provided at the surface of the cornea to control the rate of cross-linking.

20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the delivery device includes an enclosure that is pressurized with the gas mixture against the surface of the cornea.

21. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the activator is configured to provide microwave energy to the cornea that activates the cross-linking agent.

22. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the activator is configured to provide photoactivating light to the cornea that activates the cross-linking agent.

23. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the applicator includes a syringe.