HYDROPHILICITY ALTERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
A system/method allowing hydrophilicity alteration of a polymeric material (PM) is disclosed. The PM hydrophilicity alteration changes the PM characteristics by decreasing the PM refractive index, increasing the PM electrical conductivity, and increasing the PM weight. The system/method incorporates a laser radiation source that generates tightly focused laser pulses within a three-dimensional portion of the PM to affect these changes in PM properties. The system/method may be applied to the formation of customized intraocular lenses comprising material (PLM) wherein the lens created using the system/method is surgically positioned within the eye of the patient. The implanted lens refractive index may then be optionally altered in situ with laser pulses to change the optical properties of the implanted lens and thus achieve optimal corrected patient vision. This system/method permits numerous in situ modifications of an implanted lens as the patient's vision changes with age.
1 . A system for changing the hydrophilicity of an internal region of a polymeric material, said system comprising:
(a) laser source;
(b) laser scanner; and
(c) microscope objective;
wherein
said laser source is configured to emit a pulsed laser radiation output;
said laser scanner is configured to distribute said pulsed laser radiation output across an input area of said microscope objective;
said microscope objective further comprises a numerical aperture configured to accept said distributed pulsed laser radiation and produce a focused laser radiation output; and
said focused laser radiation output is transmitted by said microscope objective to an internal region of polymeric material (PM);
said focused laser radiation output interacts with polymers within the treated internal region and results in a change in hydrophilicity within said internal region of said PM.
2 . A lens formation system comprising:
(a) laser source;
(b) laser scanner; and
(c) microscope objective;
wherein
said laser source is configured to emit a pulsed laser radiation output;
said laser scanner is configured to distribute said pulsed laser radiation output across an input area of said microscope objective;
said microscope objective further comprises a numerical aperture configured to accept said distributed pulsed laser radiation and produce a focused laser radiation output; and
said focused laser radiation output is transmitted by said microscope objective to a polymeric lens material (PLM);
said focused laser radiation output interacts with polymers within the treated internal region and results in a change in hydrophilicity within said internal region of said PM.
3 . The system of claim 2 wherein said distribution of said focused laser radiation output is configured to be larger than the field size of said microscope objective by use of an X-Y stage configured to position said microscope objective to sequential areas within the material.
4 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser source further comprises a femtosecond laser source emitting laser pulses with a megahertz repetition rate.
5 . The system of claim 2 wherein said pulsed laser radiation output has energy in a range of 0.17 to 500 nanojoules.
6 . The system of claim 2 wherein said pulsed laser radiation output has a repetition rate in the range of 1 MHz to 100 MHz.
7 . The system of claim 2 wherein said pulsed laser radiation output has a pulse width in the range of 10 fs to 350 fs.
8 . The system of claim 2 wherein said focused laser radiation output has a spot size in the X-Y directions in the range of 1 to 7 micrometers.
9 . The system of claim 2 wherein said focused laser radiation output has a spot size in the Z direction in the range of 0.05 to 10 micrometers.
10 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM is shaped in the form of a lens.
11 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM is water saturated.
12 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
13 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
14 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a two-dimensional pattern within said PLM.
15 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM.
16 . The system of claim 15 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
17 . The system of claim 15 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
18 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM, said pattern forming a convex lens within said PLM.
19 . The system of claim 18 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
20 . The system of claim 18 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
21 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM, said pattern forming a biconvex lens within said PLM.
22 . The system of claim 21 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
23 . The system of claim 21 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
24 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM, said pattern forming a concave lens within said PLM.
25 . The system of claim 24 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
26 . The system of claim 24 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
27 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM, said pattern forming a biconcave lens within said PLM.
28 . The system of claim 27 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material.
29 . The system of claim 27 wherein said PLM comprises an intraocular lens contained within an ophthalmic lens material, said ophthalmic lens material located within the eye of a patient.
30 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser scanner is configured to distribute said focused laser radiation output in a three-dimensional pattern within said PLM; said focused laser radiation creating a hydrophilicity change in the volume associated with said three-dimensional pattern; and said hydrophilicity change resulting in a corresponding change in refractive index of said volume associated with said three-dimensional pattern.
31 . The system of claim 30 wherein said hydrophilicity change results in a negative refractive index change within said PLM having an initial refractive index greater than 1.3.
32 . The system of claim 30 wherein said refractive index change is greater than 0.01.
33 . The system of claim 29 wherein said three-dimensional pattern comprises a plurality of layers within said PLM.
34 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM comprises a crosslinked polymeric copolymer.
35 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM comprises a crosslinked polymeric acrylic polymer.
36 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser source further comprises an Acousto-Optic Modulator (AOM).
37 . The system of claim 2 wherein said laser source further comprises a greyscale Acousto-Optic Modulator (AOM).
38 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM has been presoaked in a liquid solution comprising water.
39 . The system of claim 2 wherein said PLM comprises an ultraviolet (UV) absorbing material.