Patient interface device for laser eye surgery having light guiding structure for illuminating eye

1. A patient interface device, comprising:

a shell defining a chamber therein;

a first interface port configured to be interfaced with a patient's eye, the first interface port being disposed at a first side of the shell and including an applanating lens for application to the patient's eye during a laser surgery procedure and a flexible or semi-flexible membrane on which the applanating lens is provided, the membrane having through channels extending through the membrane from the chamber above the applanating lens to a space below the applanating lens;

a second interface port disposed at a second side of the shell which is opposite the first side of the shell and which is configured to be interfaced with a laser surgery apparatus-when; and

a light guiding structure having at a first end thereof a light receiving interface, configured to receive light, and having at a second end thereof a light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface, wherein the light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface is disposed adjacent the applanating lens and configured to diffusely provide the light in a vicinity of the patient's eye when the applanating lens is applied to the patient's eye.

2. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the light guiding structure is tubular and has a light blocking material applied to at least a portion of an interior surface thereof extending from the first end to the second end, and further has the light blocking material applied to at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof extending from the first end to the second end.

3. The patient interface device of claim 2 , wherein the light blocking material comprises a black material.

4. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the light guiding structure has a shape of a hollow conical frustum.

5. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the light guiding structure comprises at least one optical fiber.

6. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the applanating lens has formed therein a circumferential groove, and wherein the membrane includes a portion extending into the circumferential groove of the applanating lens to fix the applanating lens to the membrane.

7. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the membrane has formed therein a plurality of support structures configured to support the membrane on a sclera of the patient's eye when the applanating lens is applied to the patient's eye.

8. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein the light guiding structure is configured to internally reflect light from walls thereof from the light receiving interface to the light-emitting interface.

9. The patient interface device of claim 1 , wherein surfaces of the light guiding structure are polished to a first degree, except a surface of the light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface which is polished to a second degree which is less than the first degree such that the surface of the light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface is rougher than other surfaces of the light guiding structure.

10. A system, comprising:

a laser surgery apparatus, comprising: a laser source,

a lens assembly configured to direct laser light from the laser source to a target area of a patient's eye for laser surgery,

a docking receptacle, and

an illuminating light source; and

a patient interface device, comprising:

a shell, defining a chamber within the shell,

a first interface port configured to be interfaced with the patient's eye, the first interface port being disposed at a first side of the shell and including an applanating lens for application to the patient's eye during a laser surgery procedure and a flexible or semi-flexible membrane on which the applanating lens is provided, the membrane having through channels extending through the membrane from the chamber above the applanating lens to a space below the applanating lens,

a second interface port disposed at a second side of the shell which is opposite the first side of the shell and which is configured to be interfaced with the docking receptacle, and

a light guiding structure having at a first end thereof a light receiving interface, configured to receive light from the illuminating light source, and having at a second end thereof a light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface, wherein the light-diffusing, light-emitting, interface is disposed adjacent the applanating lens and configured to diffusely provide the light in a vicinity of the patient's eye when the applanating lens is applied to the patient's eye.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising an imaging device configured to produce image data for the patient's eye while the patient's eye is illuminated by the light from the light guiding structure.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the light guiding structure is tubular and has a light blocking material applied to at least a portion of an interior surface thereof extending from the first end to the second end, and further has the light blocking material applied to at least a portion of an exterior surface thereof extending from the first end to the second end.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the light blocking material comprises a black material.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the light guiding structure comprises at least one optical fiber.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the applanating lens has formed therein a circumferential groove, and wherein the flexible membrane includes a portion extending into the circumferential groove of the applanating lens to fix the applanating lens to the membrane.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the light guiding structure is configured to internally reflect light from walls thereof from the light receiving interface to the light-emitting interface.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the membrane has formed therein a plurality of support structures configured to support the membrane on a sclera of the patient's eye when the applanating lens is applied to the patient's eye.