System and method for detection of cornea collapse
A system and method for use in eye surgery. The system includes at least one light source, a detection unit, and a detection circuit. The at least one light source is configured and operable to emit one or more illumination beams directed at a region of a corneal surface of a patient's eye. The detection unit includes an arrangement of light detectors positioned for collecting a reflected beam reflected from the region of the corneal surface of the patient's eye. The detection circuit is configured for collecting and analyzing a detection signal from the detection unit, and for detecting variations of the reflected beam pattern over time indicative of surface curvature changes of the corneal surface region. In response to detecting surface curvature change exceeding a predefined threshold, the detection circuit generate a response signal triggering operation of an anti-vacuum surge (AVS) mechanism.
1 . A system for use in eye surgery, the system comprising at least one light source, a detection unit, and a detection circuit;
(a) the at least one light source is configured and operable to emit one or more illumination beams directed at a region of a corneal surface of a patient's eye;
(b) the detection unit comprising an arrangement of light detectors positioned for collecting a reflected beam reflected from the region of the corneal surface of the patient's eye;
(c) the detection circuit is configured for:
i) collecting a detection signal from the detection unit, and
ii) analyzing the detection signal to detect variations of the reflected beam pattern over time indicative of surface curvature changes of the corneal surface region, and
iii) generating a response signal triggering operation of an anti-vacuum surge (AVS) mechanism when the variation in the reflected beam pattern is indicative of a surface curvature change exceeding a predefined threshold.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises at least one light source operating in an infrared wavelength range.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection circuit comprises one or more analog to digital conversion circuits parallelly connected to respective light detector of the detection unit.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the variations of the reflected beam pattern comprise variation of at least one of location of the reflected beam impinging on the detector unit and spatial distribution of the reflected beam impinging on the detector unit.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection circuit comprises a decision circuit configured for receiving data indicative of the detection signal from the arrangement of light detectors and determining data indicative of variations of the reflected beam pattern; the decision circuit being configured to determine a variation level with respect to at least one of a spatial variation threshold and a temporal variation threshold and trigger the AVS mechanism if the variations of the reflected beam pattern exceed at least one of the spatial variation threshold and the temporal variation threshold.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of light detectors comprises an arrangement of photodiodes.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detection circuit is configured to generate the response signal to trigger operation of the AVS mechanism within a time frame of up to 3 milliseconds from detection of variations of the reflected light beam pattern indicative of the surface curvature changes of the corneal surface region.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source is an eye safe laser source.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises an array of laser light sources.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source comprises a laser light source and at least one beam splitting arrangement configured to split output beam to form an array of illumination beams.