System and method for creating micro-lenses for presbyopia
By creating microlenses in the cornea and using lasers and scanners to form microlenses in the eye for both near and far vision correction, the problem of poor presbyopia treatment in existing technologies has been solved, achieving clear vision for both near and far vision simultaneously.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ALCON INC
- Filing Date
- 2021-12-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
Existing treatments for presbyopia are sometimes unable to provide satisfactory near and distance vision correction, especially for patients with presbyopia.
By creating microlenses in the cornea of the eye, a laser beam is focused in the xy plane and z direction using a laser source and scanner, and the microlens design is determined by computer, forming a microlens with a central portion and a peripheral portion. The central portion provides near vision correction, and the peripheral portion provides distance vision correction.
It achieves clear vision for both near and far vision simultaneously in the eye, reduces damage to other tissues, and improves the visual quality of presbyopic patients.
Smart Images
Figure CN116634974B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates generally to ophthalmic surgical systems, and more particularly to ophthalmic surgical systems for creating microlenses for presbyopia. Background Technology
[0002] The eye's lens changes shape to focus light onto the retina, allowing us to see both near and far objects. In youth, the lens is soft and flexible, easily changing shape. Presbyopia typically occurs after age 40, when the lens becomes more rigid and less able to reshape. This causes the eye to focus light behind the retina rather than directly on it when viewing near objects, thus reducing near vision.
[0003] There are approximately 1.7 billion people worldwide suffering from presbyopia, with about one-third of the population in the United States affected. Treatments for presbyopia include lenses (e.g., eyeglasses and contact lenses), implants (intraocular lenses (IOLs), scleral implants, and corneal inlays), and surgery (corneal transplants and refractive surgeries). However, current treatments do not always provide satisfactory results in certain situations. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In some embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical system for creating a microlens in the cornea of the eye includes controllable components (including a laser source and a scanner) and a computer. The laser source generates a laser beam with ultrashort pulses, wherein the propagation direction of the laser beam defines the z-axis. The scanner guides the focal point of the laser beam in an xy-plane orthogonal to the z-axis and in a z-direction parallel to the z-axis. The computer determines a microlens design having a posterior and anterior side. The anterior or posterior side has a central portion and a peripheral portion. The microlens design is formed using a primary and a secondary microlens, wherein the primary microlens is designed to correct for emmetropia. The microlens design is formed by subtracting the secondary microlens from the primary microlens, wherein subtracting the secondary microlens produces the central portion. The computer instructs one or more of the controllable components to perform the following actions to create the microlens: create the posterior side of the microlens according to the microlens design; and create the anterior side of the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0005] The embodiments may exclude the following features or may include one, some, or all of the following features:
[0006] The central portion is spherically concave relative to the surface of the cornea.
[0007] The diameter of the sub-lens is 1 to 4 millimeters.
[0008] The thickness of the center of the sub-lens is 5 to 50 micrometers.
[0009] The primary lens is designed to treat myopia, and the thickness of the center of the primary lens is greater than the thickness of the periphery of the primary lens.
[0010] The primary lens is designed to treat farsightedness, and the thickness of the periphery of the primary lens is greater than the thickness of the center of the primary lens.
[0011] The primary lens includes a parallel layer to facilitate the removal of the secondary lens. The parallel layer facilitates the removal of the secondary lens and creates a central buffer zone. The computer can determine the thickness of the parallel layer by: determining the thickest portion of the secondary lens; determining the thickness of the primary lens at the thickest portion of the secondary lens; determining the additional thickness required for the primary lens to allow for the removal of the secondary lens; and calculating the thickness of the parallel layer based on the additional thickness. The computer can determine the additional thickness required for the primary lens to allow for the removal of the secondary lens and create a central buffer zone.
[0012] The computer is further configured to: generate a laser focused spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design; and align the laser focused spot pattern with respect to the xy position of the viewing axis to create the microlens.
[0013] The computer is further configured to: generate a laser focused spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design, wherein the dots of the laser focused spot pattern represent the center of the central portion; determine the xy position of the visual axis of the eye; and align the dots of the laser focused spot pattern with respect to the xy position of the visual axis to create the microlens.
[0014] In some embodiments, a method for creating a microlens in the cornea of an eye includes: generating a laser beam having a plurality of ultrashort pulses via a laser source in one or more controllable components, the propagation direction of the laser beam defining a z-axis; guiding the focal point of the laser beam in an xy-plane orthogonal to the z-axis and in a z-direction parallel to the z-axis via a scanner in one or more controllable components; and determining a microlens design for the microlens via a computer, the microlens having a posterior side and an anterior side, the posterior side or anterior side having a central portion and a peripheral portion, the microlens design being formed using a primary microlens and a secondary microlens, the primary microlens being designed to correct for emmetropia, the microlens design being formed by subtracting the secondary microlens from the primary microlens, the subtraction of the secondary microlens producing the central portion. The method further includes instructing one or more controllable components via a computer to perform the following actions to create the microlens: creating the posterior side of the microlens according to the microlens design; and creating the anterior side of the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0015] The embodiments may exclude the following features or may include one, some, or all of the following features:
[0016] The central portion is spherically concave relative to the surface of the cornea.
[0017] The diameter of the sub-lens is 1 to 4 millimeters.
[0018] The thickness of the center of the sub-lens is 5 to 50 micrometers.
[0019] The primary lens includes parallel layers to facilitate the removal of the secondary lens.
[0020] The method further includes: generating a laser focusing spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design by computer; and aligning the laser focusing spot pattern with respect to the xy position of the visual axis by computer to create the microlens.
[0021] The method further includes: generating a laser focused spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design, wherein the dots of the laser focused spot pattern represent the center of the central portion; determining the xy position of the visual axis of the eye; and aligning the dots of the laser focused spot pattern with respect to the xy position of the visual axis to create a microlens.
[0022] In some embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical system for creating microlenses in the cornea of the eye includes controllable components (including a laser source and a scanner) and a computer. The laser source generates a laser beam with ultrashort pulses, wherein the propagation direction of the laser beam defines the z-axis. The scanner guides the focal point of the laser beam in an xy-plane orthogonal to the z-axis and in a z-direction parallel to the z-axis. The computer determines a microlens design having a posterior and anterior side. The anterior or posterior side has a central portion and a peripheral portion. The microlens design is formed using a primary lenticule and a secondary lenticule, wherein the primary lenticule is designed to correct for emmetropia. The primary lenticule includes parallel layers to accommodate the removal of the secondary lenticule and create a central buffer zone. The secondary lenticule has a diameter of 1 to 4 millimeters and a central thickness of 5 to 50 micrometers. The microlens design is formed by subtracting the secondary lenticule from the primary lenticule, wherein subtracting the secondary lenticule creates a central portion that is spherically concave relative to the surface of the cornea. The computer generates a laser focused spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design, determines the xy position of the eye's visual axis, and aligns the laser focused spot pattern relative to the xy position of the visual axis. The computer instructs one or more controllable components to perform the following operations to create the microlens: create the rear side of the microlens according to the microlens design; and create the front side of the microlens according to the microlens design. Attached Figure Description
[0023] Figure 1 Examples of ophthalmic surgical systems configured to create microlenses in the cornea to treat presbyopia, according to certain embodiments, are shown;
[0024] Figure 2A and Figure 2B It shows that it can be made by Figure 1 An example of a microlens created by a system;
[0025] Figure 3A , Figure 3B and Figure 3C Showing Figure 1 The system can be used to create examples of microlens designs for the correction of myopia and presbyopia;
[0026] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Showing Figure 1 The system can be used to create examples of microlens designs for correcting farsightedness and presbyopia;
[0027] Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D Showing Figure 1 The system can be used to create examples of microlens designs for low-refractive correction of myopia and presbyopia; and
[0028] Figure 6 It is shown that, according to certain embodiments, it can be made by Figure 1 The system executes a method for creating microlenses in the cornea. Detailed Implementation
[0029] Example embodiments of the disclosed devices, systems, and methods are now shown in detail with reference to the specification and accompanying drawings. The specification and drawings are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit the claims to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings and disclosed in the specification. Although the drawings illustrate possible embodiments, they are not necessarily drawn to scale, and certain features may be simplified, exaggerated, removed, or partially cut out to better illustrate the embodiments.
[0030] Typically, ophthalmic surgical systems create microlenses within the cornea of the eye. These microlenses have a central portion designed for near vision and a peripheral portion for distance vision. The microlenses are then removed from the cornea to reshape it. The resulting central portion of the cornea provides near vision, and the peripheral portion provides distance vision.
[0031] Figure 1 An example of an ophthalmic surgical system 10, configured according to certain embodiments, to create microlenses in the cornea of eye 22 to treat presbyopia is illustrated. In an embodiment, a computer of system 10 determines a microlens design, wherein the microlens has a central portion and a peripheral portion on its posterior and / or anterior sides. The microlens design is formed by subtracting a secondary lenticule from a primary lenticule. The primary lenticule is designed to correct emmetropia. Removing the secondary lenticule creates a concave central portion to provide near vision correction. The computer instructs one or more controllable components of system 10 to create the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0032] In the example shown, system 10 includes a laser device 15, a patient interface 20, a camera 38, and a control computer 30 coupled as shown. The laser device 15 includes controllable components coupled as shown, which can be controlled by a computer (e.g., computer 30), such as a laser source 12, a scanner 16, one or more optical elements 17, and / or a focusing lens 18. Computer 30 includes logic 31 coupled as shown, a memory 32 (which stores computer programs 34), and a display 36. Patient interface 20 includes a contact portion 24 (having an abutment surface 26) coupled as shown, and a sleeve 28.
[0033] According to the example in the operational overview, laser source 12 generates a laser beam with ultrashort pulses, wherein the propagation direction of the laser beam defines the z-axis and / or the z-direction. Scanner 16 guides the focal point of the laser beam in an xy-plane orthogonal to the z-axis. Objective lens 18 focuses the focal point toward the cornea of eye 22. Computer 30 uses primary and secondary microlenses to determine the microlens design. Computer 30 also instructs one or more controllable components of system 10 to create the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0034] In the steering system 10, the laser source 12 generates a laser beam with ultrashort pulses. An ultrashort pulse is a light pulse with a duration less than a nanosecond (e.g., on the order of picoseconds, femtoseconds, or attoseconds). The laser beam can have any suitable wavelength, such as wavelengths in the range of 300 to 1500 nanometers (nm), for example, 300 to 650 nm, 650 to 1050 nm, 1050 to 1250 nm, and / or wavelengths in the range of 1250 to 1500 nm, for example, 340 to 350 nm, or 345 nm ± 1 nm. The focal point of the laser beam can create laser-induced optical breakdown (LIOB) in tissue (e.g., the cornea) to produce photodestruction within the tissue. The laser beam can be precisely focused to produce precise photodestruction, which can reduce or avoid unwanted damage to other tissues.
[0035] Scanner 16 guides the focal point of the laser beam longitudinally and laterally. The longitudinal direction refers to the direction in which the laser beam propagates, i.e., the z-direction. Scanner 16 can guide the laser beam longitudinally in any suitable manner. For example, scanner 16 may include a longitudinally adjustable lens, a lens with variable refractive power, or a deformable mirror that can control the z-position of the focal point. The lateral direction refers to the direction orthogonal to the beam propagation direction, i.e., the x-direction and y-direction. Scanner 16 can guide the laser beam laterally in any suitable manner. For example, scanner 16 may include a pair of galvanometer-actuated scanner mirrors that can tilt about mutually perpendicular axes. As another example, scanner 16 may include an electro-optic crystal that can electro-optically manipulate the laser beam.
[0036] One or more optical elements 17 direct the laser beam toward a focusing objective 18. Optical elements 17 can act (e.g., transmit, reflect, refract, diffract, collimate, adjust, shape, focus, modulate, and / or otherwise act on) the laser beam. Examples of optical elements include lenses, prisms, mirrors, diffractive optics (DOE), holographic optics (HOE), and spatial light modulators (SLM). In this example, optical element 17 is a mirror. The focusing objective 18 focuses the laser beam toward a point on the eye 22 via the patient interface 20. In this example, focusing objective 18 is an objective, such as an f-θ objective.
[0037] The patient interface 20 abuts against the cornea of the eye 22 to couple the eye 22 to the laser device 15. In this example, the patient interface 20 has a sleeve 28 coupled to a contact portion 24. The sleeve 28 is detachably coupled to a focusing objective lens 18. The contact portion 24 may be semi-transparent or transparent to the laser beam and has an abutment surface 26 that abuts against the cornea. The abutment surface 26 may have any suitable shape, such as planar, convex, or concave.
[0038] Camera 38 records images of the movement of eye 22 (including the movement of markers created within eye 22). Examples of camera 38 include video cameras, optical coherence tomography (OCT) cameras, or eye-tracking cameras. Camera 38 transmits image data representing the recorded images of eye 22 to computer 30. Computer 30 can use the image data to, for example, facilitate the creation of microlenses.
[0039] Computer 30 determines the microlens design of the microlens. In some embodiments, computer 30 can determine the microlens design by determining a primary microlens and a secondary microlens and subtracting the secondary microlens from the primary microlens. In these embodiments, computer 30 determines the microlens design of the microlens having a rear side and a front side. The front side and / or the rear side has a central portion and a peripheral portion. The microlens design is formed using the primary microlens and the secondary microlens. The primary microlens is designed to correct for emmetropy. The microlens design is formed by subtracting the secondary microlens from the primary microlens. The computer also instructs one or more controllable components of system 10 to perform the following operations to create the microlens: create the rear side of the microlens according to the microlens design; and create the front side of the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0040] In other embodiments, computer 30 may determine the microlens design by retrieving the design from memory 32, wherein the design is determined based on the primary and secondary microlenses as described above.
[0041] In some embodiments, computer 30 generates a laser-focused spot pattern corresponding to a microlens design and / or aligns the spot pattern relative to the eye's axis (e.g., optical axis or visual axis) to create a microlens. Computer 30 can generate a 3D spot pattern by calculating surfaces corresponding to the microlens described by the microlens design and then determining the laser spot that generates these surfaces. In some cases, a specific point in the laser-focused spot pattern represents the center of the central portion. Computer 30 can align the spot pattern relative to the eye's axis by receiving measurements or coordinates (e.g., xy coordinates) that identify the axis position and then aligning the spot pattern with that axis. In some embodiments, computer 30 can determine the xy position of the visual axis according to the methods described in U.S. Patent Application Nos. 63 / 010293 (filed April 15, 2020) and 63 / 033327 (filed June 2, 2020). In some cases, computer 30 can align a specific point representing the center of the central portion with the xy position of the visual axis.
[0042] Computer 30 controls controllable components (e.g., laser source 12, scanner 16, optical element 17, and / or focusing lens 18) to create microlenses by light-induced ablation of corneal tissue, according to instructions (which may be stored in computer program 34). In some embodiments, computer 30 instructs the controllable components of system 10 to create the rear side of the microlens according to the microlens design and the front side of the microlens according to the microlens design.
[0043] Figure 2A and Figure 2B It shows that it can be made by Figure 1 An example of a microlens 50 created by System 10. Figure 2A The microlens 50 created in the cornea 52 is shown. Figure 2B The cornea 52 is shown after the removal of the microlens 50. The microlens 50 has an anterior side 56 and a posterior side 58. The anterior side 56 and / or the posterior side 58 may have a central portion 55 and a peripheral portion 57. The central portion 55 is substantially centered on the center of the microlens 50, and the peripheral portion 57 extends from the central portion 55 to the edge of the microlens 50. In some embodiments, the central portion 55 provides near vision correction, while the peripheral portion 57 provides distance vision correction.
[0044] The center of the microlens 50 is thinner, so removing the microlens 50 will create a bulge at the central portion 55. After removal, the epithelium above the central portion 55 may become thinner. This thinning of the epithelium is called "epithelial compensation." Epithelial compensation is an inherent property of the epithelium that helps smooth the anterior surface of the cornea to maintain good optical quality. Epithelial thinning usually reduces the height of the central bulge, but does not eliminate it.
[0045] The design of the central portion 55 is determined by removing the secondary lenticule from the primary lenticule. In some embodiments, removing the secondary lenticule produces a central portion 55 that is concave relative to the corneal surface, and may be spherically concave. The concave central portion 55 provides near vision correction in the central part of the visual field of the eye 22.
[0046] The primary and secondary lenticules can have any suitable size and / or shape, and the computer 30 can determine the dimensions of the primary and secondary lenticules in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, the computer 30 can receive information describing refractive correction and determine the dimensions based on that information. In embodiments, the computer 30 can calculate the dimensions of the primary lenticule based on information describing distance vision correction. In some examples, the diameter of the primary lenticule is 4 to 11 mm (e.g., 6 to 9 mm), and the preoperative depth of the posterior 58 is 90 to 300 micrometers. In some examples, a thickness of 14 to 18 micrometers corresponds to approximately 1 diopter of correction; for example, 14 to 18 micrometers corresponds to -1 diopter of correction, 30 to 36 micrometers corresponds to -2 diopter of correction, and so on. The location of the thickness (e.g., the center or periphery of the microlens) depends on whether the correction is for myopia or hyperopia. Figures 3A to 5D As described in the text.
[0047] In some embodiments, the primary lens can be designed to correct myopia or hyperopia to emmetropia. Emmetropia is a visual state in which distant objects at infinity are clearly focused, and the eye's lens is in a neutral or relaxed state. Emmetropia can be within the range of +1 to -1 diopters. Figures 3A to 5D Examples of master lenses used for myopia and hyperopia correction are described in the text.
[0048] In an embodiment, computer 30 can calculate the size of the minor lens based on information describing near vision correction. In some examples, the minor lens has a diameter of 1 to 4 millimeters (e.g., 1 to 2 millimeters, 2 to 3 millimeters, and / or 3 to 4 millimeters), and a central thickness of 5 to 50 micrometers (e.g., 5 to 10 micrometers, 10 to 20 micrometers, 20 to 30 micrometers, 30 to 40 micrometers, and / or 40 to 50 micrometers). Generally, a minor lens with a larger central thickness provides greater correction for presbyopia. In an example, a minor lens with a spherical shape, a diameter of 2 millimeters, and a central thickness of 30 micrometers increases the diopter by 2.5 to 4.0 diopters.
[0049] Figures 3A to 3C Showing Figure 1 The system 10 can be used to create an example of a microlens design 53 (53a) for microlens 50 for myopia and presbyopia correction. Figure 3AA primary microlens 54 (54a) is shown, which forms the body of the microlens 50. In the example shown, the primary microlens 54a corrects myopia. Accordingly, the curvature of the anterior side 56a of the primary microlens 54a is greater than that of the posterior side 58a, making the center of the primary microlens 54a thicker than the periphery. In some examples, a thickness of 14 to 18 micrometers at the center corresponds to a correction of approximately 1 diopter.
[0050] Figure 3B A sub-microlens 60 (60a) is shown, which is removed from the main microlens 52 to produce the final microlens design 53. In the example shown, the diameter d of the sub-microlens is 1 to 4 mm, and the thickness t at the center of the sub-microlens is 5 to 50 micrometers. Figure 3C The final microlens design 53a is shown after removing the secondary microlens 60a from the primary microlens 52a, which produces a concave central portion 62a (i.e., concave relative to the corneal surface).
[0051] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Showing Figure 1 System 10 can be used to create examples of microlens designs 53 (53b) for microlenses 50 used for correction of hyperopia and presbyopia. In the example shown, the primary microlens 54b corrects hyperopia. Accordingly, the curvature of the posterior side 58b of the primary microlens 54b is greater than the curvature of the anterior side 56b of the primary microlens 54b, making the periphery of the primary microlens 54a thicker than the center. The “periphery” can encompass the edge of the primary microlens 54b and the area near the edge, for example, within 5 millimeters of the edge. In some examples, a thickness difference of 14 to 18 micrometers between the center and the peripheral edge corresponds to a correction of approximately 1 diopter.
[0052] Figure 4B A secondary microlens 60 (60b) is shown, which is removed from the primary microlens 52b to produce the final microlens design 53b. Removing the secondary microlens 60b from the primary microlens 52b produces a concave central portion 62b (i.e., concave relative to the corneal surface).
[0053] Figures 5A to 5D Showing Figure 1 The system 10 can be used to create examples of microlens designs 53 (53c) for microlenses 50 for low refractive power correction of myopia and presbyopia. Figure 5A and Figure 5BA primary microlens 54c for low refractive power correction (e.g., less than -3 diopters) and a secondary microlens 60c to be removed are shown. The low-diopter primary microlens 54c may be very thin, even at its center. In some cases, the center of the low-diopter primary microlens 54c may be thinner than the thickness t of the secondary microlens 60c to be removed, or it may not allow for sufficient residual buffer space after removal. The buffer space may be an area of sufficient thickness (e.g., greater than 5 or 10 micrometers) to allow, for example, removal of the microlens 50 without tearing it. A central buffer space may be a buffer located in the central region of the microlens 50.
[0054] Figure 5C A parallel layer 64c is shown added to the rear side 58c of the low-diopter primary lens 54c. The parallel layer 64c is a substantially uniform thickness layer that provides thickness and optional buffer space to allow efficient removal of the secondary lens 60c, and has substantially no refractive power. In some embodiments, the front and rear sides of the parallel layer 64c may be parallel. In embodiments, the thickness of the parallel layer 64c can be determined by: (1) determining the thickest portion of the secondary lens 60c; (2) determining the thickness of the primary lens 54c at that location; and (3) calculating the additional thickness required for the primary lens 54c to allow removal of the secondary lens, thereby creating an optional buffer space of at least, for example, 5 or 10 micrometers.
[0055] Figure 5D The final microlens design 53c is shown after the parallel layer 64c is added to the main microlens 54c and the sub-microlens 60c is removed from the main microlens 54c. The parallel layer 64c allows the sub-microlens 60c to be removed while leaving a remaining buffer zone 59.
[0056] Figure 6 It is shown that, according to certain embodiments, it can be made by Figure 1 The system 10 executes a method for creating a microlens in the cornea of the eye. The method begins at step 110, where the computer 30 receives surgical input describing a surgical procedure for creating the microlens. The surgical input may include information that the computer 30 can use to retrieve or calculate information describing the microlens design. The surgical input may describe the patient's eye, such as spherical deviation, cylindrical deviation, the axis of the cylindrical deviation, the added power (spherical deviation for reading distance correction), and / or the xy position of the visual axis.
[0057] In step 112, computer 30 determines the microlens design based on the surgical input. In step 113, the microlens design may be stored, or it may need to be calculated. If the microlens design is stored in step 113, the method proceeds to step 114, where computer 30 retrieves the stored microlens design. The method then proceeds to step 126, where computer 30 begins creating the microlens.
[0058] If no microlens design is stored in step 113, the method proceeds to steps 116 through 124, in which computer 30 calculates the microlens design. In step 116, computer 30 determines the primary microlens. In some cases, the primary microlens may be designed to treat myopia, and the curvature of the anterior side of the primary microlens is greater than the curvature of the posterior side. In other cases, the primary microlens may be designed to treat hyperopia, and the curvature of the posterior side of the primary microlens is greater than the curvature of the anterior side. In step 117, computer 30 determines the secondary microlens. The secondary microlens may have any suitable shape and / or size. In some examples, the diameter of the secondary microlens is 1 to 4 millimeters, and the thickness at the center of the secondary microlens is 5 to 50 micrometers.
[0059] In step 118, the primary microlens may produce a thin microlens that is insufficient to satisfy the removal of the secondary microlens, resulting in a residual buffer. If a thin microlens is produced in the primary microlens in step 118, the method proceeds to step 120, where the computer 30 adds a parallel layer to the primary microlens, and then proceeds to step 124. If no thin microlens is produced in the primary microlens in step 118, the method proceeds directly to step 124. In step 124, the computer 30 subtracts the secondary microlens from the primary microlens to determine the microlens design.
[0060] In step 126, the computer 30 aligns the xy position of the spot pattern of the microlens design with the visual axis of the eye. In some embodiments, the computer 30 can determine the spot pattern by calculating the surfaces corresponding to the microlenses described by the microlens design and then determining the coordinates of the laser spots that generate these surfaces. In some embodiments, the computer 30 can align the spot pattern relative to the axis of the eye (e.g., the optical axis or visual axis) by receiving measurements or coordinates of the identification axis position and then aligning the spot pattern with that axis.
[0061] In step 128, the computer 30 instructs the controllable components to create the rear side of the microlens. In step 130, the computer 30 instructs the controllable components to create the front side of the microlens. The method then ends.
[0062] Components of the systems and devices disclosed herein (such as control computers) may include interfaces, logic, and / or memory, any of which may include computer hardware and / or software. Interfaces may receive input to and / or send output from components and are typically used to exchange information between, for example, software, hardware, peripherals, users, and combinations thereof. User interfaces (e.g., graphical user interfaces (GUIs)) are types of interfaces that users can use to interact with a computer. Examples of user interfaces include displays, touchscreens, keyboards, mice, gesture sensors, microphones, and speakers.
[0063] Logic can perform operations on components. Logic may include one or more electronic devices that process data (e.g., execute instructions to generate outputs from inputs). Examples of such electronic devices include computers, processors, microprocessors (e.g., central processing units (CPUs)), and computer chips. Logic may include computer software that encodes instructions executable by electronic devices to perform operations. Examples of computer software include computer programs, applications, and operating systems.
[0064] Memory can store information and may include tangible, computer-readable, and / or computer-executable storage media. Examples of memory include computer memory (e.g., random access memory (RAM) or read-only memory (ROM)), mass storage media (e.g., hard disk), removable storage media (e.g., optical disc (CD) or digital video or universal disc (DVD)), databases, network storage devices (e.g., servers), and / or other computer-readable media. Specific embodiments may be directed to memory encoded with computer software.
[0065] Although this disclosure has been described with reference to certain embodiments, modifications to the embodiments (such as alterations, substitutions, additions, omissions, and / or other modifications) will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Therefore, modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, modifications can be made to the systems and devices disclosed herein. Components of the systems and devices may be integral or separate, or the operation of the systems and devices may be performed by more, fewer, or other components, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. As another example, modifications can be made to the methods disclosed herein. These methods may include more, fewer, or other steps, and these steps may be performed in any suitable order, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0066] To assist the Patent Office and readers in interpreting the claims, the applicant notes that they do not intend for any claim or claim element to invoke 35 U.SC §112(f) unless the terms “means for…” or “steps for…” are expressly used in a particular claim. The applicant understands that the use of any other terms within the claims (e.g., “mechanism,” “module,” “device,” “unit,” “component,” “element,” “building block,” “device,” “machine,” “system,” “processor,” or “controller”) refers to structures known to a person skilled in the art and is not intended to invoke 35 U.SC §112(f).
Claims
1. An ophthalmic surgical system for creating microlenses in the cornea of the eye, the ophthalmic surgical system comprising: Multiple controllable components, the multiple controllable components including: A laser source configured to generate a laser beam having multiple ultrashort pulses, the propagation direction of the laser beam defining the z-axis; and A scanner configured to guide the focal point of the laser beam in an xy plane orthogonal to the z-axis and in a z-direction parallel to the z-axis; Computer, the computer is configured to: The microlens design is determined, the microlens having a rear side and a front side, the front side having a central portion and a peripheral portion, the microlens design being formed by the following method: A primary lens is determined, which is designed to correct for orthographic vision; A sub-microlens is identified, which is designed for near vision correction; The central portion is generated by subtracting the sub-minimum lens from the main minimum lens; and Instruct one or more of the controllable components to perform the following operations to create the microlens: The rear side of the microlens is created according to the microlens design; and The front side of the microlens is created according to the microlens design.
2. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 1, wherein, The central portion is spherically concave relative to the surface of the cornea.
3. The ophthalmic surgical system as described in claim 1, wherein, The diameter of the sub-lens is 1 to 4 millimeters.
4. The ophthalmic surgical system as described in claim 1, wherein, The thickness of the center of the sub-lens is 5 to 50 micrometers.
5. The ophthalmic surgical system as described in claim 1, wherein, The primary microlens is designed to treat myopia, and the thickness of the center of the primary microlens is greater than the thickness of the periphery of the primary microlens.
6. The ophthalmic surgical system as described in claim 1, wherein, The primary microlens is designed to treat farsightedness, and the thickness of the periphery of the primary microlens is greater than the thickness of the center of the primary microlens.
7. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 1, wherein, The main microlens includes a parallel layer to facilitate the removal of the sub-microlens.
8. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 7, wherein, The parallel layer satisfies the removal of the sub-microlens and creates a central buffer zone.
9. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to determine the thickness of the parallel layer in the following manner: Determine the thickest part of the sub-lens; Determine the thickness of the main small lens at the thickest part of the secondary small lens; Determine the additional thickness required for the primary lens to allow for the removal of the secondary lens; as well as The thickness of the parallel layer is calculated based on the additional thickness.
10. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 9, wherein, Determining the additional thickness required for the primary lens to allow removal of the secondary lens further includes: Determine the additional thickness required for the primary lens to allow removal of the secondary lens and create a central buffer zone.
11. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to: Generate a laser focusing spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design; and The laser focused spot pattern is aligned with the xy position relative to the visual axis to create the microlens.
12. The ophthalmic surgical system of claim 1, wherein the computer is further configured to: Generate a laser focusing spot pattern corresponding to the microlens design, wherein the dots in the laser focusing spot pattern represent the center of the central portion; Determine the xy position of the visual axis of the eye; and The points of the laser focused spot pattern are aligned with the xy position relative to the line of sight to create the microlens.