Device and method for material processing using a transparent contact element

Abstract

Method for preparing a device (1) for material processing by generating optical breakthroughs in or on an object (18), which device has a variable, three-dimensional focus adjustment device (6, 11) for focusing pulsed processing laser radiation on different locations in or on the object (18), wherein - a contact element (19) which is transparent to the processing laser radiation and is to be placed on the object (18) is attached to the device, said contact element having a contact surface (20) on its side to be placed on the object (2) and an entry surface for the processing laser radiation opposite said contact surface, - before processing the object (18), the position of the entry or contact surface (20, 30) relative to the focus adjustment device (6, 11) is determined by irradiating measuring laser radiation (4), wherein the energy density of the focused measuring laser radiation (3) is too low to produce an optical breakthrough, and the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) is adjusted in a measuring surface (23), and radiation backscattered or reflected from the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) is confocally detected, - wherein the surface (20, 30) has a directly known shape or a shape from a group of known shapes, characterized in that a) measuring laser radiation (4) is focused by means of the variable focus adjustment device (6, 11) near or onto the surface (20, 30) so that the measuring surface (20) intersects the expected position of the surface (20, 30), b) the position of intersection points (26) between the measuring surface (23) and the surface (20, 30) is determined from the confocally detected radiation and the associated setting of the variable focus adjustment device (6, 11), wherein, if necessary, step a) is repeated several times with a changed measuring surface (23) until a certain number of intersection points (26) has been detected, c) in the case of the directly known shape of the surface (20, 30), the position of the surface (20, 30) is determined from the position of the intersection points (26) and the known shape, and in the case of the group of known shapes, the shape of the surface (20, 30) is determined from the position of the intersection points (26).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a method for preparing a device for material processing by creating optical breakthroughs in or on an object, which device has a variable, three-dimensional focus adjustment device for focusing pulsed processing laser radiation on different locations in or on the object, wherein a contact element which is transparent to the processing laser radiation and which is to be placed on the object is fastened to the device and which has a contact surface on its side to be placed on the object and an entry surface opposite this for the processing laser radiation.The invention further relates to a material processing device with a processing laser that provides pulsed processing laser radiation, an optical device for focusing the processing laser radiation in or on an object to be processed in such a way that optical breakthroughs are created in the focus, a focus adjustment device for variably adjusting the focus position in or on the object, a contact element that can be fastened to the device for placement on the object, which contact element has a contact surface that can be placed on the object and an entry surface for the processing laser radiation that is opposite this contact surface.

[0002] In material processing, a laser processing device is often used to scan the areas of the object to be processed with a processing laser beam. The accuracy of the positioning of the laser beam generally determines the precision achieved during processing. If the laser beam is focused into a processing volume, exact three-dimensional positioning is required. For high-precision processing, it is therefore generally essential to hold the object in a precisely defined position relative to the laser processing device. The contact element mentioned above is used for such applications, as it can be used to fix the object to be processed, thereby achieving defined relationships up to the processing volume. The contact element thus becomes part of the beam path of the processing laser radiation, as is also known from DE 102004009212 A1.

[0003] This is particularly necessary for the micromachining of materials that exhibit only low linear optical absorption in the spectral range of the laser radiation being processed. For such materials, nonlinear interactions between laser radiation and material are typically exploited, usually in the form of an optical breakthrough generated at the focus of high-energy laser radiation. Since the machining effect then only occurs at the laser beam focus, it is essential to precisely align the focus position in three dimensions. In addition to a two-dimensional deflection of the laser beam, a precise depth adjustment of the focus position is therefore required. The contact element serves to ensure constant and, with a certain degree of accuracy, known optical conditions in the beam path to the object by mechanically coupling the object and the laser processing device and also imparting a shape with a known optical effect to the object surface.

[0004] A typical application for such a contact lens is the ophthalmic surgical procedure known as femtosecond LASIK (LASIK), in which a laser processing device, designed as a therapy device, focuses a laser beam into the cornea to a focus on the order of a micrometer. A plasma is then created at the focus, causing a local separation of the corneal tissue. By appropriately arranging the local separation zones created in this way, microscopic sections are realized, for example, isolating a specific corneal volume.

[0005] The position of the contact element is crucial for the accuracy of this method and is therefore discussed in many different ways in the literature regarding position determination: US 6373571 B1 discloses a contact lens provided with reference marks. This contact lens is adjusted using a separate measuring device, which necessitates a relatively complex design. Another example of a contact element is described in EP 1159986 A2. It is similar to the contact lens of US 6373571 B1, but additionally has an edge in the form of a holder with line marks that allow the surgeon to visually align. However, this is generally too imprecise.

[0006] Since the contact element usually comes into contact with the object being processed, it is usually necessary to use a separate, new adapter for each object. This is particularly important for sterility reasons during ophthalmic surgery. Consequently, the contact element must be attached to the laser processing device, which is then configured, for example, as a therapy device, before each processing operation or surgical intervention. WO 03 / 002008 A1 discloses holding the contact lens in a clamp-like device that is locked to the laser processing device. The locking mechanism is provided by a collar guided in a rail. The adapter is inserted with a positive fit perpendicular to the optical axis.DE 19831674 A1 describes the use of a mechanical coupling mechanism in which a metal rod attached at an oblique angle to a contact lens frame is held in a sleeve by a magnet or electromagnet. However, these attachments do not determine the position of the contact element with sufficient precision.

[0007] From WO 05 / 039462 A1, it is further known to provide a contact lens with position marks and to expand the laser treatment device with a confocal detector unit, which, in conjunction with irradiated measuring laser radiation, allows the position of the marks to be detected and the position of the contact lens to be determined from this. The accuracy with which the position of the contact lens is known is thus better than the accuracy provided by the fastening mechanism, as described, for example, in DE 10354025 A1, and the manufacturing tolerances of the contact lens. The use of position marks is also known from the generic DE 10349296 A1 and DE 10349297 A1. There, reference structures are provided within the contact lens, which serve to determine the position or the contract lens type.

[0008] WO 04 / 032810 A2 also pursues the goal of precisely determining the position of the contact lens. It describes a method and device of the type described above. To precisely determine the position of the contact surface of the contact lens that is pressed against the eye, the publication proposes utilizing the effect of the treatment laser on the contact surface. The treatment laser is controlled so that it is focused at a plurality of points and emits treatment laser radiation pulses. Those laser beam pulses that are focused onto the interface of the contact lens generate an optical breakthrough through nonlinear action, which manifests itself in a corresponding plasma spark. The detection of a spark thus allows the conclusion that the interface is located at the current focus position of the treatment laser beam.Determining a sufficient number of such points, which can be arranged, for example, in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the treatment laser beam, is then used to determine the position of the contact glass. In an alternative approach, the publication proposes exploiting non-linear effects on the contact glass that arise at lower energies of the treatment laser beam pulses, i.e., at energies at which no optical breakdown occurs. Such non-linear effects below the energy threshold for optical breakdown naturally only occur with certain contact element materials. The publication mentions non-linear effects in the form of the second harmonic of the irradiated treatment laser radiation or white light radiation. The measurement or detection of such radiation places high chromatic demands, since radiation of, for example, twice the irradiated frequency must be detected.This makes the optical system complex.

[0009] In a third approach, the aforementioned publication proposes detecting the position of the contact surface of the contact glass using an interference arrangement. However, the resulting interference patterns are generally unsuitable for adjustment or consideration by inexperienced users. They are extremely difficult to evaluate automatically. The concept of the prior art, to the extent that it is applicable, requires either the irradiation of high-energy laser radiation, which creates optical breakthroughs at the interface of the contact glass, which is disadvantageous from a radiation protection perspective, or relies on contact glass materials that exhibit a non-linear effect for the processing laser radiation.

[0010] In contact elements, the contact surface to be placed on the object is usually manufactured with high precision. The methods and devices mentioned in WO 04 / 032810 A2 therefore determine the position of the contact surface, which can be flat, for example.

[0011] DE 10244618 A1 describes the optical examination of layers.

[0012] The invention is based on the object of improving a method and a device of the type mentioned at the outset with regard to determining the position of the contact glass.

[0013] The invention is defined in the independent claims.

[0014] In a method for preparing a material processing device, radiation backscattered or reflected from the focus of the measuring laser radiation is confocally detected and the position of intersection points between the measuring surface and the entrance or contact surface is determined from the confocally detected radiation and the associated setting of the variable focus adjustment device, wherein if necessary the above step is repeated several times with a changed, in particular shifted, measuring surface until a certain number, preferably five, intersection points have been detected, the position of which is determined from the position of the intersection points and the previously known shape of the entrance or contact surface.

[0015] In a device of the type mentioned at the outset, a confocal detector device is provided which confocally detects radiation scattered or reflected back from the focus of the measuring laser radiation and supplies measuring signals to the control device, and the control device determines the position of intersection points between the measuring surface and the entrance or contact surface from the measuring signals, wherein the control device varies the measuring surface if necessary, in particular shifts it if no or too few intersection points occur, and which determines the position of the intersection points and the previously known shape of the entrance or contact surface.

[0016] The contact surface is naturally a consideration for position determination. If the geometry of the contact element between the entry surface and the contact surface is specified with sufficient precision, the determination of the entry surface position is also considered. Particularly with flat or spherical contact elements, the geometry between the entry surface and the contact surface can usually be adjusted so precisely during production that the entry surface position can also be determined for such contact elements. This has the advantage that a significant refractive index jump occurs at the entry surface, which is usually not contacted, regardless of whether the contact element is already placed on the object.

[0017] The invention therefore uses a linear interaction between the measuring radiation and the surface to be detected (i.e., the entrance or contact surface) for detection. The laser radiation does not need to be focused to an energy density that achieves optical breakthrough, nor does the material of the contact glass need to exhibit a non-linear interaction with the measuring laser radiation below the energy threshold for optical breakthrough. Furthermore, the optics used (e.g., a lens) only need to capture radiation of the same wavelength as the treatment radiation, which does not impose any new (chromatic) requirements. Thus, unlike the prior art, the detection task does not make the setup more complex or laborious.

[0018] The inventive approach serves to determine the exact position of the contact element (here also referred to as the contact glass). Since the interface of the contact glass is usually curved, its shape is usually described in a coordinate system that is related to the contact glass; in the case of a curved contact surface, for example, to a vertex or another distinct point of curvature. The material processing or the device for material processing, on the other hand, is operated with reference to a coordinate system that is referenced to the device itself. Determining the exact position of the contact or entry surface of the contact glass now makes it possible to align or match the coordinate system of the contact glass or its surface curvature to the coordinate system of the device or the material processing method, or to determine and take into account the offset between the two coordinate systems.

[0019] The measuring surface is selected so that it intersects the expected position of the contact element surface to be measured. The expected position is known in advance, since the contact lens is attached to the processing device before its position is determined. Due to the geometric relationships thus known, the range in which the position of the surface to be measured is expected is predetermined by the tolerances during the attachment and the possible variations that may arise during the production of the contact lens or between different types of contact lenses.

[0020] By adjusting the focus position of the measuring laser beam within the measurement area, points of intersection between the measurement area and the surface to be detected are searched for. Confocal detection allows for the clear detection of the refractive index jump that occurs on the surface of the contact lens, which is preferably not contacted at this point. If the focus within the measurement area is adjusted, a refractive index jump occurs whenever the focus is at an intersection point between the surface to be detected and the measurement area, resulting in a corresponding signal during confocal detection.

[0021] Confocal detection of backscattered or reflected measuring laser radiation advantageously utilizes the fact that the proportion of transmitted radiation backscattered at the interface of a transparent medium, which is detected confocally, is significantly higher than within the transparent medium. Due to the spatial filtering that occurs, confocal detection provides a sufficient signal, the strength of which depends essentially on the difference in refractive index of the media adjacent to one another at the contact surface. For example, it is greater for the transition from glass to air than for the transition from glass to tear fluid. When determining the position of the contact surface, it is therefore preferable to perform position detection before the contact element is placed on the object to be processed, e.g., the cornea.Since the energy of the measuring laser radiation does not result in any processing effect, it is of course also possible to determine the position of the surface after the contact element has been placed on the object, i.e., in the case of eye surgery, after it has been moistened with tear fluid.

[0022] Of course, the measurement surface does not have to be completely traversed by the focus adjustment. It is entirely sufficient if a sufficient number of points, i.e., a (sufficiently) dense trajectory, lies within the measurement surface. The condition to be met is that a sufficient number of intersection points are found to determine the position. If necessary, the number of points in the measurement surface must be increased. Furthermore, any two-dimensional manifold whose extent is such that it intersects the expected position of the known surface to be measured is sufficient for the measurement surface.

[0023] It is therefore preferable that the focus position be adjusted along a trajectory that lies within the measurement surface. The trajectory should be selected so that it intersects the desired surface of the contact lens, i.e., it should contain common points between the measurement surface and the surface in their expected position. In general, for a curved surface to be measured, it is sufficient if the trajectory provides at least five distinguishable intersection points between the measurement surface and the surface to be measured.

[0024] The position of this surface is then determined from the position of the intersection points, taking into account the previously known shape of the entrance or contact surface. For non-spherical surfaces, this may also include determining any tilt of the system's principal optical axis.

[0025] With a rotationally symmetrical surface, fewer intersection points are sufficient. For such surfaces, which are usually used with spherically curved contact elements, it is preferable for the measuring surface to be cylindrically symmetrical about the main optical axis of the processing laser beam, preferably in the shape of a cylindrical surface or a circular disk. A cylindrical surface is particularly advantageous because it has been shown that the z-coordinate, i.e. the coordinate along the main optical axis of the processing laser beam, is subject to particularly large fluctuations with regard to the fastening of the contact element and its manufacturing tolerances. If the measuring surface is formed as a cylindrical surface, this has the advantage that a particularly large area in the z-direction (along the main optical axis of the measuring or processing laser radiation) can be covered.The trajectory curve in this cylindrical surface can, for example, be designed as a spiral. Choosing a sufficiently small gradient for this spiral ensures that a sufficient number of intersection points and the (rotationally symmetric) area to be measured are present. If necessary, i.e., if there are insufficient intersection points (see above), the trajectory curve must be modified iteratively.

[0026] Detecting the surface becomes easier, of course, when the power of the measuring laser radiation is increased. An optimal signal-to-noise ratio is achieved with a pulse energy of approximately 20 nJ. The intensity of the measuring laser radiation, which can be applied in pulsed form, is selected so that no optical breakdown occurs at the focus. Therefore, a pulse energy of less than 300 nJ is preferred for pulsed measuring laser radiation. This value represents an upper limit that should not be exceeded to prevent optical breakdown or other nonlinear processing effects on the contact element.

[0027] In general, the use of the lowest possible measuring laser radiation power is recommended to minimize radiation exposure for users and third parties. Of course, not only the pulse energy but also the pulse frequency is relevant here, as both together determine the dose. For a pulse frequency between 50 and 500 kHz, an upper limit of 10 nJ, or even 5 nJ, is advantageous, since at typical wavelengths between 1,000 nm and 1,060 nm, the maximum radiation power that can be focused onto the retina by the eye lens of an observer remains within the harmless range.

[0028] A processing effect on a transparent object can be achieved through optical breakthrough. However, it is also possible to achieve a processing effect by repeatedly introducing laser radiation pulses into a specific volume element within a specific time interval, which are below the threshold for optical breakthrough. This effect is usually explained by the fact that the pulse energy EPULS of the laser radiation can accumulate in the volume within a relatively short period of time, thus leading to a processing effect. To avoid this, the number of laser pulses emitted as measuring laser radiation within less than 20 seconds should not exceed a certain number within the maximum extent of the volume. Denoting the maximum extent of the trajectory curve as D and the pulse frequency as f, the inequality results: f < 20 Hz * ((D / EPULS) * (1 µJ / 1 mm)) 4The maximum extension D is the extension of the trajectory curve at which it would appear as a luminous object to an observer capable of perceiving the spectral range of the measuring laser radiation (with appropriate spatial resolution). D should be at least 1 µm, but not more than 20 mm. These dimensions result from the possible deviations from the expected position of the area being searched for.

[0029] The aforementioned inequality also takes into account the maximum radiation exposure from the measuring laser radiation. Since the maximum dimension of the object is factored into this inequality to the fourth power, this can be significantly reduced by appropriately selecting the trajectory, especially its lateral dimension.

[0030] For even greater safety for users or third parties, a protective device can be used during position determination to absorb any measuring laser radiation transmitted through the contact element. For example, a protective cap can be placed on the contact element on the side opposite the incident side of the measuring laser radiation. To maintain a refractive index jump at the contact surface, the protective cap preferably does not contact the contact surface. This is also advantageous for sterility reasons. Alternatively or additionally, a cover mechanism integrated into the processing device can be used and activated, e.g., by pivoting in.

[0031] Particularly in laser surgery, various contact elements are often used that differ in terms of the geometry of their entry and / or contact surface. A distinguishing parameter can be, for example, the curvature of the surface or the diameter of the contact element. When processing materials or operating the corresponding device, it is of course important to consider which contact element, i.e. which entry or contact surface, is currently present. When determining the position of the surface, its shape is not precisely known. However, it is known that the shape of the surface originates from a specific group of shapes, since the supply of possible contact elements is naturally limited.Not least in the case of rotationally symmetrical contact elements, but certainly in the case of spherical surfaces, the relative position of the surface's vertex and edge provides a clear indication of which surface from the limited group of surfaces comprises the contact element that is currently attached to the device. It is therefore preferable to determine the position of the vertex of the curved surface and the position of the surface's edge, and to determine from the distance or relative position of these structures which contact element or contact surface is present. This determination may include determining the radius of curvature.

[0032] As already mentioned, the object mentioned at the outset is also achieved by a corresponding device. Insofar as process steps that are carried out during the preparation of such a device have been / are explained previously or subsequently, such process steps are carried out automatically on the device under the control of a corresponding control unit. The involvement of a treating person is not required. In particular, the process can be carried out fully automatically by calling a corresponding routine in a control program of the device. This applies equally to variants in which the object to be processed is not yet in contact with the contact element, as well as to variants in which the contact element is already placed on the object.Since the measuring laser radiation has no processing effect (see above), the method according to the invention is not of a therapeutic or diagnostic nature, even if it is used in connection with eye surgery.

[0033] Of course, the embodiments and features described above or below can also be used advantageously individually or in other combinations not expressly mentioned.

[0034] The invention will be explained in more detail below by way of example with reference to the drawings. They show: Fig. 1 a schematic representation of a device for material processing in the form of a treatment device for eye surgery, Fig. 2 is an enlarged schematic representation of a contact glass used in the device of Fig. 1 is used, Fig. 3 a further enlarged view of the contact glass of the Fig. 2, where the position of a measuring surface is also shown, with the help of which the position of the underside of the contact glass is determined, Fig. 4 a schematic representation to clarify the position determination, whereby the schematic representation of a partial view of the Fig. 3 from below, and Fig. 5 a schematic representation of another possible measuring surface and a trajectory curve therein for determining the position of the contact glass in the device of Fig. 1.

[0035] Fig. 1 shows a treatment device for an ophthalmic surgical procedure similar to that described in EP 1159986 A1 or US 5549632. The treatment device 1 serves to perform a vision correction on a patient's eye 2 according to the known LASIK procedure or a similar procedure. For this purpose, the treatment device 1 has a treatment laser 3 that emits pulsed laser radiation. The pulse duration is, for example, in the femtosecond range, and the laser radiation acts by means of non-linear optical effects in the cornea in the manner described above, e.g., by creating optical breakthroughs in the cornea.

[0036] The laser beam 4 emitted by the laser 3 falls onto a scanner 6, which in the described schematic embodiment is realized by two scanning mirrors which can be rotated about mutually orthogonal axes. The scanner 6 deflects the laser beam two-dimensionally. Thus, after the scanner 6 and its downstream scanning optics 7, there is a beam fan 8 which is deflected by certain angles with respect to a main optical axis of the direction of incidence depending on the position of the scanner 6. After deflection by a beam splitter 9, which creates an optical view for a user, the beam fan is bundled by a tube lens 10 and an adjustable objective 11 into a focus which lies in the anterior section of the eye 2, e.g. the cornea 18. For each beam of the beam fan, ieFor each position of the scanner 6, a corresponding lateral shift of the focus relative to the main optical axis, which occurs in non-deflected scanners, is realized.

[0037] The adjustable lens 11, together with the tube lens 10, forms a projection optics that shifts the focus along the main optical axis, i.e., in the so-called z-direction. The combination of lens 11 and scanner 6 thus represents a three-dimensional focus adjustment device. This focus adjustment device is controlled by a control unit 17, so that the device 1 can be used to perform, for example, the known LASIK procedure.

[0038] In order to achieve the required constant incidence conditions on the cornea 18 and also to fix them spatially, as already mentioned at the beginning, a contact glass 19 is placed on the cornea 18, which will be discussed later.

[0039] In this respect, the treatment device 1 corresponds to the known design, as also described in WO 2004 / 032810 A2. However, compared to the device described therein, the treatment device 1 is expanded by a confocal detector 12. The confocal detector 12 is integrated into the beam path of the incident laser beam 4 via a beam splitter 13 before its deflection by the scanner 6. The beam splitter 13 is thus located in the stationary beam path and has the effect of a color splitter known from laser scanning microscopy, whereby a non-spectral splitter effect is also possible here.

[0040] The confocal detector 12 detects radiation that is backscattered or reflected in the cornea 18, i.e., in the focus selected by the three-dimensional focus adjustment device, and couples it out at the beam splitter 13. The radiation to be detected traverses the beam path of the laser beam 4 from the focus to the beam splitter 13 in the opposite direction.

[0041] A pinhole optic 14 and a downstream pinhole 15 provide the desired confocal filtering with respect to the focus in the cornea 18, so that only radiation backscattered or reflected from the focus reaches the downstream detector 16. This is also connected via (unlabeled) lines to the control unit 17, which, by accessing the corresponding control of the three-dimensional focus adjustment device (scanner 6 and lens 11), can assign the signal from the detector 16 to the respective focus position and thus generate an image.

[0042] The device 1 of the Fig. 1 contact glass 19 is shown as a sectional drawing in Fig. 2 is shown schematically enlarged. As can be seen, it has a flat entry surface 30 and a contact surface 20, which in the exemplary embodiment is rotationally symmetrical, but is generally flat or curved. As known from WO 2004 / 032810 A2, flat contact lenses can also be used. The entry surface 30 can also be curved. Fig. The rotationally symmetrical contact lens 19 shown in Figure 2 has a vertex 21 for the contact surface 20, which, in the case of a rotationally symmetrical contact surface 20, is defined as the point of passage of the optical axis of the contact lens 19 through the contact surface 20. Of course, in the case of a contact lens 19 with a curved entrance surface 30, a vertex is (also) present here. However, the construction of the Fig. 2 was assumed.

[0043] How Fig. 3 shows, the curvature of the contact surface 20 is usually described in a coordinate system (for example, in cylindrical or spherical coordinates) that is related to the vertex 21. This coordinate system is in Fig. 3 is shown schematically and provided with the reference number 25.

[0044] After fastening the contact glass 19 to the treatment device 1, for example by means of a mechanism as described in WO 05 / 048895 A1, the contact glass 19 (and thus also its contact surface 20) has a fixed spatial position relative to the treatment device 1, which, however, is subject to tolerance.

[0045] The three-dimensional adjustment of the focus takes place in the treatment device 1 in a coordinate system 24, which is related to one of the elements of the treatment device 1 present in operation, usually the scanner 6 or the contact surface of the contact glass. This coordinate system 24 is in Fig. 3. It does not usually coincide with the coordinate system 25 in which the contact glass curvature is described. This is because the main optical axis 22 of the incident laser radiation can regularly be shifted and / or tilted laterally relative to the optical axis or the apex 21 of the contact glass 19 due to unavoidable tolerances in the attachment of the contact glass 19 and due to manufacturing tolerances for the contact glass. There is also regularly a certain uncertainty regarding the position of the apex 21 in the z-direction, i.e. along the main optical axis 22, since the center thickness of a contact glass 19 in particular is very complex to achieve close tolerances in terms of manufacturing.

[0046] To determine the offset between the coordinate systems 24 (of the treatment device 1) and 25 (of the contact glass 19), measuring laser radiation is irradiated through the beam path of the treatment device 1. The treatment laser 3 is expediently used as the radiation source for the measuring laser radiation, since the treatment laser 3 in the presented embodiment can be controlled in an operating state in which it can emit pulsed laser radiation with a pulse energy that does not result in any non-linear interaction, in particular no optical breakdown, at the focus, i.e. after passing through the optics of the treatment device 1. Suitable attenuators are also possible. Of course, a separate radiation source for measuring laser radiation can also be used. However, it is essential that the measuring laser radiation has a sufficiently exact relationship to the coordinate system 24.This is particularly easy to ensure if the measuring laser radiation also passes through the focus adjustment device, i.e., the scanner 6, the tube lens 10, and the objective 11, i.e., is adjusted in the device's coordinate system 24. Only then can the offset between the two coordinate systems be determined with sufficient accuracy.

[0047] The measuring laser radiation in the form of a low-energy laser beam 4 is now adjusted along a trajectory curve that lies in a measuring surface 23. The position of the measuring surface 23 is selected such that it intersects the expected position of the contact surface 20. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3, a measuring surface 23 is selected which, described in cylindrical coordinates of the coordinate system 24, lies on a constant z-coordinate. The measuring surface 23 is therefore a surface perpendicular to the main optical axis 22. The coordinates of the trajectory in the measuring surface 23 of this embodiment therefore differ in terms of their radial and angular coordinates, but have a constant z-coordinate. The intersection between the measuring surface 23 and the contact surface 20 is a closed trajectory, which is circular in the spherically curved contact surface 20 present here, since a spherical section not containing the center regularly leads to a small circle. This small circle is now shifted relative to the main optical axis 22.

[0048] This shift is in Fig. 4 clearly shows the representation of the Fig. 3 from below. From the displacement and the radius of the small circle, which is in the form of the section line 26 in Fig. 4, the displacement of the coordinate system 25 can be easily calculated. This applies not only to spherical contact surfaces, but more generally to rotationally symmetric ones, provided the shape of the contact surface is known. In the case of a spherical contact surface 20, the radial and angular coordinates of the center of the small circle on which the intersection points 26 lie are automatically the corresponding lateral coordinates of the vertex 21. The z-coordinate Za results from the z-coordinate Zk, the measuring surface 23, as well as the radius of curvature R of the contact surface 23 and the radius r of the aforementioned small circle by the equation: Za = Zk+R-(R 2 -r 2 ) 1 / 2 .

[0049] In the Fig. 3 and Fig. In addition to the aforementioned parameters / structures, the edge 27 of the contact surface 20 is also shown in Figure 4. This edge 27 can also be detected by appropriately shifting the measuring surface 23 along the main optical axis 22. To do so, one only needs to use a set of measuring surfaces 23 to locate the edge 27. For example, from the radial coordinates of vertex 21 and edge 27, the contact surface 20 that is currently present can be determined, even in the case of a contact surface 20 selected from a group of possible contact surfaces. For this purpose, the person skilled in the art can, for example, access the difference in radial coordinates between vertex 21 and edge 27.After determining which contact surface from the known group is present, the aforementioned alignment of the coordinate systems 25 and 24 can then be carried out with high precision, without having to know beforehand exactly which of the contact lenses 19 from a group of possible contact lenses was actually attached to the device 1.

[0050] Fig. Figure 5 shows a further embodiment in which a different measuring surface 23 was used. Here, for all points of the measuring surface 23, the radius is constant in cylindrical coordinates of the coordinate system 24. The measuring surface 23 is a cylindrical surface. The trajectory curve lying in this surface can, for example, be designed as a spiral 29. The intersection points 26 (which are used for the simpler representation of Fig.5) that the interface 20 has with the measuring surface 23, again lie on a closed trajectory. Determining the position of the contact surface 20 is easily possible for a person skilled in the art; in particular, a simple analytical solution can be applied for a spherical contact surface.

Claims

[1] Method for preparing a device (1) for material processing by generating optical breakthroughs in or on an object (18), which device has a variable, three-dimensional focus adjustment device (6, 11) for focusing pulsed processing laser radiation on different locations in or on the object (18), wherein - a contact element (19) which is transparent to the processing laser radiation and is to be placed on the object (18) is attached to the device, said contact element having a contact surface (20) on its side to be placed on the object (2) and an entry surface for the processing laser radiation opposite said contact surface, - before processing the object (18), the position of the entry or contact surface (20, 30) relative to the focus adjustment device (6, 11) is determined by irradiating measuring laser radiation (4), wherein the energy density of the focused measuring laser radiation (3) is too low to produce an optical breakthrough, and the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) is adjusted in a measuring surface (23), and radiation backscattered or reflected from the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) is confocally detected, - wherein the surface (20, 30) has a directly known shape or a shape from a group of known shapes, characterized by , that a) measuring laser radiation (4) is focused by means of the variable focus adjustment device (6, 11) near or onto the surface (20, 30) so that the measuring surface (20) intersects the expected position of the surface (20, 30), b) the position of intersection points (26) between the measuring surface (23) and the surface (20, 30) is determined from the confocally detected radiation and the associated setting of the variable focus adjustment device (6, 11), wherein, if necessary, step a) is repeated several times with a changed measuring surface (23) until a certain number of intersection points (26) has been detected, c) in the case of the directly known shape of the surface (20, 30), the position of the surface (20, 30) is determined from the position of the intersection points (26) and the known shape, and in the case of the group of known shapes, the shape of the surface (20, 30) is determined from the position of the intersection points (26). [2] Method according to claim 1, characterized by that the measuring surface (23) changed in step b) is a shifted measuring surface (23). [3] Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that in step b) the determined number of intersection points (26) is five. [4] Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that the surface (20, 30) is non-spherical and that the position is also determined with regard to a tilt of the surface (20) to the optical axis. [5] Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized by that the focus position is adjusted along a trajectory curve (29) which lies in the measuring surface (23). [6] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that the measuring surface (23) is cylindrically symmetrical to the main optical axis (22) of the processing laser beam (4) [7] Method according to claim 6, characterized by that the measuring surface (23) has the shape of a cylindrical surface or a circular disk. [8] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that the measuring laser radiation (4) is pulsed with a pulse energy EPULS ≤ 300 nJ. [9] Method according to claim 6 or 7, characterized bythat a trajectory curve (29) lying in the measuring surface (23) is used, which has a maximum extension D and along which the measuring laser radiation (4) is emitted with a pulse frequency f: f<20Hz * ((D / EPULS) * (1µJ / 1mm)) 4 [10] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that a trajectory curve (29) lying in the measuring surface (23) is used which has a maximum extension D which lies between 1 µm and 15 mm. [11] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that the measuring laser radiation (4) is provided from a pulsed laser radiation source (3) which is also provided for generating the processing laser radiation, by controlling the beam source (3) into operation with reduced pulse energy or by activating or inserting an energy reducer in the beam path of the processing laser radiation (4). [12] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized bythat steps a) - c) of claim 1 are carried out after the contact element (19) has been fixed relative to the focus adjustment device, but before the contact element (19) is placed on the object (18). [13] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that the contact surface (20) is covered during the irradiation of the measuring laser radiation (4). [14] Method according to claim 13, characterized by that the contact surface (20) is covered in a non-contact manner during the irradiation of the measuring laser radiation (4). [15] Method according to one of the above claims, characterized by that in the case of a curved surface (20, 30) the position of a vertex (21) of the surface (20, 30) is determined and kept ready as a reference point for subsequent material processing. [16] Method according to claim 15, characterized bythat the shape of the surface (20, 30) is known in advance in that a group of several different shapes, each of which is known in its exact geometry, from which the shape of the surface (20, 30) originates, that the position of the surface edge (27) is determined and that the shape of the group which the surface (20, 30) has is determined from the relative position of edge and vertex (21). [17] Material processing device with - a processing laser (3) which provides pulsed processing laser radiation, - an optical device (5, 10) for focusing the processing laser radiation into or onto an object (18) to be processed in such a way that optical breakthroughs are created in the focus, - a focus adjustment device (6, 11) for variably adjusting the focus position in or on the object (18), - a contact element (19) which can be attached to the device (1) for placement on the object (18), which has a contact surface (20) which can be placed on the object (18) and an entry surface (30) opposite this for the processing laser radiation, and - a control device (17) for determining the position of the entry or contact surface (20, 30) after the attachment of the contact element (19) and before the processing of the object (18), which control device controls the processing laser (3) and the focus adjustment device (6, 11), wherein - a measuring laser radiation source (3) controlled by the control device (17) is provided for emitting measuring laser radiation (4), the measuring laser radiation (4) of which passes through the focus adjustment device (6, 11) and the optical device (5, 10) and does not cause any optical breakthroughs in the focus, wherein, - a confocal detector device (12) which confocally detects radiation scattered or reflected from the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) and supplies measuring signals to the control device (17), - wherein the surface (20, 30) has a directly known shape or a shape from a group of known shapes, characterized by , that - the control device (17) for determining the position of the surface (20, 30) adjusts the focus of the measuring laser radiation (4) in a measuring surface (23) which intersects the expected position of the surface (20, 30), and - the control device (17) determines the position of intersection points (26) between the measuring surface (23) and surface (20, 30) from the measuring signals, the control device (17) varying the measuring surface if no or too few intersection points occur, and the control device (17) determining the position (19) of the surface (20, 30) from the position of the intersection points (26) and the shape in the case of the directly known shape of the surface (20, 30) and the shape in the case of the group of previously known shapes from the position of the intersection points (26) the shape of the surface (20, 30). [18] Device according to claim 17, characterized by that the control device (17) varies the measuring area by a displacement. [19] Device according to one of the above device claims, characterized by that the control device (17) controls the device (1) to carry out one of the methods according to one of the above method claims. [20] Device according to one of the above device claims, characterized by a covering mechanism covering the contact element (19) on the contact surface (20) for absorbing transmitted measuring laser radiation (4). [21] Device according to one of the above device claims, characterized by that the measuring laser radiation (4) is pulsed and the pulse energy is between 2 nJ and 300 nJ. [22] Device according to one of the above device claims, characterized by that the measuring laser radiation source is realized by the processing laser radiation source (3) controlled in an operating mode for emitting low-energy laser radiation pulses.

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