Laser therapy device, combination of at least two laser therapy devices, and method for coupling laser therapy devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a laser therapy device (100) which is designed to be linked for data transmission to at least one additional laser therapy device (310). Switching between two prior-art laser therapy devices (100, 310) takes a certain amount of time on account of the necessary repositioning. According to the invention, this time is shortened by the laser therapy device (100) because the laser therapy device (100) comprises a transformation unit (181) which is designed to acquire object coordinate data (121), to receive additional object coordinate data (172), and to determine, from the object coordinate data (121) and the additional object coordinate data (172), a transformation rule (190) for transforming any coordinates of the additional laser therapy device (310) into coordinates of the laser therapy device (100). In the combination (300) according to the invention, at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) are linked to one another for data transmission and, in the method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310), a transformation rule (190) for transforming any coordinates of the additional laser therapy device (310) into coordinates of the laser therapy device (100) is determined.

Description

[0001] Laser therapy device, combination of at least two laser therapy devices and method for coupling laser therapy devices

[0002] The invention relates to a laser therapy device, a combination of at least two laser therapy devices and a method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices.

[0003] For certain ophthalmic treatments, it is necessary to use two or more laser therapy devices. This is the case, for example, when two different lasers are used for a single treatment. For example, when part of the treatment requires irradiation with ultraviolet laser radiation and another part of the treatment requires the use of a femtosecond laser. In this case, both laser therapy devices are and remain self-contained and can be controlled and operated independently.

[0004] During such a treatment, it may be necessary to position the patient, particularly one of the patient's eyes, under each of the laser therapy devices used. This is time-consuming and, due to the time required for positioning, is not an optimal solution for either the practitioner or the patient. Furthermore, with current solutions, positioning the patient requires a motorized couch.

[0005] The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a laser therapy device and a method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices that are faster and more cost-effective. A further object is to accelerate a treatment that requires the interaction of two or more laser therapy devices, thus making it more comfortable for both the practitioner and the patient.

[0006] This object is achieved for the laser therapy device mentioned at the outset in that it is designed for data-transmitting connection to at least one further laser therapy device. The laser therapy device is further designed to provide laser light propagating to a processing area at a laser exit. The laser therapy device comprises at least one positioning device for positioning the laser exit provided on an application arm and whose location and / or position can be changed by the application arm, and a control device designed to control at least the positioning device. The laser therapy device further comprises a transformation unit. This transformation unit is designed to determine object coordinate data which represent object coordinates of a reference object arranged in the processing area in a coordinate system of the laser therapy device.The transformation unit is further configured to receive additional object coordinate data representing additional object coordinates of the reference object in a further coordinate system of the additional laser therapy device. Furthermore, the transformation unit is configured to determine a transformation rule. The transformation rule for transforming any coordinates of the additional laser therapy device into coordinates of the laser therapy device is determined from the object coordinate data and the additional object coordinate data.

[0007] This object is further achieved by the aforementioned system in that at least two laser therapy devices according to the invention are interconnected for data transmission, and two of the at least two laser therapy devices each have a common processing area. Each of the laser therapy devices is configured to transform any coordinates of the processing area of ​​the other laser therapy device into coordinates of the laser therapy device.

[0008] This object is further achieved by the method mentioned at the outset in that it comprises the following method steps: (1) determining object coordinate data which represent object coordinates of a reference object arranged in the processing area in a coordinate system of the laser therapy device, (2) receiving further object coordinate data which represent further object coordinates of the reference object in a further coordinate system of the further laser therapy device, and (3) determining a transformation rule from the object coordinate data and the further object coordinate data, wherein the transformation rule represents a transformation of arbitrary coordinates of the further laser therapy device into coordinates of the laser therapy device.

[0009] The laser therapy device according to the invention, the method according to the invention, and the composite according to the invention thus make it possible to switch from one laser therapy device to another laser therapy device and the subsequent necessary rough positioning of a respective application arm in or above a processing area more quickly, since both devices are networked with one another and a position in the processing area known to the laser therapy device is also known to the other laser therapy device or can be determined due to the transformation rule. The laser therapy device and the other laser therapy device have one and the same processing area. In one embodiment, the processing area of ​​the laser therapy device can correspond exactly to the processing area of ​​the other laser therapy device.According to the invention, the further laser therapy device is able to transform coordinates of the laser therapy device and use them in a coordinate system of the further laser therapy device. Thus, the further laser therapy device can immediately move to a position known to the laser therapy device. Likewise, according to the invention, the laser therapy device is able to transform coordinates of the further laser therapy device and use them in a coordinate system of the laser therapy device.

[0010] One advantage of the invention is that the interaction and collaboration of at least two laser therapy devices can be accelerated. A further resulting advantage is the shortening of treatment time, which in turn increases patient comfort. Another advantage of the present invention is a potential increase in patient throughput. This makes the procedure more comfortable for the person being treated and, due to the increased patient throughput, more cost-effective.

[0011] Both laser therapy devices are generally (and especially when used in conjunction) capable of independently performing fine positioning, for example, to compensate for so-called cyclorotation relative to the eye being operated on. Both laser therapy devices are and remain independent and self-sufficient.

[0012] The laser therapy device according to the invention, the method according to the invention, and the composite according to the invention can be improved by individually advantageous developments. The additional features of the developments described below can be combined with one another and / or omitted as desired. Features described for the laser therapy device are also applicable to the method according to the invention and to each of the laser therapy devices in the composite. Likewise, features described for the method can be transferred to a corresponding embodiment of the laser therapy device.

[0013] The data transmission connection of the laser therapy device can preferably be a wired connection. For this purpose, connections already provided in the respective laser therapy device can be used, or an additional connection can be provided. For reasons of safety and susceptibility to interference, a wireless connection is not preferred, but is generally not ruled out. The connection can be established, for example, via a CAN bus, a network connection via LAN cable, or other preferably standardized connection and plug geometries and / or using various connection protocols. Each of the interconnected laser therapy devices is designed to exchange data bidirectionally and preferably in parallel with the other laser therapy device, and to be able to interpret this data.

[0014] The laser exit is defined as the point where a therapy beam exits the laser therapy device. A beam path for the therapy beam exits this point. The laser exit can be a window or an opening positioned over the area to be treated before treatment begins. This rough positioning is simplified and accelerated with the present invention.

[0015] Positioning devices for positioning the laser output provided on the application arm can comprise any number and / or combination of joints and / or linear adjusters and / or other mechanical adjustment devices. Ideally, a positioning device allows positioning of the application arm and thus the laser output in all three spatial directions. In one embodiment, the positioning device can only allow adjustment of the laser output in the X and Y directions. In such a case, height adjustment can be achieved by a corresponding height adjustment device. Alternatively, height adjustment can be provided by a patient bed.

[0016] The transformation unit can be a component of the control device or provided separately in the laser therapy device. The transformation unit can be provided by hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0017] To determine object coordinate data, it is advantageous if the reference object comprises at least two points lying in a plane. Points are defined as distinguishable geometric features of the reference object to which unique coordinates can be assigned.

[0018] Alternatively, it is possible for the reference object to be designed in such a way that it comprises at least one point with uniquely assignable coordinates and an additional rotation angle mark, wherein the rotation angle mark in conjunction with the at least one point represents a rotation of the reference object and thus enables the measurement of a rotation angle.

[0019] The transformation rule can be configured to transform three-dimensional coordinates of the further laser therapy device into three-dimensional coordinates of the laser therapy device. In this case, the reference object comprises three points in three-dimensional space, whereby not all three points lie in the same plane. Alternatively, for this configuration, the reference object can comprise a point and two rotation angle markers, each of the rotation angle markers representing a rotation of the reference object around one of two different axes.

[0020] The additional object coordinate data are determined by the additional laser therapy device from the same reference object. The position of the reference object is not changed. The additional object coordinate data are provided to the laser therapy device. At the same time, the object coordinate data of the laser therapy device can be provided to the additional laser therapy device.

[0021] The transformation rule can be configured to calculate the coordinates in the coordinate system of the laser therapy device from the coordinates of an object point (any point in the processing area) in the coordinate system of the further laser therapy device. The transformation rule can represent a linear transformation that can include a translation, a rotation, a scaling, and a shearing in any combination and / or sequence. The transaction rule represents, in particular, an affine transformation.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment of the laser therapy device, it can comprise at least one camera for determining the object coordinate data of the reference object arranged in the treatment area. The object coordinate data can be stored in or by the camera and / or in or by the control device and provided to the transformation unit. The camera can preferably have an optical axis that is arranged collinearly with a beam path of the therapy light. The camera can record the treatment area through the laser exit. The optical axis of the camera can be combined with the beam path of the therapy light in the application arm or between the laser exit and the treatment area, for example by means of a dichroic optical element.

[0023] The camera can record the processing area partially or completely.

[0024] The object coordinate data can be determined directly or indirectly by the camera. The camera itself or the transformation unit can be configured to perform object recognition in images captured by the camera. Furthermore, the camera or the transformation unit can be configured to determine an actual position of each of the objects detected in an image (i.e., each of the reference marks) in the image field of the camera and compare it with a previously stored target position. It is further advantageous if the camera or the transformation unit is configured to control the positioning unit depending on a difference between the actual position and the target position of the detected object in such a way that this difference is minimized.Finally, the camera or transformation unit can be configured to determine or read the partial object coordinate data, which represent the coordinates of a single reference mark, when the actual position corresponds to the target position. The camera or transformation unit can thus be configured to compare the actual and target positions, preferably automatically.

[0025] In a further advantageous embodiment, the line thickness of the reference mark can be known, and one or more, e.g., two, three, or four calibrated cameras can be used. Using a known line thickness and calibrated camera(s), the respective laser therapy device can thus be configured to determine a vertical distance from the laser exit to the reference mark.

[0026] The reference object can comprise two reference marks or a reference mark with a rotation angle mark, where the rotation angle mark allows the rotation angle of the reference object to be determined. This allows the generation of a transformation rule for two-dimensional coordinates. As previously mentioned, generating a three-dimensional transformation rule requires three reference marks that do not lie in the same plane, or a reference mark with two rotation angle marks that refer to different axes of rotation.

[0027] A confidence interval of the coordinates calculated by a transformation rule can be reduced if the two reference marks or the one reference mark and the rotation angle mark are moved further apart from each other. Each reference mark or rotation angle mark is located within the processing area. If the two reference marks or the reference and rotation angle marks are selected to be far apart from each other, a compression or extension of the coordinate systems of the two laser therapy devices can also be taken into account when determining the transformation rule and included in the transformation rule. The processing area can have an extent of less than 20 cm by less than 20 cm. More preferably, the processing area has a rectangular shape with an extent of less than 15 cm by less than 5 cm. More preferably, the processing area has an extent of approximately 13.5 cm by 4.5 cm.Such a processing area allows the processing of both eyes of a patient for different interpupillary distances.

[0028] The reference marks can be points, circles, crosshairs, or other patterns that can be detected by an object recognition system. In particular, a rotation angle mark can be present in a given crosshair or pattern. The crosshair or pattern has a count of 1 with respect to a rotation axis oriented perpendicular to the plane of the crosshair or pattern.

[0029] If the camera's optical axis is not collinear with the beam path of the therapy light and is thus oriented at an angle other than 90 degrees to the treatment area, the camera or the transformation unit can be configured to incorporate a projection of the image and / or distance information into the above-described evaluation of the comparison between the actual and target positions of the detected object. Calculating a projection with knowledge of the angle and distance is well known and will not be explained further here.

[0030] In a further embodiment of the laser therapy device according to the invention, the reference object arranged in the treatment area can comprise at least two spaced-apart 4-quadrant diodes. The laser therapy device can have at least one positioning laser and an evaluation unit. The positioning laser can be configured to generate positioning laser radiation emerging at the laser exit and propagating to the treatment area. The above relationship between the distance between the reference marks and the confidence interval also applies to the distance between the 4-quadrant diodes.

[0031] The positioning laser can in particular be a laser emitting in the visible spectral range, which can also be used as a targeting laser.

[0032] The evaluation unit can be designed to read in a diode signal, wherein the diode signal represents a charge carrier distribution generated by the 4-quadrant diode when the positioning laser radiation strikes it. The evaluation unit can further be designed to generate a control signal for controlling the positioning device as a function of the diode signal and to transmit the control signal to the control unit or the positioning device. Finally, the evaluation unit can also be designed to read out or determine diode data of the 4-quadrant diode upon detection of a homogeneous diode signal, which represents an evenly distributed impact of the positioning laser on all four quadrants of the 4-quadrant diode. The diode data represents the coordinates of the 4-quadrant diode. The diode data thus corresponds to partial object coordinate data. The object coordinate data comprises the diode data of the two 4-quadrant diodes orthe partial object coordinate data of two reference marks or the partial object coordinate data of the reference mark and angle data of the rotation angle mark.

[0033] A charge distribution signal can be a signal that represents a detected electrical charge in the four quadrants of the 4-quadrant diode. The generated charges can be distributed across the four quadrants. A uniform charge distribution represents a condition in which a symmetric beam exciting the 4-quadrant diode strikes the center of the 4-quadrant diode.

[0034] The homogeneous diode signal presupposes an axisymmetric beam profile, assuming the above definition. In other embodiments of the laser therapy device according to the invention, the evaluation unit can be configured to take non-axisymmetric beam profiles into account when evaluating the diode signal, so that even with positioning lasers with a non-axisymmetric beam profile, a central positioning of the positioning laser (e.g., the center of gravity of the positioning laser beam) on the 4-quadrant diode can be detected. In this case, a homogeneous diode signal can be defined differently from the above description.

[0035] Both the homogeneous diode signal and a detected equality of the actual position and the target position of the detected object (e.g. reference mark) can represent a positioning of the laser output over the considered 4-quadrant diode or the considered reference mark.

[0036] The transformation unit can be configured to determine the coordinates of the reference marks when a homogeneous diode signal or equality of the actual position and the target position is obtained. For this purpose, the transformation unit can be configured to request the partial object coordinate data of the respective 4-quadrant diode or the respective reference mark from the positioning device or to send the positioning device a corresponding instruction to provide the partial object coordinate data. The partial object coordinate data of the two reference marks or the partial object coordinate data of a reference mark together with the rotation angle data of the rotation angle mark form the object coordinate data.

[0037] The two previously described embodiments for determining the object coordinate data can preferably be automated. However, the object coordinate data can also be determined manually.

[0038] In such an embodiment of the laser therapy device according to the invention, the application arm can be controllable by a user by means of a positioning unit and the laser therapy device can further comprise a surgical microscope and a trigger device.

[0039] The surgical microscope can be designed to provide the user with an image of the processing area and the reference object arranged in it.

[0040] The trigger device is configured to read the currently set coordinates of the application arm as partial object coordinate data of the reference mark at the time the trigger device is activated by the user, provided the position of the reference mark displayed to the user by the surgical microscope corresponds to a predetermined adjustment position of the reference mark. The predetermined adjustment position corresponds to the previously described target position of the reference mark. The user can initiate the determination / provision of the partial object coordinate data for the two reference marks and thus obtains the object coordinate data of the reference object.

[0041] If a reference object comprises a reference mark and a rotation angle mark, the positioning unit is designed to rotate the image of the processing area displayed to the user, allowing the user to vary both the position and the rotation of the reference object. If both correspond to the adjustment position and an adjustment rotation, the object coordinate data of the reference object can be determined or provided by activating the trigger device.

[0042] According to the invention, a surgical microscope can in principle be understood as any means that allows the reference object to be imaged or displayed. For example, and not limited to, a 2D or 3D camera or two 2D cameras are conceivable, each of which captures an image displayed in an eyepiece or on a monitor or a 3D monitor. An analog surgical microscope with an eyepiece is also conceivable. More than two 2D cameras can also be provided, e.g., three, four, or five. When using two or more cameras, they are preferably arranged at an angle to each other.

[0043] The trigger device can be a device that, when activated, initiates or triggers the reading of the reference mark's coordinates. The trigger device can be, for example, a manually operated button, a manual or electrical switch, a foot switch, or even a button on a touchscreen.

[0044] In this embodiment, the user decides whether the position of the reference mark displayed in the surgical microscope corresponds to the predetermined adjustment position. The surgical microscope can be configured to assist the user in the adjustment process by means of a permanently displayed adjustment mark or a fade-in adjustment mark. In particular, an adjustment mark can be superimposed on the displayed image of the processing area.

[0045] If the alignment mark is overlaid with the image, the alignment mark can, in a semi-automatic configuration, indicate correct overlay by changing color, flashing, or a combination of both.

[0046] In a further embodiment, the evaluation device or the control device (the evaluation device can be part of the control device or formed by it) can be configured to receive a trigger signal generated by the trigger device, evaluate it, and initiate a readout of the object coordinates based on the trigger signal. In a further embodiment, the automatic detection of the target position and the manual detection of the target position can be combined. A user can first manually control the application arm until the reference mark enters the camera's field of view, whereby the subsequent control and comparison of the actual position with the target position can be carried out automatically based on the camera image.

[0047] Likewise, a comparison with the target position can first be performed automatically, and after the automated comparison, the user is given the opportunity to correct the comparison. The correction can also be possible if the target position was first compared manually and then automatically.

[0048] The adjustment to the target position of a reference mark of the reference object described above can comprise both positioning in two-dimensional space and rotation. If reference marks with a point and a rotation mark are used, the evaluation unit or the control unit is designed to rotate the image field of the recorded image, read out the angle of rotation and represent this using angle of rotation data. Positioning in three-dimensional space is also possible. This is possible if the reference object comprises three points in three-dimensional space that are not in the same plane. Alternatively, the reference object can comprise a point and two angle of rotation marks, each of which represents a rotation of the reference object around one of two different axes.

[0049] According to the invention, the laser therapy device can have at least one safety device. This safety device can be configured to monitor a safety zone of the respective application arm and generate an alarm signal if an object is detected within the safety zone.

[0050] The safety zone is the volume within which the application arm can move. This safety zone can be monitored, for example, using a light barrier, an ultrasonic sensor, a lateral camera with object detection, or a sensor operating on a different principle. The alarm signal can be an interrupt signal. Such a safety device increases safety for both the practitioner and the patient and also prevents collisions between two laser therapy devices when combined.

[0051] A further embodiment of the laser therapy device can comprise an autofocus module which is designed to set a distance between the laser exit and the treatment area to a pre-stored treatment distance.

[0052] In particular, the autofocus module can provide two intersecting laser beams or partial laser beams arranged at an angle to each other, with an intersection point at which the two laser beams or partial laser beams intersect being located at the predefined treatment distance from the laser exit. In a further embodiment, the 4-quadrant diodes used to determine the target position of the reference marks of the reference object can be configured to generate the diode signal upon impact of the laser beams or partial laser beams of the autofocus module. The evaluation unit can further be configured to evaluate the diode signal generated by each 4-quadrant diode.The laser beams or partial laser beams provided by the autofocus module can thus fulfill a dual function and serve both to set the previously stored treatment distance and to compare the actual position of a reference mark of the reference object with the target position.

[0053] The laser therapy device may further comprise a control module. This may be configured to determine eye data representing specific eye characteristics and compare the eye data with target data to ensure treatment of the correct eye.

[0054] According to Lerner, the control module can be designed to use image processing to check whether the correct eye, i.e., the eye to be operated on, has been targeted. This ensures correct patient treatment.

[0055] In an advantageous embodiment of the network, at least one of the laser therapy devices can have an interrupt output for providing an interrupt signal, and at least one other of the laser therapy devices can have an interrupt input for receiving the interrupt signal. In particular, the at least one other laser therapy device can be configured to block a movement of the application arm upon receipt of an interrupt signal. This has the advantage that only one laser therapy device can operate in the processing area at a time, i.e., move within it. This prevents collisions between the at least two laser therapy devices.

[0056] Alternatively, the application arm can move to a parking position when an interrupt signal is received. Each control device of the laser therapy devices can be configured to generate and / or receive and process an interrupt signal.

[0057] Particularly preferably, both laser therapy devices are designed to receive the same control data, wherein the control data may contain, among other things, interrupt signals or may represent their generation and provision.

[0058] In a further advantageous embodiment, two of the at least two laser therapy devices can be arranged at a distance from each other at which a patient bed can be positioned. This refers to a horizontally measured distance between the two laser therapy devices. Preferably, a vertical distance from the laser exit from the application arm to the treatment area can be identical for both laser therapy devices. In some embodiments, this vertical distance can be different for both laser therapy devices.

[0059] Preferably, the two laser therapy devices can access the treatment area from two opposite directions, i.e., move the respective application arm with the laser output to the treatment area. The directions can also be oriented at 90° to each other. Any other angle is also conceivable and irrelevant according to the invention, since the transformation rule enables a transformation of the coordinate data between each other regardless of the angle.

[0060] The patient bed can preferably be arranged centrally between the two laser therapy devices. Furthermore, the shared treatment area can be located on the bed, preferably in a head area of ​​the bed.

[0061] Particularly preferably, one laser therapy device can be a UV laser-based laser therapy device and at least one further laser therapy device can be a femtosecond laser-based laser therapy device.

[0062] The combination makes it possible to reduce the time interval between two processing steps to be carried out by the different laser therapy devices, for example to an interval of less than 30 seconds.

[0063] The method according to the invention for coupling at least two laser therapy devices connected to one another by data transmission represents an adjustment method that does not require interaction with a patient. When coupling or connecting the at least two laser therapy devices, the method enables the laser therapy devices to be configured to communicate with one another. Preferably, the laser therapy devices communicate with one another according to the control data. Nevertheless, both laser therapy devices remain separate and autonomous systems, each configured to transform, for example, convert, coordinates from another coordinate system into their own coordinate system.

[0064] In one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the method step of determining object coordinate data can comprise the following method steps: determining image data representing a camera image from a camera arranged on an application arm of the laser therapy device; determining an image data range of the image data representing the image of the reference object; determining an actual position of the reference object relative to a target position of the reference object in the camera image; generating control data for controlling the application arm if the actual position of the reference object does not correspond to the target position; and reading out the current object coordinate data if the actual position of the reference object corresponds to the target position.Further details of this embodiment of the method according to the invention can be found in the above explanation of the corresponding embodiment of the laser therapy device, which comprises a camera, a 3D camera or two or more cameras.

[0065] Alternatively or additionally, the method step of determining object coordinate data can comprise the following method steps: reading in a diode signal representing a charge carrier distribution generated by a 4-quadrant diode when a positioning laser radiation impinges on it; generating control data as a function of the diode signal for controlling the application arm if no homogeneous diode signal is detected; and reading out the current object coordinate data if a homogeneous diode signal is detected, wherein the homogeneous diode signal represents an evenly distributed impingement of the positioning laser radiation on all four quadrants of the 4-quadrant diode. Details of the above explanation of the corresponding embodiment of the laser therapy device, which is designed to read out a 4-quadrant diode, can be transferred accordingly to this embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0066] The coupling of at least two laser therapy devices can particularly preferably be carried out completely automatically.

[0067] The invention further relates to a computer program product which, when executed on a computer, carries out the method steps of an embodiment of the method described above for coupling at least two laser therapy devices.

[0068] According to the invention, a method for correcting refractive errors can thus comprise the following method steps: the method steps of a method according to the invention for coupling at least two laser therapy devices connected to one another for data transmission; cutting a pattern into the cornea of ​​a human eye with the laser therapy device; transmitting coordinate data of the human eye from the laser therapy device to a further laser therapy device; transforming the coordinate data of the human eye into further coordinate data by the further laser therapy device in accordance with the determined transformation rule; moving the application arm of the further laser therapy device to the transformed coordinate data; and performing the refractive error correction on the human eye by the further laser therapy device.The incision pattern can be a straight incision or comprised of multiple incisions. For example, the incision pattern can represent a flap. In another embodiment, the incision pattern can represent an incision that provides access to an area to be treated or the delivery of a graft.

[0069] Alignment of two laser therapy devices can thus preferably be performed before one or more vision corrections are to be performed. If necessary, the laser therapy devices can be positioned variably, since adjustment using the invention is very simple and can be performed without specialist knowledge. Once a transformation rule has been determined, it can be stored in the respective laser therapy device. The transformation rule can then be used until the relative position of the laser therapy devices changes.

[0070] The aspects of the present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show possible exemplary embodiments of the present invention purely by way of example, whereby the described features can be combined with one another or omitted as desired. Identical features or features with the same function are also identified by the same reference numerals. Repetitive descriptions of features are omitted, so that explanations of features described in previous figures can also be applied to other figures, unless differences are explicitly pointed out.

[0071] They show:

[0072] Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a laser therapy device according to the invention;

[0073] Fig. 2 is a schematic representation of differently designed heads of the laser therapy device according to the invention;

[0074] Fig. 3 is a schematic representation of a combination of two laser therapy devices;

[0075] Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of the sequence of coupling two laser therapy devices;

[0076] Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of the method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices; and

[0077] Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a process step of the process shown in Fig. 6.

[0078] Fig. 1 schematically shows a laser therapy device 100 according to the invention. This device comprises a base 101 and a head 102. In the embodiment shown, the head 102 is movable in three spatial directions, x, y, and z, relative to the base 101 by means of a positioning device 120. An application arm 130 is attached to the head 102, at the end 131 of which there is a laser outlet 132. During operation of the laser therapy device 100, therapy or laser light 141 emitted by a laser light source 140 exits the laser outlet 132. The laser light 141 can be moved within a scanning area 151 by means of a scanning device 150. The scanning device 150 is shown purely schematically in the form of two scanning mirrors, but can also be configured differently. The scanning area 151 is a sub-area of ​​a processing area 160. The position and beam guidance of the laser light source 140 and the scanning device 150 is purely schematic.

[0079] The laser therapy device 100 has a data connection 170 by means of a data cable 171 and is designed for data transmission with at least one further laser therapy device (not shown).

[0080] A control device 180 is also shown purely schematically in Fig. 1. The control device 180 is connected to the positioning device 120 and is designed to control it.

[0081] The control device 180 further comprises a transformation unit 181, an autofocus module 182, a control module 183, and an evaluation unit 183a, which will be discussed below. Furthermore, the control device 180 is connected to a camera 184, a trigger device 185 in the form of a foot switch 185a, a positioning unit 185b, an interrupt input 186, an interrupt output 187, and optionally to a positioning laser 188 and a safety device 189.

[0082] The application arm 130 is foldable and is shown in a working position 130a and a parking position 130b (dashed lines). Thus, the application arm 130 can be folded away from the treatment area 160 when the laser therapy device 100 is not treating the treatment area 160.

[0083] A safety area 133 of the application arm 130 is monitored by the safety device 189. The safety device 189 detects whether an object is located in the safety area 133. The safety device 189 itself can generate an alarm signal if an object has been detected. Alternatively, a signal from the safety device 189 can be evaluated by the control device 180. The safety device 189 shown is purely schematic. It can also be attached to the application arm 130 and, for example, comprise two sensors that point toward the working position 130a and the parking position 130b and monitor movement into these two positions 130a, 130b. The safety device 189 can, for example, comprise a camera, ultrasonic sensors, optical sensors, or sensors based on other operating principles in any number and / or combination.

[0084] The camera 184 records an image of the processing area 160 through a dichroic beam splitter 184a. In other embodiments not shown, the camera (or the two or more cameras or the 3D camera) can also be mounted off-axis, i.e., non-collinearly, to the side of the laser exit 132. In such an embodiment, a mirror can be used instead of the beam splitter 184a. In the illustrated embodiment, the camera 184 can record the entire processing area 160 or parts thereof. The camera 184 generates a camera image, which is transmitted to the control device 180. In this camera image, the control device 180 can perform object recognition and, for example, identify a reference object 400 (not yet shown). An actual position of this reference object is compared with a target position of the reference object stored in advance in the laser therapy device 100, preferably in the control device 180.If the actual position does not correspond to the desired position, the control device 180 can control the positioning device 120 and change the position of the camera 184 relative to the processing area. As soon as the control device 180 detects that the actual position and the desired position are identical, it can read in the currently set coordinates of the positioning device 120 in the form of object coordinate data 121. The object coordinate data 121 are shown purely schematically.

[0085] Another possibility for determining the object coordinate data 121 is the use of the positioning laser 188 and a (not yet shown) 4-quadrant diode. In this case, a signal generated by the 4-quadrant diode is evaluated by the evaluation unit 183a. Due to the crossed arrangement of the positioning lasers 188, the signal from the 4-quadrant diode is only a homogeneous signal if the positioning device 120 and the 4-quadrant diode are aligned such that the 4-quadrant diode lies at an intersection point 188a of the positioning lasers 188. With this arrangement, partial signals from the individual quadrants of the 4-quadrant diode can be of equal magnitude. If this is the case, the control device 180 reads the object coordinate data 121.

[0086] In the illustrated embodiment, the positioning lasers 188 are also used as distance lasers 188b. The intersecting distance lasers 188b, in cooperation with the autofocus module 182, allow the distance between the laser exit 132 and the processing area 160 to be set to a predefined treatment distance 134. In particular, the images captured by the camera 184 in the application arm 130 can be processed by the intersecting distance lasers 188b and transmitted to the evaluation unit 183a. As long as two laser spots are visible in the image, the distance between the laser exit 132 and the processing area 160 is greater or smaller than the treatment distance 134.

[0087] The object coordinate data 121 can also be determined using the trigger device 185 in conjunction with the positioning unit 185b. In this case, the actual position of the reference object is compared with a target position of the reference object manually by a user.

[0088] Figs. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) show three configurations of the head 102 of the laser therapy device 100. In Fig. 2(a), the laser therapy device 100 has a surgical microscope 210 and a display device 220, both of which are attached to the application arm 130. Through the surgical microscope 210, the user can view the treatment area 160, or a portion thereof. At the same time, the treatment area 160 or the currently selected section thereof can be displayed on the display device 220. The display device 220 is, for example, a monitor 221. The image sections of the treatment area 160 shown in the surgical microscope 210 and on the display device 220 can be identical, but can also differ in magnification and thus the field of view. Preferably, an alignment of the surgical microscope 210 and the display device 220 is maintained when the application arm 130 is pivoted.

[0089] In Fig. 2(b), only the display device 220 is provided on the application arm 130. In this case, another laser therapy device (not shown) may include a surgical microscope 210.

[0090] In Fig. 2(c), the display device 220 is attached to the application arm 130, and the surgical microscope 210 is attached to a separate microscope arm 230. The microscope arm 230 can be positioned independently of the position of the application arm 130.

[0091] In Fig. 1, neither a surgical microscope 210 nor a display device 220 are shown for the sake of clarity. Using these display means, the user can compare the actual position 222 of the reference object with a target position 224. For this purpose, a calibration mark 226 can be displayed in the surgical microscope 210 and / or on the display device 220, which represents where the reference object 400 must be displayed. The user can vary the actual position 222 using the positioning unit 185b. If the actual position 222 matches the calibration mark 226, the target position 224 has been reached. The match that has not yet been achieved is shown schematically on the display device 220 in Fig. 2(b). Fig. 2(c) schematically shows the match.

[0092] The laser therapy device 100 can be configured to assist the user in the alignment by changing the color of the alignment mark 226 and / or flashing it when overlapped.

[0093] Once the match is achieved, the user can activate the trigger device 185. The activation of the trigger device 185 is registered by the control device 180, and the object coordinate data 121 is read out by the positioning device 120.

[0094] Via the data cable 171, the laser therapy device 100 can receive further object coordinate data 172 from another laser therapy device (not shown).

[0095] From the object coordinate data 121 and the further object coordinate data 172, the transformation unit 181 can determine a transformation rule 190, which can be stored, for example and not restrictively, in a memory module 191. The transformation rule 190 is schematically represented as a transformation matrix.

[0096] In Fig. 3, a composite 300 is shown which comprises a laser therapy device 100 and a further laser therapy device 310, which have a data connection 170 between them by means of a data cable 171.

[0097] The laser therapy device 100 and the further laser therapy device 310 are arranged at a distance 330 from each other, which allows a patient bed 320 to be arranged between the two laser therapy devices 100, 310. Both laser therapy devices 100, 310 have a foldable application arm 130 and are controllable in three spatial directions.

[0098] The application arm 130 of the further laser therapy device 310 is located in the working position 130a, whereas the application arm 130 of the laser therapy device 100 is located in the parking position 130b. To prevent collisions between the two application arms 130, an interrupt signal 186a is present at the interrupt output 187 of the further laser therapy device 310, which is read into the interrupt input 186 by the laser therapy device 100. The control device 180 of the laser therapy device 100 is configured to block movement of the application arm 130 upon receipt of the interrupt signal 186a. Similarly, the laser therapy device 100 sends an interrupt signal 186a to the further laser therapy device 310 when the application arm 130 of the laser therapy device 100 is in the working position 130a.The connection of the interrupt output 187 to the interrupt input 186 is shown purely by way of example with individual data lines, but can also be made via a bidirectional cable or via the data cable 171. The laser therapy device 100 can receive further object coordinate data 172 from the further laser therapy device 310 via the data cable 171. Likewise, the further laser therapy device 310 can receive further object coordinate data 172 from the laser therapy device 100 via the data cable 171. Both laser therapy devices 100, 310 are capable of providing a transformation rule 190. Thus, the laser therapy device 100 can convert coordinates from a coordinate system 310a of the further laser therapy device 310. Likewise, the further laser therapy device 310 can convert coordinates from a coordinate system 310b of the laser therapy device 100.

[0099] In the example shown, the coordinates 341a of an eye 340 to be operated on are known to the further laser therapy device 310, wherein these coordinates refer to the coordinate system 310a of the further laser therapy device 310. If a switch now occurs from the further laser therapy device 310 to the laser therapy device 100, the further laser therapy device 310 can transmit the coordinates 341a of the eye 340 to the laser therapy device 100. The laser therapy device 100 can convert these coordinates 341a into coordinates 341b related to the coordinate system 310b of the laser therapy device 100 using the transformation rule 190 and immediately move to the eye 340. A switch from the laser therapy device 100 to the further laser therapy device 310 takes place in a corresponding but opposite manner.

[0100] The adjustment or coupling of the laser therapy device 100 with the further laser therapy device 310 will be schematically illustrated below with reference to Fig. 4.

[0101] In Fig. 4(a), the application arms 130 of both laser therapy devices 100, 310 are in the parked position 130b. The patient bed 320 is arranged between the laser therapy devices 100, 310. A reference object 400 is arranged in a head region 321 of the patient bed. In the illustrated embodiment, the reference object 400 comprises two reference marks 402, which are spaced apart by a distance 404. This distance 404 is preferably smaller than a maximum linear extension in the processing area 160. In other words, both reference marks 402 are located within the processing area 160.

[0102] The reference marks 402 are crosshairs 403 in the embodiment shown. Further embodiments of the reference marks are shown in Fig. 4(e), (f) and (g).

[0103] Furthermore, if a line thickness of the reference marks 402, for example of the crosshair 403, is known, a vertical distance from the laser exit 132 to the reference mark 402 can be determined by means of calibrated camera(s); this is the Z distance.

[0104] Fig. 4(b) shows how the additional laser therapy device 310 has positioned the application arm 130 in processing position 130a above the processing area 160. Concealed areas of the reference object 400 are shown in dashed lines. For explanatory purposes only, the target position 224 of a reference mark 402 is shown in the application arm 130. The positioning unit 120 positions the application arm 130, and in particular the laser exit 132, until the actual position 222 of the reference mark 402 coincides with the target position 224.

[0105] The adjustment options have been described above. For example, the camera 184, which captures an image of the processing area 160 through the dichroic beam splitter 184a, and an object detection system applied to the camera image can detect an equality between the actual position 222 and the target position 224. This state is shown in Figure 4(c).

[0106] Likewise, the adjustment can be carried out using positioning laser 188, evaluation unit 183a and 4-quadrant diodes, as described above.

[0107] Alternatively, manual adjustment by a user is possible using the positioning unit 185b and trigger device 185. This has also been explained previously.

[0108] The comparison of the actual position 222 and the desired position 224 is carried out by the laser therapy device 100 for both reference marks 402 and the coordinates of the two reference marks (these are each present in the form of partial object coordinates) are stored as object coordinate data 121 for creating the transformation rule 190 or provided as further object coordinate data 172 for providing the further laser therapy device 310.

[0109] As long as the application arm 130 of the further laser therapy device 310 is in the working position 130a, the further laser therapy device 310 transmits an interrupt signal 186a from the interrupt output 187 to the interrupt input 186 of the laser therapy device 100, so that the application arm 130 of the laser therapy device 100 is blocked (see Fig. 3).

[0110] The application arm 130 of the additional laser therapy device 310 is then moved to the parking position 130b, and the interrupt signal 186a is no longer present at the interrupt input 186 of the laser therapy device 100. The application arm 130 of the laser therapy device 100 can now be moved to the working position 130a. In this position of the application arm 130, the laser therapy device 100 now sends an interrupt signal 186a to the interrupt input 186 of the additional laser therapy device 310.

[0111] The adjustment of the actual position 222 of the two reference marks 402 with their desired position 224 is carried out by the laser therapy device 100 analogously to the adjustment described above by the further laser therapy device 310. This is shown schematically in Fig. 4 (d).

[0112] In the sequence illustrated by Figures (a) to (d), the reference object 400 remains motionless in the same position. Both laser therapy devices 100, 310 have stored the object coordinate data 121 of the reference object 400 in the coordinate system 310a, 310b specific to the respective laser therapy device 100, 310, wherein the object coordinate data 121 of the reference object 400 is referred to as further object coordinate data 172 in the other laser therapy device 310, 100.

[0113] Via the data connection 170 (see Figs. 1 and 3), each of the laser therapy devices 100, 310 transmits the respective further object coordinate data 172 to the respective other laser therapy device 310, 100. The transformation unit 180 of each laser therapy device 100, 310 thus has object coordinate data 121 and further object coordinate data 172 available, so that each laser therapy device 100, 310 can determine a transformation rule 190.

[0114] The transformation rule 190 of the laser therapy device 100 enables a transformation of coordinates of the further laser therapy device 310 into the coordinate system 310b of the laser therapy device 100. Accordingly, the transformation rule 190 of the further laser therapy device 310 enables a transformation of coordinates of the laser therapy device 100 into the coordinate system 310a of the further laser therapy device 310.

[0115] Further embodiments of possible reference objects 400 are shown in Figs. 4(e), (f) and (g).

[0116] The reference object 400 can, for example, comprise two 4-quadrant diodes 410. Each of the 4-quadrant diodes 410 is configured to generate a diode signal 411, which represents a generated charge carrier distribution 412 of the four quadrants 413 of the 4-quadrant diode 410.

[0117] The reference object 400 of Fig. 4(e) has a connecting cable 415, which can be connected to a laser therapy device 100 or another laser therapy device 310 in order to transmit the diode signals 411 to the corresponding laser therapy device 100, 310.

[0118] In a further embodiment (not shown), the reference object 400 can have, in addition to the two 4-quadrant diodes 410, an evaluation module which is designed to process the diode signals 411.

[0119] The reference object 400 of Fig. 4(f) has a reference mark 402 and a rotation angle mark 414. In this case, the reference mark 402 is also a crosshair 403, which, however, has a count of 1 due to the rotation angle mark 414. This means that a rotation of the reference mark 402 of Fig. 4(f) by an angle less than 360° can be clearly determined. The reference object 400 is only mapped back into itself at an integer multiple of a rotation of 360°. When using such a reference object 400, the object coordinate data 121 thus represent the coordinates 416 of a point and a rotation angle 417.

[0120] In Fig. 4(g), a reference object 400 is schematically illustrated in the form of a QR code 418. Such a reference object 400 can have a combination of reference marks 402 and / or rotation angle marks 414 in any number and / or combination. For example, the markings in three of the four corners can be used as the reference mark 402 or rotation angle mark 414 for orienting the QR code 418. The reference mark 402 and rotation angle mark 414 shown in Fig. 4(g) are purely exemplary. In addition, such a QR code 418 can provide further information. The additional information can, for example, include information about the reference object 400 used.

[0121] Fig. 5 shows a schematic flowchart of the method for coupling two laser therapy devices 100, 310. In a first method step S100, object coordinate data 121 are read in from the laser therapy device 100. In a second method step S200, further object coordinate data 172 from another laser therapy device 310 are read in. Finally, in a third method step S300, the object coordinate data 121 and the further object coordinate data 172 are used to determine the transformation rule 190. This transformation rule 190 is provided.

[0122] In Fig. 6, the method step S100 of Fig. 6 is described in more detail using sub-steps.

[0123] When coupling the laser therapy device 100 with the additional laser therapy device 310, the distinction between object coordinate data 121 and additional object coordinate data 172 is made depending on whether the laser therapy device 100 or the additional laser therapy device 310 is being viewed. To provide the transformation rule 190 in or by the laser therapy device 100, object coordinate data 121 is determined by the laser therapy device 100, and the additional object coordinate data 172 is provided by the additional laser therapy device 310.

[0124] However, to provide the transformation rule 190 in or by the further laser therapy device 310, the object coordinate data 121 are determined by the further laser therapy device 310 and the further object coordinate data 172 are provided accordingly by the laser therapy device 100.

[0125] Consequently, the process shown in Fig. 6 can also be applied to the determination of the additional object coordinate data 172 of step S200 of Fig. 5, wherein this determination takes place in the respective other laser therapy device 310, 100. This will not be discussed separately in the following explanation.

[0126] In a method step S110, a measurement data set is generated. Such a measurement data set can be an image of the processing area 160 captured by the camera 184 or the diode signal 411 generated by the 4-quadrant diode(s).

[0127] In a second method step S120, the actual position 222 of the reference mark 402 is determined. This can be done, as explained above, with the aid of the camera 184 and a corresponding evaluation of the recorded images, in particular the object recognition. Alternatively, the diode signal 411 generated by the partial beams of the positioning laser 188 impinging on the 4-quadrant diode 410 can be evaluated by the evaluation unit 183a. Between method steps S110 and S120, method step S115 can optionally be performed. This involves determining for which of the two reference marks 402 the partial object coordinates are currently being determined.

[0128] In process step S130, it is checked automatically or semi-automatically (with a query to the user) whether the actual position 222 of the reference mark 402 corresponds to its target position 224.

[0129] If this is denied, control of the positioning device 120 takes place in method step S140. The positioning device 120 controls a changed position of the laser exit 132 relative to the processing area 160. Preferably, the positioning device 120 is controlled such that a distance between the actual position 222 and the target position is reduced or minimized. Subsequently, steps S110 to S130 are repeated. During the repetition, a further execution of the optional method step S115 is not necessary.

[0130] If equality is determined in process step S130 when comparing the actual position 222 with the target position 224, the partial coordinate data of the reference mark 402 of the reference object 400 are read out in the further process step S150.

[0131] When using the reference object 400 with two reference marks 402, a query is made in process step S160 as to whether the partial coordinate data of both reference marks 402 have been determined. If this is not the case, the positioning device 120 is controlled in process step S170 to obtain a changed position of the laser exit 132 relative to the processing area 160. Optionally, a rough position of the remaining reference mark 402 determined in process step S115 can be used for this purpose. The remaining reference mark 402 is the reference mark 402 whose partial coordinate data has not yet been determined.

[0132] After repeating process steps S110 to S150, the partial object coordinate data of the two reference marks 402 are acquired. The query in process step S160 is affirmed, and the determination of the object coordinate data 121 of the reference object 400 is completed. The above detailed description of process steps S100 (or S200) applies to automated determination of the object coordinate data 121.

[0133] Alternatively, if the object coordinate data 121 is determined manually, method step S100 may include making an image of the processing area 160 available to the user on a display device 220 or in a surgical microscope 210. In this case, this method step S100 also includes positioning the laser output 132 by the positioning device 120 using (manually) the control device 185b and reading the partial object coordinate data of both reference marks 402 upon actuation of the trigger device 185.

[0134] The object coordinate data 121 and the further object coordinate data 172 can be determined in any combination manually and / or automatically and / or semi-automatically. Reference symbols

Claims

Claims 1. Laser therapy device (100) configured for data transmission to at least one further laser therapy device (310), wherein the laser therapy device (100) is configured to provide laser light (141) propagating to a processing area (160) at a laser exit (132), wherein the laser therapy device (100) comprises at least one positioning device (120) for positioning the laser exit (132) provided on an application arm (130) and whose position and / or position can be changed by the application arm (130); and a control device (180) configured to control at least the positioning device (120), and wherein the laser therapy device (100) has a transformation unit (181) configured to to determine object coordinate data (121) which represent object coordinates of a reference object (400) arranged in the processing area (160) in a coordinate system (310b) of the laser therapy device (100); to receive further object coordinate data (172) which represent further object coordinates of the reference object (400) in the processing area in a further coordinate system (310a) of the further laser therapy device (310); and To determine a transformation rule (190) for transforming any coordinates of the further laser therapy device (310) into coordinates of the laser therapy device (100) from the object coordinate data (121) and the further object coordinate data (172).

2. Laser therapy device (100) according to claim 1, comprising at least one camera (184) for determining the object coordinates of the reference object (400) arranged in the processing area (160), wherein the reference object (400) At least two reference marks (402) or one reference mark (402) which has a rotation angle mark (414) which represents a rotation angle (417) of the reference mark (402).

3. Laser therapy device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reference object (400) arranged in the processing area (160) comprises at least two spaced-apart 4-quadrant diodes (410) and the laser therapy device (100) further comprises at least one positioning laser (188) and an evaluation unit (183a), wherein the positioning laser (188) is designed to generate positioning laser radiation emerging at the laser exit (132) and the evaluation unit (183a) is designed, Reading in a diode signal (411), the diode signal (411) representing a charge carrier distribution (412) generated by the 4-quadrant diode (410) when the positioning laser radiation impinges on it; Depending on the diode signal (411), to generate a control signal for controlling the positioning device (120) and to transmit the control signal to (412) the control unit (180) or the positioning device (120); and When detecting a homogeneous diode signal (411), which represents an evenly distributed impact of the positioning laser on all four quadrants (412) of the 4-quadrant diode (410), to determine the object coordinate data (121) of the 4-quadrant diode (410).

4. Laser therapy device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the application arm (130) is controllable by a user and the laser therapy device (100) further comprises a surgical microscope (210) and a trigger device (185), wherein the surgical microscope (210) is designed to provide the user with an image of the processing area (160) and the reference object (400) arranged therein, and wherein the trigger device (185) is designed to read in the coordinates of the application arm (130) set by the user at the time of actuation of the trigger device (185) as object coordinate data (121) of the reference object (400) if the position of the reference object (400) displayed to the user by the surgical microscope (210) corresponds to a predetermined adjustment position (224) of the reference object (400).

5. Laser therapy device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the laser therapy device (100) has at least one safety device (189) which is designed to monitor a safety area (133) of the respective application arm (130) and to generate an alarm signal when an object is detected within the safety area (133).

6. Laser therapy device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an autofocus module (182) which is designed to set a distance between the laser exit (132) and the processing area (160) to a previously stored treatment distance (134).

7. Laser therapy device (100) according to one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a control module (183) which is designed to determine eye data representing specific eye features and to compare the eye data with target data in order to ensure the treatment of the correct eye (340).

8. A network (300) of at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) according to one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the laser therapy devices (100, 310) are connected to one another in a data-transmitting manner and two of the at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) each have a common processing area (160), and wherein each of the laser therapy devices (100, 310) is designed to transform any coordinates of the processing area of ​​the respective other laser therapy device (310, 100) into coordinates of the laser therapy device (100, 310).

9. The assembly (300) according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the laser therapy devices (100, 310) has an interrupt output (186) for providing an interrupt signal (186a) and at least one other of the laser therapy devices (310, 100) has an interrupt input (187) for receiving the interrupt signal (186a), and wherein the at least one other laser therapy device (310, 100) is configured to block a movement of the application arm (130) upon receipt of an interrupt signal (186a).

10. The assembly (300) according to claim 8 or 9, wherein two of the at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) are arranged at a distance (330) from one another at which a patient bed (320) can be positioned.

11. The composite according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein one laser therapy device (100) is a UV laser-based laser therapy device and at least one further laser therapy device (310) is a femtosecond laser-based laser therapy device.

12. A method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) connected to one another for data transmission, comprising the following method steps: Determining object coordinate data (121) which represent object coordinates of a reference object (400) arranged in the processing area (160) in a coordinate system (310b) of the laser therapy device (100); Receiving further object coordinate data (172) representing further object coordinates of the reference object (400) in a further coordinate system (310a) of the further laser therapy device (310); and Determining a transformation rule (190) from the object coordinate data (121) and the further object coordinate data (172), wherein the transformation rule (190) represents a transformation of any coordinates of the further laser therapy device (310) into coordinates of the laser therapy device (100).

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of determining object coordinate data (121) comprises the following steps: Determining image data representing a camera image from a camera (184) arranged on an application arm (130) of the laser therapy device; determining an image data range of the image data representing the image of the reference object (400); determining an actual position (222) of the reference object (400) relative to a target position (224) of the reference object (400) in the camera image; generating control data for controlling the application arm (130) if the actual position (222) of the reference object (400) does not correspond to the target position (224); and reading out the current object coordinate data (121) if the actual position (222) of the reference object (400) corresponds to the target position (224); or Reading in a diode signal (411) representing a charge carrier distribution (412) generated by a 4-quadrant diode (410) when a positioning laser radiation impinges on it; generating control data as a function of the diode signal (411) for controlling the application arm (130) if no homogeneous diode signal (411) is determined; and reading out the current object coordinate data (121) if a homogeneous diode signal (411) is determined, wherein the homogeneous diode signal (411) represents an evenly distributed impingement of the positioning laser radiation on all four quadrants (413) of the 4-quadrant diode (410).

14. Method according to claim 13, which is carried out completely automatically.

15. A computer program product which, when executed on a computer, performs the method steps of a method according to any one of claims 12 to 14.

16. A method for correcting refractive errors, comprising the method steps of a method for coupling at least two laser therapy devices (100, 310) according to one of claims 12 to 14, which are interconnected by data transmission; cutting a cutting pattern into the cornea of ​​a human eye (340) with the laser therapy device (100); transmitting coordinate data of the human eye (340) from the laser therapy device (100) to a further laser therapy device (310); transforming the coordinate data of the human eye (340) into further coordinate data by the further laser therapy device (310) according to the determined transformation rule (190); moving the application arm (130) of the further laser therapy device (310) to the transformed coordinate data; and performing the refractive error correction on the human eye (340) by the further laser therapy device (310).

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