Adaptive Patient Interface for Ophthalmic Surgery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing patient interfaces for ophthalmic procedures often deform the cornea due to mismatched curvatures, leading to precision issues and distortions in laser beam delivery during surgeries like cataract procedures, and non-contact designs face challenges with beam quality and eye stability.
Innovation Solution
A patient interface with a non-contact distal lens and an accommodation space filled with a viscoelastic substance matching the cornea's refractive index, minimizing corneal deformation and maintaining eye stability through a suction subsystem, while preventing air gaps and corneal drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a contact lens with mismatched curvature is used to immobilize the eye, then eye stability is improved, but corneal deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
A viscoelastic substance is introduced as an intermediary between the contact lens and the cornea. This substance fills the space between the mismatched curvatures, allowing the contact lens to maintain its shape for stability while the viscoelastic material adapts to the corneal surface, thereby preventing direct corneal deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is specifically matched to that of the cornea (approximately 1.376). This parameter matching eliminates optical distortions and refraction errors that would otherwise occur at the interface between materials of different refractive indices, while the viscoelastic properties allow adaptation to corneal curvature.
2Shape
If a non-contact design is used to avoid corneal deformation, then corneal deformation is reduced, but beam quality deteriorates due to air gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The viscoelastic substance serves as an optical intermediary that fills the air gap between the contact lens and cornea in non-contact designs. By eliminating the air interface, it prevents beam refraction and scattering that would otherwise degrade laser beam quality, while still allowing the cornea to maintain its natural curvature.
3Stability of the object's composition
If a contact lens is used to immobilize the eye, then eye stability is improved, but optical distortions increase due to refractive index mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is specifically selected to match that of the cornea (approximately 1.376). This parameter matching eliminates refraction errors and optical distortions at the interface, ensuring that laser beams maintain their intended path and focus without being altered by refractive index mismatches.
4Strength
If a rigid contact lens is used to maintain structural integrity, then device strength is improved, but corneal deformation increases due to curvature mismatch
Solution Approach 1:
The viscoelastic substance acts as a compliant intermediary layer between the rigid contact lens and the cornea. The rigid lens maintains its structural integrity and shape for device strength, while the viscoelastic material conforms to the corneal surface, distributing pressure evenly and preventing focal points of high stress that would cause corneal deformation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively reduces corneal deformation to less than 10% and maintains beam quality by filling the air gap with a viscoelastic substance, keeping the cornea wet, and ensuring precise eye immobilization during ophthalmic procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a refractive index of the viscoelastic substance is closer to a refractive index of a cornea of the procedure eye than to a refractive index of air
Implementation Method 2
the suction subsystem is connectable to a vacuum suction system to create a partial vacuum between the suction subsystem and the procedure eye
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2A
AI summary
A patient interface for an ophthalmic system can include an attachment module, attachable to the ophthalmic system, and a contact module, configured to accommodate a viscoelastic substance between the patient interface and a procedure eye. The viscoelastic substance can include a fluid, a liquid, a gel, a cream, an artificial tear, a film, an elastic material, or a viscous material. The refractive index of the viscoelastic substance can be within a range of approximately 1.24-1.52 at an operating wavelength of the ophthalmic system. The patient interface can further include input ports, output ports, and a suction system. It can be an integrated design or a multi-piece patient interface. The viscoelastic substance can be provided by injection, on the cornea, at the contact module, or in a space bounded by soft elastic films or membranes, such as in a bag.