Corneal Stabilization via Blue Light Laser Crosslinking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for stabilizing the cornea, such as UV-A light crosslinking with riboflavin, are cumbersome, potentially toxic, and invasive, and can cause tissue damage, while keratoplasty is highly invasive with adverse effects, necessitating a more effective and safer approach for treating keratoconus.
Innovation Solution
An ophthalmic laser device with a variably adjustable deflection unit and control unit for spatially resolved collagen crosslinking, using pulsed laser light to ionize collagen fibers directly or indirectly, minimizing tissue exposure and avoiding the use of crosslinking agents, allowing for selective stabilization of weaker corneal regions with reduced treatment time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If UV-A light crosslinking with riboflavin is used to stabilize the cornea, then collagen crosslinking is achieved, but tissue damage and potential toxicity occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength parameter from UV-A (370 nm) to blue light (450-490 nm) and uses a different crosslinking mechanism (direct laser-induced crosslinking instead of photo-oxidative crosslinking with riboflavin). This parameter change eliminates the need for photosensitizers and reduces tissue damage while maintaining corneal stabilization effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the riboflavin photosensitizer from the crosslinking process. By using direct laser-induced crosslinking with blue light, the method removes the harmful photosensitizing agent that causes tissue damage and potential toxicity, while still achieving effective collagen crosslinking for corneal stabilization.
2Reliability
If UV-A light crosslinking with riboflavin is used to stabilize the cornea, then collagen crosslinking is achieved, but the treatment is cumbersome and unpleasant for the patient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the cumbersome riboflavin application step and the lengthy 30-minute UV-A irradiation period. By using direct blue light laser crosslinking, the treatment becomes simpler, faster, and more comfortable for patients, eliminating the need for photosensitizer application and long exposure times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses pulsed laser irradiation with specific pulse durations (1-100 ns) and repetition rates (1-100 Hz) to achieve efficient crosslinking in a shorter time frame. This periodic action with optimized parameters reduces the overall treatment duration and improves patient comfort compared to continuous UV-A irradiation.
3Reliability
If UV light irradiation is used to stabilize the cornea, then collagen crosslinking is achieved, but the risk of tissue damage increases with longer irradiation periods
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the wavelength from UV-A to blue light and uses pulsed irradiation with optimized parameters (1-100 ns pulse duration, 1-100 Hz repetition rate). This parameter change achieves effective crosslinking with significantly reduced tissue damage risk, as the shorter pulse duration and different wavelength reduce cumulative thermal and phototoxic damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic pulsed laser irradiation instead of continuous UV light exposure. The pulsed action with optimized pulse duration and repetition rate allows for more efficient energy delivery, achieving crosslinking in shorter time with reduced cumulative tissue damage risk compared to prolonged continuous irradiation.
4Reliability
If keratoplasty is performed to treat advanced keratoconus, then vision can be restored, but the procedure is highly invasive with severe adverse effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of laser energy into a beneficial crosslinking process. By using blue light laser-induced crosslinking, the method strengthens corneal collagen fibers to restore mechanical stability and vision, eliminating the need for invasive keratoplasty while achieving similar or better outcomes with minimal tissue damage.
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
This method effectively stabilizes the cornea with reduced adverse effects, minimizing tissue damage and treatment time, and eliminates the need for invasive procedures, providing a safer and more efficient alternative for treating keratoconus.
Implementation Method 1
the laser beam ionizes a collagen fiber (exclusively) through photoabsorption of a plurality of photons which each have an energy below an ionizing energy of a given electron
Implementation Method 2
the laser beam ionizes a collagen fiber (exclusively) through photoabsorption of a plurality of photons which each have an energy below an ionizing energy of a given electron
Implementation Method 3
the laser beam on the cornea comprises a wavelength range by which amino acids of the collagen fibers, particularly π electron systems of amino acids, are excited to π* through photoabsorption
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device to stabilize the cornea with fewer adverse effects. In particular, a greater stability and shorter treatment time are to be made possible. To this end, the cornea is locally irradiated successively at different sites so that collagen fibers are indirectly or directly crosslinked at the irradiated sites. In this way, the collagen fibers are advantageously crosslinked in a spatially resolved manner. Accordingly, the entire eye need not be irradiated with tissue-damaging UV light, and regions having a weaker structure can be locally stabilized selectively. The sites of the cornea are preferably irradiated so that the collagen fibers are ionized in each instance by photoabsorption of a plurality of photons which each have an energy below an ionizing energy of a given molecule. After a short treatment period, strong covalent bonds are formed directly between the collagen fibers. Crosslinking agents need not be used.