Cornea Transplantation Planning Device for Custom Laser Cut Surfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for cornea transplantation using laser technology lack flexibility in selecting cut geometries, often being constrained by predetermined shapes of implants or cut surfaces, limiting the surgeon's freedom in choosing transplantation materials and potentially affecting the cornea's optical imaging quality.
Innovation Solution
A planning device and treatment apparatus that generate control data for laser-based cornea transplantation, allowing for the definition of custom corneal cut surfaces and corresponding transplant cut surfaces, using measurement data from the cornea and transplantation material to produce removable and transplantable volumes with adjustable refractive effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If predetermined cutting patterns are used for cornea transplantation, then the surgical process is simplified and standardized, but the surgeon's freedom in selecting transplantation materials and customizing cut geometries is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the transplant cutting pattern based on the selected corneal cut surface geometry. The planning device allows surgeons to freely define corneal cut surfaces and automatically generates corresponding transplant cutting patterns, making the system flexible rather than fixed to predetermined patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the geometric parameters of the transplant cutting pattern to match the selected corneal cut surface. By allowing free definition of corneal cut surfaces and automatically adjusting the transplant pattern parameters, the system provides both customization freedom and manufacturing simplicity.
2Manufacturing precision
If custom corneal cut surfaces are defined to optimize refractive corrections, then the optical imaging quality is improved, but the complexity of the treatment apparatus and control data generation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The planning device automatically generates the corresponding transplant cutting pattern when the surgeon defines the corneal cut surface. The system performs self-calibration and self-planning, eliminating the need for complex manual measurements and calculations, thus reducing operational complexity while maintaining high precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex manual surgical planning and measurement processes with automated computer-based planning device. The planning device calculates and generates control data for the laser device, substituting manual mechanical operations with automated computational processes.
3Reliability
If the corneal volume to be removed and the transplant are made identical in dimensions, then the transplantation fit is optimized, but the flexibility in designing different cut geometries is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transplant cutting pattern to match any selected corneal cut surface geometry. Rather than requiring identical predetermined dimensions, the system adapts the transplant pattern to the specific corneal cut surface chosen by the surgeon, providing both optimal fit and design flexibility.
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
Enables the selection of freely defined corneal cut surfaces and corresponding transplant cut surfaces, providing greater flexibility in transplantation material selection and optimizing refractive corrections, while minimizing adverse effects on the eye's optical imaging quality.
Implementation Method 1
EP 1719483 A1 relates to laser-based cutting of cornea and donor material in transplantation surgery. An ablating laser is used to ablate a volume from the cornea which should be replaced by donor material. The laser radiation acts by ablating material, i.e. the laser radiation is absorbed at the front surface of the material to which the laser radiation is directed.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 3~5B
Figure 6
AI summary
A planning device generating control data for a treatment apparatus (1) for cornea transplantation is described, said apparatus using a laser device (4) to separate a corneal volume (21), which is to be removed, from the surrounding cornea (17) by at least one cut surface in the cornea and to separate a transplant, which is to be inserted into the cornea, from a surrounding transplantation material by at least one cut surface in the transplantation material, wherein the planning device - comprises an interface (29) supplying measurement data relating to parameters of the cornea (17), - means for defining a corneal cut surface (22, 23) which confines the corneal volume (21) to be removed, which means for defining the corneal cut surface (22, 23) access the measurement data, and - computing means determining a transplant cut surface by using the transplantation material data and depending on the defined corneal cut surface (22, 23), which transplant cut surface confines the transplant, and said computing means generating one control data set each for the corneal cut surface (22, 23) and the transplant cut surface to control the laser device (4), wherein the respective cut surfaces can be produced by the laser device using the control data sets, so as to isolate the corneal volume and the transplant and to make them removable, as well as to make the transplant transplantable.