Corneal Laser Venting Channel for Gas Management
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ophthalmological devices for treating the cornea using pulsed laser beams face challenges such as gas production leading to cloudy areas, compromising the quality of cuts and refractive corrections, and the instability of lenticules due to their thinness.
Innovation Solution
An ophthalmological device that generates a void volume inside the cornea using a pulsed laser beam, with a scanner system moving the focal spot to target locations to create partially overlapping focal spots for ablating tissue and cutting venting channels to vent gas effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a pulsed laser beam is used to cut and remove conical tissue from the cornea, then the refractive correction can be achieved, but gas is produced inside the cornea creating cloudy areas that compromise the quality of cuts and refractive correction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful gas produced during laser cutting by creating venting pockets inside the cornea. These pockets serve as reservoirs that collect and contain the gas, preventing it from creating cloudy areas that would compromise cut quality and refractive correction precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The corneal treatment is segmented into multiple cutting passes with intermediate venting steps. Between cutting operations, venting pockets are created or expanded to periodically remove accumulated gas, allowing the cutting process to continue while managing gas production in controlled intervals.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If venting pockets are created to collect gas, then gas accumulation is reduced, but pressure build-up inside the venting pockets may still detrimentally impact the precision of corneal cuts
Solution Approach 1:
The venting pockets are designed with dynamic characteristics, allowing them to expand and contract during the cutting process. The pockets are created and expanded in a controlled manner to maintain optimal pressure conditions, preventing pressure build-up that would compromise cutting precision while still collecting gas effectively.
Solution Approach 2:
The creation and expansion of venting pockets follows a periodic pattern interspersed with cutting operations. This periodic venting action maintains pressure equilibrium within the pockets, preventing sustained pressure build-up that would adversely affect the precision of subsequent corneal cuts.
3Manufacturing precision
If lenticules are cut with extreme thinness to achieve precise refractive correction, then the refractive outcome is improved, but the lenticules become unstable and prone to ripping during extraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides beforehand cushioning for thin lenticules by creating a protective void volume or cushioning space within the cornea. This cushioning space acts as a buffer that supports the thin lenticule structure during manipulation and extraction, preventing ripping while maintaining the precision achieved through thin lenticule design.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary void volume or cushioning structure is introduced between the thin lenticule and the surrounding corneal tissue. This intermediary element provides mechanical support and protection to the fragile thin lenticule during extraction, enabling safe removal without compromising the precisely cut refractive geometry.
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 device reduces the detrimental impacts of torn tissue parts and gas production, improving the precision and quality of corneal cuts and refractive corrections by effectively venting gas through strategically cut channels.
Implementation Method 1
a laser source for generating a pulsed laser beam, a focusing optical module for converging the pulsed laser beam onto a focal spot in the cornea
Implementation Method 2
movable mirrors are used to deflect the light beams and/or the laser pulses
Data Source
AI summary
An ophthalmological device for treatment of a cornea comprises a laser source, a focusing optical module, a scanner system, and an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is configured to control the scanner system to move the focal spot of the pulsed laser beam to generate a void volume inside the cornea by ablating cornea tissue with partially overlapping focal spots, whereby two or more focal spots partially overlap in direction of each of three dimensions of the void volume, and to move the focal spot inside the cornea to cut in the cornea a venting channel which connects fluidically the void volume to an escape area and enables venting of gas from the void volume through the venting channel to the escape area.