Corneal Lenticule Isolation for Vision Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The conventional LASIK method for refractive eye surgery faces challenges in securely removing isolated lenticules and ensuring predictable healing processes, as the cut surfaces and material removal approaches differ significantly, leading to potential optical aberrations and regression issues.
Innovation Solution
A treatment apparatus and method that utilize a laser device to create a lenticular volume in the cornea with specific anterior and posterior faces connected by an edge face, ensuring sufficient stability and minimal thickness to prevent tissue tearing, and a wide transition zone to minimize regression, with edge structures designed to facilitate safe and effective removal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional LASIK method is used to remove corneal tissue by ablation, then the corneal lamella can be detached and folded to the side, but the cut surfaces differ significantly leading to potential optical aberrations and regression issues
Solution Approach 1:
The corneal tissue is segmented into distinct zones: a central treatment zone for refractive correction and a peripheral transition zone with gradual thickness change. This segmentation allows the central zone to provide precise optical correction while the transition zone eliminates abrupt edges that cause optical aberrations, thereby improving healing predictability and reducing harmful optical effects
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the corneal treatment are given different local qualities: the central zone has a flat or gently curved bottom surface for precise refractive correction, while the peripheral transition zone has a gradually changing thickness profile. This local differentiation ensures that each zone performs its specific function optimally - the central zone for vision correction and the peripheral zone for minimizing optical aberrations and regression
2Manufacturing precision
If a lenticular volume is isolated in the cornea for removal, then the desired correction is achieved, but the lenticule may tear during removal if thickness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The laser treatment creates the complete lenticular volume with appropriate thickness distribution before removal. The transition zone is formed in advance with gradual thickness change, providing structural reinforcement to the lenticule edges before extraction. This preliminary structuring ensures the lenticule maintains sufficient strength during removal while achieving precise isolation for the desired corneal correction
3Manufacturing precision
If the corneal tissue is removed to achieve refractive correction, then the vision defect is corrected, but regression may occur without sufficient transition zone
Solution Approach 1:
The transition zone extends the treatment into the radial dimension, creating a gradual thickness transition from the central treatment zone to the peripheral cornea. This three-dimensional transition structure (combining axial thickness variation with radial extent) provides a buffer zone that stabilizes the corneal shape and prevents regression while maintaining the precision of the central refractive correction
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 approach ensures secure removal of the lenticule with reduced risk of optical aberrations and regression, maintaining better optical quality and minimizing the need for postoperative corrections by providing sufficient stability and a wide edge zone outside the optically effective region.
Implementation Method 1
a laser device which is controlled by a control device and separates corneal tissue by applying laser radiation
Implementation Method 2
the spatial region of the optical breakthrough (in this case the interaction generated) highly depends on the pulse duration
Data Source
AI summary
A treatment apparatus for operatively correcting myopia or hyperopia in an eye includes a laser device controlled by a control device and that separates the corneal tissue by applying a laser beam. The control device controls the laser device to emit the laser beam into the cornea such that a lenticule-shaped volume is isolated in the cornea. The control device, when controlling the laser device, predefines the lenticule-shaped volume such that the volume has a minimum thickness of between 5 and 50 μm. For myopia correction, the minimum thickness occurs on the edge of the volume, and for hyperopia correction the minimum thickness occurs in the region of the visual axis.