Free-floating mechanism for laser eye surgery alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser eye surgery systems face challenges in accommodating patient movement while maintaining alignment with the electromagnetic radiation beam, leading to increased complexity and cost due to the need for rigid support structures to prevent movement.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a free-floating mechanism with a variable optical path to accommodate patient movement, allowing the electromagnetic radiation beam to adjust its path length in response to eye movement, and includes a scanning assembly and detection assembly to maintain alignment and generate intensity signals from the focal point within the eye.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rigid support structures are used to prevent patient movement, then alignment between the patient's eye and the electromagnetic radiation beam is maintained, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic support assembly that can move in response to patient movement rather than using rigid fixed support. The support assembly includes movable components that adapt to changes in patient position, allowing the optical path to remain aligned with the patient's eye without requiring complex rigid restraint structures. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through movement accommodation while reducing device complexity.
2Reliability
If rigid support structures are used to prevent patient movement, then alignment between the patient's eye and the electromagnetic radiation beam is maintained, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic support assembly replaces expensive rigid restraint systems with simpler movable components. The support assembly can translate and rotate to accommodate patient movement, maintaining beam alignment without requiring complex mechanical restraints. This approach reduces system cost while preserving alignment reliability.
3Reliability
If contact lens restraint is used to inhibit eye movement, then eye movement is controlled, but patient discomfort and anxiety increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dynamic support assembly controls eye movement without requiring contact lens restraint. By moving the support assembly to follow patient movement, the system maintains alignment without physical contact with the patient's eye, thereby controlling eye movement reliability while preserving patient comfort and reducing anxiety.
4Reliability
If dedicated patient support assembly with restraint features is used, then patient movement is inhibited, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a dynamic support assembly that moves with the patient rather than restraining the patient. The support assembly includes movable components that adapt to patient position changes, inhibiting relative movement between the optical path and patient eye through dynamic following rather than static restraint. This reduces support assembly complexity while maintaining movement inhibition reliability.
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 approach reduces system complexity and cost by allowing for easier use and alignment of the laser surgery system, even with non-dedicated patient support assemblies, while maintaining precise imaging and treatment capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
an electromagnetic radiation beam is propagated from the beam source to a scanner along a variable optical path having an optical path length that varies in response to movement of the eye
Implementation Method 2
The scanner is used to scan the focal point to different locations within the eye
Implementation Method 3
A portion of the electromagnetic radiation beam reflected from the focal point location is propagated back along the variable optical path to a sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system includes an eye interface device, a scanning assembly, a beam source, a free-floating mechanism, and a detection assembly. The eye interface device interfaces with an eye. The scanning assembly supports the eye interface device and scans a focal point of an electromagnetic radiation beam within the eye. The beam source generates the electromagnetic radiation beam. The free-floating mechanism supports the scanning assembly and accommodates movement of the eye and provides a variable optical path for the electronic radiation beam and a portion of the electronic radiation beam reflected from the focal point location. The variable optical path is disposed between the beam source and the scanner and has an optical path length that varies to accommodate movement of the eye. The detection assembly generates a signal indicative of intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic radiation beam reflected from the focal point location.