Gonioscope-Guided SLT Scanning Without Continuous Refocusing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) procedures are prolonged and strenuous for the ophthalmologist due to the need for precise focusing and alignment of the laser beam on the trabecular meshwork, which can be taxing for both the operator and the patient.
Innovation Solution
The use of a gonioscope with a distal face and multiple facets, a camera with a large depth of field, and a loosely focused laser beam with a cone angle of less than 2°, along with a goniocone fixture to simplify alignment, automates the procedure and reduces the need for continuous focusing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If precise focusing and alignment of the laser beam is used, then treatment accuracy is improved, but procedural time and operator fatigue increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the focusing parameter of the laser beam from a tightly focused state to a loosely focused state with a larger depth of field. This parameter change allows the laser to treat multiple locations along the trabecular meshwork without requiring continuous refocusing, thereby reducing procedural time while maintaining adequate treatment precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic scanning of the laser beam across multiple locations of the trabecular meshwork. The scanner automatically moves the laser beam to different positions, eliminating the need for manual realignment and reducing operator fatigue while treating the entire circumference of the anterior chamber
2Manufacturing precision
If precise alignment of the laser beam is used, then treatment accuracy is improved, but operator fatigue increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-alignment through the scanner that automatically directs the laser beam to the correct locations on the trabecular meshwork. The depth of field of the gonioscope and the scanning mechanism work together to maintain alignment without requiring continuous manual adjustment by the operator, thereby reducing fatigue
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical alignment operations with an automated scanning system. The scanner uses controlled beam direction changes instead of manual gonioscope adjustments, substituting automated optical-mechanical systems for manual操作的 alignment processes
3Use of energy by moving object
If a tightly focused laser beam is used, then energy concentration is improved, but depth of field decreases requiring continuous refocusing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the focusing parameter of the laser beam from a tightly focused state to a loosely focused state with a larger depth of field. This parameter change allows the laser to treat multiple locations along the trabecular meshwork without requiring continuous refocusing, thereby reducing procedural time while maintaining adequate treatment precision
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 shortens the SLT procedure duration significantly, allowing for efficient and precise treatment of the trabecular meshwork with reduced operator fatigue and patient discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
optics configured to focus the beam to impinge on the tissue in the anterior chamber with a cone angle no greater than 2°
Implementation Method 2
a scanner, which is configured to direct the beam through the proximal face of the gonioscope so that the beam reflects from a facet of the gonioscope into the anterior chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for medical treatment includes a gonioscope having a distal face for placement in proximity to a patient's eye, a proximal face opposite the distal face, and multiple facets between the distal and proximal faces. The apparatus also includes a laser to generate a beam, a scanner to direct the beam through the proximal face of the gonioscope to reflect from a facet into an anterior chamber of the eye, at least one slit lamp to project sheets of light into the eye through the gonioscope, a camera to capture, through the gonioscope, an image of an illumination pattern cast on the eye by the sheet of light. A processor processes the image so as to identify a location of an anatomical structure in the eye, selects targets in the eye based on the identified location, and controls the scanner so that the beam impinges on the targets.