Laser Eye Surgery Calibration with Tomography Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing laser surgery systems for cutting tissues, such as in eye surgery, face challenges with accuracy due to calibration drift and variability in incision location, leading to less than ideal results and rough surface finishes.
Innovation Solution
A laser system calibrated with a tomography system that measures and tracks the location of optically transmissive materials, using a processor to adjust laser beam pulses based on measured marks and eye movement, ensuring precise alignment and correction for different tissue structures with varying indices of refraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If laser beam is used to incise tissue, then cutting capability is improved, but incision location accuracy deteriorates due to calibration drift
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration by placing marks on the tissue structure and measuring their actual locations with the tomography system before the main laser treatment. This preliminary measurement allows the system to determine correction factors that are applied during subsequent laser incisions, ensuring accurate positioning despite calibration drift.
Solution Approach 2:
The tomography system continuously measures the actual locations of reference marks on the tissue structure and feeds this information back to the laser control system. The system uses this feedback to dynamically adjust and correct laser beam positioning, compensating for calibration drift in real-time during the surgical procedure.
2Manufacturing precision
If calibration is performed to improve incision accuracy, then manufacturing precision is improved, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calibration by placing marks on the tissue structure and measuring their actual locations with the tomography system before the main laser treatment. This preliminary measurement allows the system to determine correction factors that are applied during subsequent laser incisions, ensuring accurate positioning despite calibration drift.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the patient's own tissue structure as the calibration medium, eliminating the need for separate calibration phantoms or test procedures. The reference marks are placed directly on the tissue, and the tomography system automatically measures and processes this information, making the calibration process efficient and integrated into the surgical workflow.
3Measurement precision
If multiple marks are placed to define three dimensional volume, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tomography system serves multiple functions: it measures the locations of reference marks for calibration, tracks tissue structure movement during surgery, and provides imaging guidance. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve high measurement precision without requiring separate dedicated devices for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
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 significantly improves the accuracy of laser incisions by enabling in situ calibration and tracking, reducing errors and achieving precise cuts within a defined three-dimensional volume, even with structures having different refractive indices.
Implementation Method 1
the one or more target locations comprises a plurality of target locations and the one or more marks comprises a plurality of marks, and each of the plurality of marks is identified has having a corresponding target location. The plurality of marks can be distributed so as to define a three dimensional volume... As the tomography system may comprise one or more wavelengths different from the laser treatment system, the calibration and eye tracking can both provide improved accuracy
Implementation Method 2
Laser eye surgery system calibration... Pulsed lasers can be used to cut one or more of many materials and have been used for laser surgery to cut tissue... the laser beam may not incise tissue at the target location
Data Source
AI summary
A laser system is calibrated with a tomography system capable of measuring locations of structure within an optically transmissive material such as a tissue of an eye. Alternatively or in combination, the tomography system can be used to track the location of the eye and adjust the treatment in response to one or more of the location or an orientation of the eye. In many embodiments, in situ calibration and tracking of an optically transmissive tissue structure such as an eye can be provided. The optically transmissive material may comprise one or more optically transmissive structures of the eye, or a non-ocular optically transmissive material such as a calibration gel in a container or an optically transmissive material of a machined part.