Ophthalmic Laser Focus Position Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Laser devices used in ophthalmological surgery face challenges in ensuring precise positioning of the radiation focus due to aging components and data transfer interruptions, which can lead to deviations between desired and actual focus positions, especially in sensitive applications like human eye tissue, where re-machining is not feasible.
Innovation Solution
A test-mode operation is implemented with the laser source turned off, where controllable scan components are controlled to traverse discrete focus positions, and measuring components register actual positions, allowing for precise examination and correction before actual machining, ensuring desired and actual values align within tolerable limits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the laser device operates without a test-mode operation, then the productivity is improved by avoiding additional testing time, but the manufacturing precision deteriorates due to unverified scan component positioning accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a test-mode operation that performs preliminary verification of scan component positioning accuracy before actual laser machining. The control arrangement executes test scan patterns and compares desired focus positions with actual measured positions to detect deviations caused by aging components or data transfer issues, thereby ensuring positioning accuracy before productive operation.
2Measurement precision
If the laser source is turned on during scan component testing, then the measurement precision can be verified under actual operating conditions, but the reliability deteriorates due to the risk of machining errors on living tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the laser source from the test-mode operation, allowing scan component verification to be performed independently without activating the laser radiation. The control arrangement conducts positioning accuracy tests using only the scan components and measuring components, separating the verification function from the machining function to eliminate safety risks while maintaining measurement capability.
3Device complexity
If scan components are not tested before operation, then the device complexity is reduced by omitting the test-mode operation, but the reliability deteriorates due to undetected positioning deviations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a self-verification mechanism where the control arrangement automatically executes test scan patterns and compares desired focus positions with actual measured positions. The system uses its own measuring components to detect positioning deviations and can trigger alerts or corrective actions, enabling autonomous reliability verification without adding complex external testing equipment.
Data Source
AI summary
A laser device, in particular for ophthalmological laser surgery, comprising a laser source (14) for providing laser radiation, controllable scan components (20) for setting a focus position of the laser radiation, measuring components (30) for registering information that is representative of an actual position of the radiation focus, and also a control arrangement (22) controlling the laser source and the scan components. In accordance with the invention, the control arrangement can be set up to bring about the implementation of a test-mode operation of at least some of the scan components with the laser source turned off, in accordance with a predetermined test scan pattern, the test scan pattern representing a plurality of discrete desired focus positions to be traversed in succession, and the control arrangement having been set up to stop, at each of the desired focus positions, the scan movement of the scan components and to ascertain, assigned to each of the desired focus positions, respectively an actual focus position on the basis of the registered information of the measuring components.