Photodisruptive Laser Fragmentation of Ophthalmic Lens Tissue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current laser-induced lens fragmentation techniques face challenges due to uncontrolled gas bubble spread during photodisruption, which reduces the effectiveness of subsequent laser pulses and requires significant energy and time, and often necessitates probe insertion and limited precision.
Innovation Solution
The method employs a photodisruptive laser system that delivers laser pulses with optimized parameters, such as pulse duration, repetition rate, and energy, to minimize gas generation and interference, allowing for efficient fragmentation of the crystalline lens with reduced energy and time, and uses an aspiration needle to remove fragmented tissue without probe insertion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional laser-induced lens fragmentation is used, then tissue can be fragmented, but gas bubble spread occurs which reduces effectiveness of subsequent laser pulses and requires significant energy and time
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam is divided into multiple sub-beams that simultaneously fragment the lens into multiple compartments. This segmentation approach allows parallel processing of different regions, improving fragmentation efficiency while reducing total energy consumption by avoiding sequential treatment of the entire lens volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The method creates a preliminary capsule opening before main fragmentation, allowing gas bubbles to escape and preventing their accumulation. This preliminary action removes the harmful factor (gas bubbles) that would otherwise interfere with subsequent laser pulses, thereby reducing energy waste and improving overall fragmentation efficiency.
2Productivity
If conventional laser fragmentation is used, then lens can be broken down, but procedure time is lengthy due to uncontrolled gas generation and interference
Solution Approach 1:
A capsule opening is created preliminarily to establish a gas escape pathway before main fragmentation begins. This prevents gas bubble accumulation that would otherwise slow down the procedure by interfering with laser pulses, thereby significantly reducing surgical procedure time while maintaining high fragmentation speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser operates in periodic pulsed mode with optimized parameters that allow brief intervals for gas dissipation. This periodic action maintains high fragmentation speed by preventing continuous gas accumulation, while the pulsed nature of the laser inherently manages gas generation rates to reduce overall procedure time.
3Productivity
If high energy laser pulses are used for fragmentation, then tissue can be disrupted, but heat generation and potential side effects increase
Solution Approach 1:
The laser energy is distributed across multiple sub-beams treating different regions simultaneously. This segmentation reduces the energy concentration in any single location, maintaining effective tissue disruption while minimizing localized heat generation and associated side effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The method replaces conventional mechanical probe-based fragmentation with optical field-based laser fragmentation. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact and associated trauma, while the optimized laser parameters control thermal effects, reducing heat generation and side effects compared to traditional high-energy approaches.
4Ease of operation
If probe insertion is used for tissue removal, then fragmented tissue can be aspirated, but precision is limited and complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The method replaces mechanical probe insertion and manual aspiration with a fully optical laser-based fragmentation system followed by standard aspiration. This substitution maintains ease of operation for tissue removal while dramatically improving precision through the inherent accuracy of laser beam positioning and the uniformity of laser-induced fragmentation patterns.
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 enables precise and efficient fragmentation of the crystalline lens with reduced gas interference, lower energy usage, and shorter procedure times, while maintaining optical clarity and minimizing potential side effects like heat and clogging during ophthalmic surgery.
Implementation Method 1
A method of fragmenting biological tissue with a photodisruptive laser includes selecting a target region of the tissue for fragmentation, directing a beam of laser pulses to the selected target region of the tissue, and forming cells in the target region of the tissue by directing the laser beam to generate cell boundaries
Implementation Method 2
the forming the cells includes generating the cell boundaries by creating layers of bubbles in the target region of the tissue
Data Source
AI summary
An ophthalmic laser surgical system includes a pulsed laser source configured to generate a pulsed laser beam, optics configured to direct the laser beam towards a target region in a lens of an eye, and a processor configured to control the optics to form a regular array of cells in the target region by creating layers of photodisrupted bubbles to generate cell boundaries. The layers are created by causing the optics to scan the pulsed laser according to a curvature of a focal plane of the optics to track a natural curvature of the lens.