Ophthalmological Laser Tracking System for Eye Movement Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ophthalmological laser therapy devices face challenges in maintaining accuracy and completeness of structures, such as capsulotomy incisions, due to unintentional eye movements during procedures, leading to incomplete or irregular cuts which can cause complications in cataract surgery.
Innovation Solution
A tracking system for ophthalmological laser therapy devices that adjusts the therapy guide in real-time using a control unit to process images and data from an examination unit, determining correction parameters to maintain the intended structure's integrity by repositioning the laser focus relative to the eye's movements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If laser radiation is used to create structures in eye tissue, then surgical precision and control are improved, but eye movements during treatment cause the structure to deviate from the planned position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the actual position of the laser focus is continuously monitored during treatment, and the scan pattern is dynamically adjusted based on detected deviations. This closed-loop control ensures that the generated structure maintains its intended geometry despite eye movements, directly resolving the contradiction between initial positioning accuracy and final structure completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static, pre-planned scan pattern to a dynamic scan pattern that adapts in real-time during treatment. The scan parameters are continuously modified based on actual eye position and laser focus location, allowing the system to maintain manufacturing precision while ensuring structure completeness despite physiological movements.
2Device complexity
If the laser scan pattern is fixed in advance, then treatment planning is simplified, but eye movements cause the starting and ending points of closed structures to fail to converge
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses real-time feedback to monitor the actual position of the laser focus during treatment and dynamically adjusts the scan pattern to ensure that starting and ending points of closed structures converge. This feedback mechanism adds complexity to the control system but maintains relatively simple treatment planning procedures.
3Area of stationary object
If multi-path sections are used to cover entire depth of target object, then coverage completeness is improved, but lateral shifts due to eye movements create unconnected sections and unclean cut surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the scan pattern for multi-path sections, where each subsequent path is repositioned based on real-time detection of eye movements. This ensures that all paths converge at the same starting and ending points, maintaining cut surface quality while achieving complete coverage of the target area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from position sensors to continuously monitor eye movements during multi-path treatment and adjusts the scan pattern accordingly. This ensures that lateral shifts are compensated for in real-time, maintaining precise convergence of all section paths and producing clean, connected cut surfaces.
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
Ensures high accuracy and completeness of structures, preventing complications like unclosed cuts and improving the predictability of the capsulotomy incision, thereby enhancing the safety and success of cataract operations.
Implementation Method 1
The most common application of an ophthalmic laser therapy device is the creation of incision patterns through photodisruption using laser radiation
Implementation Method 2
laser radiation can also be used to ablate eye structures or to create structured tissue changes or adhesions through coagulation
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b(v)
Figure 3a~3b
AI summary
The invention relates to a tracking system (700) of an ophthalmological laser therapy apparatus (800) for readjusting a therapy guide in an eye tissue (310), and an ophthalmological laser therapy apparatus (800) having a device for producing (100) the laser radiation and an optical unit (200) for focusing the laser radiation, a device (400) for modifying the location of the focus and a control device (500). Furthermore, it relates to a method for readjusting a therapy guide and for producing a structure (1). Its task is that of describing an ophthalmological laser therapy apparatus (800) or a device to this end, and a method for producing a structure (1) by means of laser radiation, which guarantee a high target form accuracy, even if the position of the eye (310) changes relative to the ophthalmological laser therapy apparatus (800) while the therapy progresses. This is achieved by a tracking system (700) with a control unit (570) which is configured to receive and process images and/or data of an examination unit (600, 650, 660) for characterizing an area or a volume of the eye (310), to ascertain therein a position of a marker (50) at the start time t0 and at subsequent times ti during the production of the structure (1) in order to determine therefrom a correction parameter K(ti) at the respective time ti, furthermore by an ophthalmological laser therapy apparatus (800) with a tracking system (800) and by corresponding methods.