Ophthalmic Laser Apparatus with Movable Projector
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ophthalmic laser apparatuses require the patient to change posture from sitting to lying, leading to inaccuracies in eye alignment due to differences in astigmatism angles, making precise ophthalmic laser surgery challenging and inconvenient for operators.
Innovation Solution
An ophthalmic laser apparatus that allows the patient to receive the laser beam in a sitting posture, with the apparatus itself being movable to align with the patient's eye, eliminating the need to move the patient or operating table, and featuring a support bracket to keep the eye perpendicular to the horizontal plane, a positioning device, and a laser beam projector that can be aligned and adjusted for precise targeting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the patient is moved from sitting to lying posture on the operating table, then the patient can receive laser treatment, but the eye alignment precision deteriorates due to changes in astigmatism angle
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the patient from sitting to lying posture, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the patient in sitting posture and moving the laser apparatus to align with the patient's eye. This reversal maintains the patient's natural eye position and astigmatism angle while achieving proper alignment for treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser apparatus is designed with movable components that can dynamically adjust its position and orientation to align with the patient's eye in sitting posture. The apparatus can move along X, Y, and Z axes and rotate to match the eye's orientation, enabling precise alignment without changing patient posture.
2Measurement precision
If the operating table is moved repeatedly to align the patient's eye with the laser beam, then the alignment can be achieved, but the operator convenience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the patient on the operating table to align with the fixed laser beam, the invention inverts the approach by keeping the patient stationary and moving the laser apparatus to align with the patient's eye. This eliminates repeated table adjustments and improves operator convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser apparatus is divided into movable and stationary parts, with the laser light source and optical system mounted on a movable platform that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the alignment function to be separated from the patient support function, enabling precise alignment without moving the patient or operating table.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the patient undergoes examinations in sitting posture and surgery in lying posture, then both procedures can be performed, but the surgical precision deteriorates due to parameter differences
Solution Approach 1:
The laser apparatus is designed to perform both examination and treatment functions in the same sitting posture. The apparatus can switch between different operational modes while maintaining the patient's position, eliminating the need to change posture between examination and surgery and ensuring consistent eye parameters throughout the procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patient undergoes both examination and treatment in the same sitting posture, with the laser apparatus configured to perform preliminary examinations and subsequent surgery without requiring posture change. This preliminary action in the same posture ensures that eye parameters such as astigmatism angle remain consistent throughout the entire procedure.
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
Enables more precise ophthalmic laser surgery by maintaining consistent eye conditions during examination and surgery, reducing operator inconvenience and psychological pressure on patients, while allowing for high-precision alignment without the need to move the patient or operating table.
Implementation Method 1
These ultraviolet lasers are widely used in Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), etc. They all use laser beam to ablate the corneal tissue to change its curvature, thereby changing the diopter of the eye (vision correction).
Data Source
AI summary
An ophthalmic laser apparatus comprises a laser light source; a light guide device, configured to guide a laser beam generated from the laser light source; a support bracket, configured to support a patient's head for the patient's eye to be perpendicular to a horizontal plane; a positioning device to acquire data related to a position of the patient's eye; a laser beam projector, the laser beam projector being movable to be aligned with the patient's eye and projecting the laser beam from the light guide device; a moving stand, configured to move the positioning device and the laser beam projector along an X direction, a Y direction, and/or a Z direction; and a controller, configured to control the laser light source to irradiate the laser beam and to control the laser beam projector to project the laser beam toward the patient's eye.