Ophthalmologic Therapy System with Dynamic Scanning to Reduce Shadowing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for processing transparent materials like eye tissues using focused radiation are either costly due to large and expensive optical systems or suffer from shadowing effects caused by previous incision lines, limiting their flexibility and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a cost-efficient, small optical system with a combination of slow and fast scanning movements in three-dimensional space to process transparent materials, ensuring that focus effective zones are always arranged outside the focal cone of previously realized zones, minimizing shadowing and allowing for flexible area processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a large optical system is used to achieve wide lateral coverage for spiral scans, then the reachable lateral area is sufficient, but the system becomes expensive and unsuitable for flexible mobile devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the processing area into multiple small sections that can be sequentially processed. Instead of requiring a large optical system to cover the entire lateral area at once, the system processes small regions by moving the focus point through combined fast and slow scanning movements, effectively segmenting the overall task into manageable portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fast scanning movements in the z-direction (depth) to complement the traditional lateral scanning. By adding this vertical dimension to the scanning strategy, the system can access different depths within small lateral areas, effectively expanding the processing volume without requiring a larger lateral optical system.
2Device complexity
If fast vertical z-wobble scanning is used to reduce optical system size, then the optical system becomes smaller, but shadowing effects occur when incision lines overshadow the laser focus for adjacent patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic scanning patterns where the focus point moves along scan lines with varying orientations. By dynamically adjusting the scanning direction and using combined fast and slow movements in multiple directions, the system ensures that subsequent scan lines are positioned to avoid shadowing from previously created incisions, making the scanning process adaptive rather than static.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent plans and executes scan lines in a specific sequence where the position and orientation of each scan line is predetermined to avoid shadowing. By carefully planning the scan pattern in advance, the system ensures that incision lines are created in an order and orientation that prevents them from blocking the laser focus for subsequent patterns.
3Speed
If lateral wobbling with patching is used to process cylindrical incisions, then fast lateral scanning can be utilized, but many border regions require alignment and shadowing effects still occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamic scanning patterns where scan lines are oriented and positioned to systematically avoid shadowing regions. Instead of using static horizontal patches, the system employs scan lines with varying angles and positions that adapt to the cylindrical geometry, ensuring that each new scan line starts in a region not shadowed by previous incisions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates multiple copies of the focused radiation effect by scanning along multiple lines with different orientations. By systematically varying the scan line angles and positions, the system distributes the processing across multiple passes, ensuring that each pass operates in fresh, non-shadowed regions while maintaining high scanning speed.
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 high-quality processing of transparent materials with minimal damage and efficient area coverage, using a small optical system that is cost-effective and flexible, effectively addressing the limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
an optical system for focusing the radiation into a focus in the processing volume
Implementation Method 2
processing an area in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation
Data Source
AI summary
A system for processing a portion in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation including a device for generating and an optical system for focusing radiation, with a device for changing the position of the focus of the radiation and a control device. The system includes a controller that controls the ophthalmologic therapy system. The controller is encoded with a scan pattern. The scan pattern includes adjacent strokes with each adjacent stroke having an angle of inclination (α) to the beam axis; and the angle of inclination (α) of the strokes to the beam axis is always larger than or equal to the focal angle (φ) of the focused radiation.