Pulsed Laser Corneal Cutting for Precise Lenticle Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for correcting impaired vision by isolating a lenticle in the cornea, such as LASIK, face challenges in creating precise, curved cut surfaces quickly, leading to longer intervention times and potential disruptions due to eye movements, which can result in inaccurate cut surfaces and increased patient stress.
Innovation Solution
A device and method utilizing a laser beam source emitting pulsed laser radiation with a frequency of 1.2 MHz to 10 MHz, pulse energy of 1 nJ to 200 nJ, and wavelength that penetrates into the cornea, combined with beam optics and a control unit to create a focus with a maximum diameter of less than 3 μm, allowing for the precise creation of curved cut surfaces within the cornea by shifting the focus along a path, thereby achieving high precision and contour accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional laser keratomes are used to create curved cut surfaces in the cornea, then the cut precision is limited, but the intervention time increases and eye movements cause inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed laser radiation with pulse frequencies of 100 kHz to 10 MHz to create curved cut surfaces in the cornea. The periodic pulsing allows precise material removal while minimizing heat accumulation and enabling rapid processing of complex curved geometries without prolonged continuous exposure that would increase intervention time and risk of eye movement artifacts
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes adjustable pulse frequencies (100 kHz to 10 MHz) and pulse energies to optimize the laser ablation process. By dynamically changing these parameters, the system achieves high-precision curved cut surfaces while maintaining short intervention times, resolving the contradiction between precision and speed
2Productivity
If the laser pulse frequency is increased to reduce intervention time, then productivity improves, but tissue splitting effects increase and cut accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs pulsed laser radiation with pulse frequencies of 100 kHz to 10 MHz to create curved cut surfaces in the cornea. The periodic pulsing allows precise material removal while minimizing heat accumulation and enabling rapid processing of complex curved geometries without prolonged continuous exposure that would increase intervention time and risk of eye movement artifacts
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes adjustable pulse frequencies (100 kHz to 10 MHz) and pulse energies to optimize the laser ablation process. By dynamically changing these parameters, the system achieves high-precision curved cut surfaces while maintaining short intervention times, resolving the contradiction between precision and 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
The solution enables the rapid and precise creation of curved cut surfaces, reducing tissue splitting and enhancing tissue cutting effects, resulting in more accurate cut surface positioning and higher contour accuracy, which is essential for effective lenticle extraction and optical correction without the need for flattening the cornea.
Implementation Method 1
a laser beam source which is designed to emit pulsed laser radiation with a wavelength which penetrates into the cornea
Implementation Method 2
a beam forming unit which has beam optics which bundle the pulsed laser radiation in the cornea into a focus, which has a maximum diameter of less than 3 μm
Data Source
AI summary
A device for isolating a lenticle in the cornea of an eye. The device includes: a laser beam source to emit pulsed laser radiation having a pulse frequency of 1.2 MHz to 10 MHz, a pulse energy of 1 nJ to 200 nJ and a wavelength penetrating the cornea; a beam-forming unit having beam optics with an image field and that bundles pulsed laser radiation into a focus located inside the image field, and which has a maximum diameter of less than 3 μm; a beam-deflection unit shifting the focus in the cornea and inside the image field, the focus moving along a path when the image field is resting; and a control unit to control the source and the beam-forming unit to isolate the lenticle by specifying the path. The lenticle is delimited by a cut surface which is curved with regard to a front surface of the cornea.