Rotating Mirror Laser Delivery for Corneal Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current refractive laser systems for eye surgery require the patient's eye to align with a fixed laser beam delivery, leading to cumbersome setups and sensitivity to eye movement, as they use a combination of mirrors and lenses which amplify alignment errors and are not flexible enough to maintain normal incidence of the laser beam on the cornea during surgery.
Innovation Solution
A laser system employing a rotatable mirror set module to guide the UV laser beam into a hand piece module without lenses, using a two-dimensional scanner and f-theta telecentric scan focusing lens to convert the beam into a parallel scanning pattern, allowing the laser beam to remain at normal incidence on the eye even with movement, and incorporating a purged nitrogen gas design to reduce UV laser loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed laser delivery arm with mirrors and lenses is used to transfer the laser beam, then the laser beam can be delivered to the cornea, but alignment errors are amplified and the system becomes bulky and sensitive to eye movement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes lenses from the optical path, extracting only the necessary mirrors and optical elements. This eliminates the alignment errors introduced by lenses while maintaining the laser beam delivery function, directly resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and optical system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a dynamic optical system where mirrors can be adjusted in real-time to track eye movement. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to maintain precise alignment with the cornea despite patient movement, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
2Ease of operation
If the patient's eye is required to align with a fixed laser beam, then the laser delivery can be simplified, but the setup becomes cumbersome and the patient must remain perfectly still
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring the eye to align with a fixed laser beam, the patent inverts the approach by making the laser beam follow the eye's movement. The optical system is designed to track and adapt to eye position changes, making the system adaptable to eye movement while maintaining ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the optical system in real-time based on eye position. By dynamically adjusting mirror angles and beam direction according to eye movement, the system maintains optimal alignment without requiring the patient to remain perfectly still, thus improving both ease of operation and eye movement tolerance
3Reliability
If mirrors and lenses are used to transfer the laser beam, then the beam can be directed to the cornea, but alignment errors are amplified during surgery
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts lenses from the optical path, eliminating the source of alignment error amplification. By using only mirrors and purged nitrogen gas for beam transfer, the system maintains reliable beam delivery without the precision loss introduced by lenses, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and measurement precision
4Use of energy by moving object
If a long laser delivery arm is used to transfer the beam, then the laser cabinet can be separate from the surgical field, but UV laser loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses purged nitrogen gas to create an inert atmosphere along the laser path. This eliminates UV laser energy loss through air absorption and scattering, allowing for longer delivery arm lengths without compromising energy efficiency. The inert environment protects the laser beam from atmospheric interference, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and delivery arm length
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 design simplifies the optical system, reduces alignment errors, and maintains the laser beam at normal incidence on the cornea, eliminating the need for eye trackers and enhancing ablation efficiency along the corneal periphery, while allowing for more precise and efficient surgical procedures.
Implementation Method 1
directing the generated laser beam through a manually activated shutter, a homogenizer and a rotating mirror set module
Implementation Method 2
the laser beam passes through a two dimensional scanner and is converted to a two dimensional random overlapping scanning diverging laser beam
Implementation Method 3
The laser beam then passes through an f-theta telecentric scan focusing lens to convert the laser beam into a two dimensional overlapping randomly scanned parallel laser beam
Implementation Method 4
A dielectric mirror deflects the laser beam as it exits the hand piece module and onto the patient's eye
Implementation Method 5
incorporating a purged nitrogen gas design to reduce UV laser loss
Data Source
AI summary
This invention is related to refractive eye surgery and specifically regarding guiding a laser beam through free space using a set of rotatable mirrors to guide said laser beam into a hand piece module that converts the laser beam into a two dimensional random overlapping scanning parallel laser beam that is delivered to the eye for ablation of cornea tissue to reshape the cornea of the eye. The rotating mirror set module allows a hand piece having an eye stabilization and distance control unit to be positioned by the surgeon onto a patient's eye for performing the surgery.