Virtual Alignment Pattern for Ophthalmic Laser Treatment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ophthalmic laser treatment methods require the patient to see the aiming beam, leading to safety and comfort issues due to higher irradiance in the patient's eye, and it is desirable to allow only the physician to see the alignment pattern.
Innovation Solution
A photomedical system that generates a virtual alignment pattern visible to the physician without projecting alignment light onto the patient's eye, using a light source, scanning device, viewing element, and alignment element to define a treatment zone on the eye, allowing precise alignment of the treatment beam without the patient seeing the alignment pattern.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a real alignment pattern is projected onto the patient's eye using an aiming beam, then the physician can see the alignment pattern for precise treatment, but the patient also sees the alignment pattern causing discomfort and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual alignment pattern that is an optical copy or representation of the treatment beam path, visible to the physician through the viewing element but not projected onto the patient's eye. This copying approach allows the physician to see the alignment pattern without the patient being exposed to the aiming beam irradiance, thus resolving the contradiction between alignment precision and patient comfort
2Manufacturing precision
If the aiming beam is optically coupled to the patient's eye to create a real alignment pattern, then the alignment is accurate, but the irradiance in the patient's eye becomes higher causing safety concerns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual alignment pattern as an intermediary that mediates between the treatment beam and the physician's view. Instead of directly coupling the aiming beam to the patient's eye, the system uses the virtual pattern displayed through the viewing element to indicate the treatment location, thereby maintaining alignment precision while eliminating excessive eye irradiance
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a virtual alignment pattern is used instead of a real alignment pattern, then patient comfort is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the viewing function and alignment indication function into a single integrated system. The viewing element serves dual purposes: it allows the physician to view the patient's eye and simultaneously displays the virtual alignment pattern overlaid on the viewed image. This merging approach reduces system complexity compared to having separate realignment devices while still providing patient comfort benefits
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 precise and safe ophthalmic laser treatment by allowing the physician to align the treatment beam within a defined virtual alignment pattern without the patient being aware of the alignment light, improving patient comfort and reducing safety concerns.
Implementation Method 1
a first light source for producing light, a scanning device for deflecting the light to produce a pattern of the light on the eye
Implementation Method 2
an alignment element aligned to the viewing element and the scanning device for optically indicating through the viewing element a location on the eye on which the pattern of the light will be located without projecting alignment light onto the eye
Data Source
AI summary
A photomedical system and method for treating and/or diagnosing a patient's eye that includes a first light source for producing light, a scanning device for deflecting the light to produce a pattern of the light on the eye, a viewing element positioned to view the eye by a user or physician, and an alignment element aligned to the viewing element and the scanning device for optically indicating through the viewing element a location on the eye on which the pattern of the light will be located, but without projecting any alignment light onto the eye.