Patents Assigned to Wavelight GmbH
  • Patent number: 10524657
    Abstract: A system for performing measurements of an eye comprises: a measurement tool that measures the eye, at least one rest that maintains a facial measurement position and defines a centering rest portion that maintains a lateral facial measurement position; an adjuster mechanism that moves an objective of the measurement tool relative to the eye; and a processing unit configured to control the system. The unit controls the system to position, for a first eye, the objective at a predefined first pre-scan position; scan the objective away from the first pre-scan position until the system detects a pupil of the first eye; and trigger one or more measurements of the first eye dependent on the system detecting the pupil of the first eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: WaveLight GmbH
    Inventor: Tobias Jeglorz
  • Patent number: 10463538
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a laser device for laser processing of an eye comprises a source of a pulsed laser beam, a detector system that photodetects partial beams generated from the laser beam, and a control unit that evaluates the detection signals. A first detection element of the detector system provides a first detection signal based on single-photon absorption. A second detection element provides a second detection signal based on two-photon absorption. The control unit puts the measured signal strengths of the two detection signals into a ratio to one another. Variations in the resulting ratio value may be traced back to variations in the pulse duration and/or wave front of the laser beam. The control unit may initiate countermeasures to maintain the beam quality of the laser beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Olaf Kittelmann, Edlef Buettner, Jan Popien
  • Patent number: 10433722
    Abstract: A diagnosis system and a diagnosis method are provided. More specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a diagnosis system for detection of corneal degeneration impacting the biomechanical stability of the human cornea and a diagnosis method for detection of corneal degeneration impacting the biomechanical stability of the human cornea. Still more specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a diagnosis system for early detection of corneal degeneration impacting the biomechanical stability of the human cornea and a diagnosis method for early detection of corneal degeneration impacting the biomechanical stability of the human cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: WAVELIGHT GMBH
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Christof Donitzky
  • Patent number: 10314747
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, a device comprises a laser device and a control computer. The laser device directs a laser beam with laser energy through an outer portion of an eye to a target portion of the eye. The control computer receives an optical density measurement of the outer portion, determines the laser energy according to the optical density measurement, and instructs the laser device to direct the laser beam with the laser energy through the outer portion of the eye to the target portion of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Sissimos Lemonis, Stefan Wendl
  • Patent number: 10238539
    Abstract: A technique for controlling a corneal ablation laser is described. As to a device aspect of the technique, a device comprises a parameter interface, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, a computation unit, and a control unit. The parameter interface receives an adjustment parameter. The first determination unit determines a first point on a corneal surface. The second determination unit determines a second point on the corneal surface that is different from the first point. The computation unit determines a third point on a line between the first point and the second point according to the adjustment parameter. The computation unit further generates a control program that centers an ablation profile on the third point. The control unit controls the corneal ablation laser according to the control program.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Sissimos Lemonis, Alexander Kempe, Mario Abraham, Peter Riedel
  • Patent number: 10238544
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, marking a lenticule includes controlling a focus of pulsed laser radiation having ultrashort pulses. A lenticule marking is created in a cornea of an eye with the pulsed laser radiation to mark the lenticule. The lenticule is then created in the cornea with the pulsed laser radiation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Jörg Klenke, Katrin Skerl, Theo Seiler
  • Patent number: 10159602
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide a method and apparatus for laser-processing a material. In the embodiments, a diffraction-limited beam of pulsed laser radiation is diffracted by a diffraction device to generate a diffracted beam. The diffracted beam is subsequently focused onto the material and is controlled in time and space to irradiate the material at a target position with radiation from a set of radiation pulses of the diffracted beam so that each radiation pulse from the set of radiation pulses is incident at the target position with a cross-sectional portion of the diffracted beam, the cross-sectional portion including a local intensity maximum of the diffracted beam. The beam cross-sectional portions of at least a subset of the pulses of the set include each a different local intensity maxi-mum. In this way, a multi-pulse application for generating a photo-disruption at a target location of the material can be implemented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Christof Donitzky
  • Patent number: 10086470
    Abstract: A method for energy calibration of a pulsed cutting laser for eye surgery comprises irradiating a sample material with a plurality of sets of laser pulses of the cutting laser with pulse energies differing from set to set. This method also comprises analyzing at least one visually perceptible discoloration structure created in the sample material as a result of the irradiation, selecting the pulse energy of one of the sets based on the analysis, and setting a treatment pulse energy for the cutting laser based on the selected energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventor: Sissimos Lemonis
  • Patent number: 10058453
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, refractive correction includes controlling a focus of pulsed laser radiation having ultrashort pulses. A channel is created with the pulsed laser radiation to facilitate separation of the lenticule from the eye. A posterior incision is created with the pulsed laser radiation to form a posterior side of the lenticule. An anterior incision is created with the pulsed laser radiation to form an anterior side of the lenticule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Seiler, Katrin Skerl, Jörg Klenke
  • Patent number: 10024649
    Abstract: An apparatus for optical coherence tomography (OCT) comprises a light source, a first arm, a second arm, and a processing unit. The first arm has a first dispersive optical assembly that induces a first amount of dispersion into light from the light source and traversing the first arm, where the first arm is one of a sample arm and a reference arm of an interferometer. The second arm has a second dispersive optical assembly that induces a second amount of dispersion into light from the light source and traversing the second arm, where the second arm is the other of the sample arm and reference arm. The second amount of dispersion is larger than the first amount of dispersion. The processing unit processes an interferometry signal to perform OCT, where the interferometry signal represents a superposition of the light from the first arm and the light from the second arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Ole Massow, Johannes Loerner
  • Patent number: 9974690
    Abstract: An apparatus for LASIK is equipped with the following: a first laser radiation source for generating first laser radiation pulses; first means for guiding and shaping the first laser radiation pulses; a second laser radiation source for generating second laser radiation pulses; second means for guiding and shaping the second laser radiation pulses; a controller with: a first treatment program for controlling the first means and the first laser radiation pulses for the purpose of producing an incision in the cornea, the first treatment program generating regular corneal surface structures; a second treatment program for controlling the second means and the second laser radiation pulses for the purpose of reshaping the cornea and changing its imaging properties; and a third treatment program which controls the second means and the second laser radiation pulses for the purpose of removing the aforementioned regular structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Wüllner, Klaus Vogler, Christof Donitzky
  • Patent number: 9974691
    Abstract: A laser apparatus is controlled by a control program that operates to use laser radiation to generate an incision figure in the cornea of an eye, the incision figure including an incision that bounds a corneal tissue volume. The control program operates to move the radiation focus in a radiation propagation direction successively in a plurality of superposed planes such that the radiation focus is moved without motion control in the propagation direction. The control program provides, for each plane, for a meandering scan path of the radiation focus that extends outside the tissue volume. The control program operates to allow through to the eye, in each plane, at least such radiation pulses that generate the first incision and to blank, in at least a fraction of the planes, at least a fraction of radiation pulses assigned to regions of the path that are at a distance from the incision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: WaveLight GmbH
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Klaus Vogler
  • Patent number: 9968484
    Abstract: A device for machining the cornea of a human eye with focused pulsed laser radiation includes controllable components, a control computer for controlling these components and a control program for the control computer. The control program contains instructions that are designed to generate an incision figure in the cornea permitting the insertion of an intrastromal corneal ring implant. The incision figure includes a ring incision situated totally deep within the corneal tissue and an opening incision extending at right angles to the ring plane of the ring incision from the anterior surface of the cornea or from the posterior surface of the cornea as far as at least the ring incision. The ring incision exhibits, assigned to the opening incision, a radial—relative to the ring axis—widening zone in which the opening incision impinges on the ring incision.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Theo Seiler, Mathias Woelfel, Christof Donitzky
  • Patent number: 9943442
    Abstract: An apparatus for creating incisions in a human cornea comprises: a source of pulsed laser radiation; a scanner device for scanning the laser radiation; and a control computer for controlling the scanner device based on a control program, the control program containing instructions that, when executed by the computer, bring about the creation in the cornea of: a flap cut defining a corneal flap that is connected to surrounding corneal tissue through a hinge; and one or more auxiliary cuts in connection with the flap cut for removing gas generated during creation of the flap cut, the one or more auxiliary cuts defining a first channel extending from the flap cut to an anterior surface of the cornea and a reservoir located at least partially deeper within the cornea than the flap cut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Krause, Christof Donitzky
  • Patent number: 9895059
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a technique for centering an application field for an ophthalmic device or a method. More specifically, and without limitation, the disclosure relates to a device and a method for centering an application field relative to the cornea of a human eye responsive to movement of the eye tracked in real-time during the ophthalmic application based on a pupil center. An ophthalmic device or method allows performing one or more procedures with respect to an eye of a patient, such as a surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic procedure, e.g., including and not limited to Laser-Assisted in-situ Keratomileusis (LASIK), Epi-LASIK, PRK, lenticule extraction or keratoplasty.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: WaveLight GmbH
    Inventors: Sissimos Lemonis, Mario Abraham
  • Patent number: 9877869
    Abstract: A device for generating at least one continuous slit-like incision (42) from the posterior surface (48) as far as the anterior surface (46) of the cornea (44) of an eye, comprising a laser device for generating at least one part of the incision with focused pulsed laser radiation, the laser device including controllable components for setting the location of the focus, a control computer for controlling these components, and also a control program for the control computer. The control program contains instructions that are designed to bring about, upon execution by the control computer, the generation of at least one part of the incision (42) originating from the posterior surface (48) of the cornea, the cross-sectional contour of the incision—when observed in the direction from the anterior surface to the posterior surface—deviating from a straight line (60) perpendicular to the surface of the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Mathias Woelfel, Johannes Krause
  • Patent number: 9861275
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for cutting or ablating corneal tissue of an eye provide for detection of electromagnetic radiation exiting the eye. A detector is provided and coupled to a computer controlling the cutting or ablating laser radiation so that a two- or three-dimensional image of radiation exiting the eye can be generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GMBH
    Inventor: Armin Wellhoefer
  • Patent number: 9855168
    Abstract: A nozzle unit for cross-linking of eye tissue is disclosed. The nozzle unit comprises a dosing device for providing a predefined dose of a photosensitizer, a pressure-generating device for generating a pressure in the dosing device, and an outlet nozzle for discharging the dose of the photosensitizer, in a puff-type manner and in the form of at least one stream or stream bundle, through an outlet opening of the outlet nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Wavelight GMBH
    Inventor: Armin Wellhoefer
  • Patent number: 9801760
    Abstract: A test device to calibrate the pulse energy of a laser device which provides pulsed laser radiation includes a measuring head with multiple measuring probes. The test device is used in such a way that by means of the laser radiation, multiple test ablations are made on a test surface, in an arrangement corresponding to the relative spatial arrangement of the measuring probes, and the depths of the test ablations are then measured, with simultaneous use of the multiple measuring probes of the measuring head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: Wavelight GmbH
    Inventors: Evi Goos, Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: RE47550
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for refractive surgery, in particular LASIK, make provision whereby the apex of the cornea is taken as a basis, as the ablation center, for the refractive procedure. For this purpose, the dependence of the position of the apex on properties of the pupil is determined in the case of the eye to be treated and, from this dependence, measured properties of the pupil are used to calculate the position of the ablation center during the refractive surgery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: WAVELIGHT GMBH
    Inventor: Sissimos Lemonis