Patents Assigned to Alcon
-
Patent number: 11547484Abstract: A method and system for selecting an intraocular lens, with a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory. A plurality of machine learning models is selectively executable by the controller. The controller is configured to receive at least one pre-operative image of the eye and extract, via a first input machine learning model, a first set of data. The controller is configured to receive multiple biometric parameters of the eye and extract, via a second input machine learning model, a second set of data. The first set of data and the second set of data are combined to produce a mixed set of data. The controller is configured to generate, via an output machine learning model, at least one output factor based on the mixed set of data. An intraocular lens is selected based in part on the at least one output factor.Type: GrantFiled: October 6, 2020Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Sinchan Bhattacharya, Ramesh Sarangapani
-
Patent number: 11540942Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for enhancing the reliability of a pneumatically driven surgical tool by providing a redundant, backup pneumatic circuit for supplying the surgical tool with pneumatic pressure at a normal pressure.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2019Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Jiansheng Zhou
-
Patent number: 11540940Abstract: A method and device for reducing intraocular pressure in a patient. The method may comprise deploying administering a viscoelastic material into Schlemm's canal to open aqueous humor outflow pathways. The device is adapted to perform the method. The viscoelastic material may be configured to lower the intraocular pressure within the eye.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2022Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Wayne A. Noda, Omar Harouny, Daniel Hyman
-
Patent number: 11542353Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing photochromic silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lenses based on thermal cast-molding technology in a relatively efficient and consistent manner. The method is characterized by selecting a high radical-reactive hydrophilic acrylic monomer while eliminating any low radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer in a lens formulation (polymerizable composition), by selecting a weight ratio of low-radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer to a high radical-reactive hydrophilic acrylic monomer in a lens formulation if the low radical-reactive hydrophilic N-vinyl amide monomer is needed, and/or by using a relatively high temperature thermal initiator in a lens formulation, to control the lens properties (e.g., water content, elastic modulus, etc.) and lens processability (capability of dry-delensing from molds) of thermally cast-molded SiHy contact lenses while minimizing loss in photochromic ability of resultant SiHy contact lenses.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Weihong Lang, Junhao Ge, Steve Yun Zhang, Daqing Wu
-
Patent number: 11540941Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to surgical instruments having adjustable stiffness, and more particularly, surgical instruments having adjustable stiffness for ophthalmic surgical procedures. In one embodiment, a surgical instrument includes a probe, a slidable support sleeve, and a rotatable knob. A stiffness level of the probe may be adjusted by rotating the knob, thereby causing linear displacement of the support sleeve along a length of the probe. The knob may further include a dial depicting a series of settings representing different eye sizes and corresponding to preset positions of the support sleeve relative to the probe. Thus, a user may select an optimal stiffness of the probe for a particular eye size by rotating the knob to the corresponding setting.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2020Date of Patent: January 3, 2023Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Paul R. Hallen
-
Publication number: 20220409363Abstract: Disclosed are adjustable intraocular lenses and methods of adjusting intraocular lenses post-operatively. In one embodiment, an adjustable intraocular lens can comprise an optic portion and a peripheral portion. The peripheral portion can comprise a composite material comprising an energy absorbing constituent and a plurality of expandable components. A base power of the optic portion can be configured to change in response to an external energy directed at the composite material.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2022Publication date: December 29, 2022Applicant: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Terah Whiting SMILEY
-
Patent number: 11534994Abstract: The invention is related to a cost-effective method for making a silicone hydrogel contact lens having a crosslinked hydrophilic coating thereon. A method of the invention involves heating a silicone hydrogel contact lens in an aqueous solution in the presence of a water-soluble, highly branched, thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material having positively-charged azetidinium groups, to and at a temperature from about 40° C. to about 140° C. for a period of time sufficient to covalently attach the thermally-crosslinkable hydrophilic polymeric material onto the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens through covalent linkages each formed between one azetidinium group and one of the reactive functional groups on and/or near the surface of the silicone hydrogel contact lens, thereby forming a crosslinked hydrophilic coating on the silicone hydrogel contact lens. Such method can be advantageously implemented directly in a sealed lens package during autoclave.Type: GrantFiled: January 11, 2021Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Yongxing Qiu, Newton T. Samuel, John Dallas Pruitt, Chandana Kolluru, Arturo Norberto Medina, Lynn Cook Winterton, Daqing Wu, Xinming Qian, Jared Nelson
-
Patent number: 11534290Abstract: A modular intraocular lens (IOL) with a ring configured to prevent glare artifacts. The ring includes a flange on the posterior rim, in which an anterior surface on the flange has a first profile and a posterior surface of the flange has a second profile non-parallel with the first profile. Non-parallel surfaces of the flange can be configured to defocus light transmitted at off-axis angles through an optic and the flange.Type: GrantFiled: March 24, 2021Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Stephen John Collins, Philip Matthew McCulloch, Rudolph F. Zacher
-
Patent number: 11534292Abstract: Intraocular lens (IOL) folding devices and methods of folding an IOL or components thereof are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2019Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Yinghui Wu
-
Patent number: 11529210Abstract: A stereoscopic imaging apparatus and platform are disclosed. An example stereoscopic imaging apparatus includes a main objective assembly and left and right lens sets defining respective parallel left and right optical paths from light that is received from the main objective assembly of a target surgical site. Each of the left and right lens sets includes a front lens, first and second zoom lenses configured to be movable along the optical path, and a lens barrel configured to receive the light from the second zoom lens. The example stereoscopic imaging apparatus also includes left and right image sensors configured to convert the light after passing through the lens barrel into image data that is indicative of the received light. The example stereoscopic visualization camera further includes a processor configured to convert the image data into stereoscopic video signals or video data for display on a display monitor.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2021Date of Patent: December 20, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Maximiliano Ramirez Luna, Michael Weissman, Thomas Paul Riederer, George Charles Polchin, Ashok Burton Tripathi
-
Publication number: 20220400241Abstract: A method for enhancing digital images during a microsurgery, e.g., an eye surgery, includes collecting digital images of target anatomy using a digital camera as the target anatomy is illuminated by warm white light. The method includes identifying, via a processor in communication with the digital camera, a predetermined stage of the microsurgery. Within the images, the processor digitally isolates a first pixel region, e.g., a pupil pixel region, from a second pixel region, e.g., an iris pixel region, and adjusts a characteristic of constituent pixels thereof. The method, possibly recorded as instructions in a computer-readable medium, may be used to enhance a red reflex at predetermined stages of an eye surgery. A system includes a lighting source for emitting warm white light having a color temperature of less than about 4000° K, the camera, and the processor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2022Publication date: December 15, 2022Applicant: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Gillian Myers, Alan Fridman, Maximiliano Ramirez Luna
-
Publication number: 20220392012Abstract: A method, instructions for which are executed from a computer-readable medium, calibrates a robotic camera system having a digital camera connected to an end-effector of a serial robot. The end-effector and camera move within a robot motion coordinate frame (“robot frame”). The method includes acquiring, using the camera, a reference image of a target object on an image plane having an optical coordinate frame, and receiving input signals, including a depth measurement and joint position signals. Separate roll and pitch offsets are determined of a target point within the reference image with respect to the robot frame while moving the robot. Offsets are also determined with respect to x, y, and z axes of the robot frame while moving the robot through another motion sequence. The offsets are stored in a transformation matrix, which is used to control the robot during subsequent operation of the camera system.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 13, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Patrick Terry, Ashok Burton Tripathi
-
Patent number: 11517474Abstract: Projection of visible, non-treatment light onto an eye to illuminate specific areas of the surgical field is disclosed herein. A surgical system may include a surgical console; a microscope communicatively coupled to the surgical console; a camera communicatively coupled to the surgical console; and a projector operable to project light onto an eye. The projector may be communicatively coupled to the surgical console. A method for light projection may include collecting information from an eye using a camera; determining the light projection based, at least in part, on the collected information; and projecting visible, non-treatment light onto the eye using a projector.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Niels Alexander Abt
-
Patent number: 11517392Abstract: A process of making a diverging-light fiber optics illumination delivery system includes providing a micro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodes across a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to make facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleable and molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can include fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying a laser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2019Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Alireza Mirsepassi, Ronald T. Smith, Michael J. Papac, Chenguang Diao
-
Patent number: 11520167Abstract: Use of high resolution environmental scanning electron microscopy to capture images of contact lens coating layers, enabling measurement of the coating thickness and structures of the coating layer to be precisely characterized. The coating layer can be directly visualized and quantitatively measured. Furthermore, controlled environments of varying temperatures and varying levels of relative humidity can be established in environmental scanning electron microscopy, such that the dynamic changes of the coating in such conditions can be imaged and measured. The controlled environments can be set up to mimic either the manufacturing process conditions, or be set up to simulate lens-on-eye conditions.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2019Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Xinfeng Shi, James Yuliang Wu, David B. Cantu-Crouch
-
Patent number: 11513257Abstract: The invention relates to an ophthalmic product which comprises a sealed and autoclave-sterilized lens package including (1) a post-autoclave packaging solution containing a polymeric surfactant having an HLB value of from about 11 to about 16 and a Mn of from about 800 to about 20,000 Daltons and (2) a readily-usable silicone hydrogel (SiHy) contact lens immersed in the packaging solution. The readily-usable SiHy contact lens comprises the polymeric surfactant thereon providing an excellent wettability to the readily-usable SiHy contact lens directly out of the lens package, and also the leachable polymeric surfactant which is physically distributed in the polymer matrix of the SiHy contact lens and can be released to the eye of a patient for at least 7 days of daily wear and to replenish the lens surface-bound polymeric surfactant to provide sustainable wettabilities to the contact lens and the eye.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Ying Zheng, Jang-Shing Chiou, Jinbo Dou, Yuan Chang, Junhao Ge, Steve Yun Zhang, Li Yao, Karen Belinda Sentell, Ye Hong
-
Patent number: 11510811Abstract: A surgical system comprises a pressurized irrigation fluid source; an irrigation line fluidly coupled to the pressurized irrigation fluid source; a hand piece fluidly coupled to the irrigation line; and a controller for controlling the pressurized irrigation fluid source. The controller controls the pressurized irrigation fluid source based on an estimated flow value modified by a compensation factor.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Mikhail Boukhny, Raphael Gordon, Michael D. Morgan, Gary P. Sorensen
-
Patent number: 11510742Abstract: The disclosure provides a system that may receive an identification of a first patient; may receive a first template that includes first multiple locations associated with a face of the first patient and associated with the identification of the first patient; may determine second multiple locations associated with a face of a current patient; may determine a second template of the face of the current patient based at least on the second multiple locations associated with the face of the current patient; may determine if the first template matches the second template; if the first template matches the second template, may provide an indication that the current patient has been correctly identified as the first patient; and if the first template does not match the second template, may provide an indication that the current patient has not been identified.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2020Date of Patent: November 29, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventor: Martin Eil
-
Publication number: 20220370195Abstract: Modular IOL removal systems and methods that cut an optic portion of an intraocular in a single motion such to facilitate removal of the optic portion from an eye through an incision, for example a corneal incision, without increasing the size of the corneal incision. Various cutting tools having one or more blades may be utilized. The cut intraocular lens may have one continuous cut or be cut into multiple smaller pieces. The single cutting step may apply balanced forces and torque to avoid damaging the surrounding eye anatomy, reducing the risk of trauma.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 3, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Applicants: Alcon Inc., The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporateInventors: Malik Y. KAHOOK, Glenn SUSSMAN, Paul McLEAN, Andrew Thomas SCHIEBER
-
Patent number: D972138Type: GrantFiled: March 1, 2021Date of Patent: December 6, 2022Assignee: Alcon Inc.Inventors: Victoria Holderby, Aaron Mays, Simon Peter Warnos