Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for interfacing a surgical laser with an eye using a patient interface device that minimizes aberrations through a combination of a contact lens surface positioning and a liquid medium between an anterior surface of the eye and the contact lens surface.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention generally relate to ophthalmic laser procedures and, more particularly, to systems and methods for photorefractive keratectomy. In an embodiment, an ophthalmic surgical laser system comprises a laser source generating a pulsed laser beam and a laser delivery system delivering the pulsed laser beam to a cornea of an eye. A patient interface couples to and constrains the eye relative to the laser delivery system. A controller controls the laser delivery system to perform an anterior surface volume dissection on the cornea.

Abstract: A method of modifying a refractive profile of an eye having an intraocular device implanted therein, wherein the method includes determining a corrected refractive profile for the eye based on an initial refractive profile, identifying one or more locations within the intraocular device based on the corrected refractive profile, and directing a pulsed laser beam at the locations to produce the corrected refractive profile. A system of modifying an intraocular device located within an eye, wherein the system includes a laser assembly and a controller coupled thereto. The laser assembly outputs a pulsed laser beam having a pulse width between 300 picoseconds and 10 femtoseconds. The controller directs the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam into the intraocular device. One or more slip zones are formed within the intraocular device in response thereto, and the slip zones are configured to modify a refractive profile of the intraocular device.

Abstract: Embodiments of this invention generally relate to ophthalmic laser procedures and, more particularly, to systems and methods for lenticular laser incision. In an embodiment, an ophthalmic surgical laser system comprises a laser delivery system for delivering a pulsed laser beam to a target in a subject's eye, an XY-scan device to deflect the pulsed laser beam, a Z-scan device to modify a depth of a focus of the pulsed laser beam, and a controller configured to form a top lenticular incision and a bottom lenticular incision of a lens in the subject's eye, where each of the top and bottom lenticular incision includes a center spherical portion and an edge transition portion that is not located on the same spherical surface as the spherical portion but has a steeper shape.

Abstract: A scanning system for treating target tissue in a patient's eye includes an ultrafast laser source configured to deliver a laser beam comprising a plurality of laser pulses; an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) device configured to generate signals which may be used to create an image of the cornea and limbus of the eye of the patient; a scanner configured to focus and direct the laser beam in a pattern within the cornea or limbus to create incisions therein; and a controller operatively coupled to the laser source and scanner configured to control the scanner to adjust the position of the laser beam based upon the signals from the OCT device to create a cataract incision in the cornea or limbus that provides access for lens removal instrumentation to a crystalline lens of the patient's eye, and a relaxation incision in the cornea or limbus.

Abstract: Methods and systems for planning and forming incisions in a cornea, lens capsule, and/or crystalline lens nucleus are disclosed. A method includes measuring spatial dispositions, relative to a laser surgery system, of at least portions of the corneal anterior and posterior surfaces. A spatial disposition of an incision of the cornea is generated based at least in part on the measured corneal anterior and posterior spatial dispositions and at least one corneal incision parameter. A composite image is displayed that includes an image representative of the measured corneal anterior and posterior surfaces and an image representing the corneal incision.

Abstract: Angle multiplexed optical coherence tomography systems and methods can be used to evaluate ocular tissue and other anatomical structures or features of a patient. The angle multiplexed optical coherence tomography system includes a light source, an optical assembly for obtaining a plurality of sample beams corresponding to respective anatomical locations of the eye of the patient, where individual sample beams are associated with a respective non-zero angle relative to a reference beam, and a detection mechanism that detects individual unique interference patterns respectively provided by the plurality of sample beams, for simultaneous evaluation of the anatomical locations.

Abstract: A method of blink detection in a laser eye surgical system includes providing a topography measurement structure having a geometric marker. The method includes bringing the topography measurement structure into a position proximal to an eye such that light traveling from the geometric marker is capable of reflecting off a refractive structure of the eye of the patient, and also detecting the light reflected from the structure of the eye for a predetermined time period while the topography measurement structure is at the proximal position. The method further includes converting the light reflected from the surface of the eye into image data and analyzing the image data to determine whether light reflected from the geometric marker is present is in the reflected light, wherein if the geometric marker is determined not to be present, the patient is identified as having blinked during the predetermined time.

Abstract: System and method of photoaltering a region of an eye using an enhanced contrast between the iris and the pupil of the imaged eye. The system includes a laser assembly outputting a pulsed laser beam, a user interface displaying one of a first digital image of the eye and a second digital image of the eye, and a controller coupled to the laser assembly and the user interface. The first digital image has a first contrast between the pupil and the iris, and the second digital image has a second contrast between the pupil and the iris. The controller selectively increases the first contrast between the pupil and the iris to the second contrast between the pupil and the iris and directs the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on one of the first and second digital images.

Abstract: System and method of photoaltering a region of an eye using an enhanced contrast between the iris and the pupil of the imaged eye. The system includes a laser assembly outputting a pulsed laser beam, a user interface displaying one of a first digital image of the eye and a second digital image of the eye, and a controller coupled to the laser assembly and the user interface. The first digital image has a first contrast between the pupil and the iris, and the second digital image has a second contrast between the pupil and the iris. The controller selectively increases the first contrast between the pupil and the iris to the second contrast between the pupil and the iris and directs the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on one of the first and second digital images.

Abstract: A measurement apparatus for measuring a laser focus spot size, which includes a two-dimensional image detector and an imaging system which forms a magnified image of a focus spot located an object plane onto the image detector. The imaging system includes at least an objective lens. A sealed liquid container is secured over a part of the objective lens such as the optical surface of the objective lens is immersed in the liquid (e.g. water) within the container. The liquid container has a window through which the laser beam enters. An image processing method is also disclosed which processes the image obtained by the image detector to obtain the focus spot size while implementing an algorithm that corrects for the effect of ambient vibration.

Abstract: An optical measurement system: passes a probe light beam through a variable focal length lens to the retina of an eye, and returns light from the retina through the variable focal length lens to a wavefront sensor; adjusts the focal length of the variable focal length lens to provide a desired characteristic to at least one of: the probe light beam, and the light returned by the retina to the wavefront sensor; passes a calibration light through the variable focal length lens to the wavefront sensor while the variable focal length lens is at the adjusted focal length to ascertain the adjusted focal length; and makes a wavefront measurement of the eye from the light returned from the retina of the eye through the variable focal length lens to the wavefront sensor, and from the adjusted focal length ascertained from the calibration light received by the wavefront sensor.

Abstract: Additive manufacturing techniques are used to form an artificial intra-ocular lens (IOL) directly inside the human eye. Small openings are formed in the cornea and lens capsule of the eye, and the crystalline lens is broken up and removed through the openings; then, a material is injected into the lens capsule through the openings, and the focal spot of a pulse laser beam is scanned in a defined pattern in the lens capsule, to transform the material in the vicinity of the laser focal spot to form the IOL in a layer-by-layer manner. In one embodiment, stereolithography techniques are used where a pulse UV laser source is used to photosolidify a photopolymer resin. The liquefied resin is injected into the eye through the openings, after which only part of the resin, having the shape of the desired IOL, is selectively cured with the UV laser beam, via progressive layer formation.

Abstract: A laser eye surgery system includes a computer which scans a focused laser beam in a trajectory over a reticle or target and determines beam quality via laser light reflected from the target. The target may have a grid pattern of lines, with the diameter of the focused laser beam determined based on a time interval for the scanned beam to move onto a line of the grid pattern. Methods for measuring beam quality in a laser eye surgery system provide a direct, quantitative quality measurement of the focused laser beam, and may be performed quickly and automatically. Using scanning mirror position information together with signals resulting from laser light reflected from the target, the laser eye surgery system may also be calibrated.

Abstract: One embodiment is directed to a method for interfacing an ophthalmic intervention system with an eye of a patient, comprising: placing a patient interface assembly comprising a housing, an optical lens coupled to the housing, and an eye engagement assembly coupled to the housing, the eye engagement assembly comprising an inner seal and an outer seal, into contact with the eye of the patient by sealably engaging the eye with the inner and outer seals in a vacuum zone defined between the inner and outer seals; applying a vacuum load between the inner and outer seals to engage the eye using the vacuum load; and physically limiting an amount of distension of the eye in the vacuum zone.

Abstract: A laser eye surgery system focuses light along a beam path to a focal point having a location within a lens of the eye. The refractive index of the lens is determined in response to the location. The lens comprises a surface adjacent a second material having a second refractive index. The beam path extends a distance from the surface to the focal point. The index is determined in response to the distances from the surface to the targeted focal point and from the surface to the actual focal point, which corresponds to a location of a peak intensity of an optical interference signal of the focused light within the lens. The determined refractive index is mapped to a region in the lens, and may be used to generate a gradient index profile of the lens to more accurately place laser beam pulses for incisions.

Abstract: A method of treating a cataractous lens of a patient's eye includes generating a light beam, deflecting the light beam using a scanner to form a treatment pattern, delivering the treatment pattern to the lens of the patient's eye to create a plurality of cuts in the form two or more different incisions patterns within the lens to segment the lens tissue into a plurality of patterned pieces, and mechanically breaking the lens into a plurality of pieces along the cuts. A first incision pattern includes two or more crossing cut incision planes. A second incision pattern includes a plurality of laser incision each extending along a first length between a posterior and an anterior surface of the lens capsule.

Abstract: An optical measurement instrument performs a series of wavefront measurements to obtain a plurality of sets of wavefront aberrometry data for an eye, and performs a series of corneal topography measurements to obtain a plurality of sets of corneal topography data for the eye. Each set of wavefront aberrometry data is obtained at a corresponding different point in time, and each set of corneal topography data is obtained at a corresponding different point in time. The wavefront aberrometry data and the corneal topography data are processed to produce combined tear film breakup data as a function of time. The combined tear film breakup data may be employed as a metric for evaluating a level of tear film breakup of the eye as a function of time.

Abstract: A photo detector is selectively coupled to a first integrator or a second integrator with switching circuitry when the laser pulses. An integration time of the signal from the photo detector can be substantially greater than an amount of time between successive laser beam pulses in order to provide an accurate measurement of each laser beam pulse of a high repetition rate pulsed laser. The laser may comprise a clock coupled to an optical switch of the laser system, and control circuitry can control switching and coupling of the detector to the first integrator or the second integrator in response to the clock signal. The first integrator and the second integrator can be selectively coupled to an output such that the first integrator or the second integrator is coupled to the output of the energy detection circuitry when the other integrator is coupled to the detector.

Abstract: Systems and methods for adjusting an angle of incidence of a laser surgery system include a laser source to produce a laser beam and an optical delivery system to output the laser beam pulses to an object at an adjustable incident angle. A first rotator assembly receives the beam from the laser source along a first beam axis. The first rotator assembly rotates around the first beam axis and the first rotator assembly outputs the beam along a second beam axis different from the first beam axis. A second rotator assembly receives the beam from the first rotator assembly along the second beam axis. The second rotator assembly rotates around the second beam axis. The second rotator assembly follows the rotation of the first rotator assembly and the first rotator assembly is independent of the rotation of the second rotator assembly.