Patents Assigned to VISX Incorporated
  • Patent number: 7320517
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems establish an optical surface shape that mitigates or treats a vision condition in a patient. An optical surface shape for a particular patient can be determined using a set of patient parameters for the specific patient by using a compound modulation transfer function (CMTF). The compound modulation transfer function can include a combination of modulation transfer functions (MTF's) at a plurality of distinct frequencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2008
    Assignee: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventors: Guangming Dai, Kingman Yee
  • Publication number: 20080015461
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for treating and/or determining appropriate prescriptions for one or both eyes of a patient are particularly well-suited for addressing presbyopia, often in combination with concurrent treatments of other vision defects. High-order spherical aberration may be imposed in one or both of a patient's eyes, often as a controlled amount of negative spherical aberration extending across a pupil. A desired presbyopia-mitigating quantity of high-order spherical aberration may be defined by one or more spherical Zernike coefficients, which may be combined with Zernike coefficients generated from a wavefront aberrometer. The resulting prescription can be imposed using refractive surgical techniques such as laser eye surgery, using intraocular lenses and other implanted structures, using contact lenses, using temporary or permanent corneal reshaping techniques, and/or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2007
    Publication date: January 17, 2008
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventors: Seema Somani, Kingman Yee
  • Publication number: 20080009840
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking a position and torsional orientation of a patient's eye. In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods and software for registering a first image of an eye with a second image of an eye. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods and software for tracking a torsional movement of the eye. In a particular usage, the present invention tracks the torsional cyclorotation and translational movement of a patient's eye so as to improve the delivery of a laser energy to the patient's cornea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Dimitri Chernyak
  • Patent number: 7296893
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems and software for scaling optical aberration measurements of optical systems. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of reconstructing optical tissues of an eye. The method comprises transmitting an image through the optical tissues of the eye. Aberration data from the transmitted image is measured across the optical tissues of the eye at a first plane. A conversion algorithm is applied to the data, converting it to corrective optical power data that can be used as a basis for constructing a treatment for the eye at a second plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Guangming Dai
  • Patent number: 7293873
    Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems establish an optical surface shape that mitigates or treats presbyopia in a particular patient. The combination of distance vision and near vision in a patient can be improved, often based on input patient parameters such as pupil size, residual accommodation, and power need. Iterative optimization may generate a customized corrective optical shape for the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventors: Guangming Dai, Kingman Yee
  • Publication number: 20070222948
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for determining an aberration in an optical tissue system of an eye are provided. Techniques include inputting optical data from the optical tissue system of the eye, where the optical data includes set of local gradients corresponding to a non-circular shaped aperture, processing the optical data with an iterative Fourier transform to obtain a set of Fourier coefficients, converting the set of Fourier coefficients to a set of modified Zernike coefficients that are orthogonal over the non-circular shaped aperture, and determining the aberration in the optical tissue system of the eye based on the set of modified Zernike coefficients.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Guangming Dai
  • Publication number: 20070225692
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems, and apparatus for calibrating a laser ablation system, such as an excimer laser system for selectively ablating a cornea of a patient's eye. The invention also facilitates alignment of eye tracking cameras that measure a position of the eye during laser eye surgery. A calibration and alignment fixture for a scanning laser beam delivery system having eye tracking cameras may include a structure positionable in a treatment plane. The structure having a feature directing laser energy incident thereon to a calibration energy sensor, at least one reference-edge to determine a characteristic of the laser beam (shape, dimensions, etc.), and an artificial pupil to determine alignment of the eye tracking cameras with the laser system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Seema Somani, Kingman Yee, John Shimmick
  • Publication number: 20070219543
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for laser eye surgery selectively ablate tissues within the cornea of an eye along one or more target surfaces, so that corneal tissue bordered by the laser incision surface(s) can be mechanically removed. An appropriate tissue-shaping surface can be selected based on the regular refractive error of the eye, and a shape of the target laser surface(s) can be calculated so as to correct irregular refractive errors of the eye, impose desired additional sphero-cylindrical and/or irregular alterations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kingman Yee
  • Publication number: 20070216867
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods often by measuring characterize optical structures and systems, the standard refractive error and irregular aberrations. A retinal spot can propagate through optical tissues of an eye and can be directed to refractive correction optics for correcting standard refractive errors. The corrected image is then directed to wavefront analysis optics, which form a coarse pitch lenslet array pattern and a fine pitch lenslet array pattern. The coarse pitch pattern indicates the standard refractive error of the eye, and can be used to adjust the refractive correction optics. The fine pitch pattern is formed with the corrected retinal image, facilitating precise wavefront reconstruction, measurement of high order aberrations, and the like. The coarse pitch pattern and fine pitch pattern may be formed sequentially or simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2006
    Publication date: September 20, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Charles Campbell, Seema Somani
  • Publication number: 20070213697
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods control pulse energies of excimer and other lasers, particularly for refractive correction in which a pulse rate, pulse energy, or other parameters of a pulsed laser is varied during use. A calibration laser mode may be used to fire a series of laser pulses to characterize a correlation between laser energy and a laser operation parameter (typically discharge high voltage) throughout a range. During an operation mode, subsequent voltages may be set based on energies of prior pulses while accounting for a curve or change in rate of the correlation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2006
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Keith Holliday
  • Publication number: 20070211214
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods, systems and software for scaling optical aberration measurements of optical systems. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a method of reconstructing optical tissues of an eye. The method comprises transmitting an image through the optical tissues of the eye. Aberration data from the transmitted image is measured across the optical tissues of the eye at a first plane. A conversion algorithm is applied to the data, converting it to corrective optical power data that can be used as a basis for constructing a treatment for the eye at a second plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Guangming Dai
  • Publication number: 20070201001
    Abstract: Wavefront measurements of eyes are normally taken when the pupil is relatively large, and the results are often represented by a set of Zernike coefficients. Different sets of Zernike coefficients can be calculated to represent aberrations at smaller pupil sizes. While recently described techniques allow scaling of the expansion coefficients with Zernike polynomials, a more intuitive approach would be desirable. Such an approach may optionally derive an equivalent result as known techniques, but may employ a much simpler and nonrecursive formula between the new and the original sets of Zernike polynomial expansion coefficients of a wavefront when the aperture size is scaled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Guang-ming Dai
  • Patent number: 7261412
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for treating and/or determining appropriate prescriptions for one or both eyes of a patient are particularly well-suited for addressing presbyopia, often in combination with concurrent treatments of other vision defects. High-order spherical aberration may be imposed in one or both of a patient's eyes, often as a controlled amount of negative spherical aberration extending across a pupil. A desired presbyopia-mitigating quantity of high-order spherical aberration may be defined by one or more spherical Zernike coefficients, which may be combined with Zernike coefficients generated from a wavefront aberrometer. The resulting prescription can be imposed using refractive surgical techniques such as laser eye surgery, using intraocular lenses and other implanted structures, using contact lenses, using temporary or permanent corneal reshaping techniques, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Visx, Incorporated
    Inventors: Seema Somani, Kingman Yee
  • Patent number: 7261415
    Abstract: Methods and systems for tracking a position and torsional orientation of a patient's eye. In one embodiment, the present invention provides methods and software for registering a first image of an eye with a second image of an eye. In another embodiment, the present invention provides methods and software for tracking a torsional movement of the eye. In a particular usage, the present invention tracks the torsional cyclorotation and translational movement of a patient's eye so as to improve the delivery of a laser energy to the patient's cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Dimitri Chernyak
  • Publication number: 20070174971
    Abstract: Devices, systems, and methods for supporting and/or stabilizing a patient can help to position a patient relative to a therapeutic laser beam, for example, inhibiting motion or deflection during a refractive procedure on the eyes, and the like. A stabilizing structural member can support a chair or other patient support near shoulders of the patient, and the member may remain stationary while the chair is driven in a horizontal plane by a linkage. Often, a nominal patient center of gravity is located between the support member and a portion of the patient support which is supported by the linkage to reduce cantilever effects. The member may be rigidly attached to a vertical motion stage which moves the chair at an angle, for example at an angle normal to the horizontal plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mark Brinkerhoff, Tom Kowalski, Shandon Alderson
  • Publication number: 20070173792
    Abstract: Systems and methods for testing a laser eye surgery system are provided. Methods include establishing an image scale based on a calibration pattern, imageably altering a series of regions of a test surface with the laser system, laterally redirecting a laser beam to form a test pattern, imaging the test pattern, determining a lateral redirecting characteristic of the beam delivery system, and qualifying or calibrating the beam delivery system. Systems can include an input module that accepts an input member such as a calibration pattern parameter, a calibration pattern image, an intended pattern parameter, a test pattern image, an imaging device position, a calibration pattern position, a test pattern position, and a beam delivery system position, a characterization module that determines a beam delivery system characteristic, and an output module that generates a calibration for the beam delivery system of the laser eye surgery system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicants: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Mark Arnoldussen
  • Publication number: 20070171365
    Abstract: Devices systems, and methods can measure, diagnose and/or characterize an eye of a patient, including physiologic and optical properties, such as hydration and tear volume in relation to an optical surface of the eye, including topography of a corneal surface of the eye and/or a wavefront elevation map of the eye. The system forms an image of a tear meniscus along an eyelid. The eye can be illuminated so that the meniscus appears as a dark band in the image. Tear volume can be determined by measuring a height across the tear meniscus. The tear volume can be used to determine the optical properties of the tear of the eye and to diagnose conditions of the eye. The patient can be screened for treatment of the eye with refractive surgery using a measured pupil size, hydration and topography and/or wavefront.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Kuang-Mon Tuan
  • Publication number: 20070173797
    Abstract: Systems and method for determining ablation beam characteristics are provided. Methods include ablating an article with the ablation beam to form a test location having an ablation depth, transmitting a first beam through the test location of the article, transmitting a second beam through a reference location, and determining an ablation beam characteristic based on a phase relationship of the first beam and the second beam downstream of the article. Systems include a light source assembly transmitting a first beam through an ablated test location of an article and a second beam through a reference location disposed outside of the test location, a sensor assembly detecting a first beam and second beam superimposition downstream of the article, and a phase relationship code module for determining a phase relationship between the first beam and the second beam, based on the first beam and second beam superimposition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventor: Leander Zickler
  • Publication number: 20070163049
    Abstract: Improved devices, systems, and methods support and/or restrain a head of a patient, optionally for use in refractive surgery. Both the height of the patient's head and the angle of the patient's neck along the medial-lateral plane of the patient can be established independently, and compression pillow systems can gently and atraumatically compress the patient's head between protruding foam sidewalls or the like to inhibit movement of the patient from the alignment position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: VISX, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Mark Brinkerhoff, Tom Kowalski, Shandon Alderson
  • Patent number: D553749
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2007
    Assignee: VISX, Incorporated
    Inventors: John Weberg, Melinda J. Lennon, Amy B. Keller, Mark Brinkerhoff