Patents by Inventor Christian Wüllner

Christian Wüllner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10786390
    Abstract: An apparatus for laser eye surgery comprises a laser module, which is equipped to emit pulsed, focused laser radiation of a variable pulse repetition rate, and a processor-based control unit, which is equipped to receive at least one user input pertaining to a selection of one of several predefined pulse repetition rates over a user input and to control the laser module in accordance with the selected pulse repetition rate. In certain specific embodiments, the user interface enables input of two user entries, each of which relates to a selection of one of several predefined pulse repetition rates. The control unit controls the laser module for a first phase of a laser treatment in accordance with one input, and for a second phase of the laser treatment, it controls the laser module in accordance with the other input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Evi Goos, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: 10779989
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for a laser-assisted eye-surgery treatment system, comprising a first image-acquisition unit that is designed to acquire a first image (39) of an eye to be treated. The apparatus further comprises a computer arrangement which is designed to detect at least one first feature (40?) of the eye by means of image processing of the first image, and to determine a position and an orientation of the first feature in a coordinate system (S?) of the treatment system. The computer arrangement is also designed to determine a position and an orientation of an incision (66?) to be produced in the eye in the coordinate system (S?) of the treatment system as a function of the determined position and orientation of the first feature (40?) in the coordinate system and as a function of a previously determined relative position and orientation of at least one second feature (64?) of the eye with respect to the first feature (40?).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner, Peter Riedel
  • Patent number: 10582851
    Abstract: A device (100) for ophthalmic radiation is provided. The device comprises a radiation interface (102), an optical branch coupler (104), and a plurality of ophthalmic units (106, 108, 110, 112). The radiation interface is adapted to at least one of output and capture radiation on an optical path (124). The optical path is directable towards a patient's eye. The optical branch coupler is adapted to couple output radiation from a plurality of optical branches (118, 119, 120, 122, 123) into the optical path and to couple captured radiation from the optical path into the optical branches. The captured radiation is spectrally split by the optical branch coupler into the optical branches. Each of the optical branches has a different spectral range. Each of the plurality of ophthalmic units is arranged to couple to one of the optical branches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20180028060
    Abstract: A device (100) for ophthalmic radiation is provided. The device comprises a radiation interface (102), an optical branch coupler (104), and a plurality of ophthalmic units (106, 108, 110, 112). The radiation interface is adapted to at least one of output and capture radiation on an optical path (124). The optical path is directable towards a patient's eye. The optical branch coupler is adapted to couple output radiation from a plurality of optical branches (118, 119, 120, 122, 123) into the optical path and to couple captured radiation from the optical path into the optical branches. The captured radiation is spectrally split by the optical branch coupler into the optical branches. Each of the optical branches has a different spectral range. Each of the plurality of ophthalmic units is arranged to couple to one of the optical branches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20170258637
    Abstract: A marker device for producing paint marks on an eye is disclosed. The marker device comprises a handling unit and a marker unit coupled to the handling unit for rotation with respect to the handling unit about a rotational axis. The marker unit includes at least two spaced apart marking surfaces and has a rotationally symmetric distribution of weight with respect to the rotational axis. A coupling between the handling unit and the marker unit permits the marker unit to rotate, due to gravity, relative to the handling unit into an equilibrium position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Novartis AG
    Inventors: Theo Seiler, Peter Riedel, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: 9655514
    Abstract: A method and system for performing biomechanical diagnosis of eye disease may include a Brillouin light source to generate a Brillouin sample beam, and a second harmonic generation (SHG) light source to generate an SHG sample beam. Both the Brillouin sample beam and the SHG sample beam may be coincidentally directed to a biological tissue sample in a confocal manner to a focus position. Brillouin scattering resulting from the Brillouin sample beam may be detected to determine an elastomechanical property and a viscoelastic property of the sample. SHG scattering resulting from the SHG sample beam may be detected to determine an indication of a morphological structure of the sample. The sample may be an in vivo human cornea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: NOVARTIS AG
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Christian Wuellner
  • Publication number: 20160374858
    Abstract: An apparatus for laser eye surgery comprises a laser module, which is equipped to emit pulsed, focused laser radiation of a variable pulse repetition rate, and a processor-based control unit, which is equipped to receive at least one user input pertaining to a selection of one of several predefined pulse repetition rates over a user input and to control the laser module in accordance with the selected pulse repetition rate. In certain specific embodiments, the user interface enables input of two user entries, each of which relates to a selection of one of several predefined pulse repetition rates. The control unit controls the laser module for a first phase of a laser treatment in accordance with one input, and for a second phase of the laser treatment, it controls the laser module in accordance with the other input.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Evi Goos, Christian Wuellner
  • Publication number: 20160220110
    Abstract: A method and system for performing biomechanical diagnosis of eye disease may include a Brillouin light source to generate a Brillouin sample beam, and a second harmonic generation (SHG) light source to generate an SHG sample beam. Both the Brillouin sample beam and the SHG sample beam may be coincidentally directed to a biological tissue sample in a confocal manner to a focus position. Brillouin scattering resulting from the Brillouin sample beam may be detected to determine an elastomechanical property and a viscoelastic property of the sample. SHG scattering resulting from the SHG sample beam may be detected to determine an indication of a morphological structure of the sample. The sample may be an in vivo human cornea.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Christian Wuellner
  • Publication number: 20160184135
    Abstract: The invention relates to an eye-surgical laser apparatus, a use of said apparatus, and to a method for scanning the corneal tissue of an eye before or during eye surgery. The apparatus comprises optics that are adapted to focus a laser beam at a focus within a corneal tissue of an eye, and a detection element adapted to detect light that is formed, at the focus, as a frequency multiple and backscattered or forward emitted. Image information about the inner corneal tissue is then produced from the detected light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: June 30, 2016
    Applicant: Wavelight GMBH
    Inventors: Karsten KOENIG, Klaus VOGLER, Christian WUELLNER, Christof DONITZKY
  • Publication number: 20150305937
    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: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 29, 2015
    Applicant: WAVELIGHT GMBH
    Inventors: Evi Goos, Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Publication number: 20150202084
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, reducing opaque bubble layers (OBLs) comprises receiving information describing a tissue region of a tissue where laser pulses are applied to yield laser-induced optical breakdowns (LIOBs) in the tissue region. The LIOBs yield bubbles of gas. A concentration of the gas in the tissue region is estimated from the information. One or more laser parameters are adjusted in response to the concentration of the gas to satisfy a critical concentration rule.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: WAVELIGHT GMBH
    Inventors: Silvia Schumacher, Michael Mrochen, Christian Wuellner, Christof Donitzky, Klaus Vogler
  • Patent number: 9033506
    Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for recording a depth profile of a biological tissue, in particular a frontal eye section of a human eye, according to the principle of optical coherence tomography, comprising a light source adapted to generate a bundle of light rays, an interferometer arrangement having a beam splitter device adapted to spatially separate the bundle of light rays into a reference beam and a measurement beam directed toward the tissue, a reference beam deflection device adapted to deflect the reference beam, a beam superpositioning device adapted to spatially superimpose the deflected reference beam onto the measurement beam deflected by the tissue into a superpositioned beam, and a detector arrangement for detecting information in the superpositioned beam associated with the difference of the optical path length of the reference beam and the measurement beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Wavelight GMBH
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Klaus Vogler, Christian Wuellner, Claudia Gorschboth, Michael Mrochen
  • Publication number: 20150131054
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus are proposed for determining optical aberrations of an eye with its optical system including the cornea and the lens. The process includes the reconstructing of wavefront aberrations of the eye as a deviation of the wavefront, determined by the optical system of the eye with a process of aberrometry, with respect to an ideal planar wavefront generated by an aberration-free eye model. A measured ocular length is employed for the aberration-free eye model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: Wavelight GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Wuellner, Christof Donitzky, Maik Kaemmerer
  • Publication number: 20150025510
    Abstract: A process for configuring a laser device comprising: selecting a pulse length within a range from 1 ps to 1 ns; selecting a wavelength for the laser radiation within a range from 300 nm to 400 nm or within a range from 800 nm to 1100 nm; ascertaining a set of parameter values of the laser device that when the laser device is operated with these parameter values a two-dimensionally extensive separation of tissue of human corneal or lenticular tissue is achieved by stringing together local sites of damage, the set of parameter values including the selected pulse length, the selected wavelength, and values for at least one of the following parameters: a pulse energy, a pulse repetition rate, a fluence per radiation pulse, a number of pulses per site of damage, a scanning speed of a scanning apparatus of the laser device, and a focus diameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Inventors: Klaus Vogler, Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Publication number: 20140347629
    Abstract: A device for ophthalmic radiation is provided. The device comprises a radiation interface, an optical branch coupler, and a plurality of ophthalmic units. The radiation interface is adapted to at least one of output and capture radiation on an optical path. The optical path is directable towards a patient's eye. The optical branch coupler is adapted to couple output radiation from a plurality of optical branches into the optical path and to couple captured radiation from the optical path into the optical branches. The captured radiation is spectrally split by the optical branch coupler into the optical branches. Each of the optical branches has a different spectral range. Each of the plurality of ophthalmic units is arranged to couple to one of the optical branches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2011
    Publication date: November 27, 2014
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner
  • Patent number: 8753321
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of treating an eye that include coupling a suction ring to the eye and introducing a liquid into an interior chamber of a container element coupled to the suction ring. The container element is also coupled to a focusing lens of a laser system such that only the liquid within the interior chamber is positioned between the focusing lens of the laser system and an outer surface of the eye. In some embodiments, the suction ring has a first suction region that is designed to suck the suction ring onto an eye and a second suction region that is designed to couple the suction ring to the container element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Wavelight AG
    Inventors: Michael Mrochen, Michael Büeler, Christof Donitzky, Christian Wüllner
  • Publication number: 20140135747
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for a laser-assisted eye-surgery treatment system, comprising a first image-acquisition unit that is designed to acquire a first image (39) of an eye to be treated. The apparatus further comprises a computer arrangement which is designed to detect at least one first feature (40?) of the eye by means of image processing of the first image, and to determine a position and an orientation of the first feature in a coordinate system (S?) of the treatment system. The computer arrangement is also designed to determine a position and an orientation of an incision (66?) to be produced in the eye in the coordinate system (S?) of the treatment system as a function of the determined position and orientation of the first feature (40?) in the coordinate system and as a function of a previously determined relative position and orientation of at least one second feature (64?) of the eye with respect to the first feature (40?).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: WAVELIGHT GMBH
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Christian Wuellner, Peter Riedel
  • Patent number: 8715272
    Abstract: A device for machining the human cornea with focused laser radiation includes controllable components for setting the location of the radiation focus, a control computer for controlling these components, and also a control program for the control computer. The control program contains instructions that have been designed to bring about, upon execution by the control computer, the generation of incisions in the cornea in accordance with a predetermined incision figure, the incision figure defining a corneal bed, a flap situated on the bed and also at least one tissue strip situated in the region of the peripheral edge of the flap between the bed and the flap and extending along the edge of the flap. After the flap has been folded away, the tissue strip has to be removed and enables a creaseless post-ablative close fitting of the folded-back flap against the surface of the bed. In this manner, microstriae which may impair the visual capacity can be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Inventors: Christof Donitzky, Jörg Klenke, Christian Wüllner