Patents by Inventor Michael Steinlechner

Michael Steinlechner 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: 12653718
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological patient interface for application to an eye of a person, the ophthalmological patient interface comprising a coupling portion configured to be arranged on an application head of an ophthalmological laser treatment system, wherein the ophthalmological patient interface further comprises an eye fixation portion configured to be arranged on the eye, wherein the eye fixation portion comprises a cornea contacting element, configured to contact at least partially the cornea of the eye, and a sclera contacting element, configured to contact at least partially the sclera of the eye, wherein the cornea contacting element and the sclera contacting element define a rotationally asymmetric contact surface configured to contact the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2026
    Assignee: Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG
    Inventors: Werner Bernau, Fabian Müller, Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner, Thomas Studer
  • Patent number: 12642698
    Abstract: An ophthalmological laser device for treatment of eye tissue is disclosed, comprising a base station having a treatment laser source configured to generate a treatment laser beam, an application head, an arm arranged between the base station and the application head, wherein the arm is configured to provide a beam path for the treatment laser beam, the arm having at least one joint, and a scanner arranged in the joint and configured to dynamically deflect the treatment laser beam about two axes, wherein the treatment laser beam upstream of the scanner is collinear with an axis of rotation of the joint and an orientation of the scanner is dependent on a movement of the joint.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2026
    Assignee: Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20260076832
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological optical device for modifying at least one parameter of a treatment laser beam used for treating an eye of a patient and to an ophthalmological laser treatment device comprising the ophthalmological optical device, the ophthalmological optical device comprising a housing, an optical component, which is arranged in an interior of the housing, and which is configured to modify at least one parameter of the treatment laser beam, a support assembly, which is arranged at least partially in the interior of the housing and which is configured to position the optical component in the interior of the housing and a temperature control assembly, which is configured to control the temperature of the optical component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2025
    Publication date: March 19, 2026
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner, Thomas Studer
  • Publication number: 20260069456
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological laser treatment device, comprising: an optical system, a scanner system coupled to the optical system, an imaging system, and an electronic circuit configured to: receive one or more images, generate an eye tissue modification score, using the one or more images, the eye tissue modification score being indicative of an extent of modification of the eye tissue, and generate one or more feedback signals depending on the eye tissue modification score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2025
    Publication date: March 12, 2026
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Patent number: 12551377
    Abstract: An ophthalmological device comprises a laser source, an application head having focusing optics and a patient interface, a scanner system and circuit. The circuit is configured to control the scanner system to incise an incision surface, which is symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the patient interface, in the eye tissue, a pulsed laser beam being steered onto treatment points on the incision surface on a first treatment path, and the treatment path being curved while extending around the projection axis of the focusing optics. In the event of a tilt of the eye with respect to the central axis of the patient interface, the circuit determines an apex of a tilted incision surface by a co-tilt of the incision surface corresponding to the tilt of the eye, and determines a transformed treatment path, which extends around the apex and determines treatment points on the tilted incision surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Patent number: 12491113
    Abstract: An ophthalmological device for processing a curved treatment face in eye tissue comprises a scanner system with a plurality of scan axes configured to move the focal spot to target locations in the eye tissue. A circuit is configured control the scanner system to move the focal spot to target locations along a processing path, defined by treatment control data, to process the curved treatment face in the eye tissue. The circuit is further configured to perform a feasibility check, using the treatment control data and scan capabilities of the scanner system, defined by scan performance characteristics of each particular scan axis. In case the feasibility check indicates that moving the focal spot along the processing path exceeds the scan capabilities of the scanner system, the circuit adjusts the treatment control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2025
    Assignee: Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20250248849
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological device for surgical treatment of a cornea of an eye, the ophthalmological device comprising a laser source, a focusing optics, a scanner system and an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is configured to control a first scanner device of the scanner system to move the focal spot with a first scanning speed along a line, thereby forming a scan line, to control a second scanner device of the scanner system to move the scan line with a second scanning speed along a predetermined processing path, which extends inside the cornea, for treating the cornea, and to control the ophthalmological device to vary at least one of: a geometrical parameter of the scan line or a physical parameter of the scan line, along the predetermined processing path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: August 7, 2025
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20250205085
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological system for ablative removal of eye colorant arranged in a cornea of an eye of a patient, the ophthalmological system. The ophthalmological system comprises a position measurement system configured to determine an area in the cornea comprising the eye colorant, a laser source configured to generate a pulsed laser beam, a focusing optics configured to make the pulsed laser beam converge onto a focal spot in the cornea, a scanner system configured to deflect the pulsed laser beam, and an electronic circuit configured to control the scanner system to direct the focal spot to process the determined area comprising the eye colorant in the cornea for ablative removal of the eye colorant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Patent number: 12239577
    Abstract: An ophthalmological device for treatment of a cornea comprises a laser source, a focusing optical module, a scanner system, and an electronic circuit. The electronic circuit is configured to control the scanner system to move the focal spot of the pulsed laser beam to generate a void volume inside the cornea by ablating cornea tissue with partially overlapping focal spots, whereby two or more focal spots partially overlap in direction of each of three dimensions of the void volume, and to move the focal spot inside the cornea to cut in the cornea a venting channel which connects fluidically the void volume to an escape area and enables venting of gas from the void volume through the venting channel to the escape area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG
    Inventors: Michael Steinlechner, Christian Rathjen, Werner Bernau
  • Publication number: 20250025340
    Abstract: An ophthalmological device comprises a laser source, an application head having focusing optics and a patient interface, a scanner system and circuit. The circuit is configured to control the scanner system to incise an incision surface, which is symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the patient interface, in the eye tissue, a pulsed laser beam being directed onto treatment points on the incision surface on a first treatment path, and the treatment path being curved while extending around the projection axis of the focusing optics. In the event of a tilt of the eye with respect to the central axis of the patient interface, the circuit determines an apex or nadir of a tilted incision surface by a co-tilt of the incision surface corresponding to the tilt of the eye, and determines a transformed treatment path, which extends around the apex or nadir and determines treatment points on the tilted incision surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20250029703
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a computer implemented method and to a workflow generation device of generating a patient specific digital workflow of a physical ophthalmic treatment procedure of at least one eye of a patient to be treated. In a processor of a computer system, selection data is received selecting the physical ophthalmic treatment procedure. The processor of the computer system, determines resource data of required resources for performing at least one ophthalmic procedural step. The processor of the computer system further receives patient specific ophthalmic data of the eye; and generates, the patient specific digital workflow comprising a plurality of interrelating digital workflow items using the determined resource data and the received patient specific ophthalmic data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2024
    Publication date: January 23, 2025
    Inventors: Matthias Hutter, Daniel Keller, Sergii Marushchenko, Sandro Rentsch, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240389849
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ophthalmic imaging device comprising an on-axis measuring unit and an off-axis iris imaging unit, the off-axis iris imaging unit arranged at a predetermined angle to a measurement axis of the ophthalmic imaging device and comprising a sensor defining an image plane, and an optical system oriented relative to the image plane such that a focal plane of the off-axis iris imaging unit substantially coincides with an iris plane of the iris of the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240257156
    Abstract: A computerized system for determining the authenticity of a diamond comprises a computerized certification system and a computerized authentication system. The computerized certification system is configured to certify a diamond by generating diamond reference characteristics, using one or more physical characteristics of the diamond measured during a certification phase, and writing a visual code in or on the diamond, using a beam writing system. The computerized authentication system is configured to authenticate the diamond by generating diamond verification measurements, using one or more physical characteristics of the diamond, measured during an authentication phase, capturing the visual code of the diamond, and comparing the diamond verification measurements and the diamond reference characteristics, using the visual code captured from the diamond.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Frank Ziemer, Robert Chodelka, Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240225896
    Abstract: An ophthalmological laser device for treatment of eye tissue is disclosed, comprising a base station having a treatment laser source configured to generate a treatment laser beam, an application head, an arm arranged between the base station and the application head, wherein the arm is configured to provide a beam path for the treatment laser beam, the arm having at least one joint, and a scanner arranged in the joint and configured to dynamically deflect the treatment laser beam about two axes, wherein the treatment laser beam upstream of the scanner is collinear with an axis of rotation of the joint and an orientation of the scanner is dependent on a movement of the joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240206726
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and device for characterizing an optical inhomogeneity in a human eye is disclosed, the method comprising: receiving optical coherence tomography data of the eye; receiving image data of an image of the eye recorded by a camera, the image recorded using one or more of the following imaging techniques: direct illumination of the eye, retro-illumination of the eye, or Scheimpflug imaging; and characterizing the optical inhomogeneity as one or more of the following optical inhomogeneity types: a cataract, a floater, or an opacification of the cornea using the optical coherence tomography data and the image data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Inventors: Thomas Asshauer, Christian Rathjen, Franziska Rothen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240173170
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological patient interface for application to an eye of a patient and to a method of manufacturing the ophthalmological patient interface, the ophthalmological patient interface comprising a coupling portion, an eye fixation portion and a passage, extending through the coupling portion and the eye fixation portion, wherein the passage is configured to enable a treatment laser beam from a laser applicator to pass through the ophthalmological patient interface, wherein at least one of: the coupling portion or the eye fixation portion comprises a patient-specific portion, shaped individually with respect to at least one of: a surface shape of the eye of the patient or a surface shape of a surrounding of the eye of the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Inventors: Nikolaus Kaiser, Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240130893
    Abstract: An ophthalmological laser device for treatment of eye tissue is disclosed, comprising a base station having a treatment laser source configured to generate a treatment laser beam, an application head, an arm arranged between the base station and the application head, wherein the arm is configured to provide a beam path for the treatment laser beam, the arm having at least one joint, and a scanner arranged in the joint and configured to dynamically deflect the treatment laser beam about two axes, wherein the treatment laser beam upstream of the scanner is collinear with an axis of rotation of the joint and an orientation of the scanner is dependent on a movement of the joint.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner
  • Publication number: 20240108509
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological patient interface for application to an eye of a person, the ophthalmological patient interface comprising a coupling portion configured to be arranged on an application head of an ophthalmological laser treatment system, wherein the ophthalmological patient interface further comprises an eye fixation portion configured to be arranged on the eye, wherein the eye fixation portion comprises a cornea contacting element, configured to contact at least partially the cornea of the eye, and a sclera contacting element, configured to contact at least partially the sclera of the eye, wherein the cornea contacting element and the sclera contacting element define a rotationally asymmetric contact surface configured to contact the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Werner Bernau, Fabian Müller, Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner, Thomas Studer
  • Publication number: 20240108510
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an ophthalmological laser treatment system for treatment of tissue of an eye comprising an ophthalmological laser treatment device comprising a base station having a treatment laser source configured to generate a treatment laser beam, an arm and an application head, wherein the ophthalmological laser treatment system further comprises an ophthalmological patient interface with a cornea contacting element, and a sclera contacting element, wherein the cornea contacting element and the sclera contacting element define a rotationally asymmetric contact surface configured to contact the eye, wherein the ophthalmological patient interface comprises a through opening, which is configured to enable the treatment laser beam from the application head to pass through the ophthalmological patient interface to penetrate a target volume of tissue of the eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Werner Bernau, Fabian Müller, Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner, Thomas Studer
  • Publication number: 20240041651
    Abstract: An ophthalmological laser device is disclosed, the ophthalmological laser device comprising: a base station having: a treatment laser source configured to generate a treatment laser beam, a scanner arranged in a beam path of the treatment laser beam, wherein the scanner comprises a deflecting element pivotable about two axes, wherein both axes lie in a virtual plane arranged substantially parallel to a deflecting plane of the deflecting element and the two axes are arranged orthogonal to each other; an application head; and an arm arranged between the base station and the application head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Christian Rathjen, Michael Steinlechner