During a process of refractive index modification of an intraocular lens (IOL) using an ophthalmic laser system, optical position monitoring of the IOL is performed by a video camera system viewing the top surface of the IOL. Fiducials are incorporated into the IOL at manufacture, or created in-vivo with laser. The monitoring method employs a defined area of interest (AOI) to limit the number of pixels to be analyzed, to achieve adequately high acquisition speed. In one example, the AOI contains 5 camera scan line segments, each line segment having sufficient pixels to create a stable amplitude signature. Successive frames of the AOI are analyzed to detect movement of the fiducial and/or to determine whether the fiducial has been lost.

Systems and methods for improving vision of a subject implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL). In some embodiments, a method includes determining at least one photic phenomenon experienced by the subject after implantation of the IOL; and applying a plurality of laser pulses to the IOL, the laser pulses being configured to produce, by refractive index writing on the IOL, a phase shift in the IOL to compensate for the photic phenomenon.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, a method and system for making physical modifications to intraocular targets is disclosed. In varying embodiments, the method and system disclosed herein provide many advantages over the current standard of care. Specifically, linear absorption facilitated photodecomposition and linear absorption facilitated plasma generation to modify intraocular tissues and synthetic intraocular lenses.

The invention relates to a method for controlling a laser (12) of a laser device (10) and/or to a method for performing a surgical procedure comprising at least the steps of: generating laser pulses (40) with a first energy density (42) below a photodisruption regime of a polymer material (26) of a region (16) of an optical element; irradiating a core region (30) with the laser pulses (40), wherein a refractive index of the polymer material (26) changes depending thereon; generating first irradiation lines (34) within the core region (30) and generating a first optical correction (44) in the core region (30); generating laser pulses (40) with a second energy density (46) below a photodisruption regime; irradiating an edge region (36) with the laser pulses (40), wherein the refractive index of the polymer material (26) changes depending thereon; and generating second irradiation lines (38) within the edge region (36) and generating a second optical correction (48) in the edge region (36). Further, the invention relates to a laser device (10), to a computer program as well as to a computer-readable medium.

A photodynamic therapy technique for preventing damage to the fovea of the eye or another body portion of a patient is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a treatment laser is applied to a body portion of a patient using a painting technique, the treatment laser being configured to provide paint brush-type photodynamic therapy (PPDT) using the painting technique to the body portion of the patient by emitting light of a predetermined wavelength that is absorbed by tissue of the body portion of the patient to which a photosensitizer has been applied, the body portion of the patient being afflicted by a medical condition. The application of the treatment laser to the body portion of a patient using the painting technique treats the medical condition, reduces the symptoms associated with the medical condition, and/or alleviates the medical condition.

In various embodiments, a laser is scanned across biological tissue to alter the characteristics of the tissue. To alter the optical characteristics of a cornea, the laser is scanned in an annular pattern over a region having a ratio of the outer diameter of the region to the inner diameter of the region. The laser may also be used to irradiate cartilage in joints to treat osteoarthritis.

An intraocular lens (IOL) implanted in a patient's eye in a cataract procedure is modified by altering the spatial refractive index profile of the IOL to remove higher order aberrations of the patient's visual system. The higher order aberrations are measured by an aberrometer, and the measured distortions on the cornea are propagated from the corneal surfaces to the IOL plane, and corrected in the IOL. This allows the choice to have high order aberration correction to be an independent choice for the patient, independent of the decision to have cataract surgery. In addition, patients with existing standard IOLs implanted may obtain the benefit of high order aberration correction at any time after implantation.

During a process of refractive index modification of an intraocular lens (IOL) using an ophthalmic laser system, optical position monitoring of the IOL is performed by a video camera system viewing the top surface of the IOL. Fiducials are incorporated into the IOL at manufacture, or created in-vivo with laser. The monitoring method employs a defined area of interest (AOI) to limit the number of pixels to be analyzed, to achieve adequately high acquisition speed. In one example, the AOI contains 5 camera scan line segments, each line segment having sufficient pixels to create a stable amplitude signature. Successive frames of the AOI are analyzed to detect movement of the fiducial and/or to determine whether the fiducial has been lost.

A method of altering a refractive property of a crosslinked acrylic polymer material by irradiating the material with a high energy pulsed laser beam to change its refractive index. The method is used to alter the refractive property, and hence the optical power, of an implantable intraocular lens after implantation in the patient's eye. In some examples, the wavelength of the laser beam is in the far red and near IR range and the light is absorbed by the crosslinked acrylic polymer via two-photon absorption at high laser pulse energy. The method also includes designing laser beam scan patterns that compensate for effects of multiphone absorption such as a shift in the depth of the laser pulse absorption location, and compensate for effects caused by high laser pulse energy such as thermal lensing. The method can be used to form a Fresnel lens in the optical zone.

Methods and systems wherein laser induced refractive index changes by focused femtosecond laser pulses in optical polymeric materials or ocular tissues is performed to address various types of vision correction.