A refractive index writing system includes a pulsed laser source, an objective lens for focusing an output of the pulsed laser source to a focal spot in an optical material, and a scanner for relatively moving the focal spot with respect to the optical material along a scan region. A beam multiplexer divides the output of the laser source into at least two working beams that are focused to variously shaped focal spots within the optical material. A controller controls at least one of a temporal and a spatial offset between the focal spots of the working beams together with the relative speed and direction of the scanner for maintaining an energy profile within the optical material along the scan region above a nonlinear absorption threshold of the optical material and below a breakdown threshold of the optical materials.

A change in the response of the cornea to ultrasonic energy directed into the cornea is monitored during irradiation of the cornea to bring about corneal crosslinking. Because the change in ultrasonic response is correlated with the degree of crosslinking achieved, a desired degree of crosslinking can be achieved by terminating the irradiation when the change reaches a threshold. The change in ultrasonic response can be determined by taking a baseline measurement before irradiation and additional measurements during irradiation using the same ultrasonic transducer (47). The transducers may be carried on a device (30) resembling a contact lens which overlies the eye and which transmits the light used in the irradiation step to the eye.

A system for forming a corneal implant includes a cutting apparatus, which includes a laser source that emits a laser and optical elements that direct the laser. The system includes a controller implemented with at least one processor and at least one data storage device. The controller generates a sculpting plan for modifying a first shape of a lenticule formed from corneal tissue and achieving a second shape for the lenticule to produce a corneal implant with a refractive profile to reshape a recipient eye. The sculpting plan is determined from measurements relating to the lenticule having the first shape and information relating to a refractive profile for a corneal implant. The controller controls the cutting apparatus to direct, via the one or more optical elements, the laser from the laser source to sculpt the lenticule according to the sculpting plan to produce the corneal implant with the refractive profile.

A change in the response of the cornea to ultrasonic energy directed into the cornea is monitored during irradiation of the cornea to bring about corneal crosslinking. Because the change in ultrasonic response is correlated with the degree of crosslinking achieved, a desired degree of crosslinking can be achieved by terminating the irradiation when the change reaches a threshold. The change in ultrasonic response can be determined by taking a baseline measurement before irradiation and additional measurements during irradiation using the same ultrasonic transducer (47). The transducers may be carried on a device (30) resembling a contact lens which overlies the eye and which transmits the light used in the irradiation step to the eye.

The present application relates generally to a method for vision correction using corneal collagen crosslinking (CCXL), in which the physician is able to precisely control the pattern of ultraviolet (UV) energy delivered to the cornea, by means of a programmable masking array placed between the UV source and the cornea. A CCXL LCD masked is used to create various patterns of on and off pixels. The physician is able to control the degree of polarization of the LCD pixels, thereby allowing the physician to create various patterns of UV irradiation and thus, varying levels of CCXL.

Devices and methods for novel retinal irradiance distribution modification (IDM) to improve, stabilize or restore vision are described herein. Also encompassed herein are devices and methods to reduce vision loss from diseases, injuries and disorders that involve damaged and/or dysfunctional and/or sensorily deprived retinal cells. Conditions that may be treated using devices and methods described herein include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Therapy provided by retinal IDM devices and methods described herein may also be used in combination with other therapies including, but not limited to, pharmacological, retinal laser, gene and stem cell therapies.

A laser system for modifying the index of refraction of an optical hydrogel material. The laser system comprises a computer program to determine the position and shape of refractive structures to be written into the optical hydrogel material to correct a patient's vision, and a focused laser that generates laser light having a wavelength of from 400 nm to 900 nm, and which operates with an average power of 10 mW to 1000 mW to produce a pulse energy from 0.05 nJ to 1000 nJ with a peak intensity at focus of greater than 10.sup.13 W/cm.sup.2. The refractive structures exhibit a change in the index of refraction of 0.01 to 0.06 in the optical hydrogel material.

Systems and methods for improving vision of a subject implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL). In some embodiments, a method for vergence matching includes calculating vergence of a wave after refraction on a surface of an IOL and, based on an estimated curvature, converting an initial phase map into a vergence-matched phase map, such that the initial phase map follows the curved vergence of the wavefront.

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

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.