An ophthalmological laser therapy positioning device which facilitates accurate positioning of the laser therapy system vis-à-vis the patient's eye. The positioning device includes a first and a second recording unit, which provide recording data from different recording directions, a displacement unit that displaces the relative position of the eye vis-à-vis an optical opening of the laser therapy system on the basis of control commands, and a control unit that generates control commands on the basis of the recording data. The positioning device furthermore may include a display unit for displaying the recording data and an input unit for inputting input data, the control unit in this case generates control commands on the basis of the recording data and/or on the basis of the input data and to provide the control commands to the displacement unit. Corresponding positioning methods are also included.

Method and apparatus for performing a laser-assisted posterior capsulotomy and for performing laser eye surgery on an eye having a penetrated cornea are provided. A method for performing a posterior capsulotomy includes injecting fluid between the lens posterior capsule and the anterior hyaloids membrane to separate the lens posterior capsule and the anterior hyaloids membrane. With the lens posterior capsule separated from the anterior hyaloids membrane, a posterior capsulotomy is performed on the lens posterior capsule by using a laser to incise the lens posterior capsule.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for maintaining the position of a suction cone on an eye during laser ophthalmic surgery that includes determining a distance and direction the suction cone or a support must be adjusted to maintain the position of the suction cone within an optimal working range, based on a detected position of the suction cone. The disclosure further provides a method for maintaining the position of a suction cone by determining a distance and direction the suction cone or a support must be adjusted to maintain the position of the suction cone within an optimal working range, based on a detected position of the suction cone. In the system and the method, a control signal is generated to adjust the position of the suction cone and/or the support to maintain the suction cone within the optimal working range.

Example eye treatments determine an area at a surface of a cornea for delivery of a cross-linking agent. The example treatments disrupt tissue at the area at the surface of the cornea up to a depth corresponding to apical layers of superficial squamous cells of the cornea, e.g., no greater than approximately 10 μm to approximately 15 μm. The example treatments apply a cross-linking agent to the area at the surface of the cornea. The cross-linking agent is transmitted through the disrupted area at a greater rate relative to non disrupted areas of the cornea. The example treatments deliver photoactivating light to the cornea. The photoactivating light activates the cross-linking agent to generate cross-linking activity in the cornea.

In certain embodiments, a system for controlling a laser device comprises a laser device, a distance meter, a haptic sensation generator, and a computer. The laser device generates a laser beam with a focal point. The distance meter measures a distance between the focal point and a target of an eye of a patient. The haptic sensation generator generates an acoustic field that projects a sensory pattern onto a user. The computer: receives the distance from the distance meter; determines the pattern corresponding to the distance according to a function in which the distance is a variable; and instructs the haptic sensation generator to generate the acoustic field that projects the determined pattern.

In some embodiments, a system for providing a therapeutic treatment to a patient's eye includes a treatment beam source configured to transmit a treatment beam along a treatment beam path. The system further includes a processor coupled to the treatment beam source, the processor being configured to direct the treatment beam onto retinal tissue of the patient's eye and deliver a series of short duration pulses from the treatment beam onto the retinal tissue at a first treatment spot to treat the retinal tissue. In some embodiments, a pre-treatment evaluation method using electroretinography (ERG) data may be used to predict effects of treatment beams at different power values and to determine optimal power values.

Systems for treatment of glaucoma comprise an excimer laser, a plurality of fiber probes, and a processor. Each fiber probe is attachable to the excimer laser to treat a subject having glaucoma by delivering shots from the laser. The processor is configured to monitor and limit a variable number of shots delivered by each fiber probe, the number of shots delivered by each fiber probe programmable within a range. Methods of treating glaucoma include programming a fiber probe to deliver a number of shots from an excimer laser. The fiber probe is inserted into an eye of a subject having glaucoma and adjusted to a position transverse to Schlemm's canal in the eye. A plurality of shots is applied from the excimer laser source while the probe is in the transverse position, thereby treating glaucoma by creating a plurality of perforations in Schlemm's canal and/or the trabecular meshwork.

The invention relates to a method for providing control data for an eye surgical laser of a treatment apparatus for the removal of a tissue from a human or animal cornea. The method includes ascertaining a temperature distribution, which is expected in the cornea per laser pulse, determining a laser pulse sequence of a preset laser pulse distribution for removing the tissue by means of a temperature model of the cornea, wherein a respective laser pulse position in the cornea is preset by the laser pulse distribution and wherein it is preset by the laser pulse sequence, in which order the preset laser pulse positions are irradiated with the respective laser pulses, wherein a temperature profile of the cornea is calculated by means of cumulated temperature distributions of the laser pulses in the temperature model and a difference profile to a preset limit temperature profile is determined, and wherein the order of the laser pulses is ascertained depending on the difference profile for determining the laser pulse sequence, and providing control data for controlling the eye surgical laser, which uses the laser pulse sequence for removing the tissue.

A laser surgery system includes a light source, an eye interface device, a scanning assembly, a confocal detection assembly and preferably a confocal bypass assembly. The light source generates an electromagnetic beam. The scanning assembly scans a focal point of the electromagnetic beam to different locations within the eye. An optical path propagates the electromagnetic beam from a light source to the focal point, and also propagates a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along at least a portion of the optical path. The optical path includes an optical element associated with a confocal detection assembly that diverts a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor. The sensor generates an intensity signal indicative of intensity the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location. The confocal bypass assembly reversibly diverts the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the optical element.

A magnetic positioning system and related method for automated or assisted eye-docking in ophthalmic surgery. The system includes a magnetic field sensing system on a laser head and a magnet on a patient interface to be mounted on the patient's eye. The magnetic field sensing system includes four magnetic field sensors located on a horizontal plane for detecting the magnetic field of the magnet, where one pair of sensors are located along the X direction at equal distances from the optical axis of the laser head and another pair are located along the Y direction at equal distances from the optical axis. Based on relative magnitudes of the magnetic field detected by each pair of sensors, the magnetic field sensing system determines whether the patient interface is centered on the optical axis. The system controls the laser head to move toward the patient interface until the latter is centered on the optical axis.