A process for heat treating biological tissue includes repeatedly applying a pulsed energy to a target tissue over a period of time so as to controllably raise a temperature of the target tissue to create a therapeutic effect to the target tissue without destroying or permanently damaging the target tissue. After the first treatment is concluded the application of the pulsed energy to the target tissue is halted for an interval of time. Within a single treatment session a second treatment is performed on the target tissue after the interval of time by repeatedly reapplying the pulsed energy to the target tissue so as to controllably raise the temperature of the target tissue to therapeutically treat the target tissue without destroying or permanently damaging the target tissue.

Apparatus for medical treatment includes a laser source, which is configured to output a beam of laser radiation. An optical device is configured to direct the laser radiation to impinge on a limbal area of an eye with optical properties chosen so as to apply a desired treatment to a tissue structure associated with a cornea of the eye within the limbal area.

An iridocorneal angle of the eye can be opened with a plurality of treatment locations at least about 2 mm radially outward from a limbus of the eye. The opening on the angle can be beneficial for treating both narrow angle glaucoma and open angle glaucoma. The plurality of treatment locations located away from the limbus can decrease invasiveness and complexity of the procedure. The plurality of treatment locations at least about 2 mm away from the limbus can provide tensioning to zonules coupled to the lens of the eye to flatten the lens of the eye, which can allow the iris to move posteriorly so as to open the iridocorneal angle. The plurality of treatment locations may comprise scleral locations, in which shrinkage of scleral tissue at the plurality of treatment locations provides tensioning to the zonules.

In a laser delivery system for an ophthalmic laser surgery system, a laser beam scanner employs a single or two MEMS micromirror arrays. Each micromirror in the array is capable of being independently actuated to rotate to desired angles. In one embodiment, one or two micromirror arrays are controlled to scan a laser beam in two directions. In another embodiment, a micromirror array is controlled to both correct optical aberrations in the laser beam and scan the laser beam in two directions. In yet another embodiment, a micromirror array is controlled to cause the laser beam to be focused to multiple focal spots simultaneously and to scan the multiple focal spot simultaneously. The ophthalmic laser surgery system also includes an ultrashort pulse laser, a laser energy control module, focusing optics and other optics, and a controller for controlling the laser beam scanner and other components of the system.

The present disclosure provides systems and methods for imaging-guided monitoring and modeling of retinal vascular occlusive conditions. An example integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) and scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) apparatus includes an OCT subsystem to acquire baseline OCT and OCT angiography (OCTA) volumes of a subject without dye before occlusion and subsequent OCT and OCTA volumes of the subject with dye after occlusion. The example apparatus includes an SLO subsystem including a laser controlled to adjust a laser to form a vascular occlusion at a location on a target vessel of the subject. The example apparatus includes a processor to process the OCT and OCTA volumes and feedback from the OCT subsystem and the SLO subsystem to determine a change in three-dimensional vasculature from before the vascular occlusion to after the vascular occlusion.

A process for preventing or treating myopia includes applying a pulsed energy, such as a pulsed laser beam, to tissue of an eye having myopia or a risk of having myopia. The source of pulsed energy has energy parameters including wavelength or frequency, duty cycle and pulse train duration, which are selected so as to raise an eye tissue temperature up to eleven degrees Celsius to achieve therapeutic or prophylactic effect, such as stimulating heat shock protein activation in the eye tissue. The average temperature rise of the eye tissue over several minutes is maintained at or below a predetermined level so as not to permanently damage the eye tissue.

A process for preventing or treating myopia includes applying a pulsed energy, such as a pulsed light beam, to tissue of an eye having myopia or a risk of having myopia. The source of pulsed energy has energy parameters including wavelength or frequency, duty cycle and pulse train duration, which are selected so as to raise an eye tissue temperature to achieve therapeutic or prophylactic effect, such as stimulating heat shock protein activation in the eye tissue. The average temperature rise of the eye tissue over several minutes is maintained at or below a predetermined level so as not to permanently damage the eye tissue.

An optical switch incorporated in a photomedical system, and a method of treating tissue using the optical switch for creating pulsed light. A light source generates an optical beam. An aperture element includes a light-transmitting portion and a light-blocking portion. An optical element such as a mirror, prism or lens directs the optical beam to the aperture element, wherein the optical element is movable for translating the optical beam across the light-transmitting and light-blocking portions of the aperture element, or changing its angle of incidence through the aperture to produce one or more pulses of light from the optical beam. A lens focuses the one or more pulses of the optical beam onto target tissue. A controller controls the movement of the optical element to produce the one or more pulses of light.

A method for heat treating biological tissues includes providing a pulsed energy source having energy parameters selected so as to raise a target temperature to a level to achieve a therapeutic effect, while the average temperature rise of the tissue over a prolonged period of time is maintained at or below a predetermined level so as not to permanently damage the target tissue. Application of the pulsed energy source to the target tissue induces a heat shock response and stimulates heat shock protein activation in the target tissue so as to therapeutically treat the target tissue.

In a laser delivery system for an ophthalmic laser surgery system, a laser beam scanner employs a single or two MEMS micromirror arrays. Each micromirror in the array is capable of being independently actuated to rotate to desired angles. In one embodiment, one or two micromirror arrays are controlled to scan a laser beam in two directions. In another embodiment, a micromirror array is controlled to both correct optical aberrations in the laser beam and scan the laser beam in two directions. In yet another embodiment, a micromirror array is controlled to cause the laser beam to be focused to multiple focal spots simultaneously and to scan the multiple focal spot simultaneously. The ophthalmic laser surgery system also includes an ultrashort pulse laser, a laser energy control module, focusing optics and other optics, and a controller for controlling the laser beam scanner and other components of the system.