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.

An apparatus includes a laser source and a scanner. The laser source is configured to generate electromagnetic radiation. The scanner scans at least part of a limbal area of an eye with the electromagnetic radiation generated by the laser source, thereby directing the electromagnetic radiation through an entire thickness of the limbal area of the eye without any contact with the eye and irradiating one or more regions of a trabecular meshwork of the eye with the electromagnetic radiation.

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.

A system for processing a portion in a processing volume of a transparent material by application of focused radiation including a device for generating and an optical system for focusing radiation, with a device for changing the position of the focus of the radiation and a control device. The system includes a controller that controls the ophthalmologic therapy system. The controller is encoded with a scan pattern. The scan pattern includes adjacent strokes with each adjacent stroke having an angle of inclination (?) to the beam axis; and the angle of inclination (?) of the strokes to the beam axis is always larger than or equal to the focal angle (?) of the focused radiation.

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.

Methods, devices, and systems for reprofiling a surface of a cornea of an eye ablate a portion of the cornea to create an ablation zone with an optically correct central optical zone disposed in a central portion of the cornea, and a blend zone disposed peripherally to the central optical zone and at least partially within an optical zone of the eye. The blend zone can have an optical power that gradually diminishes with increasing radius from the central optical zone.

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 system and method are presented for use in delivering electromagnetic radiation to a limbal area of an eye, for example for treatment of glaucoma. The system includes an illumination unit, a beam shaping device and a control unit. The illumination unit includes a first source of electromagnetic radiation configured and operable for producing a beam of electromagnetic radiation having first optical properties to be delivered to the limbal area of a patient's eye to interact therewith and produce a desired effect, and a second source of electromagnetic radiation configured and operable for producing a beam of electromagnetic radiation having second optical properties. The beam shaping device when accommodated in an optical path of said first and second beams defines one or more regions along a path substantially aligned with a limbus of the patient's eye. The control unit is configured and operable for operating the illumination unit in first and second illumination modes, such that in the first illumination mode the second beam propagates towards said beam shaping device and upon identifying that the second beam illuminates the limbus, the second illumination mode is activated in which the first beam is directed via said beam shaping device to pass through said one or more regions along said path to thereby interact with the limbus.

A process for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation includes generating a laser light that creates a therapeutic effect to retinal and/or foveal tissues exposed to the laser light without destroying or permanently damaging the retinal or foveal tissue. The laser light is applied to a first treatment area of the retina. After a predetermined interval of time, within a single treatment session, the laser light is reapplied to the first treatment area of the retina. During the interval of time between the laser light applications to the first treatment area, the laser light is applied to one or more additional areas of the retina that is spaced apart from the first treatment area and one another. The laser light is repeatedly applied to each of the areas to be treated until a predetermined number of laser light applications to each area to be treated has been achieved.

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.