Embodiments of this invention generally relate to ophthalmic laser procedures and, more particularly, to systems and methods for lenticular laser incision. In an embodiment, an ophthalmic surgical laser system comprises a laser delivery system for delivering a pulsed laser beam to a target in a subject's eye, an XY-scan device to deflect the pulsed laser beam, a Z-scan device to modify a depth of a focus of the pulsed laser beam, and a controller configured to form a top lenticular incision and a bottom lenticular incision of a lens in the subject's eye, or just a bottom lenticular incision.

The invention relates to a method for determining the position of a flap incision on a cornea and of the hinge associated with the flap. The method comprises the steps of: capturing an image of an eye, including at least the pupil and the limbus; determining a region including the outer circumference of the flap incision; determining the position of the flap incision; determining a straight region including the hinge; determining the position of the hinge.

The invention also relates to a device for determining the position of a flap incision on a cornea and of the hinge associated with the flap.

For the purposes of working on eye tissue, an ophthalmological apparatus comprises a laser source that is configured to produce a pulsed laser beam, a focusing optical unit that is configured to focus the pulsed laser beam into the eye tissue, and a scanner system for deflecting the pulsed laser beam onto work target points in the eye tissue. The scanner system is configured to guide the pulsed laser beam onto work target points along a scan line that extends across a work line at an alignment angle and to tilt the scan line depending on the work target point on the work line in such a way that the scan line extends substantially along an outer face of a lenticule to be cut in the eye tissue.

A vibrating tissue separator suitable for use in separating a lenticule established by a femtosecond laser during a smile procedure may include a surgical implement such as a blunt spatula mounted on a handle that carries a haptic actuator for applying vibratory motion to the surgical implement. A damping arrangement may be provided to isolate the surgeons hand from the vibrations which would otherwise be transmitted through the handle. The actuator may apply a linear vibration along the axis of the handle which applies a lifting and chopping motion to the tip of a surgical implement having a bend. The tip may be suitable to the tissue being separated. For example, for SMILE lenticule separation, a blunt or semi-sharp spatula, blunted wire or loop may be used. The direction of vibration at the tip may be changed by rotating the implement in a plane other than the plane of the bend or by rotating an actuator such as an LRA with respect to the handle.

The disclosure provides a system that may acquire, via an image sensor, an image of an eye of a person; may determine a location of an iris of the eye from the image; may determine a position of a suction ring from the image; may display, via a display, the image; may display, via the display, a first graphic overlay on the image that indicates the location of the iris of the eye;

may display, via the display, a second graphic overlay on the image that indicates the position of the suction ring; may determine multiple iris structures from the image; may determine an orientation of the eye based at least on the multiple iris structures from the image; and may display, via the display, information that indicates the orientation of the eye.

A focusing optical system for a UVL-LVC system with a UV laser source and a scanning system that focuses a laser in a focal field and a lens assembly with a convergent focal field. The invention further includes a planning unit that generates planning data for a UVL-LNC system with a UV laser source, a scanning system, a focusing optical system, and a control unit for controlling the UVL-LVC system while taking into consideration planning data, wherein the planning unit takes into consideration geometry losses, Fresnel losses, and/or a spatial extension of laser radiation on a working surface while calculating the planning data, and the planning unit has an interface that provides the planning data. Finally, the invention includes a UVL-LVC system with a UV laser source, a scanning system, a focusing optical system according to the invention, a planning unit according to the invention, and a control unit.

A method for aligning a system for laser-based ametropia correction relative to a patient's eye to be treated is disclosed. Predefined pre-operative measurement data which characterize at least predetermined structures of the patient's eye is provided. The predetermined structures include a part of the patient's eye to be treated. In addition, the method includes measuring at least one part of the predetermined structures of the patient's eye using an OCT system immediately before and/or during treatment for ametropia correction of the patient's eye and providing OCT measurement data, and comparing the OCT measurement data and the predefined pre-operative measurement data and preparing comparative data. The method also includes ascertaining a position and/or orientation of the part of the patient's eye to be treated relative to the system and aligning the system relative to the patient's eye using the ascertained position and/or orientation of the part of the patient's eye.

A method for laser eye surgery that accommodates patient movement includes: generating a first and a second electromagnetic radiation beam, the second beam configured to modify eye tissue; propagating the first beam to a scanner along a an optical path length that changes in response to eye movement; focusing the first beam to a first focal point within the eye; scanning the first focal point at different locations within the eye; propagating a portion of the first beam reflected from the first focal point location back along the variable optical path to a sensor; generating an intensity signal indicative of the intensity of the portion of the reflected first beam; propagating the second beam to the scanner along the variable optical path; focusing the second beam to a second focal point and scanning the second focal point to create an incision in the cornea of the eye.

System and method of photoaltering a region of an eye using a high resolution digital image of the eye. The system includes a laser assembly for outputting a pulsed laser beam, an imaging system for capturing a real-time high resolution digital image of the eye and displaying the digital image of the eye, a user interface receiving at least one laser parameter input, and a controller coupled to the laser assembly, imaging system, and user interface. The controller directs the laser assembly to output the pulsed laser beam to the region of the eye based on the laser parameter input.

A method for forming an incision in an eye, the method including performing a first pass of a first laser beam along a path within an eye, wherein after completion of the first pass there exists a residual uncut layer at an anterior surface of a cornea of the eye. The method further including performing a second pass of a second laser beam only along a portion of the path that contains the residual uncut layer, wherein after completion of the second pass, the residual uncut layer is transformed into a full complete through surface incision.