Patent classifications
A61F2009/00868
Image guidance methods and apparatus for glaucoma surgery
An imaging probe comprises a camera or endoscope with an external detector array, in which the probe is sized and shaped for surgical placement in an eye to image the eye from an interior of the eye during treatment. The imaging probe and a treatment probe can be coupled together with a fastener or contained within a housing. The imaging probe and the treatment probe can be sized and shaped to enter the eye through an incision in the cornea and image one or more of the ciliary body band or the scleral spur. The treatment probe may comprise a treatment optical fiber or a surgical placement device to deliver an implant. A processor coupled to the detector can be configured with instructions to identify a location of one or more of the ciliary body band, the scleral spur, Schwalbe's line, or Schlemm's canal from the image.
Contact probe for the delivery of laser energy
Systems, devices, and methods for treating a glaucomatous eye are provided. An amount of pulsed laser energy is delivered to the pars plana of the eye by a hand-holdable device which comprises a hand-holdable elongate member and a contact member disposed on an end of the elongate member. A contact surface of the contact member is placed in direct contact with the eye so that a reference edge of the contact member aligns with the limbus and a treatment axis defined by the elongate member is angularly offset from the optical axis of the eye. The amount of pulsed laser energy delivered is insufficient to effect therapeutic photocoagulation but is sufficient to increase uveoscleral outflow so as to maintain a reduction from pre-laser treatment intraocular pressure. Amounts of pulsed laser energy will be transmitted to a circumferential series of tissue regions of the eye.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CYCLO-SCANNER USING SURFACE EMITTING LASERS OR LEDS
A handheld device for delivering therapeutic light toward an eye of a patient includes a device housing that is configured to be held by a user in delivering the therapeutic light, a plurality of light sources disposed within the device housing, and an array of lenses disposed near the distal end of the device housing. Each light source is configured to independently emit a beam of therapeutic light and each lens of the array is aligned with a respective light source so that each beam of therapeutic light that is emitted from the respective light sources is focused and directed by the respective lenses of the array to target tissue of the eye in order to therapeutically treat to the target tissue.
SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR GLAUCOMA
A glaucoma treatment apparatus including an imaging device capable of imaging the anterior segment of the eye, a treatment laser, an algorithm programmed to determine a location and a cross sectional area of a treatment based on a customized anatomy of the anterior segment of the eye including the trabecular meshwork (TM), the Schlemm's Canal (SC) and collector channels (CCS), obtained from pre-operative images of the anterior segment of the eye, a pre-operative intraocular pressure (IOP) level and a target IOP reduction as an inputs, and a processor configured to actuate the apparatus to create an outflow channel with a cross-sectional area and location or multiple outflow channels with multiple cross-sectional areas and locations from the anterior chamber (AC) to the SC across the TM, as determined by the algorithm to achieve the target intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction. Also disclosed is a method of reducing intraocular pressure in an eye.
Voice control system for ophthalmic laser systems
A voice control system for ophthalmologic laser treatment systems sets parameters for delivering laser energy based on voice commands and prevents potentially harmful parameters due to operator mistakes and misunderstood voice commands by providing incremental parameter adjustment and restricting the amount by which the parameters can be adjusted for each executed voice command. Valid voice commands include indications of which parameter to set, a value for the parameter, and whether to increase or decrease the value of the parameter. In one example, parameter values can only be increased or decreased by a certain percentage with respect to the current value. In another example, the parameters are adjusted by selecting the next highest or lowest value with respect to the current parameter value from a predetermined sequence of possible values for particular parameters. Voice control functionality can also be deactivated under certain conditions such as when it is determined that a parameter was not set.
Image guidance methods and apparatus for glaucoma surgery
An imaging probe comprises a camera or endoscope with an external detector array, in which the probe is sized and shaped for surgical placement in an eye to image the eye from an interior of the eye during treatment. The imaging probe and a treatment probe 500 can be coupled together with a fastener or contained within a housing. The imaging probe and the treatment probe 500 can be sized and shaped to enter the eye through an incision in the cornea and image one or more of the ciliary body band or the scleral spur. The treatment probe 500 may comprise a treatment optical fiber or a surgical placement device to deliver an implant. A processor coupled to the detector can be configured with instructions to identify a location of one or more of the ciliary body band, the scleral spur, Schwalbe's line, or Schlemm's canal from the image.
Authentication systems and methods for an excimer laser system
The invention provides an excimer laser system including a means for authenticating laser probes to be used with the excimer laser system via radio-frequency identification techniques.
Methods of transverse placement in ELT
Glaucoma patients suffer from increased intraocular pressure due to blocked fluid flow from the anterior chamber of the eye. Methods of the invention include inserting a probe into an eye of a subject having glaucoma, adjusting placement of the probe to a position transverse to Schlemm's canal in the eye, and applying a plurality of shots from an 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. By providing a laser probe at a position transverse to Schlemm's canal, energy from the laser is delivered to a greater amount of surface area than if the laser was arranged in a parallel or perpendicular position to Schlemm's canal, resulting in optimal formation of perforations. The perforations allow for drainage of fluid and increased outflow of aqueous humor in the eye.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATING A SURFACE OF OCULAR TISSUE FOR GLAUCOMA SURGERY BASED ON DUAL AIMING BEAMS
A target surface in an eye is located using a dual aiming beam apparatus that transmits a first aiming beam of light and a second aiming beam of light. An optics subsystem receives a laser beam from a laser source, the first aiming beam of light, and the second aiming beam of light, and directs the beams of light to be incident with the target surface and aligns the beams of light such that they intersect at a point corresponding to a focus of the laser beam. An imaging apparatus captures an image of the target surface including a first spot corresponding to the first aiming beam of light and a second spot corresponding to a second aiming beam of light. A separation between the spots indicates that the focus is away from the target surface, while overlapping spots indicate the focus is at or on the target surface.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CLEARING AN OBSTRUCTION FROM THE PATH OF A SURGICAL LASER
A target volume of ocular tissue of an irido-corneal angle of an eye is treated by moving a focus of a laser through the target volume of ocular tissue, and photodisrupting the target volume of ocular tissue at a plurality of spots as the focus is moved through the target volume of ocular tissue. The focus is moved by transverse scanning the focus between at least one of: a first circumferential boundary and a second circumferential boundary of the target volume of ocular tissue, and a first azimuthal boundary and a second azimuthal boundary of the target volume of ocular tissue, and axial scanning the focus between a distal extent and a proximal extent of the target volume of ocular tissue.