Methods for the amelioration of ectatic corneal disorders using corneal augmentations are disclosed. The shape of the augmentation is determined using data obtained from mapping of a patient's cornea based on computerized corneal topography and tomography. Factors considered include the maximum keratometry and specific iso-deviation contours. In one embodiment, an augmentation is inlayed into a femtosecond created, intrastromal pocket. In a further embodiment, an onlay augmentation is positioned over a region of the cornea from which the epithelial layer has been removed. The onlay is held in place by glue, sutures, tucking under a perimeter chamfer, or some combination thereof, until the epithelial layer regrows over the augmentation. In a further embodiment, the inlay or only augmentation is followed by a post-augmentation, further reshaping of the corneal augmentation. In one embodiment, this further reshaping is photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) surgery. In another and a phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) surgery.

A device and a method for producing control data, which are designed to control a laser machining device to surgically correct ametropia of an eye in which, in order to define a space in the cornea, defines a front cutting surface, a rear cutting surface and an edge section, which are to be produced as cutting surfaces in the cornea. The rear cutting surface has a non-circular, oval edge lying in a plane, the edge section connecting the edge to the front cutting surface and the edge section being designed as a non-rotationally symmetrical cylinder or truncated cone, the base of which is the edge.

Femtosecond laser may be used to crosslink corneal collagen in absence of photosensitizers to correct refractive errors and enhance corneal mechanical properties of tissues, such as the cornea. The treatment time is reduced by defining treatment layers in the tissue being treated and focusing the laser at selected layers to effect treatment at the multiple layers. Volumetric exposure to the laser has been executed by treating multiple planar areas at varying depths, measured from the surface of the treated tissue.

The present invention relates to a method for recommending a vision correction surgery, and the method according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: obtaining an examination data of a subject; predicting whether the vision correction surgery is suitable for the subject from the examination data; when the vision correction surgery is suitable for the subject, predicting whether the vision correction surgery using a laser is available for the subject from the examination data; when the vision correction surgery using the laser is available for the subject, calculating corneal shape factor prediction values of the subject after a standard vision correction surgery and a custom vision correction surgery from the examination data; and when the vision correction surgery using the laser is available for the subject, suggesting a vision correction surgery corresponding to the subject from the examination data.

The invention relates to a method for providing control data for an eye surgical laser (12) of a treatment apparatus (10) for removing tissue (14). A control device (18) ascertains (S10) a corneal geometry of a cornea (22) and an ocular wavefront (32) of a human or animal eye (16) from predetermined examination data. Further, a corneal wavefront (28) is ascertained (S12) from the corneal geometry by means of a physical model, an internal wavefront (34) is calculated (S16) from a difference of the ocular wavefront (32) and the corneal wavefront (28), a wavefront (36) to be achieved is calculated (S18) from a difference of a preset target wavefront (38) and the calculated internal wavefront (34), a target corneal geometry (40) is ascertained (S20) from the wavefront (36) to be achieved by means of the physical model, wherein the target corneal geometry (40), which results in the wavefront (36) to be achieved upon a passage of the input wavefront (30) through a target cornea with the target corneal geometry (40), is determined by means of the physical model, a tissue geometry to be removed is calculated (S22) from a difference of the corneal geometry and the target corneal geometry (40), and control data for controlling the eye surgical laser (12), which includes the tissue geometry to be removed for removing the tissue, is provided (S24).

A planning device that generates control data for an ophthalmological laser therapy appliance with a laser device and a control unit, includes a first interface for supplying various data and a second interface for transferring the control data to the control unit of the ophthalmological laser therapy appliance, which is embodied to generate control data for a scanning pattern for the ophthalmological laser therapy appliance from the supplied data, by application of which scanning pattern a structure can be produced in the cornea, the limbus, and/or the sclera of a patient's eye. The planning device is embodied to generate from the supplied data, control data for the scanning pattern of this structure and/or a structure for receiving the shunt implant.

A method for forming deep corneal lamellar incision parallel to the posterior corneal surface when the eye is docked to the patient interface. A lower-energy detecting beam generated by the same pulsed laser that generates the higher-energy treatment laser beam is utilized to measure the posterior corneal surface profile. The detecting beam is scanned in the eye according to a first 3-dimensional scan pattern, while intensity of the back-reflected light is measured by a light intensity detector. The first scan pattern may be a spiral pattern in the X-Y plane coupled with a Z direction oscillation function. Peaks of the light intensity signal are detected, and corresponding spatial positions of the focus point are obtained; a known offset distance is added to the depth value to obtain the posterior corneal surface profile. Based thereon, the treatment laser beam is scanned in the eye to form the deep corneal lamellar incision.

In certain embodiments, a system for aligning an eye with a patient interface of a laser device includes a camera, a display screen, and a computer. The camera records images of the eye through the patient interface of the laser device. A liquid is disposed between and is in contact with the patient interface and the outer surface of the eye. The images include an outline of the liquid. The display screen displays the images of the eye. The computer aligns the eye with the patient interface by: identifying the outline of the liquid in an image received from the camera; determining a misalignment of the eye according to the outline; and instructing the display screen to display a description of the misalignment.

A laser system is calibrated with a tomography system capable of measuring locations of structure within an optically transmissive material such as a tissue of an eye. Alternatively or in combination, the tomography system can be used to track the location of the eye and adjust the treatment in response to one or more of the location or an orientation of the eye. In many embodiments, in situ calibration and tracking of an optically transmissive tissue structure such as an eye can be provided. The optically transmissive material may comprise one or more optically transmissive structures of the eye, or a non-ocular optically transmissive material such as a calibration gel in a container or an optically transmissive material of a machined part.

A method for to calculation of actual astigmatism correction and nomographs for corneal laser treatment includes performing a post-operative measurement of the cornea of a patient to determine actual astigmatism coefficients. The actual astigmatism coefficients are compared against the expected astigmatism coefficients to generate a nomograph value or a nomograph curve over a sample population. The nomograph is used to calibrate subsequent laser treatments for improved accuracy of clinical results.