In some examples, a distributed acoustic detector system may include a frame structure and multiple acoustic detectors. The frame structure may be configured to be retained in a laser-based ophthalmo-logical surgical system aligned to an eye of a patient during therapeutic treatment of the eye of the patient with the laser-based ophthalmological surgical system. The acoustic detectors may be coupled to the frame structure and may be spaced apart from each other and electrically separated from each other.

A robotic surgery system includes: (1) a positioning stage and (2) at least one manipulator arm mounted to the positioning stage, wherein the manipulator arm includes a track and a tool carriage moveably mounted to the track, and the tool carriage includes a base and a pair of light emitting devices mounted to the base.

Apparatus and methods are described including a robotic unit configured to move the tool through six degrees-of-freedom, and a control component that comprises at least one control-component arm configured to be moved by a user, The control-component arm includes three rotary encoders, each of the three rotary encoders coupled to a respective joint and configured to detect movement of the respective joint and to generate rotary-encoder data indicative of an XYZ location of a tip of the control-component tool, in response thereto, and an inertial measurement unit comprising at least one of a three-axis accelerometer, a three-axis gyroscope, and a three-axis magnetometer, the inertial measurement unit being configured to generate inertial-measurement-unit data indicative of an orientation of the tip of control-component tool. Other applications are also described.

A soft-bodied apparatus and a method for opening an eyelid are provided. The apparatus includes: a head support module, a real-time eyelid positioning module, a robot end-effector real-time positioning module, and an automatic eyelid opening operation module. The automatic eyelid opening operation module includes a robot body and a robot control system. The robot body is provided with a multi-axis rigid body mechanical arm and a soft-bodied end-effector. The robot control system takes the real-time poses of the upper and lower eyelids of the user as a motion target, and takes the real-time shape and the pose of the soft-bodied end-effector as feedback information to control motion of the robot body to automatically open the eyelid.

Apparatus and methods are described including a robotic system configured for performing intraocular surgery. During a training stage, a computer processor receives programming instructions for performing one or more steps of cataract surgery in an automated manner, based upon standard ranges of dimensions of respective portions of a human eye. During a subsequent stage, the computer processor drives the robotic system to perform the one or more steps of cataract surgery on an eye of a given patient, by receiving at least one image of the eye, determining one or more dimensions of the eye from the at least one image, and performing the one or more steps of cataract surgery based upon the programming instructions and the determined dimensions of the eye. Other applications are also described.

In some examples, a distributed acoustic detector system may include a frame structure and multiple acoustic detectors. The frame structure may be configured to be retained in a laser-based ophthalmo-logical surgical system aligned to an eye of a patient during therapeutic treatment of the eye of the patient with the laser-based ophthalmological surgical system. The acoustic detectors may be coupled to the frame structure and may be spaced apart from each other and electrically separated from each other.

Provided is a device for supporting a person's head in a horizontal position when the person is standing in an erect position, comprising: a) a support member configured to be positioned above the head and further configured to be attached to the person's body; b) a head rest attached to the support member, the head rest configured for a person to rest the person's forehead; wherein a person walks with the device attached and rests the forehead on the head rest.

Apparatus and methods are described for performing intraocular surgery on a patient using a tool. A robotic unit includes a tool mount configured to securely hold the tool thereupon and configured to insert the tool into the patient's eye such that entry of the tool into the patient's eye is via an incision point, and the tip of the tool is disposed within the patient's eye. One or more multi-jointed arms are disposed on a single side of the tool mount and moveably support the tool mount. A computer processor drives the robotic unit to perform at least a portion of a procedure by moving the tip of the tool in a desired manner with respect to the eye, while entry of the tool into the patient's eye is maintained fixed at the incision point. Other applications are also described.

A system for supporting and aligning a patient during a color alteration procedure includes a laser system that delivers a laser in a first direction. A control computer may be adjacent the laser system for controlling the laser system. The control computer system may include a user interface in a first plane substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The system may include a patient support structure having a patient support surface extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and configured to be adjustable to set a patient position or alignment relative to the laser system. Coarse adjustment hardware may be configured to cause automated and/or manual adjustments to the patient support surface in the first direction. Fine adjustment hardware may be configured to cause automated fine adjustments to the patient support surface in the first direction based on instructions received from the control computer.

Contact lenses are a commonly used medical device that many users find difficult to insert and remove from the eyes. A contact lens insertion and removal apparatus of the subject invention utilizes a lens manipulator that can be controlled by a user to insert a contact lens into the eye or remove it from the eye. Further embodiments include a display system that provides a user with dual images of the lens manipulator such that the user sees an optical illusion of the lens manipulator from a side view. This provides the user with an increased sense of control and safety when inserting or removing contact lenses. Additional embodiments can include a hands-free contact lens cleaning and storage system.