The invention relates to a method for controlling a laser (12) of a treatment apparatus (10), comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of laser pulses (34) with a predefined energy below a photodisruption regime of a polymer material (26), irradiating the area (16) with the laser pulses (34), wherein a refractive index of the polymer material (26) changes at the irradiated irradiation point (36) depending thereon, generating a first irradiation line (38) in a first depth plane (40), wherein the first depth plane (40) is formed substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis (20) of the area (16), generating a second irradiation line (42) in a second depth plane (44) different from the first depth plane (40), wherein the first depth plane (40) and the second depth plane (44) overlap at least in certain areas viewed in the direction of the optical axis (20) and the second depth plane (44) is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis (20). Further, the invention relates to a treatment apparatus (10), to a computer program, to a computer-readable medium as well as to a surgical method.

A method of treatment of the cornea of an eye including exposing the cornea to a crosslinking medium, and applying a mechanical loading to the cornea, wherein the mechanical loading is selected as a strain proportional to the dimensions of the eye being treated. A method of altering the curvature of the cornea is provided including controlling a light source to apply light energy pulses to corneal tissue; wherein the light energy pulses are below an optical breakdown threshold for the cornea; ionize water molecules within the treated corneal layer to generate reactive oxygen species; and initiate crosslinking within the extracellular matrix of the cornea to change the physical properties of the cornea, e.g., the stiffness of the cornea.

Refractive index writing system and methods employing a pulsed laser source for providing a pulsed laser output at a first wavelength; an objective lens for focusing the pulsed laser output to a focal spot in an optical material; a scanner for relatively moving the focal spot with respect to the optical material at a relative speed and direction along a scan region for writing one or more traces in the optical material defined by a change in refractive index; and a controller for controlling laser exposures along the one or more traces in accordance with a calibration function for the optical material to achieve a desired refractive index profile in the optical material. The refractive index writing system may be for writing traces in in vivo optical tissue, and the controller may be configured with a calibration function obtained by calibrating refractive index change induced in enucleated ocular globes. A real-time process control monitor for detecting emissions from the optical material transmitted through the objective lens at a second wavelength may further be employed while writing the one or more traces.

A corneal ablation system for correcting vision by using a laser is provided. The corneal ablation system includes: an operation device for creating an integrated corneal ablation plan for correcting a shape and a curvature error of a cornea based on corneal status data; a laser control unit for controlling a laser module according to an ablation position and an ablation shape of the cornea based on the integrated corneal ablation plan transmitted from the operation device; and the laser module for generating a laser and transmitting the laser to an optical unit under control of the laser control unit.

Systems and methods for improving vision of a subject implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL). In some embodiments, a method for vergence matching includes calculating vergence of a wave after refraction on a surface of an IOL and, based on an estimated curvature, converting an initial phase map into a vergence-matched phase map, such that the initial phase map follows the curved vergence of the wavefront.

A method of corneal implantation with cross-linking is disclosed herein. In one or more embodiments, the method includes the steps of: (i) prior to implantation, treating an implant formed from donor corneal tissue or a tissue culture grown corneal stroma with a solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Triton X-100, benzalkonium chloride (BAK), Igepal, genipin, 100% glycerol, or alcohol for making the implant acellular, and for killing any bacteria, viruses, or parasites prior to implantation; (ii) implanting the implant into a recipient cornea; (iii) applying laser energy to the implant so as to modify the refractive power of the implant while being monitored using a Shack-Hartmann wavefront system so as to achieve a desired refractive power for the implant; and (iv) applying a cross-linking solution and irradiating the implant to cross-link the implant to prevent an immune response to the implant and/or rejection of the implant by a patient.

Systems and methods for improving vision of a subject implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL) that has a non-zero residual spherical error that requires an estimated diffractive power addition in the IOL. In some embodiments, a plurality of laser pulses are applied to the IOL, the laser pulses being configured to produce, by refractive index writing on the IOL, the estimated diffractive power addition to correct for the residual spherical error.

A method for modifying a refractive property of ocular tissue in an eye by creating at least one optically-modified gradient index (GRIN) layer in the corneal stroma and/or the crystalline by continuously scanning a continuous stream of laser pulses having a focal volume from a laser having a known average power along a continuous line having a smoothly changing refractive index within the tissue, and varying either or both of the scan speed and the laser average power during the scan. The method may further involve determining a desired vision correction adjustment, and determining a position, number, and design parameters of gradient index (GRIN) layers to be created within the ocular tissue to provide the desired vision correction.

Systems and methods for optimizing laser damage threshold and induced phase change range in a method of writing phase change structures in a hydrogel material with a femtosecond laser writing system focusing a laser beam into the hydrogel material. laser pulse width and a laser effective NA are selected for a given focused laser average power range to increase the laser damage threshold relative to use of laser pulse widths shorter than the selected laser pulse width and/or use of laser effective NAs greater than the selected laser effective NA. In a particular embodiment, the focused laser average power is from 1 to 5000 mW, the selected laser pulse width is greater than about 165 fs, and the selected laser effective NA is less than 0.50. Applications of the techniques described include laser induced refractive index change (LIRIC) customization of contact lenses, intra-ocular lenses, and other ophthalmic materials.

Systems and methods for improving vision of a subject implanted with an intraocular lens (IOL) that has a non-zero residual spherical error that requires an estimated diffractive power addition in the IOL. In some embodiments, a plurality of laser pulses are applied to the IOL, the laser pulses being configured to produce, by refractive index writing on the IOL, the estimated diffractive power addition to correct for the residual spherical error.