A laser instrument for therapy on the human eye, designed for surgery of the cornea, the sclera, the vitreous body or the crystalline lens, especially suitable for use in immediate succession with other instruments for eye diagnosis or eye therapy, in such a way that during the alternating use of the various instruments, the eye or at least the patient preferably remains in a predetermined position and alignment within one and the same treatment area.

A method and system perform an ophthalmic procedure on an eye having an optical path from the lens to the retina. An image of at least part of the eye is received in a data processing unit. The image includes the optical path. The data processing unit determines keep out zone(s) and identifies undesirable feature(s) based on the image. The keep out zone(s) include the retina. The data processing unit also selects one of the undesirable feature(s) for removal. At least part of the undesirable feature is outside of the keep out zone(s). Confirmation for removal of the undesirable feature is received in the data processing unit. In response to receiving the confirmation, a control unit controls a laser to perform laser removal the at least the portion of the undesirable feature without targeting any portion of the keep out zone(s).

A device and a method for the femtosecond laser surgery of tissue, especially in the vitreous humor of the eye. The device includes an ultrashort pulse laser with pulse widths in the range of approximately 10 fs-1 ps, especially approximately 300 fs, pulse energies in the range of approximately 5 nJ-5 μJ, especially approximately 1-2 μJ and pulse repetition rates of approximately 10 kHz-10 MHz, especially 500 kHz. The laser system is coupled to a scanner system which allows the spatial variation of the focus in three dimensions (x, y and z). In addition to the therapeutic laser/scanner optical system, the device includes a navigation system.

Surgical apparatus for performing in pars plana vitrectomy microsurgery including a cannula having an intraocular portion that connects to an infusion tube. The intraocular portion includes fenestrations at its distal end. The intraocular portion receives fluid through the infusion tube and dispenses the fluid through the fenestrations lessening the flow at an infusion site in an eye. The surgical apparatus includes a vitreous cutter having a suction tube at one end and a shaft at another end. The cutting port cuts vitreous into smaller pieces or a laser that liquefies the vitreous. The shaft receives the cut vitreous pieces and the suction tube draws out the cut vitreous pieces from the eye. The surgical apparatus includes a vitreoretinal surgical tool having a vitreoretinal cutter having a scissor-like or forceps-like mechanism. The vitreoretinal cutter holds and/or cuts a membrane in the eye during the microsurgery.

Systems and methods are disclosed for monitoring a laser system using detection of back reflection. In some embodiments, a laser system comprises a laser, at least one optical fiber, and a back-reflection monitoring sensor for detecting electromagnetic radiation reflected back from the optical fiber(s). The back-reflection monitoring sensor may be adapted to detect back-reflected electromagnetic radiation while the laser system is in use. The laser system may further comprise a computing system adapted to calculate an output power of the system based upon the back-reflected electromagnetic radiation. In some embodiments, a method of monitoring a laser system using detection of back reflection comprises transmitting electromagnetic radiation from a laser, receiving the electromagnetic radiation at one or more optical fibers, and detecting electromagnetic radiation that is back reflected at a back-reflection monitoring sensor.

Systems and methods are disclosed for a surgical laser system with illumination. In some embodiments, a laser system comprises a surgical laser and an illumination source having their outputs combined into a fiber-optic cable and directed by the fiber-optic cable to a target surface. The illuminating visible light may be continuous and/or in pulses. Surgical laser pulses and illumination pulses may be synchronized for a stroboscopic effect. The laser system may also monitor laser electromagnetic radiation that is returned back through the fiber-optic cable.

Multi-functional foot controller with treadle for controlling a first function and as an integrated shroud for a switch that controls an additional function.

A full depth ophthalmic surgical system includes a femtosecond laser source and an optical coherence tomographer. The system is capable of performing surgical procedures along the entire length of the eye from the cornea to the retina. The optical system of the ophthalmic surgical system is optimized to focus the laser beam and imaging light in the vitreous humor of the eye. In some embodiments, the illumination light source and the scanning mirrors are imaged by the system's objective lens and the patient interface lens to locations near the pupil, to increase the volume of the vitreous humor reachable by the illumination light and laser beam. For procedures performed posterior to the lens, a method for calibrating the full depth ophthalmic surgical system is also provided. The system can be used to perform treatment in the vitreous humor, including treating floaters and liquification of the vitreous humor.

An illuminated microsurgical instrument comprises a distally projecting tubular member arranged to perform a medical procedure at an interventional site, a sheath member surrounding a portion of the tubular member, and an optical fiber extending along a length of the outer surface of the tubular member between the tubular member and the sheath member. A method of manufacturing an illuminated microsurgical instrument comprises placing an optical fiber on a positioning member, placing a sheath member around the optical fiber and positioning member and securing the sheath member to the optical fiber, removing material from a distal end of the sheath member and optical fiber at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the positioning member, removing the positioning member from within the sheath member, and placing the sheath member with the optical fiber secured thereto around a distally projecting tubular member.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical system for viewing an eye includes an ophthalmic microscope and a laser device. The ophthalmic microscope receives light reflected or scattered backwards from within the vitreous of the eye in order to provide an image of an object within the vitreous. The ophthalmic microscope includes a slit illumination source (which includes a light source and an optical element), a spectral filter, and oculars. The slit illumination source illuminates the eye with light, where the light source provides the light, and the optical element directs the light into the eye. The spectral filter filters out red spectral components of the light. The oculars receive the light from the eye in order to provide the image of the object. The laser device generates a laser beam to direct towards the object within the eye.