METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A LASER OF A TREATMENT APPARATUS, TREATMENT APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM AS WELL AS COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a laser of a treatment apparatus, comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of laser pulses with a predefined energy below a photodisruption regime of a polymer material of an area of an optical element; irradiating the area with the laser pulses, wherein a refractive index of the polymer material changes at each irradiation point irradiated with the laser pulses depending thereon; generating a first irradiation line within the area by means of a plurality of irradiation points in a first depth plane of the optical element, wherein the first depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis of the area; generating a second irradiation line within the area with a plurality of irradiation points in a second depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane, wherein the first depth plane and the second depth plane overlap at least in certain areas viewed in the direction of the optical axis and the second depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area.

2. The method according to claim 1, charactcrizcd in that wherein the second irradiation line in the second depth plane is generated higher than the first irradiation line viewed in relation to the optical axis.

3. The method according to claim 1, charactcrizcd in that wherein a plurality of substantially parallel first irradiation lines is generated in the area at least in the first depth plane and/or a plurality of substantially parallel second irradiation lines is generated in the area at least in the second depth plane.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the respective plurality of irradiation lines in the first depth plane and in the second depth plane is generated such that they form a grid structure viewed in the direction of the optical axis.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein a third irradiation line is generated within the area in a third depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane and from the second depth plane, wherein the first depth plane, the second depth plane and the third depth plane overlap at least in certain areas and the third depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area.

6. The method according to claim 1, charactcrizcd in that wherein at least the second irradiation line is generated such that it has a first relative non zero angle to the first irradiation line.

7. The method according to claim 6, charactcrizcd in that wherein at least the second irradiation line is generated such that it has a the first relative angle is substantially 90° or substantially 45° degrees.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least the first relative angle is generated depending on patient information.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser pulses for the first depth plane are generated with a first preset energy and the laser pulses for the second depth plane are generated with a second preset energy different from the first preset energy.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a third irradiation line is generated within the area in a third depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane and from the second depth plane, wherein the first depth plane, the second depth plane and the third depth plane overlap at least in certain areas and the third depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area, wherein a first relative angle is formed between the first irradiation line and the second irradiation line and a second relative angle, which is different from the first relative angle, is formed between the first irradiation line and the third irradiation line.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser pulses are emitted in a wavelength range between 200 nm and 2 μm, in particular between 400 nm and 1450 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ps, in particular between 10 fs and 100 fs, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 kHz, in particular between 1 MHz and 100 MHz.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control of the laser is effected such that topographic and/or pachymetric and/or morphologic data of a cornea as the polymer material is taken into account.

13. A treatment apparatus with at least one eye surgical laser and with at least one control device for the laser or lasers, which is formed to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1.

14. The treatment apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that wherein the control device: comprises at least one storage device for at least temporary storage of at least one control dataset, wherein the control dataset or datasets include(s) control data for positioning and/or for focusing individual laser pulses in the polymer material; and includes at least one beam device for beam guidance and/or beam shaping and/or beam deflection and/or beam focusing of a laser beam of the laser.

15. A computer program including commands, which cause a treatment apparatus with at least one eye surgical laser and with at least one control device for the laser or lasers to execute the method steps according to claim 1.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, on which the computer program according to claim 15 is stored.

17. A method for performing a surgical procedure on an optical element of a human or animal, comprising the steps of: generating a plurality of laser pulses with a predefined energy below a photodisruption regime of a polymer material of an area of an optical element; irradiating the area with the laser pulses, wherein a refractive index of the polymer material changes at each irradiation point irradiated with the laser pulses depending thereon; generating a first irradiation line within the area by means of a plurality of irradiation points in a first depth plane of the optical element, wherein the first depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to an optical axis of the area; generating a second irradiation line within the area with a plurality of irradiation points in a second depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane, wherein the first depth plane and the second depth plane overlap at least in certain areas viewed in the direction of the optical axis and the second depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second irradiation line in the second depth plane is generated higher than the first irradiation line viewed in relation to the optical axis.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein a plurality of substantially parallel first irradiation lines is generated in the area at least in the first depth plane and/or a plurality of substantially parallel second irradiation lines is generated in the area at least in the second depth plane.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the respective plurality of irradiation lines in the first depth plane and in the second depth plane is generated such that they form a grid structure viewed in the direction of the optical axis.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein a third irradiation line is generated within the area in a third depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane and from the second depth plane, wherein the first depth plane, the second depth plane and the third depth plane overlap at least in certain areas and the third depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein at least the second irradiation line is generated such that it has a first relative angle to the first irradiation line.

23. The method according to claim 22, charactcrizcd in that wherein at least the second irradiation line is generated such that the first relative angle is of substantially 90° or substantially 45° degrees.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein at least the first relative angle is generated depending on patient information.

25. The method according to claim 17, in that wherein the laser pulses for the first depth plane are generated with a first preset energy and the laser pulses for the second depth plane are generated with a second preset energy different from the first preset energy.

26. The method according to claim 17, wherein a third irradiation line is generated within the area in a third depth plane of the optical element different from the first depth plane and from the second depth plane, wherein the first depth plane, the second depth plane and the third depth plane overlap at least in certain areas and the third depth plane is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis of the area, wherein a first relative angle is formed between the first irradiation line and the second irradiation line and a second relative angle, which is different from the first relative angle, is formed between the first irradiation line and the third irradiation line.

27. The method according to claim 17, wherein the laser pulses are emitted in a wavelength range between 200 nm and 2 μm, in particular between 400 nm and 1450 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ps, in particular between 10 fs and 100 fs, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 kHz, in particular between 1 MHz and 100 MHz.

28. The method according to claim 17, wherein the control of a laser is effected such that topographic and/or pachymetric and/or morphologic data of a cornea as the polymer material is taken into account.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0032] Further features are apparent from the claims, the figures and the description of figures. The features and feature combinations mentioned above in the description as well as the features and feature combinations mentioned below in the description of figures and/or shown in the figures alone are usable not only in the respectively specified combination, but also in other combinations without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, implementations are also to be considered as encompassed and disclosed by the invention, which are not explicitly shown in the figures and explained, but arise from and can be generated by separated feature combinations from the explained implementations. Implementations and feature combinations are also to be considered as disclosed, which thus do not comprise all of the features of an originally formulated independent claim. Moreover, implementations and feature combinations are to be considered as disclosed, in particular by the implementations set out above, which extend beyond or deviate from the feature combinations set out in the relations of the claims.

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a treatment apparatus.

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of an optical element.

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic top view to irradiation lines of a first embodiment according to the method.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a further schematic top view to irradiation lines of a second embodiment of the method.

[0037] FIG. 5 shows a third schematic top view to irradiation lines of a further, third embodiment of the method.

[0038] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements are provided with identical reference characters.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a treatment apparatus 10 with an eye surgical laser 12 for the treatment of a patient, in particular for the treatment of an eye 14 of a patient, wherein the eye 14 is also referred to as optical element 14 below. One recognizes that a control device 18 for the laser 12 is formed besides the laser 12. This form of configuration with a control device 18 is to be purely exemplarily regarded. It can be provided that the treatment apparatus 10 also comprises a plurality, in particular more than two, of control devices 18. For example, the control device 18 can emit pulsed laser pulses 34 (see FIG. 2) in a predefined pattern into the eye 14, for example into an area 16, wherein the position of the area 16 is selected in this embodiment such that a pathological and/or unnaturally altered area within a stroma of the eye 14 is enclosed.

[0040] Furthermore, one recognizes that the laser beam 22 generated by the laser 12 is deflected towards the eye 14 by means of a beam deflection device 24 such as for example a scanner, in particular a so-called rotation scanner. The beam deflection device 24 is also controlled by the control device 18 to for example generate irradiation lines 38, 42, 48 (see FIG. 3). For example, the beam deflection device 24 can comprise one or else two mirrors, which are formed for deflecting the impinging laser beam 22.

[0041] In the present embodiment, the illustrated laser 12 is a laser 12, which emits the laser pulses 34 in a wavelength range between 200 nm and 2 μm, in particular between 400 nm and 1450 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ps, in particular between 10 fs and 100 fs, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 kHz, in particular between 1 MHz and 100 MHz. Thereby, the laser pulses 34 can in particular be generated below the photodisruption regime, which results only in a change of the refractive index. Thereby, the method and in particular the change of the refractive index can be reliably performed without performing an invasive intervention for example in a cornea 30 (see FIG. 2). Further, the laser beam 22 can be generated both as a working beam with a lower energy than a treatment beam, but also as a treatment beam itself.

[0042] In addition, the control device 18 comprises a storage device 28 for at least temporary storage of at least one control dataset, wherein the control dataset or datasets include(s) control data for positioning and/or for focusing individual laser pulses 34 in or on the eye 14. The position data and/or focusing data of the individual laser pulses 34 are generated based on a previously measured topography and/or pachymetry and/or the morphology of the eye 14 and the for example pathological and/or unnaturally altered area within the stroma of the eye 14.

[0043] FIG. 2 shows a schematic top view to an embodiment of a polymer material 26, which presently in particular corresponds to the eye 14 and below to the optical element 14. In particular, the eye 14 in turn for example comprises a cornea 30, in which the area 16 is formed, which is to be corrected.

[0044] The polymer material 26 is preferably a human or animal cornea 30. However, non-biopolymers such as for example contact lenses or intraocular lenses can also be correspondingly processed. Therein, the control of the laser 12 is effected such that topographic and/or pachymetric and/or morphologic data, in particular of the cornea 30 as the polymer material 26, is taken into account.

[0045] In the method for controlling the laser 12 of the treatment apparatus 10, a plurality of laser pulses 34 with a predefined energy below a photodisruption regime of the polymer material 26 of the area 16 of the optical element 14 is generated. Irradiating the area 16 with the laser pulses 34 is effected, wherein a refractive index of the polymer material 26 changes at each of irradiation points 36 irradiated with the laser pulses 34 depending thereon. A first irradiation line 38 is generated within the area 16 by means of the plurality of irradiation points 36 in a first depth plane 40 of the optical element 14, wherein the first depth plane 40 is formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis 20 of the area 16. Generating a second irradiation line 42 within the area 16 with a plurality of irradiation points 36 in a second depth plane 44 of the optical element 14 different from the first depth plane 40 is effected, 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 of the area 16.

[0046] In particular, FIG. 2 shows that the first depth plane 40 and the second depth plane 44 are thus formed substantially parallel to each other. Therein, it can in particular be provided that the second irradiation line 42 in the second depth plane 44 is generated higher than the first irradiation line 38 viewed in relation to the optical axis 20. In other words, the first irradiation line 38 can for example be generated in a deeper plane of the cornea 30 than the second irradiation line 42.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment according to the method. In particular, FIG. 3 shows that a plurality of substantially parallel irradiation lines, in particular first irradiation lines 38, is generated at least in the first depth plane 40 and/or a plurality of substantially parallel irradiation lines, in particular second irradiation lines 42, is generated in the area 16 at least in the second depth plane 44. FIG. 3 in particular shows that the respective plurality of irradiation lines 38, 42 is generated in the first depth plane 40 and in the second depth plane 44 such that they form a grid structure 46 viewed in the direction of the optical axis 20.

[0048] In the present embodiment, it is in particular shown that each irradiation line 38, 42 is a substantially straight irradiation line in particular extending parallel to an adjacent irradiation line, which are adequately separated from each other, in particular formed parallel to each other, whereby an astigmatism can in particular be corrected. In particular with the two irradiation lines 38, 42, which have the same “power”, thus have been generated with the same power of the laser pulses 34 or have been generated with the same energy, but are formed at an angle of 90° to each other, a spherical correction can be generated within the overlap area. Namely, FIG. 3 in particular also shows that at least the second irradiation line 42 has a relative non-zero angle a to the first irradiation line 38. Presently, the second irradiation line 42 in particular has an angle of 90°.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows a further schematic embodiment according to an embodiment of the method. Presently, the two irradiation lines 38, 42 are again shown, which are formed in the first depth plane 40 and in the second depth plane 44. Presently, a relative angle a of for example 135° or 45° is in particular formed between the first irradiation line 38 and the second irradiation line 42. In particular, the relative angle a is generated depending on patient information. Further, it can also be provided that the laser pulses 34 for the first depth plane 40 are generated with a first preset energy and the laser pulses 34 for the second depth plane 44 are generated with a second preset energy different from the first preset energy. Thereby, it is allowed that they also, as presently shown with an angle lower than 90°, result in a sphero-cylindrical correction in that they generate different refractive indices. Thereby, it is allowed that a plurality of sphero-cylindrical corrections can already be allowed by means of the two irradiation lines 38, 42 and the different preset energies.

[0050] FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment according to the method. Presently, it is in particular shown that a third irradiation line 48 is generated within the area 16 in a third depth plane 50 of the optical element 14 different from the first depth plane 40 and from the second depth plane 44, wherein the first depth plane 40, the second depth plane 44 and a third depth plane 50 are formed substantially perpendicularly to the optical axis 20 of the area 16. In particular, they overlap, as presently shown in FIG. 5. In particular, it is presently also shown that a first relative angle a is formed between the first irradiation line 38 and the second irradiation line 42 and a second relative angle β, which is different from the first relative angle α, is formed between the first irradiation line 38 and the third irradiation line 48. Presently, it is in particular shown that the first relative angle α can for example have an angle of 90° and the second relative angle β can have an angle of 135° or 45°. By the three irradiation lines 38, 42, 48, a plurality of sphero-cylindrical corrections can be realized based on the different orientation of the irradiation lines 38, 42, 48 to each other. In particular, only four orientations, namely 0°, 45°, 90° and 135°, of the irradiation lines 38, 42, 48 are thus required to perform a plurality of sphero-cylindrical corrections. Thereby, the treatment apparatus 10 can be substantially very simply formed since only the irradiation lines 38, 42, 48 have to be generated at the respective angles α, β.

[0051] Further, it is in particular provided that at least the number of the irradiation lines 38, 42, 48 and/or the first relative angle a and/or the second relative angle β are generated depending on patient information.