METHOD FOR CONTROLLING AN EYE SURGICAL LASER AND TREATMENT DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for controlling an eye surgical laser for the separation of a volume body with predefined interfaces from a human or animal cornea, comprising controlling the laser by means of a control device such that it emits pulsed laser pulses in a predefined pattern into the cornea, wherein the interfaces of the volume body to be separated are defined by the predefined pattern and a surface of the cornea and the interfaces located in the cornea are generated by means of photodisruption. The invention further relates to a treatment device with at least one eye surgical laser for the separation of a predefined corneal volume with predefined interfaces of a human or animal eye by means of photodisruption and at least one control device for the laser or lasers, which is formed to execute the steps of the method according to the invention.

Claims

1. A method for controlling an eye surgical laser for the separation of a volume body with predefined interfaces from a human or animal cornea, comprising: controlling the laser by means of a control device such that it emits pulsed laser pulses in a predefined pattern into the cornea, wherein the interfaces of the volume body to be separated are defined by the predefined pattern and a surface of the cornea and the interfaces located in the cornea are generated by means of photodisruption, and wherein the surface of the cornea is a surface of the eye artificially generated by means of ablation or displacement of an uppermost corneal layer and/or by means of production of a corneal flap.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said laser is controlled such that the predefined pattern is processed starting from an interface of the volume body spaced from the surface of the cornea in the direction of the surface of the cornea.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said laser is controlled such that the predefined pattern is processed starting from said surface of the cornea in the direction of an interface of the volume body spaced from the surface of the cornea.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said interface spaced from the surface of the cornea extends substantially transversely to an optical axis of the eye.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the interface spaced from the surface of the cornea is formed at least partially straight and/or curved and/or wave-like and/or serrated and/or smooth transversely to the optical axis of the eye.

6. The method according claim 4, wherein said interface spaced from the surface of the cornea lies on the optical axis at an angle between 45 and 135 substantially transversely to the optical axis of the eye.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said laser is controlled such that the predefined pattern is at least partially circularly and/or spirally ablated.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predefined pattern is defined based on one or more control datasets, wherein the control dataset or datasets include control data for positioning and/or for focusing individual laser pulses in the cornea.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the volume body to be separated is formed such that a correction of visual disorders of the eye is effected by the removal of the volume body.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the interface spaced from the surface of the cornea is generated substantially transversely to the optical axis of the eye immediately above, below or within the Bowman's membrane or crossing the Bowman's membrane.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein said control device is formed such that the laser emits laser pulses in a wavelength range between 300 nm and 1400 nm, preferably between 900 nm and 1200 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ns, preferably between 10 fs and 10 ps, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 KHz, preferably between 100 KHz and 100 MHz.

12. A treatment device with at least one eye surgical laser for the separation of a predefined corneal volume with predefined interfaces from a human or animal eye by means of photodisruption and at least one control device for the laser or the lasers, which is formed to execute the steps of the method according to claim 1.

13. The treatment device according to claim 12, wherein said laser is suitable to emit laser pulses in a wavelength range between 300 nm and 1400 nm, preferably between 900 nm and 1200 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ns, preferably between 10 fs and 10 ps, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 KHz, preferably between 100 KHz and 100 MHz.

14. The treatment device according to claim 12, wherein said control device comprises at least one storage device for the at least temporary storage of at least one control dataset, wherein the control dataset or datasets include control data for positioning and/or for focusing individual laser pulses in the cornea; and comprises 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 device with at least one eye surgical laser for the separation of a predefined corneal volume with predefined interfaces from a human or animal eye by means of photodisruption and at least one control device for the laser or the lasers to execute the method steps according to claim 1.

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

17. A method for separating a volume body with predefined interfaces from a human or animal cornea, comprising: controlling of a laser by means of a control device such that it emits pulsed laser pulses in a predefined pattern into the cornea, wherein the interfaces of the volume body to be separated are defined by the predefined pattern and a surface of the cornea and the interfaces located in the cornea are generated by means of photodisruption, and wherein the surface of the cornea is a surface of the eye artificially generated by means of ablation or displacement of the uppermost corneal layer and/or by means of production of a corneal flap.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein said laser is controlled such that the predefined pattern is processed starting from an interface of the volume body spaced from the surface of the cornea in the direction of the surface of the cornea.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein said laser is controlled such that the predefined pattern is processed starting from the surface of the cornea in the direction of an interface of the volume body spaced from the surface of the cornea.

20. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that wherein the volume body to be separated is formed such that a correction of visual disorders of the eye is effected by the removal of the volume body.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein said interface spaced from the surface of the cornea is generated substantially transversely to the optical axis of the eye immediately above, below or within the Bowman's membrane or crossing the Bowman's membrane.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0026] FIG. 1 a schematic representation of a treatment device according to the invention.

[0027] FIG. 2a a schematic diagram of the generation of a first interface according to a first embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0028] FIG. 2b a schematic diagram of the generation of a volume body to be separated according to the first embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0029] FIG. 3 a schematic diagram of the generation of a volume body to be separated according to a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a treatment device 10 with an eye surgical laser 18 for the separation of a predefined corneal volume or volume body 12 with predefined interfaces 14, 16 of a cornea of a human or animal eye by means of photodisruption. One recognizes that a control device 20 for the laser 18 is formed besides the laser 18 such that it emits pulsed laser pulses in a predefined pattern into the cornea, wherein the interfaces 14, 16 of the volume body 12 to be separated are defined by the predefined pattern and a surface 26 of the cornea and the interfaces 14, 16 located in the cornea are generated by means of photodisruption.

[0031] Furthermore, one recognizes that the laser beam 24 generated by the laser 18 is deflected in the direction of the surface 26 of the cornea by means of a beam device 22, namely a beam deflection device, such as for example a scanner. The beam deflection device 22 is also controlled by the control device 20 to generate the mentioned predefined pattern in the cornea.

[0032] The illustrated laser 18 is a photodisruptive laser, which is formed to emit laser pulses in a wavelength range between 300 nm and 1400 nm, preferably between 900 nm and 1200 nm, at a respective pulse duration between 1 fs and 1 ns, preferably between 10 fs and 10 ps, and a repetition frequency of greater than 10 KHz, preferably between 100 KHz and 100 MHz.

[0033] In addition, the control device 20 comprises a storage device (not illustrated) for at least temporary storage of at least one control dataset, wherein the control dataset or datasets include control data for positioning and/or for focusing individual laser pulses in the cornea. The position data and/or focusing data of the individual laser pulses are generated based on a previously measured topography and/or pachymetry of the cornea and the visual disorder of the eye to be corrected.

[0034] FIG. 2a shows a schematic diagram of the generation of a first interface 16 according to a first embodiment of the present method. One recognizes that a first interface 16, which extends approximately transversely to an optical axis 30 of the eye, is generated within the cornea by means of the pulsed laser beam 24, which is directed in the direction of the cornea or the surface 26 of the cornea via the beam deflection device 22. In particular, the interface 16 is generated within the so-called stroma of the cornea. Therein, the interface 16 can for example be located immediately below the so-called Bowman's membrane.

[0035] One recognizes that the interface 16 is located approximately transversely to the optical axis 30, wherein the interface 16 is formed curved. The configuration of the interface 16 as well as the two lateral interfaces 14 (compare FIG. 2b) is determined by the type of the visual disorder of the eye to be corrected. Therein, the configuration of the interface 16 can in particular contribute to the correction of the visual disorder of the eye.

[0036] FIG. 2b shows a schematic diagram of the generation of the volume body 12 to be separated according to the first embodiment of the present method described in FIG. 2a. One recognizes that the beam deflection device 22 controls the laser beam 24 such that the lateral interfaces 14 are processed starting from the interface 16 in the direction of the surface 26 of the cornea. Thereby, lateral incisions arise, which penetrate the ends of the interface 16 on the one hand and the surface 26 on the other hand to overall form the volume body 12 such that it can be separated from the cornea.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the generation of the volume body 12 to be separated according to a second embodiment of the present method. One recognizes that a so-called corneal flap 28 is generated before the generation of the interface 16 as well as the generation of the interfaces 14. Therein, the corneal flap 28 can be generated by means of a mechanical cutting device or also by means of a laser. For forming the corneal flap 28, the laser 18 can also be used. By folding back the corneal flap 28, it exposes a surface 26 of the cornea, from which the predefined volume body 12 with the interfaces 14, 16 can in turn be separated. After removing the volume body 12 from the cornea, the corneal flap 28 is again refolded and thus closes the cavity within the cornea generated by the removal of the volume body 12.

[0038] With respect to the explanation of the further features of FIG. 3, we make reference to the FIGS. 2a and 2b, wherein identical features are denoted by identical reference characters.