Laser instrument for eye therapy

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. A laser therapy instrument: wherein the laser therapy instrument is structured for surgery on a cornea, a sclera, a vitreous body or a crystalline lens, and is used alternately with other instruments for eye diagnosis or eye therapy, in a common treatment area in which a patient or a patient's eye is positioned, the common treatment area being accessible to the laser therapy instrument and the other instruments in succession, the laser therapy instrument comprising: a beam conducting device including an exit lens system that conducts a therapeutic laser beam to the common treatment area, and a device operably coupled to the beam conducing device that moves at least a part of the beam conducting device that includes the exit lens system, into the common treatment area prior to use of the laser therapy instrument and out of the treatment area after the use of the laser therapy instrument, such that the treatment area, after at least the part of the beam conducting device including the exit lens system has been moved out of the treatment area, is freely accessible for using the other instruments; the beam conducting device comprising a swivelable laser arm including the exit lens system, with a swiveling mechanism being actuatable by a motor, and comprising a control that controls the laser arm swiveling speed.

2. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a manual or pedal switch that carries out a release of movement, and in which the speed of the movement varies with the distance between the exit lens system and the common treatment area or the eye, the movement being slowed down when the exit lens system approaches a working position at the eye and/or the speed of movement is increased if the arm is swiveled out of the treatment area.

3. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control that controls the laser arm swiveling speed varies the swiveling speed depending upon proximity of the exit lens system to the common treatment area.

4. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 3, further wherein the control that controls the laser arm swiveling speed varies the swiveling speed to be slower when the exit lens system is in close proximity to the common treatment area than when the exit lens system is a greater distance from the common treatment area.

5. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 4, wherein the proximity to the common treatment area is sensed by proximity sensors that are in operable communication with the control the controls the laser arm swiveling speed.

6. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 3, further wherein the control that controls the laser arm swiveling speed varies the swiveling speed to be slower when moving the exit lens system toward the common treatment area and to be faster when moving the exit lens system away from the common treatment area.

7. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 3, further wherein the control that controls the laser arm swiveling speed varies the swiveling speed to be faster when moving the exit lens system away from the common treatment area.

8. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser arm is further movable in a parallel movement of the entire laser arm, a telescoping extension or a combination of the foregoing.

9. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, in which the laser arm that can be moved into and out of the common treatment area comprises an optical interface which, during fine adjustment of the laser arm and during laser treatment, enables observation of the patient's eye in a direct view or through a separate optical system.

10. The laser therapy instrument as claim in claim 1, further comprising strain gauging sensors that are connected to the control for movement in such a way that the movement is stopped when strain measured exceeds a specified level.

11. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a motor drive coupled to the control and operably coupled to the exit lens system wherein the exit lens system can be positioned in the X, Y and Z spatial directions in addition to movement.

12. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a motor drive coupled to the control and operably coupled to the laser arm including the exit lens system wherein the laser arm can be positioned in X, Y and Z spatial directions in addition to movement.

13. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an imaging system that images the eye to be treated, wherein the exit lens system for the therapeutic laser beam is used as an entrance optical system for imaging light; and an image processing system that is connected to the imaging system, and wherein, for the purpose of positioning the exit lens system relative to the eye, the image processing system is connected to the control that drives the laser arm, with a further control system that drives a patient couch or both of the foregoing.

14. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an information acquisition, information transmission and information processing system that acquires, transmits and processes patient-related identification, diagnostic data, therapeutic data, or a combination of the foregoing, the system being operably coupled with other instruments for eye diagnosis or eye therapy.

15. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: rollers, wheels or slide rails operable to change position before and after therapy relative to other instruments for eye diagnosis or eye therapy, further operable to provide stationary fixation throughout the therapy process, further operable to correct inclination during stationary fixation or a combination of the foregoing.

16. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 15, in which the rollers, wheels or slide rails operable for inclination measurement and/or inclination correction are connected with the control to facilitate swiveling movement, positioning in the X, Y and Z spatial directions or both of the foregoing.

17. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a housing structured as a rack that accommodates various other instruments designed as slide-in modules.

18. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 17, further comprising a phacoemulsification instrument, in which the phacoemulsification instrument comprises a slide-in module including an adjustable height support for a liquid container.

19. The laser therapy instrument as claimed in claim 1, further comprising removable covers that are removable to be sterilized.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Subject matter hereof may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description of various embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the invented laser therapy instrument in a view in which various swivelling positions of the laser arm can be seen;

(3) FIG. 2 is a side view of the laser therapy instrument according to FIG. 1, showing the laser arm completely swivelled out of the treatment area and into the housing of the laser therapy instrument;

(4) FIG. 3 depicts a second embodiment of the invented laser therapy instrument in a view from which a two-step movement of the laser arm is apparent, and

(5) FIG. 4 is a detail view of the extended laser arm with a surgical microscope in accordance with a laser therapy instrument as shown in FIG. 3.

(6) While various embodiments are amenable to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the intention is not to limit the claimed inventions to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(7) FIG. 1 illustrates an example embodiment of the invented laser therapy instrument 1 in outline. Let the laser therapy instrument 1 be designed, e.g., for surgery of the cornea of the human eye for the purpose of correcting defective vision by tissue ablation. In this context, this instrument must be used together with other medical-optical instruments, such as, e.g., a surgical microscope for the purpose of diagnosis, a microkeratome or flap cutter for opening the cornea before corrective surgery, or a phacoemulsification instrument for surgery of the crystalline lens.

(8) All instruments involved in this operation are employed in succession, and the treatment area 2 depicted in FIG. 1, in which area the patient, or rather the eye to be treated is positioned, must be made available to each of the instruments for the time it is employed.

(9) The laser therapy instrument 1 is provided with optical structures for guiding and focusing the therapeutic laser beam. Of these optical structures, for the sake of clarity, FIG. 1 shows only the laser arm 3, configured as a swivelling arm. Near one of its ends, the laser arm 3 is mounted in such a way that it can be swivelled about a fulcrum 4, whereas at its opposite end the exit lens system 5 for the therapeutic laser beam is arranged.

(10) As shown here, swivelling is possible, e.g., by an angle of 90°. Adjustable stops are provided (not shown on the drawing) to limit the swivelling range.

(11) In FIG. 1, the laser arm 3 is sketched in a first swivel position in solid lines, and in a second swivel position in broken lines. Each of these two swivel positions defines and end position of the swivelling movement. The solid outline shows the position in which the exit lens system 5 on the laser arm 3 is swivelled into the treatment area 2, in such a way that the laser beam is positioned relative to the eye to be treated as appropriate for the operation step to be carried out. This swivel position is maintained for the time interval in which the invented laser therapy instrument is employed for the purpose of laser ablation from the eye or from implants already placed in it.

(12) Once this operation step has been completed, the laser arm 3 including the exit lens system 5 is swivelled out of the treatment area 2, so that the treatment area 2 is cleared and available for the other instruments actively or passively involved in the operation, with no necessity to considerably, or at all, change the position and alignment of the patient or the eye to be treated.

(13) It is of advantage if the laser arm 3 can be swivelled out of and away from the treatment area 2 to such an extent that the arm, including the exit lens system 5, is situated within the contour of the instrument body, as shown jointly by FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

(14) FIG. 3 shows another preferred embodiment of the invented laser therapy instrument 1. In this view, a two-step movement of the laser arm 3 is apparent.

(15) After the laser arm 3 has been folded down with an arcuate movement 8′, the exit optical system 5 is vertically approached to the patient's eye 10 in the treatment area 2 with a linear movement 8″.

(16) This telescoping linear movement 8″ may also be implemented as a parallel movement of the entire laser arm 3 or as a combination of these two movements. Here; positioning the laser arm 3 is carried out, e.g., by use of the control lever 13.

(17) After the completion of laser treatment, the laser arm 3 including the exit optical system 5 is moved out of the treatment area 2 by retracting the telescoping extension 9 and folding up 8, so that the treatment area 2 is cleared and available for the other instruments actively or passively involved in the operation, with no necessity to considerably, or at all, change the position and alignment of the patient or the eye to be treated.

(18) Here again it is of advantage if the laser arm 3 can be swivelled out of and away from the treatment area 2 to such an extent that the arm, including the exit lens system 5, is situated within the contour of the instrument body. Thanks to the two-step movement, a longer reach of the laser arm 3 is implemented together with a compact and ergonomically favourable size.

(19) Another example embodiment is shown in FIG. 4, which is a detail view of the laser therapy instrument shown in FIG. 3. The extended laser arm 3 and, in particular, its telescoping extension 9 is situated in the treatment area 2, and the exit optical system 5 has been vertically approached to the eye 10.

(20) A surgical microscope 11 is arranged above the exit optical system 5 in such a way that its objective 12 faces the optical interface (not shown here—see item 13 in FIG. 3), so that, during fine adjustment of the laser arm 3 and during laser treatment, an overview image of the eye 10 is available through the surgical microscope 11.

(21) It is of particular advantage here that the laser arm assembly 3, or at least its telescoping extension 9, has a height D of less than 20 cm, as this corresponds to the normal working distance of the surgical microscope 11.

(22) As FIGS. 1-3 show further, the invented laser therapy instrument 1 is optionally propped up against its support surface 6 by rollers 7, which facilitate its manual conveyance to and from the operating site. In order to put the laser therapy instrument 1 into a stable position and alignment at the operating site despite the rollers 7, a parking brake may be provided (not shown on the drawing), which advantageously is coupled to the swivelling movement of the laser arm so that the laser arm can be swivelled out only after position stabilization at the operating site.

(23) In another example embodiment, an ultrasonic phacoemulsification instrument is integrated into the invented laser therapy instrument. Such an ultrasonic phacoemulsification instrument must be provided anyhow, since a complete emulsification of the crystalline lens by application of femtosecond laser is not possible in case of 2.sup.nd to 4.sup.th degree cataracts. In these cases, an ultrasonic phacoemulsification instrument has to be used as a complement to laser treatment, in order to complete the fragmentation of the crystalline lens. Subsequently, the phacoemulsification instrument has to be switched to the irrigation/aspiration mode for removing the lens residues and the cortex from the capsule.

(24) In prior art, the phacoemulsification instrument was positioned at some distance from the patient's head for ergonomic operation by the assistant and for keeping the operating site clear. The instrument's swivelling arm had to be long enough to span the distance between the phacoemulsification instrument and the patient's head, in order to avoid repositioning of the laser system during surgery and the time involved therein.

(25) An aspect in phacoemulsification, i.e. in both irrigation/aspiration and vitrectomy, is the supply of irrigant fluid to the eye to enable efficient removal of lens residues on the one hand and to approximately maintain the pressure conditions in the eye and prevent the capsule from collapsing on the other hand. As a rule, the influx of the liquid is determined passively by the height of the vessel containing the liquid, so that the pressure generated in the eye's anterior chamber increases with the height of the vessel.

(26) In this connection it is of particular advantage if the housing of the invented laser therapy instrument is designed as a kind of rack with various accommodation facilities. This makes it possible to design supplementary equipment such as, e.g., the phacoemulsification instrument as slide-in modules that can be integrated in a simple way.

(27) Accordingly, FIG. 3 shows a preferred embodiment in which the housing of the invented laser therapy instrument is designed as a rack providing accommodation facilities for slide-in modules.

(28) Here, the invented laser therapy instrument 1 is provided with the elements already explained, such as laser arm 3 with telescoping extension 9, exit optical system 5 and control lever 14, which belong to the slide-in module of the laser source.

(29) In addition, the laser therapy instrument 1 features a phacoemulsification instrument 15 designed as a slide-in module, with the handpieces 17 connected via cables 16, the accommodation facility 18 for the liquid container, and the liquid container 20 connected to the slide-in module 15 via the hose 19. In addition, a flat tray 21, which may be hinged, is provided for depositing the handpieces 17.

(30) The accommodation facility 18 for the liquid container 20, which may be a bottle or a bag, is provided with a mechanism for height adjustment. Control of the height of the container is either manual or by a motor unit. The control elements required therefore are provided either on the slide-in module itself or as a separate slide-in module and permanently installed in the housing, designed as a rack, of the laser therapy instrument.

(31) Furthermore, the invented laser therapy instrument 1 may be provided with further slide-in modules, e.g., for a control lever 22 or a monitor 23, which may be designed as a touch screen for control. The monitor 23 may show, e.g., the live image of the patient's eye.

(32) The control lever 22 provided for controlling the laser arm 3 preferably features a position changing facility so that it can be actuated from different sides.

(33) As mentioned before, the sterility of the laser therapy instrument and any objects situated nearby is an aspect of special importance in the treatment and therapy of the human eye, particularly in surgical interventions.

(34) If, and especially if, the housing of the invented laser therapy instrument is designed as a rack with accommodation facilities for various slide-in modules, it must be ensured that the laser therapy instrument, even if no slide-in modules are provided, is completely closed in order to be suitable for use in the sterile operating area.

(35) It must be taken into account that all objects that get, or may incidentally get, into contact with the hands of the surgeon and/or the assistant must be sterile, since otherwise there will be an increased risk of a bacterial inflammation of the eye (endophthalmitis), which is the most-feared complication in cataract surgery.

(36) Since, however, sterilization of the entire laser therapy instrument is extremely difficult and, in fact, impracticable, the invented laser therapy instrument is designed in such a way that only parts of the laser therapy instrument are intended to be sterilized by means of an autoclave without essentially impeding the intraoperative use of such an instrument.

(37) For example, the swivelling arm assembly, which is moved to immediately in front of the patient's eye, is provided with a removable hood (item 24 in FIG. 4), which can taken off and sterilized in the autoclave. The control handles on the swivelling arm and on the laser therapy instrument, as well as the tray, are also provided with removable hoods, which can easily be sterilized.

(38) It has proved of advantage if the sterilizable hoods have a colour differing from that of the laser therapy instrument and its elements, as their presence or absence will make it immediately obvious whether sterilization has been carried out and the instrument has been prepared for the next operation.

(39) In conclusion, it should be mentioned that the final approach to the eye, under the appropriate safety conditions, can be performed by raising the patient couch, or lowering the laser therapy instrument, or a movement of the laser arm or only of its exit optical system.

(40) Further development versions of the invented laser therapy instrument are optionally provided with the technical features and details mentioned above under “Description of the Invention” in order to provide the described advantages ensuing from them.

(41) Various embodiments of systems, devices, and methods have been described herein. These embodiments are given only by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed inventions. It should be appreciated, moreover, that the various features of the embodiments that have been described may be combined in various ways to produce numerous additional embodiments. Moreover, while various materials, dimensions, shapes, configurations and locations, etc. have been described for use with disclosed embodiments, others besides those disclosed may be utilized without exceeding the scope of the claimed inventions.

(42) Persons of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the subject matter hereof may comprise fewer features than illustrated in any individual embodiment described above. The embodiments described herein are not meant to be an exhaustive presentation of the ways in which the various features of the subject matter hereof may be combined. Accordingly, the embodiments are not mutually exclusive combinations of features; rather, the various embodiments can comprise a combination of different individual features selected from different individual embodiments, as understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, elements described with respect to one embodiment can be implemented in other embodiments even when not described in such embodiments unless otherwise noted.

(43) Although a dependent claim may refer in the claims to a specific combination with one or more other claims, other embodiments can also include a combination of the dependent claim with the subject matter of each other dependent claim or a combination of one or more features with other dependent or independent claims. Such combinations are proposed herein unless it is stated that a specific combination is not intended.

(44) Any incorporation by reference of documents above is limited such that no subject matter is incorporated that is contrary to the explicit disclosure herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is further limited such that no claims included in the documents are incorporated by reference herein. Any incorporation by reference of documents above is yet further limited such that any definitions provided in the documents are not incorporated by reference herein unless expressly included herein.

(45) For purposes of interpreting the claims, it is expressly intended that the provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) are not to be invoked unless the specific terms “means for” or “step for” are recited in a claim.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(46) 1 laser therapy instrument 2 treatment area 3 laser arm 4 fulcrum 5 exit lens system 6 support surface 7 rollers 8 folding movement 9 telescoping extension of the laser arm 3 10 patient's eye 11 surgical microscope 12 objective of the surgical microscope 11 13 optical interface 14 control lever 15 phacoemulsification instrument 16 cables 17 handpieces 18 accommodation facility 19 hose 20 liquid container 21 depositing tray 22 control lever 23 monitor 24 removable hood D working distance of the surgical microscope (approx. 20 cm)