EYE COLORANT AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A PATIENT INDIVIDUAL EYE COLORANT

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an eye colorant for coloring a portion of a cornea of an eye of a patient; the eye colorant comprises composite material particles with coloring pigments of at least one color and, a matrix material, which at least partially embeds the coloring pigments, thereby forming the composite material particles and to a method for manufacturing a patient individual eye colorant for coloring a portion of a cornea of an eye of a patient.

Claims

1. Eye colorant for coloring a portion of a cornea of an eye of a patient, the eye colorant comprising: composite material particles comprising: coloring pigments of at least one color and; a matrix material, which at least partially embeds the coloring pigments, thereby forming the composite material particles.

2. The eye colorant according to claim 1, further comprising a carrier liquid, in which the composite material particles are distributed.

3. The eye colorant according to claim 2, further comprising at least one of: second coloring pigments, which are distributed in the carrier liquid, wherein the second coloring pigments is not embedded by the matrix material, or additional particles, which are distributed in the carrier liquid, wherein the additional particles have a different material composition with respect to the coloring pigments and the matrix material.

4. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the composite material particles further comprises additional particles, which are also at least partially embedded within the matrix material, wherein the additional particles have a different material composition with respect to the coloring pigments.

5. The eye colorant according to claim 3, wherein at least some of the additional particles have at least one or a reflective surface or an absorbing surface.

6. The eye colorant according to claim 5, wherein the additional particles comprising the reflective surface are made of titanium dioxide.

7. The eye colorant according to claim 5, wherein the additional particles comprising the absorbing surface are made of a carbon-based material.

8. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the composite material particles are coated in at least one of: a coating made of biocompatible material, a coating made of a medically active material, or a coating made of a pharmaceutically active material.

9. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the matrix material is made of at least one of: a biocompatible material, a medically active material, a pharmaceutically active material, or a transparent material.

10. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the matrix material is made of a thermoplastic material, or synthetic polymer material.

11. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the composite material particles have an average equivalent diameter below 25 micrometer.

12. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the coloring pigments comprise a plurality of colors.

13. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein a composition of the coloring pigments is selected in dependence of: a current iris structure of the eve of the patient, a current iris color distribution of the eye of the patient, a target iris structure or a target iris color distribution.

14. The eye colorant according to claim 3, wherein a composition of the additional particles is selected in dependence of: a current iris structure of the eve of the patient, a current iris color distribution of the eye of the patient, a target iris structure or a target iris color distribution.

15. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein a surface of the composite material particles has a hydrophobic property.

16. (canceled)

17. The eye colorant according to claim 10, wherein the thermoplastic material is a polymethyl methacrylate material.

18. The eye colorant according to claim 10, wherein the synthetic polymer material is a polyorganosiloxane material.

19. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the composite material particles have an average equivalent diameter below 10 micrometer.

20. The eye colorant according to claim 1, wherein the composite material particles have an average equivalent diameter below 5 micrometer.

21. A method comprising: providing coloring pigments of at least one color; providing a matrix material; determining at least one of: a current iris structure of an eye of a patient, a current iris color of an eye of a patient, a target iris structure, or a target iris color distribution; selecting a composition of at least one of: the coloring pigments in dependence of the determined iris structure and an iris color distribution, or the additional pigments in dependence of the determined iris structure and an iris color distribution; and merging the selected composition with the matrix material by at least partially embedding the coloring pigments in the matrix material to form an eye colorant for coloring a portion of a cornea of the eye of the patient.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The herein described disclosure will be more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and the accompanying drawings, which should not be considered limiting to the invention described in the appended claims. The drawings in which:

[0038] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view illustrating schematically an ophthalmological laser treatment system;

[0039] FIG. 2 shows an eye colorant according to a first embodiment;

[0040] FIG. 3 shows an eye colorant according to a second embodiment;

[0041] FIG. 4 shows an eye of a patient according to a first embodiment prior to treatment;

[0042] FIG. 5 shows the eye of the patient according to the first embodiment after treatment;

[0043] FIG. 6 shows an eye of a patient according to a second embodiment prior to treatment;

[0044] FIG. 7 shows an eye of the patient according to the second embodiment after treatment;

[0045] FIG. 8 shows a longitudinal section view of an eye of a patient according to a first embodiment;

[0046] FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section view of an eye of a patient according to a second embodiment:

[0047] FIG. 10 shows a longitudinal section view of an eye of a patient according to a third embodiment;

[0048] FIG. 11 shows a block diagram illustrating schematically different steps of a method for manufacturing a patient individual eye colorant according to a first embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0049] Reference will now be made in detail to certain embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all features are shown. Indeed, embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Whenever possible, like reference numbers will be used to refer to like components or parts.

[0050] FIG. 1 schematically illustrate an ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 and a patient 200, in particular an eye 210 of the patient 200, which is treated with the ophthalmological laser treatment system 300. The ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 comprises a base station. The base station is for example a fixed or mobile apparatus. The ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 has a treatment laser source arranged in the base station, which generates a treatment laser beam T. The base station further includes, for example, a power supply and other auxiliary subsystems necessary for operation of the ophthalmological laser treatment system 300. The treatment laser source is configured, for example, to generate an infrared treatment laser beam T having a wavelength 780 nm to 1100 nm. In an embodiment, the treatment laser beam Tis a pulsed laser beam. In an embodiment, the treatment laser source is configured to generate femtosecond laser pulses, which have pulse widths of typically from 10 fs to 1000 fs (1 fs=10{circumflex over ()}-15 s). The ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 comprises a laser applicator or application head. The laser applicator is designed to guide the treatment laser beam Tinto or onto an eye 210 of a patient 200. The laser applicator can comprise focusing optics configured to focus the treatment laser beam T onto one or more treatment points inside or on the eye 210, in particular the cornea or the sclera for a pointwise tissue disruption or ablation. The ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 may comprise an ophthalmological patient interface. The laser applicator is preferably fixed onto the eye 210 by means of the ophthalmological patient interface, which is coupled to the eye for example using negative pressure.

[0051] The ophthalmological laser treatment system 300 optionally includes a user interface comprising, for example, one or more user input devices, such as a keyboard, and one or more output devices, such as a display (not shown in FIG. 1). The display may also be an input device. The user interface is configured to receive user inputs from an eye treatment professional, in particular based on, or in response to, information displayed to the eye treatment professional using the one or more output devices.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows an eye colorant 100 according to a first embodiment. The eye colorant 100 comprises a plurality of composite material particles 110, which are distributed in a carrier liquid 120. The composite material particles 110 comprise matrix material 114 and coloring pigments 112. The coloring pigments 112 are at least partially embedded in the matrix material 114, thereby forming the composite material particles 110. The composite material particles 110 have all kind of different shapes, which are not limited to any specific shape. FIG. 2 shows the eye colorant 100 schematically in a container. The eye colorant 100 as shown in FIG. 2 is not at scale, it is illustrated at a larger scale.

[0053] FIG. 2 further shows a detailed view of a single composite material particle 110. In particular, the detailed view shows that the arbitrary arrangement of the coloring pigments 112 within the matrix material 110. The coloring pigments 112 determine at least partially the color of the eye colorant 100; in case the matrix material 114 and the carrier liquid 120 is fully transparent, the color of the eye colorant 100 is entirely determined by the coloring pigments 112. The coloring pigments 112 are for example merged or applied on the matrix material 114 in a liquid phase of the matrix material 114.

[0054] For example, the matrix material 114 is liquefied, e.g. melted and the coloring pigments 112 are added to the matrix material 114. In a next step, the matrix material 114 comprising the coloring pigments 112 is solidified, e.g. cured and the particles 110 are formed, for example by breaking the cured matrix material 114 into the desired size of the particles 110.

[0055] In another embodiment, the liquid matrix material 110 comprising the coloring pigments 112 is transformed into droplets having the desired size and cured afterwards for forming the composite material particles 110. The composite material particles 110 may be post-processed at a later stage, for example polished or coated.

[0056] The composite material particles 110 have an average equivalent diameter of below 25 micrometer, preferably of below 10 micrometer, more preferably of below 5 micrometer. Further, the composite material particles 110 have an average equivalent diameter of above 1 micrometer, preferably above 2 micrometer, more preferably above 4 micrometer. The average equivalent diameter is the average diameter of a number of particles of a sample of the composite material particles 110. The average equivalent diameter is for example the volume-equivalent sphere diameter or the surface-equivalent sphere diameter. As shown in FIG. 2, the coloring pigments 112 are of a single color within one single composite material particles 110 and within the plurality of the shown composite material particles 110. In another embodiment, one single composite material particles 110 may comprise a plurality of coloring pigments 112 of different colors. In a further embodiment, the eye colorant 100 comprises different composite material particles 110 with different coloring pigments 112.

[0057] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of an eye colorant 100. This embodiment deviates from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 in that additional coloring pigments 112 are distributed in the carrier liquid 120 and, in that additional particles 130 are distributed in the carrier liquid 120. The coloring pigments 112 in the carrier liquid 120 additionally increase the possible variety of colors of the eye colorant 100. The additional particles 130 may comprise a light reflective or a light absorbing surface. The additional particles are for example carbon based. The additional particles 130 in the carrier liquid 120 and/or in the composite material particles 110 additionally increase the possible variety of colors of the eye colorant 100, in particular with respect to brightness, shininess or darkness.

[0058] The detailed view of FIG. 3, showing one single composite material particle 110, additionally shows a coating 140 around the single composite material particle 110. The coating 140, which, according to this embodiment entirely surrounds the composite material particles 110, is made of, for example, a biocompatible material or a medical or pharmaceutical active material. In a further embodiment, the additional particles 130 and/or the coloring pigments 112 distributed in the carrier liquid 120 may also be coated, in particular with the bio-compatible and/or medical or pharmaceutical active coating. The coating 140 prevents that the composite material particles 110 and/the additional particles 130 and/or the additional coloring pigments 112 get in direct contact with the cornea tissue of the patient 200, when the eye colorant 100 is inserted in the eye 210.

[0059] FIG. 4 shows an eye 210 of a patient 200 according to a first embodiment prior to treatment with the eye colorant 100. The eye 210 shows the sclera 240, the transparent cornea 220 and the natural iris 230 with its current iris structure 232 and its current iris color distribution 234. The iris 230 as shown in FIG. 4 comprises white spots 250, which affect the visual appearance of the iris 230. Other or additional spots on the iris 230 like melanoma are also conceivable. FIG. 4 further shows that the iris 230 comprises a defect 252, such that the iris 230 does not have a perfect ring shape. The iris defect 252 may result from a congenital disease such as coloboma. Such diseases or defects of the iris 230 or the cornea 220 of the eye affect the visual appearance of the eye 210 of the patient 200. The eye colorant 100 may be used to amend this visual appearance, as shown e.g. in FIG. 5.

[0060] FIG. 5 shows the eye 210 of the patient 200 according to the first embodiment after treatment with the eye colorant 100. FIG. 5 shows schematically a syringe 310, which has been used to insert the eye colorant 100 into a cornea pocket 222 of the eye 210. The eye colorant 100 is thereby inserted in front of the iris 230, with respect to the visual axis of the eye 210. The eye colorant 100 recreates the visual appearance of the desired color and structure of the iris 230 of the eye 210. The white spot 250 and the iris defect 252 is not removed, but they are covered by the eye colorant 100. The eye colorant 100 is according to this embodiment used to recreate a target iris structure 232 and a target iris color distribution 234. In this embodiment, the target iris structure 232 and the target iris color distribution 234 corresponds to the current iris structure 232 and the current iris color distribution 234 without the white spot 250 and without the iris defect 252. The eye colorant 100 advantageously creates the desired visual appearance of the eye 210 of the patient 200.

[0061] FIG. 6 shows an eye 210 of a patient 200 according to a second embodiment prior to treatment with the eye colorant 100. The eye 210 of this second embodiment has a relative dark iris structure 232 and dark iris color distribution 234. In this embodiment, the eye 210 and in particular the iris 230 is not affected by a disease, but the patient 200 desires a change in the visual appearance of his iris 230. The eye colorant 100 may be used to change this visual appearance of the iris 230, as shown in FIG. 7.

[0062] FIG. 7 shows the eye 210 of the patient 200 according to the second embodiment after treatment with the eye colorant 100. The target iris structure 232 and the target iris color distribution 234, as selected by the patient 200, is brighter compared to the current iris structure 232 and the current iris color distribution 234 of the iris 230 of the patient 200. The patient 200 has, for example, selected the desired eye colorant 100, which is inserted into the cornea pocket 222 for the desired target iris structure 232 and the desired target iris color distribution 234. The eye colorant 100 comprising the desired coloring pigments 112 and additional particles 130 advantageously creates the desired visual appearance of the iris 230 of the patient 210. The eye colorant 100 does not only enable to amend the visual appearance of the iris from dark to bright but also enables to amend the visual appearance of the iris with respect to its color structure and color distribution. It is for example possible to insert eye colorant 100 comprising mainly blue coloring pigments 112 to amend the visual appearance of the iris from any color into a blue color. Other colors are of course also conceivable.

[0063] The FIGS. 8 to 10 show different longitudinal section views of an eye 210 of a patient 200.

[0064] FIG. 8 shows a first longitudinal section view according to a first embodiment. The schematically shown eye 210 extends along its central axis 400. FIG. 8 further shows the different components of the eye 210. The eye 210 comprises the cornea 220, the iris 230 and the sclera 240. FIG. 8 further shows a scalpel 320, which is used to cut the pocket 222 into the portion of the cornea 220, the pocket 222 is configured to position the eye colorant 100 in the desired place of the cornea 220.

[0065] The pocket 222 may cover only a portion of the cornea 220, which is for example affected by a disease, or may have a ring shape for covering the entire cornea 220.

[0066] FIG. 9 shows a second longitudinal section view of an eye 210 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 9 shows the same components of the eye 210 as FIG. 8. FIG. 9 shows an alternative possibility to cut the desired pocket 222 into the cornea 220 of the eye 210 of the patient 200. According to this embodiment, an ophthalmic laser treatment system 300, as for example described with reference to FIG. 1, is applied on the eye 210, which uses the treatment laser beam T to cut the pocket 222 into the cornea 220 of the eye 210. A combination of the ophthalmic laser treatment system 300 and a scalpel 320 as shown in FIG. 8 is also conceivable.

[0067] FIG. 10 shows a third longitudinal section view of an eye 210 of a patient 200 according to a third embodiment. FIG. 10 advantageously shows the pocket 222 for the eye colorant 100. The pocket 222 has the ring shape and follows the shape of the cornea 220 of the eye 210. According to this embodiment, the pocket 222 covers the entire iris 230 when viewed along the central axis 400. The eye colorant 100 inserted into the pocket 222 can thereby change the entire visual appearance of the entire iris 230, without affecting the iris 230 itself. FIG. 10 further shows schematically a syringe 320, which might be used to insert the eye colorant 100 into the pocket 222. An alternative for the syringe 320 is a spatula.

[0068] FIG. 11 shows a block diagram illustrating schematically different steps of a method for manufacturing a patient individual eye colorant 100. The patient individual eye colorant 100 may be used for coloring a portion of the cornea 220 of the eye 210 of the patient 200. The block diagram comprises the steps S1 to S4, additional or alternative steps are also conceivable.

[0069] In step S1, the different components of the eye colorant 100 are provided. The different components include at least the composite material particles 110 comprising the coloring pigments 112 and the matrix material 114. For example, different composite material particles 110, with different coloring pigments 112, are provided. The different components of the eye colorant 100 may further include carrier liquid 120, additional particles 130 and/or additional coloring pigments 112.

[0070] In step S2, the current iris structure 232 and/or a current iris color distribution 234 of the eye 210 of the patient 200 is determined. The current iris structure 232 and the current iris color distribution 234 is, for example, determined by using a digital image of the iris 230. The digital image is for example automatically processed by a specific device for determining the required information. For example, the iris 230 of the patient 200 comprises a white spot 250, which should be covered by a respective individual eye colorant 100. It is therefore necessary to determine the current iris structure 232 and/or a current iris color distribution 234 of a portion of the iris 230, which does not comprise the white spot. This portion of the iris 230 is for example the diametrically opposite portion of the iris 230 with respect to the white spot 250. In this embodiment, the eye colorant 100 recreates the original natural color of the iris 230 of the eye 210.

[0071] In an alternative embodiment, a target iris structure 232 and/or a target iris color distribution 234 is determined in step S2. The target iris structure 232 and/or the target iris color distribution 234 is for example selected by the patient 200 from a plurality of available predefined samples. The samples may cover all possibilities of natural eye colors and color distributions and may vary from light blue to dark brown. The patient 200 may select the desired target iris color, target color distribution 234 and target iris structure 232 based on an individual preference.

[0072] In step S3, the composition of the coloring pigments 112 and/or the additional pigments 130 and/or further components of the eye colorant 100 is selected in dependence of the determined iris structure 232, 232 and the iris color distribution 234, 234 is selected. For example, the specific device selects the composition of the different components of the eye colorant 100 such that the eye colorant has the determined properties, in particular the determined color distribution to achieve the desired visual appearance of the iris 230, when the eye colorant 100 is inserted in the pocket 222 of the cornea 220 of the eye 210.

[0073] In step S4, the selected composition of the different components of the eye colorant 100 is merged for manufacturing the patient individual eye colorant 100. For example, the specific device or a merging device combines the different components of the eye colorant 100 as selected in step S3 for manufacturing the individual eye colorant 100. In another embodiment, the different components are merged/combined by a professional manually based on the composition of the different components to create the desired individual eye colorant 100.

[0074] It should be noted that, in the description, the sequence of the steps has been presented in a specific order, one skilled in the art will understand, however, that the order of at least some of the steps could be altered or some steps could be skipped, without deviating from the scope of the disclosure.

TABLE-US-00001 LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 100 eye colorant S2 Determining 110 composite material particles S3 Selecting 112 coloring pigments S4 Merging 114 matrix material 120 carrier liquid 130 additional particles 140 coating 200 patient 210 eye 220 cornea 222 pocket 230 iris 232 current iris structure 232' target iris structure 234 current iris color distribution 234' target iris color distribution 240 sclera 250 white spot 252 iris defect 300 ophthalmic laser treatment system 302 patient interface 310 syringe or spatula 320 scalpel 400 central axis T treatment laser beam S1 Providing