SINGLE AND/OR DUAL (532 AND/OR 577) nm LASER DELIVERY SYSTEM ATTACHED TO AN OPHTHALMIC MICROSCOPE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a single and/or dual laser delivery system attached to an existing ophthalmic operating microscope, comprising of a single and/or dual wavelength laser unit [1]; and a delivery system [5]. The laser unit [1] comprises of a green laser module 532 nm [3] and a yellow laser module 577 nm [4] along with an aiming beam [7] 635 nm. The delivery system comprises of a right-angle prism [5A]: X and Y Galvo assembly [5B] and a focusing lens assembly [5C]. The laser unit passes through a fiber optic cable [6] gets reflected using the right angle prism, gets deflected by the Galvo assembly, enters the focusing lens assembly and gets reflected by a folding mirror [5D] and focused on human eye capsule. The system converges and focuses the laser wavelengths in line with the aiming beam to create a circular pattern to accomplish a pre-measured Capsulorhexis.

Claims

1. A single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] attached to an existing ophthalmic operating microscope, said system comprises of: a single and/or dual wavelength laser unit [1]; a delivery system [5]; and an ophthalmic operating microscope [2], wherein the single and/or dual wavelength laser unit [1] comprises of a green laser module 532 nm [3] and a yellow laser module 577 nm [4] along with an aiming beam [7] 635 nm within both the laser modules [3 and 4] to create a circular pattern with a precise circular cut of the capsule in a human eye, wherein the aiming beam 635 nm [7] is used to locate and guide user to aim the 535 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam, wherein each of the laser modules [3 and 4] comprises of a low pass filter [3A and 4A] and a focusing lens [3B and 4B] respectively, wherein the green and yellow laser modules [3 and 4] are connected to the delivery system [5] through an interchangeable single fiber optic cable [6], wherein the delivery system [5] comprises of a right-angle prism [5A]; a X and Y Galvo assembly [5B] and a focusing lens assembly [5C], wherein the single and/or dual wavelength module from the laser unit [1] passes through the fiber optic cable [6] gets reflected using the right angle prism [5A], gets deflected by the X and Y Galvo assembly [5B], enters the focusing lens assembly [5C] and gets reflected by a folding mirror [5D] and focused on the human eye capsule at 90 degrees, and wherein said laser delivery system [100] attached to the operating microscope's [2] converges and focuses the laser wavelength of 532 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam in-line with the 635 nm aiming beam [7] to create a circular pattern to accomplish a pre-measured Capsulorhexis with a precise circular cut of the capsule in the human eye.

2. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the low pass filters [3A and 4A] are mounted at an angle that transmits the 532 nm green laser [3] or 577 nm yellow laser beam [4] and reflects the 635 nm aiming beam [7].

3. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser beam from the fiber optic cable [6] passes through the focusing lens assembly [5C] to get a required spot size of 100 microns to 300 microns.

4. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the folding mirror [5D] is mounted in an angle of 45 degree with a tolerance level of + or ?2 degrees along the laser optical axis.

5. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] as claimed in claim 1 converges and focuses the laser wavelength of 532 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam in-line with the 635 nm aiming beam [7] to create a circular pattern to accomplish a pre-measured Capsulorhexis with a precise circular cut of the capsule in the human eye with a precise diameter of 3 mm to 6 mm in steps of 0.5 mm.

6. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] as claimed in claim 1, wherein the laser unit [1] comprises a foot switch [1A] to trigger the 532 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] FIG. 1: illustrates single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system according to the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 2: illustrates block diagram of single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system according to the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 3: illustrates laser unit of the system according to the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 4: illustrates single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system attached to an existing ophthalmic operating microscope according to the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 5: illustrates delivery system and laser beams according to the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 6: illustrates the aiming beam RED laser spot and circular diameter of 5.5 mm.

[0044] FIG. 7: illustrates the proof of conformity in lab trials of Capsulorhexis in animal eye samples for 5.5 mm and 6 mm diameter.

[0045] FIG. 8: illustrates the proof of Capsulorhexis trials conducted on animal eyes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING FIGURES

[0046] The present invention as herein described relates to a single and/or dual (532 and/or 577) nm laser delivery system attached to an existing ophthalmic operating microscope for creation of circular pattern to accomplish a pre-measured diameter size of capsulorhexis.

[0047] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] comprises of a single and/or dual wavelength laser unit [1]; a delivery system [5]; and an ophthalmic operating microscope [2]. The laser unit [1] comprises of a green laser module 532 nm [3] and a yellow laser module 577 nm [4] along with 635 nm aiming beam [7] (as shown in FIG. 3) within both the laser modules [3 and 4] to create a circular pattern with a precise circular cut of the capsule in the human eye. The 635 nm aiming beam [7] is used to locate and guide the user to aim the 535 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam on the human eye capsule before the Capsulorhexis. The green laser module [3] comprises of a low pass filter [3A] and a focusing lens [3B]. The yellow laser module [4] comprises of a low pass filter [4A] and a focusing lens [4B]. The low pass filters [3A and 4A] are mounted at an angle that transmits the 532 nm green laser [3] or 577 nm yellow laser beam [4] and reflects the 635 nm aiming beam [7]. The laser modules [3 and 4] are connected to the delivery system [5] through an interchangeable single fiber optic cable [6]. The laser unit [1] includes a foot switch [1A] to trigger the laser beam.

[0048] Referring to FIG. 4, the single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] is positioned and fixed to the operating microscope's [2] optical head. Said laser delivery system [100] converges and focuses laser wavelength of 532 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam in-line with 635 nm aiming beam to create a circular pattern in order to accomplish a pre-measured Capsulorhexis with a precise circular cut of the capsule in the human eye. The ophthalmic microscope [2] includes a foot switch [2A] for focus adjustment and magnification changes of the operating microscope. The ophthalmic microscope [2] includes a display unit [2B] to display the live image of Capsulorhexis procedure.

[0049] Referring to FIG. 5, the delivery system [5] comprises of a right-angle prism [5A] and an X and Y Galvo assembly [5B] to generate required laser deflection and a circular laser pattern. The laser beam from the fiber optic cable [6] passes through a focusing lens assembly [5C] to get a required spot size of 100 microns to 300 microns. The laser beam is focused on the human eye using a folding mirror [5D]. The focusing lens assembly [5C] includes four focusing lenses. The folding mirror [5D] is at along the laser optical axis that deflects the laser beam 90 degrees into the human eye capsule to perform the Capsulorhexis. In an aspect, the folding mirror [5D] is mounted on an optics assembly in an angle of 45 degree with a tolerance level of + or ?2 degrees.

[0050] The delivery system [5] converges and focuses laser wavelength of 532 nm and/or 577 nm laser beam to create a circular pattern in order to accomplish a pre-measured Capsulorhexis with a precise circular cut of the capsule in the human eye from diameter 3 mm to 6 mm in steps of 0.5 mm. FIG. 6 shows the aiming beam RED laser spot and circular diameter of 5.5 mm.

[0051] A number of trials of capsulorhexis in animal eyes have been conducted using the single and/or dual (532 and/or 577) nm laser delivery system and have achieved the capsulorhexis in the diameter of 5.5 mm and 6 mm. FIG. 7 illustrates the proof of conformity in lab trials of Capsulorhexis in animal eye samples for 5.5 mm and 6 mm diameter.

[0052] Animal eye lab trials were being conducted from 2020, and have completed 17 trials so far. This process was evolved using different laser powers, laser ON time duration. Standard ophthalmic viscoelastic solution was used to protect the Corneal endothelium cells during the laser ablation procedure and for better capsule identification ophthalmic blue dye solution is used for staining the capsule. Also different concentration of the Ophthalmic blue dye solution was used to observe the absorption level of the two different laser wavelengths (532/577) nm on the capsule tissue under study. FIG. 8A shows the first trial; 8B shows the 10.sup.th trial; 8C shows the 12.sup.th trial and 8D shows the 15.sup.th trial.

[0053] The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] could be retrofitted to an existing ophthalmic microscope; said system is mounted along the optical axis to suit the requirement, so that it does not obscure the Surgeon's view while operating. The single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] which could be retrofitted to an existing ophthalmic microscope saves Surgeon time since Patient is not required to be shifted from one Surgical equipment to the other Surgical equipment after the Capsulorhexis is completed, produce accuracy and repeatability in creation of a precise diameter of the capsulorhexis from diameter 3 mm to 6 mm in steps of 0.5 mm. Advantageously, the single and/or dual wavelength laser delivery system [100] along with the aiming beam provides flexibility and compatibility to the ophthalmic Surgeons.

Working:

[0054] For cataract surgery in a human eye, the crystalline lens is replaced with an Intraocular Lens (IOL). The crystalline lens is enclosed in a capsule on front and back side. In conventional cataract surgery, the front portion (anterior) of capsule is circularly removed by 26g needle or capsular forceps and IOL is placed. The present invention is to a system [100] which performs laser assisted procedure to speed up the Cataract surgery of removing the anterior of capsule from diameter 3 mm to 6 mm. In an aspect, anyone of the two wavelengths 532 nm [3] or 577 nm [4] at a given point of time selected by the user is used along with guiding/aiming beam [7] of wavelength 635 nm. The 532 nm or 577 nm is generated in the laser unit [1]. The 532 nm or 577 nm laser along with aiming beam is coupled by focusing lens while leaving the laser unit. The 532 nm or 577 nm laser will enter one end of the fiber optic cable [6] which works in total internal reflection principle without loss and leave the other end. The other end of the fiber optic cable [6] is connected to the delivery system [5] which is mounted in the operating microscope [2]. These lasers leaving the other end of the fiber optic cable [6] passes through the right angle prism [5A], gets deflected by the X and Y Galvo assembly [5B], enters the focusing lens assembly [5C]. These lasers after passing through the focusing lens assembly [5C] is reflected/folded by the folding mirror [5D] and focused on the human eye capsule. By choosing the required laser 532 nm and/or 577 nm and diameter and proper focusing of the microscope, the Capsulorhexis is performed using the foot switch [1A].