TREATMENT APPARATUS FOR AN EYE TREATMENT, METHOD, COMPUTER PROGRAM, COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIUM AND STORAGE DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a treatment apparatus (1) for an eye treatment, at least comprising: at least one laser beam source (3) configured for emission of a laser beam (2), at least one beam exit device (9), which is configured to direct the laser beam (2) to an eye (11) to be treated, at least one transfer optics (6), which is configured to feed the laser beam (2) along a respective optical path (21) to the at least one beam exit device (9), and a control device (14), which is configured to retrieve a predetermined eye treatment configuration (15) from a storage device (13), on which multiple eye treatment configurations (12) are stored, to adjust the at least one laser beam source (3) for generating the laser beam (2) of a pulse duration (4) to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration (15) of the eye treatment configurations (12), and to adjust the at least one transfer optics (6) for providing a predetermined numerical aperture (10) of the transfer optics (6) according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration (15).

Claims

1. A treatment apparatus for an eye treatment comprising: at least one laser beam source configured for emission of a laser beam; at least one beam exit device, which is configured to direct the laser beam to an eye to be treated; at least one transfer optics, which is configured to feed the laser beam along a respective optical path to the at least one beam exit device; and a control device, which is configured to retrieve a predetermined eye treatment configuration from a storage device, on which multiple eye treatment configurations are stored, to adjust the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of a pulse duration to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, and to adjust the at least one transfer optics for providing a predetermined numerical aperture of the transfer optics according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

2. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the treatment apparatus includes a laser beam source.

3. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of a wavelength to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

4. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in at least one first eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, the pulse duration of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 100 fs and 1 ps, and the numerical aperture of the transfer optics to be adjusted is between 0.3 and 1.0.

5. The treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein in the at least one first eye treatment configuration, a wavelength of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 380 nm and 1200 nm.

6. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in at least one second eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, the pulse duration of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 10 fs and 150 fs, and the numerical aperture of the transfer optics to be adjusted is between 0.18 and 0.35.

7. The treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein in the at least one second eye treatment configuration, a wavelength of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 380 nm and 1200 nm.

8. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in at least one third eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, the pulse duration of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 20 fs and 200 fs and the numerical aperture of the transfer optics to be adjusted is between 0.05 and 0.25.

9. The treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein in the at least one third eye treatment configuration, a wavelength of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 360 nm and 950 nm.

10. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in at least one fourth eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, the pulse duration of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 300 fs and 1 ps and the numerical aperture of the transfer optics to be adjusted is between 0.05 and 0.15.

11. The treatment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein in the at least one fourth eye treatment configuration, a wavelength of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 760 nm and 1500 nm.

12. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in at least one fifth eye treatment configuration of the eye treatment configurations, the pulse duration of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 100 fs and 1 ps and the numerical aperture of the transfer optics to be adjusted is between 0 and 0.1.

13. The treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein in the at least one fifth eye treatment configuration, a wavelength of the laser beam to be adjusted is between 150 nm and 230 nm.

14. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the treatment apparatus includes at least two of the beam exit devices, and the control device is configured to adjust the at least one transfer optics for feeding the laser beam to a beam exit device to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

15. The treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured to adjust the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of an energy, to be adjusted, of a laser pulse of the laser beam according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

16. A method for controlling the treatment apparatus according to claim 1, by the control device, comprising at least the steps of: adjusting the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of the pulse duration to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration; and adjusting the at least one transfer optics for providing the numerical aperture to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

17. The method according to claim 16, comprising at least the further step of: adjusting the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of the wavelength to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

18. The method according to claim 16, comprising at least the further step of: adjusting the at least one transfer optics for feeding the laser beam to the beam exit device to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

19. The method according to claim 16, comprising at least the further step of: adjusting the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of the energy, to be adjusted, of a laser pulse of the laser beam according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

20. A computer program comprising commands, which cause the treatment apparatus according to claim 1 to execute the steps of: adjusting the at least one laser beam source for generating the laser beam of the pulse duration to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration; and adjusting the at least one transfer optics for providing the numerical aperture to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration.

21. A computer-readable medium, on which the computer program according to claim 20 is stored.

22. A storage device, on which the eye treatment configurations according to claim 1 is stored.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] 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.

[0037] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic representation of an embodiment of a treatment apparatus.

[0038] FIG. 2 depicts a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a treatment apparatus.

[0039] FIG. 3 depicts a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a treatment apparatus.

[0040] FIG. 4 depicts a schematic representation of a sequence of a method for controlling a treatment apparatus.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a treatment apparatus. The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing predetermined eye treatment methods by means of a laser beam 2. In particular, the eye treatment methods can include corneal cuts, eye treatment methods for laser-induced refractive index change (URIC); eye treatment methods for laser-assisted refractive index shaping (RIS); eye treatment methods for corneal cross linking (CXL); eye treatment methods for treating presbyopia; eye treatment methods for treating vitreous body destructions, in particular vitreous floaters; and eye treatment methods for tissue ablations on the cornea.

[0042] The treatment apparatus 1 can comprise exactly one or at least one laser beam source 3 for emission of the laser beam 2.

[0043] The treatment apparatus 1 can comprise transfer optics 6, which is configured to feed the laser beam 2 emitted by the at least one laser beam source 3 along a respective optical path 7 to a beam exit device 8, to be adjusted, of at least one beam exit device 9 of the treatment apparatus 1. The transfer optics 6 can for example include mirrors, light guides and/or shutters as elements, of which individual ones of the elements can be adjusted by the control device 14.

[0044] The beam exit device 9 can be formed as a so-called patient interface and for example comprise an apparatus for fixing an eye 11 to be treated. The respective beam exit device 9 can comprise a scanner, which can be configured to guide the laser beam 2 along predetermined paths towards the eye 11.

[0045] The at least one transfer optics 6 can be configured to provide a predetermined numerical aperture 10. The numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted can for example relate to the numerical aperture, which describes to a point O1 at an entry point of the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted, to a point O2 at an exit point of the laser beam 2 from the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted or to a point O3 in a predetermined depth in the eye 11. The numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted can in particular relate to a point O3, which can be arranged on a top side of the cornea.

[0046] The eye treatment methods can make respective demands to the laser beam 2. Depending on an eye treatment method to be performed, it can thus be required to generate the laser beam 2 with a pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, which can be required for the respective eye treatment method. It can also be required to emit the laser beam 2 with a wavelength 5 to be adjusted.

[0047] For performing the respective eye treatment methods, it can be required that the respective pulse duration 4 to be adjusted and the respective numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted have to be provided by the treatment apparatus 1. Further, an adjustment of the respective wavelength 5 to be adjusted and of an energy 26 of a laser pulse to be adjusted can also be required. The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted, the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted and the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted can be preset in respective eye treatment configurations 12, which can be stored on a storage device 13. The eye treatment configurations 12 can be matched with the respective eye treatment methods.

[0048] The treatment apparatus 1 can comprise a control device 14, which can be configured to read at least one of the eye treatment configurations 12 out of the storage device 13 as a predetermined eye treatment configuration 15. The selection of the predetermined eye treatment configuration 15 can for example be effected depending on a predetermined user input, which can be received by the control device 14. The storage device can be installed in the treatment apparatus 1 or be arranged apart from it. The storage device can for example include a hard disk or a flash memory. The control device 14 can be configured to open the predetermined eye treatment configuration 15 and to read out the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted, the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted, the energy 26 of a laser pulse to be adjusted and the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are preset in the predetermined eye treatment configuration 15. The control device 14 can be configured to adjust the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted and/or the wavelength 5 to be adjusted and/or the energy 26 of a laser pulse to be adjusted in the at least one laser beam source 3. Thereby, it can be allowed that the laser beam 2 is emitted by the at least one laser beam source 3, which can have the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the energy 26 of a laser pulse to be adjusted and the wavelength 5 to be adjusted. The control device 14 can be configured to adjust the transfer optics 6 according to the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted according to the predetermined eye treatment configuration 15 in order that the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted can be provided by the transfer optics 6. The control device 14 can also be configured to control the transfer optics 6 according to the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted in order that the laser beam 2 of the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted is fed to the at least one beam exit device 9.

[0049] For adjusting the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, the control device 14 can for example be configured to adjust an NA adapter 22 of the transfer optics 6, which can comprise a movable shutter, a variable telescope and/or a beam expander, such that the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted is provided by the transfer optics 6. The control device 14 can be configured to provide the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted by a pre-chirp of the laser beam source 3 and/or via a compressor of the laser beam source 3 and/or via spectral broadening in a fiber laser.

[0050] For adjusting the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted, the transfer optics can include a beam exit selector 25, wherein it can comprise a movable mirror to direct the laser beam to the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted.

[0051] The control device 14 can be configured to adjust the wavelength 5 of the laser beam to be adjusted. The at least one laser beam source 3 can for example include a TI:SA laser, a supercontinuum laser or an optical parametric generator (OPG), an optical parametric oscillator (OPO), an optical parametric amplifier (OPA), a noncollinear OPA (NOPA), or a multi-pass OPA. This can allow the provision of laser beams 2 of different wavelengths 5 to be adjusted. Hereto, the at least one laser beam source 3 can include a pulse duration adapter 23 and a wavelength selector 24.

[0052] The treatment apparatus 1 can also comprise at least two of the laser beam sources 3, which can provide respective pulse durations and/or wavelengths. The control device 14 can be configured to adjust the respective one of the at least two laser beam sources 3, which is configured to output the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted and/or the wavelength 5 to be provided.

[0053] The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing corneal cuts as the eye treatment method. The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are required hereto, can be preset in at least one first eye treatment configuration 16 of the eye treatment configurations 12. For performing corneal cuts, a pulse duration of the laser beam between 100 fs and 1 ps is preset in the at least one first eye treatment configuration 16 of the eye treatment configurations 12. According to the at least one first eye treatment configuration 16 of the eye treatment configurations 12, the numerical aperture, which is to be provided by the transfer optics, is set to a value between 0.3 and 1.0. By the first one of the eye treatment configurations 16, the wavelength 5 of the laser beam to be adjusted can be adjusted to a value between 380 nm and 1200 nm for corneal cuts.

[0054] The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing eye treatment methods for laser-induced refractive index change (URIC) and/or eye treatment methods for laser-assisted refractive index shaping (RIS). The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are required hereto, can be preset in at least one second eye treatment configuration 17 of the eye treatment configurations 12. For performing the eye treatment methods, a pulse duration of the laser beam between 10 fs and 150 fs is preset in the at least one second eye treatment configuration 17 of the eye treatment configurations 12. According to the at least one second eye treatment configuration 17 of the eye treatment configurations 12, the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which is to be provided by the transfer optics 6, is set to a value between 0.18 and 0.35. By the second eye treatment configuration 17, the wavelength 5 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted can be preset to a value between 380 nm and 1200 nm for eye treatment methods for laser-induced refractive index change and/or eye treatment methods for laser-assisted refractive index shaping.

[0055] The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing eye treatment methods for corneal cross linking. The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are required hereto, can be preset in at least one third eye treatment configuration 18 of the eye treatment configurations 12. For performing the eye treatment methods, the pulse duration 4 of the laser beam to be adjusted is preset between 20 fs and 200 fs in the at least one third eye treatment configuration 18 of the eye treatment configurations 12. According to the at least one third eye treatment configuration 18 of the eye treatment configurations 12, the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which is to be provided by the transfer optics 6, is set to a value between 0.05 and 0.25. By the third eye treatment configuration 18, the wavelength 5 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted can be preset to a value between 360 nm and 950 nm for eye treatment methods for corneal cross linking.

[0056] The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing eye treatment methods for treating presbyopia or for performing eye treatment methods for treating vitreous body destructions, in particular vitreous floaters. The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are required hereto, can be preset in at least one fourth eye treatment configuration 19 of the eye treatment configurations 12. For performing the eye treatment methods, the pulse duration 4 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted is preset between 300 fs and 1 ps in the at least one fourth eye treatment configuration 19 of the eye treatment configurations 12. According to the at least one fourth eye treatment configuration 19 of the eye treatment configurations 12, the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which is to be provided by the transfer optics 6, is set to a value between 0.05 and 0.15. By the fourth eye treatment configuration 19, the wavelength 5 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted can be preset to a value between 760 nm and 1500 nm for eye treatment methods for treating presbyopia or for performing eye treatment methods for treating vitreous destructions, in particular vitreous floaters.

[0057] The treatment apparatus 1 can be configured for performing eye treatment methods for tissue ablations on the cornea. The pulse duration 4 to be adjusted, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which are required hereto, can be preset in at least one fifth eye treatment configuration 20 of the eye treatment configurations 12. For performing the eye treatment methods, the pulse duration 4 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted is preset between 100 fs and 1 ps in the at least one fifth eye treatment configuration 20 of the eye treatment configurations 12. According to the at least one fifth eye treatment configuration 20 of the eye treatment configurations 12, the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted, which is to be provided by the transfer optics 6, is set to a value between 0.00 and 0.10. By the fifth eye treatment configuration 20, the wavelength 5 of the laser beam 2 to be adjusted can be preset to a value between 150 nm and 230 nm for eye treatment methods for tissue ablations on the cornea.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the treatment apparatus. The treatment apparatus 1 can comprise two of the beam exit devices 9. The two beam exit devices 9 can be connected by respective optical paths 21. It can be provided that the beam exit devices 9 can be associated with respective eye treatment methods. The beam exit device 8 to be adjusted can be preset by the respective eye treatment configurations 12. The control device can be configured to adjust the beam exit selector 25 of the transfer optics 6 such that the laser beam 2 is fed to the beam exit device 8 to be adjusted by the beam transfer optics 6. The treatment apparatus 1 can comprise two laser beam sources 3, which can be configured for emitting respective laser beams 2. The wavelengths and/or pulse durations to be adjusted by the two laser beam sources 3 can differ from each other such that the control device has to adjust the laser beam source 3 of the laser beam sources 3 for emission of the wavelength to be adjusted and the pulse duration to be adjusted, which is provided for the respective values.

[0059] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the treatment apparatus. The embodiment of the treatment apparatus 1 can for example comprise three beam exit devices 9, which can be provided for performing respective eye treatments. The beam exit devices 9 can be connected to each other via an optical path. The control device 14 can be configured to adjust the beam exit selector 25 of the transfer optics 6 to feed the laser beam 2 to the corresponding beam exit device 9.

[0060] FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of a sequence of a method. The method can be performed by the control device 14. The control device 14 is configured to perform a method. The above cited advantages arise. The control device can for example be configured as a control chip, control appliance or application program (“app”). The control device 14 can preferably comprise a processor device and/or a data storage. By a processor device, an appliance or an appliance component for electronic data processing is understood. For example, the processor device can comprise at least one microcontroller and/or at least one microprocessor. Preferably, a program code for performing the method according to the invention can be stored on the optional data storage. The program code can then be configured, upon execution by the processor device, to cause the control device 14 to perform one of the above-described embodiments of one or both methods according to the invention.

[0061] In a step S1, the preset eye treatment configuration 15 can be received from the storage device 13 and/or be retrieved from the storage device 13 by the control device of the treatment apparatus 1.

[0062] In a further step S2, the predetermined eye treatment configuration 15 can be read out and the pulse duration 4 to be adjusted can be adjusted in the laser beam source 3 as well as the numerical aperture 10 to be adjusted can be adjusted in the transfer optics 6 by the control device 14.

[0063] In a step S3, the wavelength 5 to be adjusted can be adjusted in the laser beam source 3 by the control device 14.

[0064] In a step S4, the beam exit device 9 to be adjusted can be adjusted in the transfer optics 6 by the control device 14.

[0065] In a step S5, the energy 26 of a laser pulse to be adjusted can be adjusted in the laser beam source 3 by the control device 14.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0066] 1 Treatment apparatus [0067] 2 Laser beam [0068] 3 Laser beam source [0069] 4 Pulse duration to be adjusted [0070] 5 Wavelength to be adjusted [0071] 6 Transfer optics [0072] 7 Optical path [0073] 8 Beam exit device to be adjusted [0074] 9 Beam exit device [0075] 10 Numerical aperture to be adjusted [0076] 11 Eye [0077] 12 Eye treatment configuration [0078] 13 Storage device [0079] 14 Control device [0080] 15 Predetermined eye treatment configuration [0081] 16 First eye treatment configuration [0082] 17 Second eye treatment configuration [0083] 18 Third eye treatment configuration [0084] 19 Fourth eye treatment configuration [0085] 20 Fifth eye treatment configuration [0086] 21 Optical path [0087] 22 NA adapter [0088] 23 Pulse duration adapter [0089] 24 Wavelength selector [0090] 25 Beam exit selector [0091] 26 Energy to be adjusted [0092] O1 Point [0093] O2 Point [0094] O3 Point [0095] S1-S5 Method steps