APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF THE RETINA BY RADIATION

Abstract

A device for therapeutic treatment of the retina includes a holding and positioning device for holding an optical lens element in a defined position and orientation in front of the eye of a patient, the lens element having a irradiation-transmitting concave surface for resting on the closed eyelid, and the irradiation source cooperating with the optical lens element to deliver the therapeutically effective irradiation to the retina via the optical lens element.

Claims

1.-26. (canceled)

27. A device for the therapeutic treatment of the retina of an eye of a patient, comprising: at least one irradiation source which emits a therapeutically effective irradiation; a control unit for driving the irradiation source, the control unit being programmed to deliver the therapeutically effective irradiation with a predetermined irradiation duration and irradiation intensity from the irradiation source to the retina of the eye of the patient; and a holding and positioning device for holding an optical lens element in a defined position and orientation in front of the eye of the patient, the optical lens element having a irradiation-transmitting concave surface for resting on a closed eyelid of the patient, and the irradiation source cooperating with the optical lens element to deliver the therapeutically effective irradiation to the retina via the optical lens element.

28. The device according to claim 27, wherein the optical lens element comprises a diffuser adapted to distribute the therapeutically effective irradiation from the irradiation source onto the irradiation-transmitting concave surface.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein the diffuser is designed as an integrating sphere or as a layer of a semitransparent material.

30. The device according to claim 27, wherein the optical lens element comprises a thermal heating or cooling device.

31. The device according to claim 27, further comprising a set of contact surface elements, one of which is attachable to the concave surface of the optical lens element, the set comprising: a first contact surface element having a first refractive index; and a second contact surface element having a second refractive index different from the first refractive index.

32. The device according to claim 27, wherein the holding and positioning device comprises a partial face mask which at least partially covers an eye area of a face of the patient.

33. The device according to claim 32, wherein the partial face mask is held in a predetermined position on the patient's face by: a band passed around the head; at least one retaining element comprising a strap or spectacle temples passed around the ears; or suction cups is held in a predetermined position on the patient's face.

34. The device according to claim 28, wherein the irradiation source is fixed to the holding and positioning device and lies in a treatment position defining an irradiation axis aligned with a pupil of the patient and the diffuser.

35. The device according to claim 34, further comprising a second irradiation source arranged at a distance from the holding and positioning device on an irradiation base device and wherein the therapeutically effective irradiation is guided from the irradiation base device to the holding and positioning device by a flexible irradiation guide.

36. The device according to claim 27, wherein the irradiation source is arranged at a distance from the holding and positioning device on an irradiation base device and the therapeutically effective irradiation is guided from the irradiation base device to the holding and positioning device by means of a flexible irradiation guide.

37. The device according to claim 27, wherein the concave surface is designed for superficial contact with the eye of the patient or the closed eyelid of the patient over a contact area of at least 1 cm.sup.2.

38. The device according to claim 27, wherein the lens element has an eyelid sensor in signal communication with the control unit for detecting the closed eyelid of the patient, and the control unit is adapted to activate the irradiation device only when the eyelid sensor transmits a signal signalling the closed eyelid of the patient.

39. The device according to claim 27, further comprising a base station comprising a receiving device for the holding and positioning device, the receiving device further comprising a heating or cooling device for heating or cooling the optical lens element.

40. The device according to claim 27, further comprising: an input user interface; and a graphical output user interface for outputting graphical information; wherein the control unit is programmed to, in an information step, display to the patient information on a subsequent therapeutic treatment step via the graphical output user interface, and performing the subsequent therapeutic treatment step after the information step, wherein the irradiation duration and irradiation intensity correspond to a treatment mode input via the input user interface and/or an output via the graphical output user interface.

41. The device according to claim 40, wherein the control unit is programmed to, between the information step and the subsequent therapeutic treatment step, in an input step request a user input via the input user interface, and start the subsequent therapeutic treatment step after receiving a predetermined user input.

42. The device according to claim 40, wherein the control unit is programmed to: receive user-related personal information via the input user interface; identify a user identity from a user identity data stored by the control unit on the basis of this user-related personal information; and perform a predetermined treatment step stored for that user identity in a treatment programme data memory as a function of the user identity.

43. The device according to claim 42, wherein: the input user interface comprises a digital image capture unit, and the control unit is programmed to receive image data from the digital image capture unit and to determine the user identity on the basis of image data describing an iris geometry of the patient on the basis of an iris recognition.

44. The device according to claim 40, wherein the control unit and the graphical output user interface are arranged in the irradiation base device, and the irradiation base device further comprises a irradiation guide device for directing the therapeutically effective irradiation emitted from the irradiation source to the optical lens element held on the holding and positioning device in front of the patient's eye.

45. The device according to claim 27, wherein the control unit is provided in a smart tablet, laptop, or smartphone.

46. The device according to claim 27, wherein the holding and positioning device has a total weight and dimensions allowing the device to be held to the patient's head by the holding and positioning device alone.

47. The device according to claim 27, wherein the irradiation device comprises two beam exit directions spaced apart from each other for simultaneous irradiation of both eyes of the patient.

48. The device according to claim 27, wherein the irradiation device further comprises: a first optical system comprising: at least a first optical lens; a first optical collimator; or a first optical filter unit; and a second optical system spaced from the first optical system along a irradiation trajectory axis comprising: at least a second optical lens; a second optical collimator; or a second optical filter unit.

49. The device according to claim 27, wherein the control unit is programmed to: store and control a treatment plan comprising at least a first and a second treatment operation for a user, and to: control a first treatment procedure for the patient; save the completion time of the first treatment procedure; and start a second treatment procedure on the condition that a minimum period of time has elapsed since the completion time of the first treatment procedure.

50. The device according to claim 40, wherein the control unit is programmed to: receive a diagnostic data characterising a body condition of the patient via the input user interface; generate a therapy data after a treatment procedure which characterises the treatment procedure carried out; send a data packet comprising the diagnostic data and the therapy data to a receiving device of an expert computer via a data transmission unit; receive an instruction data from a transmitting device of the expert computer via the data transmission unit; and control the irradiation device to perform a treatment procedure characterised by the instruction data.

51. The device according to claim 50, wherein the control unit is programmed to: receive the diagnostic data characterising the body condition via the input user interface; compare the diagnostic data with a predetermined body condition data stored in an electronic data memory of the control unit; select a subsequent treatment procedure from a plurality of treatment procedures stored in the electronic data memory of the control unit on the basis of the correspondence with one of the stored body condition data exceeding or the falling below of a body condition defined by the body condition data; and control the irradiation device to perform the selected treatment procedure.

52. The device according to claim 50, wherein the input user interface comprises a digital image capture device and the diagnostic data includes image capture data describing the image of a treated tissue.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained with reference to the accompanying figures. They show:

[0056] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a first embodiment of the invention;

[0057] FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of a second embodiment of the invention; and

[0058] FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a third embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0059] Referring first to FIG. 1, a patient wears the device according to the invention as a face mask 10, with eyes closed and held in position in front of the eyes by means of spectacle-like holding brackets 12a, 12b as a holding device. The face mask 10 comprises, in the axial direction of the eyes with the face mask 10 in place, one right and one left lens element 20, 30 for each of the right and left eyes. Six right and six left irradiation sources 21, 31 are integrated into each of these lens elements 20, 30. Each of these irradiation sources is integral with a sensor which detects the reflection of the irradiated irradiation and compares it with reference values which a control unit 12 integrated in the mask 10 can use to determine whether the lid of the respective eye is closed or open.

[0060] The device according to this embodiment further comprises a base station 40 into which the face mask 10 can be inserted in an adapter 41 in order to charge rechargeable batteries 11a, 11b arranged in the face mask 10 by means of a corresponding contact. The base station 40 or the face mask 10 is further coupled to a smartphone 50. The smartphone 50 is thus in signal connection with a receiver integrated in the control unit 12 in the face mask 10 by means of a Bluetooth® connection. A corresponding control software on the smartphone 50 can be operated via the user interface of the smartphone 50 and controls the irradiation process through the irradiation sources in the lens elements 20, 30.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, a face mask 110 is also placed on the eye and comprises corresponding lens elements 120, 130 in the axial direction of the right eye and the left eye. However, in this case, the lens elements 120, 130 do not comprise irradiation sources on the face mask 110 itself. Instead, one irradiation source 141, 142 each is provided in a base station 140, which is connected to the face mask 110 via a light guide 141a, 142a. The irradiation sources 141, 142 in the base station 140 emit irradiation which is guided via the light guides 141a, 142a to the face mask 110, where it is guided to the two lens elements 120, 130 and coupled into them, thereby effecting therapeutic irradiation of the retina.

[0062] The base station 140 of the second embodiment further comprises its own user interface 145, via which the patient can operate the device, in particular set irradiation parameters such as irradiation intensity and irradiation duration.

[0063] FIG. 3 shows a partially cut side view of a third embodiment of the invention. In this third embodiment, a face mask 210 is also applied to the face. The face mask 210 comprises a lens element 220 which comprises an imaging lens 221 and a diffuser 222 which has a concave bearing surface 223 directed towards the closed eyelid 2. This concave bearing surface 223 rests directly on this closed eyelid and couples a irradiation into the eyelid. This irradiation penetrates the eyelid and reaches the retina 4 of the eye 1 through the eye lens 3 to achieve a therapeutic effect there.

[0064] In the face mask 210, irradiation sources 224a-d are arranged immediately above the diffuser 222, which emit irradiation into the diffuser 222, which is irradiated into the eyelid via the concave surface 223 and from there reaches the retina.

[0065] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an external irradiation source 227 is present, which is connected to the face mask 210 via a light guide 228. The irradiation emitted by the external irradiation source 227 is coupled into the lens element 220 via this light guide 228 and also enters the diffuser 222 to reach the retina via the concave surface 223.

[0066] The external irradiation source 227 is arranged in a base station 240 which, as in the first embodiment, comprises a receptacle with an electrical contact element for charging an energy storage device in the face mask 210.