Patent EP0222537A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0222537A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Systems for creating rounded work surfaces by photoablation
Assignee: Individual
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Filing: 1986-10-22
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-10-22
Abstract
Abstract A system for photoablating a photoablatable substrate (1) (such as the cornea of a human eye) to create a rounded work surface includes a curved, hollow mirror (5) for reflecting light capable of photoablating such surfaces. The curvature of the mirror determines the shape and curvature of the rounded work surface created. The mirror has an opening of sufficient size and shape to expose the substrate to reflected, photoablating light, and is linked to a mechanism (15) for adjusting mirror tilt and height with respect to the substrate. The system can include a source of photoablating light such as an excimer laser (8), a mechanism (7 and 4) for aligning light from the excimer laser with the mirror surface, a mirror cover (10) for excluding unreflected excimer laser light from desired portions of the substrate, and a high-speed shutter system (6) for controlling the amount and the timing of light transmission from the excimer laser (8) to the mirror (5).
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth K. York
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 20:05
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61F; A61F9/00; A61F9/007; A61F9/008; A61F9/009; A61F9/00802; A61F9/00804; A61F9/00817; A61B; A61B18/00; A61B18/18; A61B18/20; A61B2018/2015; A61B2018/2025; A61F2009/00861; A61F2009/00872
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
74 words
A system for creating rounded work surfaces comprising means for reflecting light capable of photoablating material to produce said rounded work surface, said reflecting means having an opening of sufficient size and shape to expose said material to reflected, photoablating light; means for generating light capable of photoablating said photoablatable material; and means for adjusting the angle of incidence of said reflected, photoablating light on said reflecting means and, in turn, on said surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
74 words
A system for creating rounded work surfaces comprising means for reflecting light capable of photoablating material to produce said rounded work surface, said reflecting means having an opening of sufficient size and shape to expose said material to reflected, photoablating light; means for generating light capable of photoablating said photoablatable material; and means for adjusting the angle of incidence of said reflected, photoablating light on said reflecting means and, in turn, on said surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said rounded, photoablatable material is the cornea of a human eye.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said reflecting means is a ring-shaped, curved mirror with a central aperture.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating light capable of photoablating said substrate comprises an excimer laser.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said means for generating light capable of photoablating said rounded work surface is a source of coherent, intense, collimated light having a wavelength in the range of about 150 to about 250 nanometers and a power density in the range of about 20 to about 1000 millijoules per square centimeter per pulse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said means for controlling the amount of material to be photoablated comprises means for adjusting the height of the mirror relative to the photoablatable material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1 wherein said means for adjusting the angle of incidence between the photoablating light and the reflecting means comprises means for adjusting the tilt of said reflecting means with respect to said substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for excluding a portion of the photoablating light from directly striking the substrate, and for confining said photoablating light to incidence upon said reflecting means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for aiming and aligning the means for generating photoablating light with said reflecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for determining whether said reflecting means is properly aligned with the angle of incidence of light from said means for generating photoablating light, and shutter me ans for permitting or preventing light from said means for generating photoablating light to pass to said reflecting means in response to detection of proper alignment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising means for holding said substrate near said opening in said reflecting means in order that reflected photoablating light may produce the desired rounded work surface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
The system of claim 11 wherein said holding means comprising means for holding a button of corneal tissue near the aperture in the reflecting means so that reflected photoablating light produces a corneal lenticule of desired curvature and dimensions.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
36 words
The system of claim 11 wherein said holding means is cylindrical, and has a convex end complementing the concavity of the posterior corneal button or corresponding to the convexity of the cornea of the proposed recipient.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system of claim 2 further comprising means for determining, and defining the desired radius of curvature, and the shape, of light reflected from said reflecting means across said surface.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for photoablating photoablatable substrates comprising directing light capable of photoablating such a substrate onto reflecting means at an angle of incidence sufficient to direct reflected, photoablating light at, and to photoablate material from said substrate, without substantially penetrating said surface; and adjusting the curvature of said reflecting means and the angle of incidence between the photoablating light and said reflecting means in a degree sufficient to remove from said photoablatable material a predetermined quantity of material in a predetermined pattern and shape to produce a rounded work surface.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for photoablating photoablatable substrates comprising directing light capable of photoablating such a substrate onto reflecting means at an angle of incidence sufficient to direct reflected, photoablating light at, and to photoablate material from said substrate, without substantially penetrating said surface; and adjusting the curvature of said reflecting means and the angle of incidence between the photoablating light and said reflecting means in a degree sufficient to remove from said photoablatable material a predetermined quantity of material in a predetermined pattern and shape to produce a rounded work surface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method of claim 15 further comprising placing means for reflecting light capable of photoablating a rounded work surface over such a substrate with said substrate in an appropriate position relative to the aperture in the reflecting means such that reflected photoablating light produces the desired rounded work surface.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 16 wherein said photoablatable material is the cornea of a human eye, and where the photoablating light comes from an excimer laser.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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