Ultraviolet radiation sensor systems and methods for laser pulse energy control in eye surgery

A method comprising:

• receiving, at a fluorescent plate, an initial ultraviolet radiation pulse produced by an ultraviolet radiation source;
• generating, by the fluorescent plate, a visible light pulse in response to the initial ultraviolet radiation pulse;
• receiving, at a photon detector, the visible light pulse;
• generating, at the photon detector, an electrical signal in response to the visible light pulse;
• retrieving calibration data from a memory;
• and
• determining an energy of the initial ultraviolet radiation pulse by applying the calibration data to an amplitude and a decay time of the electrical signal,
• wherein the calibration data is stored in the memory by:
• setting the fluorescent plate to a reference temperature;
• outputting, using the ultraviolet radiation source, a reference ultraviolet radiation pulse having a known energy, the reference ultraviolet radiation pulse being incident on the fluorescent plate;
• receiving a reference electrical signal generated by the photon detector in response to receiving visible light emitted by the fluorescent plate in response to the reference ultraviolet radiation pulse,
• deriving a reference decay constant and a reference amplitude based on the reference electrical signal, and
• determining first calibration data based on a correlation between the reference temperature, the reference decay constant and a reference temperature adjustment coefficient,
• for each of a plurality of calibration temperatures:
• setting the fluorescent plate to a respective calibration temperature from the plurality of calibration temperatures;
• outputting, using the ultraviolet radiation source, a calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse having a known energy for each respective calibration temperature, the calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse being incident on the fluorescent plate;
• receiving a calibration reference signal generated by the photon detector in response to receiving visible light emitted by the fluorescent plate in response to the calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse;
• deriving a calibration decay constant and a calibration amplitude based on the calibration reference signal;
• calculating a calibration temperature adjustment coefficient based on the calibration amplitude and the reference amplitude;
• and
• determining second calibration data based a correlation between the respective calibration temperature, the calibration decay constant, and the calibration temperature adjustment coefficient, and
• storing, using the memory, the first calibration data and the second as the calibration data.

A sensor comprising:

• a first communication interface that is communicatively coupled to a fluorescent plate positioned to receive an initial ultraviolet radiation pulse produced by an ultraviolet radiation source, wherein the fluorescent plate generating a visible light pulse in response to the initial ultraviolet radiation pulse;
• a second communication interface that is communicatively coupled to a photon detector positioned to receive the visible light pulse for generating an electrical signal in response to the visible light pulse;
• a memory;
• and
• a processor communicatively coupled to the first communication interface, the second communication interface and the memory, wherein the processor:
• retrieves calibration data from the memory, and
• determines an energy of the initial ultraviolet radiation pulse by applying the calibration data to an amplitude and a decay time of the electrical signal,
• wherein the processor stores the calibration data in the memory by:
• setting, using the first communication interface, the fluorescent plate to a reference temperature;
• outputting, using the ultraviolet radiation source, a reference ultraviolet radiation pulse having a known energy, the reference ultraviolet radiation pulse being incident on the fluorescent plate;
• receiving, using the second communication interface, a reference electrical signal generated by the photon detector in response to receiving visible light emitted by the fluorescent plate in response to the reference ultraviolet radiation pulse,
• deriving a reference decay constant and a reference amplitude based on the reference electrical signal, and
• determining first calibration data based on a correlation between the reference temperature, the reference decay constant and a reference temperature adjustment coefficient,
• for each of a plurality of calibration temperatures:
• setting, using the first communication interface, the fluorescent plate to a respective calibration temperature from the plurality of calibration temperatures;
• outputting, using the ultraviolet radiation source, a calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse having a known energy for each respective calibration temperature, the calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse being incident on the fluorescent plate;
• receiving, using the second communication interface, a calibration reference signal generated by the photon detector in response to receiving visible light emitted by the fluorescent plate in response to the calibration ultraviolet radiation pulse;
• deriving a calibration decay constant and a calibration amplitude based on the calibration reference signal;
• calculating a calibration temperature adjustment coefficient based on the calibration amplitude and the reference amplitude;
• and
• determining second calibration data based a correlation between the respective calibration temperature, the calibration decay constant, and the calibration temperature adjustment coefficient, and
• storing, using the memory, the first calibration data and the second as the calibration data.