# US 10,441,463 B2 · Confocal laser eye surgery system and improved confocal bypass assembly

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- Number: US 10,441,463 B2
- Document ID: US10441463B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/148,913
- Filed: 2016-05-06
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Granted: 2019-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-26
- Assignees: Optimedica Corporation
- Applicants: Optimedica Corporation
- Inventors: David A. Dewey; Georg Schuele; Noah Bareket; John S. Hart; Javier G. Gonzalez; Raymond Woo; Thomas Z. Teisseyre; Jeffrey A. Golda; Katrina B. Sheehy; Madeleine C. O'Meara; Bruce Woodley
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441463B2

## CPC

- A61F 9/008: using laser
- A61F 9/00754: {for cutting or perforating the anterior lens capsule, e.g. capsulotomes}
- A61F 9/00825: {for photodisruption}
- A61F 9/009: Auxiliary devices making contact with the eyeball and coupling in laser light, {e.g. goniolenses (apparatus for eye examination A61B3/0008)}
- A61B 3/0025: {characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models}
- A61B 3/1025: {for confocal scanning}
- A61B 3/1173: {for examining the eye lens}
- A61B 3/14: Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography
- A61F 2009/00844: {Feedback systems}
- A61F 2009/00878: {Planning}
- A61F 2009/00882: {based on topography}
- A61F 2009/00897: {Scanning mechanisms or algorithms}
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

A method of reversibly separating an imaging assembly from an optical path in a laser surgical system includes generating an electromagnetic beam, propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam, reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element, wherein the confocal bypass assembly automatically exits the optical path when a power loss occurs to one or more components of the system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of operating a laser surgical system, the method comprising:
using a beam source to generate an electromagnetic beam;
propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam, the first optical element being positioned between the beam source and the scanner;
focusing the electromagnetic beam to a focal point at a location within the eye;
using the scanner to scan the focal point to different locations within the eye;
propagating a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path to the first optical element, the first optical element diverting a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor;
using the sensor to generate an intensity signal indicative of an intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location and propagated to the sensor via the first optical element; and
reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element,
wherein the confocal bypass assembly automatically exits the optical path when a power loss occurs to one or more components of the laser surgical system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first optical element is a beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the beam-splitter is stationary.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the beam-splitter is a non-polarizing beam-splitter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 10% of the incident light.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 5% of the electromagnetic beam.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the electromagnetic beam is configured to modify tissue when the electromagnetic beam is diverted along the diversion optical path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more components comprises the confocal bypass assembly.

### Claim 10

An eye surgery system, comprising:
a light source for generating an electromagnetic beam;
an eye interface device configured to interface with an eye of a patient;
a scanning assembly supporting the eye interface device and operable to scan a focal point of the electromagnetic beam to different locations within the eye;
an optical path configured to propagate the electromagnetic beam from the light source to the focal point and also configured to propagate a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path, the optical path comprising a first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam in a direction from the light source to the scanner and that also diverts a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor;
a detection assembly configured to generate an intensity signal indicative of intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location; and
a confocal bypass assembly configured to reversibly divert the radiation beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element when the confocal bypass assembly is inserted into the optical path,
wherein the confocal bypass assembly is configured to exit the optical path upon a loss of power to one or more components of the eye surgery system.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the first optical element is a nonpolarizing beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The system of claim 10, wherein the confocal bypass assembly comprises a bypass prism.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the electromagnetic beam is diverted by reversibly moving the bypass prism into the optical path, thereby diverting the electromagnetic beam along the diversion optical path.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The system of claim 11, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 10% of the electromagnetic beam.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 5% of the electromagnetic beam.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the beam-splitter transmits less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam.

### Claim 17

A method of operating a laser surgical system, the method comprising:
using a beam source to generate an electromagnetic beam;
propagating the electromagnetic beam from the beam source to a scanner along an optical path, the optical path comprising a non-polarizing first optical element that attenuates the electromagnetic beam such that less than 20% of the electromagnetic beam is propagated to the scanner and at least 80% of the electromagnetic beam is propagated to a dump, the first optical element being positioned between the beam source and the scanner;
focusing the electromagnetic beam to a focal point at a location within the eye;
using the scanner to scan the focal point to different locations within the eye;
propagating a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location back along the optical path to the first optical element, the first optical element diverting a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to a sensor;
using the sensor to generate an intensity signal indicative of an intensity of a portion of the electromagnetic beam reflected from the focal point location and propagated to the sensor via the first optical element; and
reversibly inserting a confocal bypass assembly into the optical path, diverting the electromagnetic beam along a diversion optical path around the first optical element.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the first optical element is a beam-splitter that directs a portion of the reflected electromagnetic radiation to the sensor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, wherein the beam-splitter directs less than 10% of the electromagnetic beam to the scanner.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the beam-splitter directs less than 5% of the electromagnetic beam to the scanner.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the beam-splitter directs less than 1% of the electromagnetic beam to the scanner.