# US 11,896,525 B2 · Laser thermal conjunctivoplasty

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- Number: US 11,896,525 B2
- Document ID: US11896525B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/487,629
- Filed: 2018-02-27
- Published: 2020-01-30
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-27
- Assignees: Oregon Health & Science University; Baylor College of Medicine
- Applicants: Oregon Health & Science University
- Inventors: David Huang; Gangjun Liu; Jianlong Yang; Stephen Pflugfelder
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896525B2

## CPC

- A61F 9/008: using laser
- A61N 5/0613: {Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment}
- A61N 5/0616: {Skin treatment other than tanning}
- A61B 17/285: combined with cutting implements
- A61B 17/30: Surgical pincettes, i.e. surgical tweezers {without pivotal connections (for holding suture needles or materials A61B17/0483)}
- A61B 18/203: {applying laser energy to the outside of the body}
- A61B 18/22: the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; {Couplings or} hand-pieces therefor
- A61B 2017/00973: {pedal-operated}
- A61B 2018/00184: {Moving parts}
- A61B 2018/00321: {Head or parts thereof}
- A61B 2018/00458: {Deeper parts of the skin, e.g. treatment of vascular disorders or port wine stains}
- A61F 2009/00853: {Laser thermal keratoplasty or radial keratotomy}
- A61F 2009/00865: {Sclera}
- 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)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

Disclosed is a handheld laser probe for laser thermal conjunctivoplasty, the handheld laser comprising: a forceps; and a line focused laser light source coupled to the forceps, wherein the forceps are configured to grasp a conjunctival fold and hold the fold in a light beam of the line focused laser, and wherein the line focused laser beam is configured to uniformly heat the conjunctival fold held in the forceps. Disclosed are systems for laser thermal conjunctivoplasty including the handheld laser. Disclosed are methods of conjunctivoplasty using the handheld laser probe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of laser thermal conjunctivoplasty, comprising:
delivering laser light from a handheld laser probe to a conjunctival fold; the handheld laser probe comprising:
a pair of forceps having grasping regions; and
a line focused laser coupled to the pair of forceps, wherein the forceps are configured to grasp the conjunctival fold and hold the conjunctival fold in a focal plane of a light beam of the line focused laser, and wherein the light beam is focused into a line parallel to and just above the grasping regions of the forceps, and has a wavelength, power, and pulse duration which are configured to uniformly heat the conjunctival fold held in the forceps to a temperature high enough for shrinking a thickness of the conjunctival fold, thereby performing laser thermal conjunctivoplasty.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
grasping the conjunctival fold with the forceps; and
lifting the conjunctival fold off the sclera and thereby minimizing the chance of damaging the underlying sclera, ciliary body, choroid, and retina.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the line focused laser is a pulse laser.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light beam is focused into a line with a length of about 5 mm to about 15 mm and a width of about 0.5 mm to about 2 mm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the line focused laser has a central wavelength with a water absorption length of 1˜100 mm−1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the pulse duration is 5 milliseconds to 500 milliseconds.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light beam is focused into a line with a length of about 10 mm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light beam is focused into a line with a width of about 1 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light beam is focused into a line with a cylindrical lens.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the grasping regions of the forceps comprise angled grasping platforms.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the angled grasping platforms are angled about 30° to about 90° relative to a long axis of the forceps.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the light beam is configured to uniformly heat the conjunctival fold held in the forceps to a temperature between 55° C. and 80° C.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the wavelength is about 1.3 μm to about 2.4 μm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the wavelength has a water absorption coefficient of 0.1 cm−1 to 100 cm−1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the power is between 0.1 and 6.0 W.