US 12,758,425 B2Granted

SLO-based laser guidance for treating vitreous floaters

AssigneeAlcon Inc.

InventorsZsolt Bor, Alireza Malek Tabrizi

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Abstract

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical laser system for imaging and treating an eye floater includes an SLO subsystem, a treatment laser subsystem, a scanner, optical elements, and a computer. The SLO subsystem provides an SLO laser beam with an SLO focal point, and the treatment laser subsystem provides a treatment laser beam with a treatment focal point that spatially coincides with the SLO focal point. The scanner scans the SLO laser beam across a scan region and directs the treatment laser beam to the xy-location of the scan region. The optical elements aim the SLO laser beam and the treatment laser beam at substantially the same point of the scan region. The computer receives an SLO image of the floater, determines an xy-location of the floater, and instructs the treatment laser subsystem to direct the treatment laser beam towards the xy-location and the z-scan location of the floater.

Claims24

Dependent claims

An ophthalmic surgical laser system for treating a floater in a vitreous of an eye, the eye having a retina, the system comprising:

a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) subsystem comprising:
an SLO laser source configured to provide an SLO laser beam with an SLO focal point;
and
a pinhole filter conjugated to the SLO focal point;
a treatment laser subsystem configured to provide a treatment laser beam with a treatment focal point, the treatment focal point spatially coinciding with the SLO focal point;
a scanner configured to:
scan the SLO laser beam across a scan region;
and
direct the treatment laser beam to an xy-location of the scan region;
a plurality of optical elements comprising a plurality of focusing lenses, the optical elements configured to:
aim the SLO laser beam and the treatment laser beam at substantially the same point of the scan region;
focus the SLO focal point to form the scan region at a z-scan location;
move the scan region in a z-direction to the z-scan location of the floater;
and
focus the treatment focal point at the z-scan location of the floater;
and
a computer configured to:
receive and analyze an image of a shadow of the floater on the retina from the SLO subsystem;
determine whether the floater is clinically significant based on one or more characteristics of the floater derived from the analysis of the image of the shadow, the characteristics comprising at least one a size, shape, tone, luminance, density, location, or sharpness of the floater;
and
if the floater is clinically significant:
determine an xy-location of the floater;
and
instruct the treatment laser subsystem to direct the treatment laser beam towards the xy-location and the z-scan location of the floater.

21 more elements

A method for treating a floater in a vitreous of an eye, the eye having a retina, the method comprising:

providing, by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) subsystem, an SLO laser beam with an SLO focal point;
providing, by a treatment laser subsystem, a treatment laser beam with a treatment focal point, the treatment focal point spatially coinciding with the SLO focal point;
scanning, by a scanner, the SLO laser beam across a scan region;
aiming, by a plurality of optical elements, the SLO laser beam and the treatment laser beam at substantially the same point of the scan region;
focusing, by the optical elements, the SLO focal point to form the scan region at a z-scan location;
moving, by the optical elements, the scan region to the z-scan location of the floater;
receiving and analyzing, by a computer, an image of a shadow of the floater on the retina from the SLO subsystem;
determining if the floater is clinically significant based on one or more characteristics of the floater derived from the analysis of the image of the shadow, the characteristics comprising at least one of a size, shape, tone, luminance, density, location, or sharpness of the floater;
and
if the floater is clinically significant:
determining, by the computer, an xy-location of the floater;
instructing, by the computer, the treatment laser subsystem to direct the treatment laser beam towards the xy-location and the z-scan location of the floater;
directing, by the scanner, the treatment laser beam to an xy-location of the scan region;
and
focusing, by the optical elements, the treatment focal point at the z-scan location of the floater.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/296,647Filed 6 Apr 2023 · us provisional application
Priority: 12 Apr 2022
Published: US 2023/0320900 A112 Oct 2023
Granted: 13 Oct 2026
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.