System and method for accurate optical treatment of an eye's fundus

Abstract

A system and method is provided to accurately treat sites on an eye's retina employing computer based image generation, processing and central control means in conjunction with diode laser sources and optical fibers. The system is designed such that different photocoagulation and photochemical treatment methods alone or in combination can be performed and controlled to for simultaneous or consecutive treatment. The system and method accurately determines geometry of a treatment zone of a specific eye's fundus and adjust a treatment beam to irradiate the treatment zone with minimal coverage of adjacent tissue. Accordingly, also “forbidden zones” which would be severely damaged by the treatment beam are determined and their irradiation is prevented. The treatment zone is accurately determined with digital processing of angiographic data and slit lamp image data. Such image processing includes matching or alignment of two distinct images. This information is integrated with information on the treatment beam characteristics to better match treatment beam coverage with minimal overlap with healthy areas of the fundus. Additionally preferred embodiments also have the ability to automatically track eye movement and switch the beam source depending on eye movement, adjusting the beam spot area in real time.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.