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US 2006/0189966 A1Published application
Method and system for improving vision
AssigneeScientific Optics, Inc.
InventorsDavid Lieberman, Jonathan Grierson
Life of this patent
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AssigneeScientific Optics, Inc.
InventorsDavid Lieberman, Jonathan Grierson
Estimating the term…
Methods and apparatus (610) are disclosed for diagnosing vision and improving vision in a manner which does not interfere with the natural shape of the cornea or its orientation relative to the remainder of the eye, but which changes its surface curvature appropriately to achieve the required correction of vision. The focus of the cornea (14) is adjusted so that different regions focus substantially to the same axis and preferably to substantially the same point on the axis. This can be accomplished by shaping the cornea (e.g. through ablation) or by applying an appropriate contact lens or other optical lens. In either case, correcting the central portions of the cornea should have a more significant effect on correcting focus scatter than correcting the more outward portions.
In a method for improving or planning the improvement of the vision of an eye, the steps of, on a surface model of the cornea of the eye, determining points of focus for different locations on the surface model and modifying the model so as to shift points of focus to a predefined reference axis, without forcing them to a common point the modified model representing a desired restructuring of the cornea.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the reference axis passes through the HIGH point.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the reference axis is the LOCAL Z-AXIS.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the surface of the cornea is modeled in terms of a central cap-shaped portion and at least one peripheral band portion radially outward of the cap-shaped portion.
The method of any preceding claim performed with the aid of computer program which produces the surface model of the cornea, which closely represents at least a portion of the surface of a cornea in three dimensions as a smooth, free-form surface, the modifying step comprising changing the shape of at least a portion of the model to produce a modified surface model.
An optical lens for improving the vision of an eye, the lens comprising areas of focus on a surface thereof corresponding to different locations on the corneal surface of the eye, each area of focus being shaped to shift the focus of the corresponding location of the cornea to a predefined reference axis in the eye, without forcing the focus of each area to a common point.
The lens of any one of claims 16-23 designed with the aid of computer program which produces a surface model of the cornea which closely represents at least a portion of the surface of a cornea in three dimensions as a smooth, free-form surface, the model being modified in shape at each corresponding location at least a portion of the lens conforming in shape to the modified surface model.
In a system for improving the vision of an eye by effectively reshaping the cornea by one of controlling physically changing the shape of the cornea and controlling the shape of a lens to be applied to the eye to correct its refractive error, a controller which controls said reshaping so as to shift points of focus for different locations on the surface of the cornea to a predefined reference axis, without forcing the focus of each area to a common point.
A method for analyzing the cornea of an eye, including analysis for improving or planning the improvement of vision, said method making use of a surface model of the cornea of the eye which closely represents at least a portion of the surface of the cornea in three dimensions as defined with a predefined reference axis, said method comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.