System and method for resecting corneal tissue

A method of resecting corneal tissue, the method comprising:

• collecting physical data from a recipient cornea and from a donor cornea;
• using a corneal biomechanical model informed by the physical data, determining the location of a minimum depth from an anterior surface of the recipient cornea sufficient to maintain post-operative stability of the recipient cornea when a posterior portion of corneal tissue is resected commencing at the minimum depth;
• using the corneal biomechanical model informed by the physical data, determining the location of surface irregularities associated with appalanation of a first virtual contact lens onto the anterior surface of the recipient cornea, and determining a resection depth from an anterior surface of the recipient cornea which minimizes the surface irregularities and is at least as great as the minimum depth;
• placing a contact lens having the same shape as the first virtual contact lens against the anterior surface of the recipient cornea, wherein the contact lens applanates the anterior surface, and conforms the anterior surface to the contact lens shape prior to making the resection incision using a surgical laser;
• and
• making a resection incision using a pulsed surgical laser having ultra-short pulses to resect a posterior portion from the cornea, wherein the resection incision is made at the resection depth.

The method of transplanting corneal tissue from a donor cornea to a recipient cornea, the method comprising:

• collecting physical data from a recipient cornea and from a donor cornea;
• using a corneal biomechanical model informed by the physical data and virtual stresses introduced into the cornea associated with appalanation of a first virtual contact lens onto the anterior surface of the recipient cornea, determining a recipient resection depth from an anterior surface of the recipient cornea;
• determining a depth ratio of the recipient resection depth to a recipient thickness of the recipient cornea;
• placing a contact lens having the same shape as the first virtual contact lens against the recipient anterior surface prior to making the recipient resection incision, wherein the contact lens applanates the recipient anterior surface and conforms it to a shape of the contact lens;
• making a recipient resection incision for resecting a recipient posterior portion from the recipient cornea, wherein the recipient resection incision is made at the recipient resection depth using a pulsed surgical laser having ultra-short pulses;
• making a donor resection incision for resecting a donor posterior portion from the donor cornea using the surgical laser;
• making the donor resection incision at a donor resection depth from a donor anterior surface of the donor cornea, wherein the donor resection depth relative to a donor thickness of the donor cornea is equivalent to the depth ratio of the recipient resection depth to the recipient thickness;
• and
• grafting the donor posterior portion into the recipient cornea.

A system of resecting corneal tissue, the system comprising:

• an interface programmed with a biomechanical model of corneal tissue and physical data collected from a recipient cornea and from a donor cornea, wherein the interface provides a depth range using the biomechanical model for selection of a resection depth from an anterior corneal surface, the resection depth between a first depth based on the biomechanical model and a second depth based on the biomechanical model, the first depth corresponding to maintaining a post-operative stability of a recipient cornea when a posterior portion of corneal tissue is resected commencing at the minimum depth, the second depth corresponding to minimizing surface irregularities at the resection depth associated with appalanation of a first virtual contact lens onto the anterior surface of the recipient cornea;
• a contact lens, wherein the contact lens is placed against the anterior surface and applanates the anterior surface and conforms it to the contact lens shape;
• a surgical laser, wherein the surgical laser emits a pulsed laser beam;
• a focusing assembly, wherein the focusing assembly focuses the pulsed laser beam into the recipient cornea;
• and
• a controller, wherein the controller receives the resection depth from the interface, moves a focal point of the pulsed laser beam within the recipient cornea using the focusing assembly, and directs the focal point of the pulsed laser beam to make a resection incision for resecting a portion of the cornea, wherein the resection incision is made at the resection depth.