US 2016/0106582 A1 · VACUUM LOSS DETECTION DURING LASER EYE SURGERY

Abstract

A laser eye surgery system that has a patient interface between the eye and the laser system relying on suction to hold the interface to the eye. The patient interface may be a liquid-filled interface, with liquid used as a transmission medium for the laser. During a laser procedure various inputs are monitored to detect a leak. The inputs may include a video feed of the eye looking for air bubbles in the liquid medium, the force sensors on the patient interface that detect patient movement, and vacuum sensors directly sensing the level of suction between the patient interface and the eye. The method may include combining three monitoring activities with a Bayesian algorithm that computes the probabilities of an imminent vacuum loss event.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of detecting loss of vacuum in a patient interface of a laser eye surgery system having control electronics, comprising:

docking a patient's eye to a suction ring of a patient interface which is aligned with an optical axis of the laser eye surgery system;
monitoring a plurality of inputs associated with the docking, comprising:
a video feed of the laser eye surgery through the patient interface;
a physical force sensor that detects movement of the patient's eye relative to the patient interface;
and
a vacuum sensor connected to a vacuum chamber of the suction ring;
halting or delaying the laser eye surgery if an aggregate of all three inputs is consistent with a threshold likelihood of a significant vacuum leak.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vacuum loss detection during laser eye surgery

Life of this patent

Vacuum loss detection during laser eye surgery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20