Methods for preventing or treating posterior capsular opacification
AssigneeNexxtvision LLC
InventorGeorge J. McArdle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for preventing or treating posterior capsular opacification in a subject in need of prophylaxis or treatment for posterior capsular opacification, including a subject undergoing cataract surgery by ablating epithelial cells on an interior surface of the lens capsule with a multi-photon laser system.
Claims16
A method for preventing or treating posterior capsular opacification in a subject in need of prophylaxis or treatment of posterior capsular opacification, wherein the subject has a lens capsule having an anterior portion and a posterior portion, and each of the anterior and posterior portions has an exterior surface and an interior surface, the method comprising:
- imaging epithelial cells on one or more interior surfaces of the lens capsule using an imaging technique selected from the group consisting of confocal microscopy, adaptive optics, ultrasound, detecting a chemical agent and/or a biological agent, multi-photon laser imaging, and combinations thereof;
- and
- ablating the imaged epithelial cells.
A method for preventing posterior capsular opacification in a subject in conjunction with cataract surgery on the subject, wherein the subject has a lens capsule having an anterior portion and a posterior portion, and each of the anterior and posterior portions has an exterior surface and an interior surface, the method comprising:
- imaging epithelial cells on one or more of interior surfaces of the lens capsule before or concomitantly with cataract surgery on the subject;
- and
- ablating the imaged epithelial cells.
An apparatus for preventing or treating posterior capsular opacification, the apparatus comprising:
- an imaging system adapted for imaging epithelial cells at or beneath an anterior capsule of a crystalline lens, the imaging system being selected from the group consisting of a confocal microscope system, an adaptive optics system, an ultrasound system, a chemical agent detection system, a biological agent detection system, a multi-photon laser system, and combinations thereof;
- and
- an ablation system comprising a laser source having sufficient energy to ablate epithelial cells beneath a lens capsule without rupturing the capsule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.