Laser-delivery eye-treatment method

A method for surgical treatment of the eye by laser radiation comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing one end of a fiberoptic element through a small perforation in an outermost encapsulating tissue of the eyeball thereof adjacent a limbal portion of the cornea-sclera until said one end of said fiberoptic element penetrates into the anterior chamber of the eye,
• (b) transocularly advancing said one end of the fiberoptic element through the said anterior chamber until the penetrating end of said element is juxtaposed immediately adjacent eye tissue targeted for treatment,
• (c) coupling the opposite end of said fiberoptic element to a photoablative laser emitting photochemical radiation above an ablative threshold fluence level to effect photochemical tissue interaction of photochemical ablation and focussing the radiation being emitted from the penetrating end of the transocularly-positioned fiberoptic element upon the targeted tissue, and
• (d) then while juxtaposing the penetrating end of the fiberoptic element with the target tissue subjecting the said targeted tissue to photochemical ablative photodecomposition from the radiation being delivered through the fiberoptic element to effect photochemical removal of said targeted tissue.

A method for surgical treatment by laser radiation of a cataractous lens comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing one end of a fiberoptic element through a small perforation in an outermost encapsulating tissue of the eye after paracentesis thereof proximate a limbal area of corneal-scleral tissue until said one end of said fiberoptic element penetrates into the anterior chamber of the eye,
• (b) transocularly advancing the fiberoptic element through the anterior chamber until the penetrating end of the fiberoptic element is juxtaposed adjacent the cataractous lens targeted for treatment,
• (c) coupling the exterior end of the fiberoptic element to a photoablative laser emitting radiation at an ablative fluence level sufficient to effect photochemical tissue ablation and focussing the radiation through the transocularly-positioned fiberoptic element until the emission thereof impinges directly upon the targeted cataractous lens tissue,
• (d) slowly advancing the fiberoptic element as the radiation therefrom causes photoablation of the target lens tissues until photodecomposition of endocapsular tissue thereof is effected,
• (e) evacuating the decomposed lens fragments and adjacent tissue while simultaneously maintaining intraocular pressure and anterior chamber depth, and
• (f) withdrawing the fiberoptic element through the original perforation.

A method for surgical treatment of the eye by laser radiation comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing one end of a fiberoptic element through a small perforation in an outermost encapsulating tissue of the eyeball thereof until said one end of said fiberoptic element penetrates into the eye's anterior chamber,
• (b) transocularly advancing said one end of the fiberoptic element through the said anterior chamber until the penetrating end of said element is juxtaposed immediately adjacent eye tissue targeted for treatment,
• (c) coupling the opposite end of said fiberoptic element to a photoablative laser emitting radiation above an ablative threshold fluence level to effect photochemical tissue interaction of photochemical ablation and focussing the radiation being emitted from the penetrating end of the transocularly-positioned fiberoptic element upon the targeted tissue, and
• (d) then advancing the fiberoptic element and subjecting the targeted tissue to photochemical ablative photodecomposition from the radiation being delivered through the fiberoptic element to effect photochemical removal of said targeted tissue.

A method for surgical treatment of glaucoma by laser radiation comprising the steps of:

• (a) passing one end of a fiberoptic element through a small perforation in an outermost encapsulating tissue of the eye after paracentesis thereof adjacent a limbal area of corneal-scleral tissue until said one end of said fiberoptic element penetrates into the eye's anterior chamber,
• (b) transocularly advancing the fiberoptic element through the anterior chamber until the penetrating end of said element is juxtaposed immediately adjacent tissue targeted for treatment,
• (c) coupling an opposite end of the fiberoptic element to a photoablative laser emitting radiation above an ablative threshold fluence level for effecting photochemical tissue ablation and focussing the radiation thereof being delivered through the transocularly-positioned fiberoptic element for impingement directly upon the targeted tissue,
• (d) maintaining juxtaposition of the fiberoptic element as the radiation emitted from the penetrating end thereof effects ablative photo-decomposition of the targeted tissue to photochemically remove said targeted tissue until sclerectomy is adequate to relieve intraocular pressure, and
• (e) withdrawing the fiberoptic element through the original paracentesis to create a filtering bleb such that the eye's sub-Tenon's space communicates with the anterior chamber.