Imaging system for surgical lasers
AssigneeIntelligent Surgical Lasers
InventorsJosef F. Bille, Stuart I. Brown
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ocular imaging system for use with a surgical laser device comprises a light source radiating a beam which is coaxially aligned with the surgical laser beam. An aperture is place in the path of the beams to limit the quantity of light that can pass along the path. A steering mechanism is provided to move the coaxially aligned beams across the surface of the eye, and a confocal optical arrangement is provided to establish one of the beams' focal points at the aperture and the other as desired by the operator. Means are provided to detect the intensity of light reflected through the aperture and signal when this intensity surpasses a threshold value that is indicative of a specular reflection from the interface between tissues having different indices of refraction.
Claims17
An ocular imaging system for determining the location of an interface between media having different indices of refraction which comprises:
- a light source for radiating a beam;
- a pin hole aperture positioned along said beam;
- means for focusing said beam confocally with said aperture;
- and
- monitoring means responsive to the intensity of light that is specularly reflected through said aperture to indicate when said beam is focused on said interface.
An ocular system for specularly imaging an interface between materials having different refractive indices which comprises:
- a light source for directing a beam of light along a path toward said interface;
- a pinhole aperture positioned in said path;
- means positioned in said path for steering said beam;
- means to adjustably focus said beam along said path;
- and
- monitoring means responsive to specular reflections from said interface through said aperture to indicate when said beam is focused on said interface.
A method for imaging the interface between tissues having different indices of refraction which comprises the steps of:
- (A) Aiming a beam of light toward said interface;
- (B) Positioning an aperture along said beam;
- (C) Focusing said beam through said aperture and onto said interface for obtaining specular reflections from said interface;
- (D) Confocally focusing said reflections through said aperture;
- and
- (E) Determining when said confocal focusing is accomplished.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.