Method for correcting refractive disorders
AssigneeKerus Medical Systems
InventorsKenneth G. Spears, Gerald Horn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for changing the shape of the cornea of an eye to correct refractive disorders comprises employing laser radiation having a selected wavelength, beam pattern, and beam power profile, and employing this radiation for a selected time duration, wherein the wavelength, beam pattern, beam power profile and time duration are chosen to selectively kill or injure keratocytes and to avoid shrinking the collagen in a selected treatment volume of the cornea which has a posterior boundary which is at least 10% of the total stromal depth, and preferably between 50-90% of the stromal depth.
Claims23
A method for changing the shape of a cornea having a central optical axis, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a laser to irradiate said cornea;
- and
- irradiating said cornea with a laser beam from said laser, said laser beam having a power density profile in a treatment pattern, said laser beam having a wavelength such that the absorption coefficient of said wavelength in water ranges from 5 cm.sup.-1 to 114 cm.sup.-1, with an energy sufficient to and for a time sufficient to necrotize stromal keratocytes in a selected treatment volume without substantially shrinking collagen in said cornea, said treatment depth having a posterior boundary of at least 50% of the stromal depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.