Method of ophthalmological surgery
OwnerJeffery J. Machatinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved method of ophthalmological surgery is disclosed. The method is used to change the optical characteristics of an eye through subjecting the eye's cornea to ultraviolet irradiation thereby volumetrically removing corneal tissue by way of photoablative decomposition. The method comprises the further step of subjecting a central portion of the cornea to increased ultraviolet irradiation and photoablative decomposition, over and above the irradiation of other corneal tissue. The effect is an increase in qualitative visual results while not significantly changing the refractive characteristic of the cornea.
Claims10
An improved method of ophthalmological surgery to change the optical characteristics of an eye through a primary treatment of the corneal tissue of the eye by subjection to ultraviolet irradiation to volumetrically remove a portion of said corneal tissue of said eye by way of photoablative decomposition, the method comprising the initial step of pre-treating a relatively small central portion of said corneal tissue with ultraviolet radiation causing photoablative decomposition of said central portion of said corneal tissue to a pre-determined depth, said pre-treatment of said central portion of said corneal tissue being over and above the primary treatment of said corneal tissue, said pre-treatment step increasing qualitative visual results of the ophthalmological surgery while not significantly changing the refractive characteristics of the corneal tissue.
A method of photorefractive keratectomy for making myopic or astigmatic corrections to an eye and thereby improving the refractive characteristics of the eye, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) selectively pre-treating the eye's anterior corneal surface by subjecting a small central portion of the eye's corneal tissue and the eye's epithelium to ultraviolet irradiation through the use of an excimer laser having a wavelength of 193 nm causing a portion of the eye's corneal tissue, together with the eye's overlying epithelium, to be volumetrically removed through photoablative decomposition;
- and,
- (ii) thereafter subjecting an enlarged area of the eye's corneal tissue to ultraviolet irradiation through exposure to said excimer laser causing volumetric removal of the eye's epithelium in the enlarged area and volumetric removal of a predetermined depth of the eye's corneal tissue in the enlarged area by means of photoablative decomposition.
A method for reducing the incidence of central island formation in an eye's cornea through minimizing the effects of acoustic shock waves within the eye's cornea during photorefractive keratectomy, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) removing a central portion of the eye's epithelium thereby defining a corneal treatment area;
- (ii) forming a hollow or detent, having a diameter of approximately 1 to 4 millimeters, in a central portion of the treatment area through pre-treating the central portion of said eye's corneal tissue with an excimer laser having a wavelength of 193 nm;
- and
- (iii) thereafter fully treating said corneal treatment area through subjecting the treatment area to irradiation through exposure to said excimer laser causing removal of a predetermined depth of corneal tissue,
- whereby acoustic shock waves created during the irradiation of the treatment area drive stromal fluid of the eye into the central hollow or detent.
A method for reducing the incidence of central island formation in an eye's corneal tissue through minimizing the effects of acoustic shock waves created within the eye's cornea during photorefractive keratectomy, the method comprising the steps of:
- (i) removing a central portion of the eye's epithelium thereby defining a corneal treatment area;
- (ii) forming a central hollow or detent, having a diameter of approximately 1 to 4 millimeters, in a central portion of the treatment area through pre-treating the eye's corneal tissue with an excimer laser having a wavelength of 193 nm;
- and,
- (iii) thereafter fully treating said corneal treatment area through subjecting the treatment area to irradiation through exposure to the excimer laser causing removal of a predetermined depth of corneal tissue,
- whereby acoustic shock waves created during the full treatment step drive stromal fluid of the eye into the central hollow or detent thereby filling and substantially eliminating the central hollow or detent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.