Optical coherence tomography assisted surgical apparatus
AssigneeCarl Zeiss AG
InventorsJay Wei, Thomas Hellmuth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Ophthalmologic surgical microscope which is combined internally with an optical coherence tomography ("OCT") apparatus wherein auto-focusing is provided by driving a motorized internal focusing lens of the ophthalmologic surgical microscope with a signal output from the OCT apparatus. An embodiment of the inventive ophthalmologic surgical microscope includes: (a) an optical coherence tomography ("OCT") apparatus; (b) a beamcombiner for internally coupling output from the OCT apparatus into the ophthalmologic surgical microscope; and (c) a motor for moving an internal focusing lens of the ophthalmologic surgical microscope in response to a signal from the OCT apparatus, whereby the ophthalmologic surgical microscope is auto-focused.
Claims49
Apparatus for determining tissues effected by laser radiation that remain in an object that has been exposed to the laser radiation, which apparatus comprises:
- an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus;
- a scanner which:
- (a) scans the object with radiation output from the OCT apparatus and (b) couples radiation backscattered from tissues remaining in the object into the OCT apparatus;
- the OCT apparatus comprising a detector, in response to the backscattered radiation, which outputs detection signals;
- and
- an analyzer which analyzes the detection signals output from the OCT apparatus to determine measures of amplitude of the backscattered radiation to produce an output which indicates tissues remaining in the object whose properties of interaction with the radiation have been effected by the laser radiation.
Apparatus for applying laser radiation to an object and identifying tissues remaining in the object whose properties of interaction with the radiation have been effected by the laser radiation, which apparatus comprises:
- a controller;
- a laser which outputs laser radiation in response to input from the controller;
- a laser delivery system which applies the laser radiation to the object;
- an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus;
- a scanner which, in response to input from the controller:
- (a) scans the object with radiation output from the OCT apparatus and (b) couples radiation backscattered from tissues remaining in the object into the OCT apparatus;
- the OCT apparatus comprising a detector, in response to the backscattered radiation, which outputs detection signals;
- an analyzer which analyzes the detection signals output from the OCT apparatus to produce an output which indicates tissues remaining in the object whose properties of interaction with the radiation have been effected by the laser radiation;
- and
- a display device which, in response to the output from the analyzer, displays the tissues.
Apparatus for applying laser radiation to an object, determining tissues remaining in the object whose properties of interaction with the radiation have been effected by the laser radiation, and affecting the laser radiation applied to the object, which apparatus comprises:
- a laser for producing laser radiation in response to signals from a laser control unit;
- a laser delivery system for applying the laser radiation to the object;
- an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus;
- a scanner which:
- (a) scans the object with radiation output from the OCT apparatus and (b) couples radiation backscattered from tissues remaining in the object into the OCT apparatus;
- the OCT apparatus comprising a detector, in response to the backscattered radiation, which outputs detection signals;
- and
- an analyzer which:
- (a) analyzes the detection signals output from the OCT apparatus to produce an output which indicates tissues remaining in the object whose properties of interaction with the radiation have been effected by the laser radiation and, in response to the output, (b) produces a further output which is applied as input to one or more of:
- (a) the laser control unit and (b) the laser delivery system to set one or more of:
- (a) an exposure time, (b) a power, and (c) a spot size of the laser radiation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.