Automated laser workstation for high precision surgical and industrial interventions

A method for conducting precision ophthalmic surgery at a surgery site on or in a patient's eye tissue, comprising:

• generating a short pulse laser beam capable of effecting photodisruption of the patient's eye tissue so as to effect desired surgery by sequences of pulses traversing through a surgical path in the eye tissue, including within transparent tissue of the patient's eye,
• providing a user interface control means for enabling a surgeon to select and initiate a pattern of surgery in the eye tissue of the patient,
• presenting live, high resolution, magnified video images of the surgery site to the surgeon on a video monitor, using a high resolution video imaging means,
• with a laser beam delivery system, performing the steps of
• (a) receiving the short pulse laser beam and aiming the beam at a point in X-Y directions and focussing the beam at a depth with optical means and when appropriate toward a target in the patient's eye, through a front lens element,
• (b) controlling the position at which the beam is aimed in X-Y directions, using a beam steering means connected to the optical means,
• (c) controlling the depth at which the laser beam is focussed, with a beam focussing means connected to the optical means,
• tracking eye movements of the patient during the progress of the surgery, in X and Y directions, with an X-Y tracking means for tracking a feature of the eye, and as to depth movements of the eye with a depth or Z tracking means,
• automatically shifting the optical path means as the feature of the eye is tracked through X-Y and Z movements, so as to change the aim and focus of the laser beam when necessary to follow such movements of the eye, with the aid of a microprocessor connected to the tracking means, and
• automatically interrupting delivery of the laser beam to the patient when it is determined via the microprocessor that the tracking means has lost the feature being tracked.

A laser workstation for precision laser interventions on a work site target at a work site, for carrying out a precision operation directed by a user, the workstation comprising:

• a laser generating a pulsed laser beam capable of effecting a desired type of intervention on the work site so as to effect the operation on or in the work site by sequences of pulses traversing an optical path,
• a user interface coupled to the laser, the user interface including a control input enabling the user to initiate a pattern of interventions at the work site, and including an imaging system presenting images of the work site to the user,
• a laser beam delivery system including:
• (a) an optical train in the optical path of the beam, the optical train aiming the beam at a point in X-Y directions as desired toward a work site target according to the pattern and including a front element from which the beam is transmitted toward the work site,
• (b) a beam steering mechanism coupled to the optical path so as to control the position at which the beam is aimed in X-Y directions,
• a template controller in communication with the beam steering mechanism so as to define the pattern of successive laser interventions across the work site as overlaid on magnified images of the work site, and for automatically carrying out the template-controlled interventions without active participation by the user during the operation, the template controller including a library of stored preprogrammed templates and configured to, in response to input from the user, select a template from the template library, scale the template, and situate the template relative to the worksite,
• a tracking system generating signals in response to movements of the work site during the progress of the operation, the tracking system including an X-Y tracker for tracking a feature of the worksite in X and Y directions,
• a processor coupling the tracking system to the beam steering mechanism so as to automatically shift the optical path as the feature of the work site is tracked through X-Y movements, and so as to change the aim of the laser beam to follow such movements of the feature, and
• an interrupt circuit coupled to the microprocessor, the interrupt circuit interrupting delivery of the laser beam to the work site when it is determined via the microprocessor that the tracking system has lost the feature being tracked.

A laser workstation for precision laser interventions on a work site target, for carrying out a precision operation, comprising:

• laser means for generating a short pulse laser beam capable of effecting a desired type of intervention on the work site so as to effect the operation by sequences of pulses traversing through a path on or in the work site,
• user interface means including control means for enabling a user to select and initiate a pattern of interventions at the work site, and including video imaging means with a video monitor, for presenting video images of the work site to the user,
• a laser beam delivery system including
• (a) optical path means for receiving the short pulse laser beam and for aiming the beam at a point in X-Y directions and focussing the beam at a depth as desired toward a work site target including a front lens element from which the beam exits the optical path means toward the worksite,
• (b) beam steering means connected to the optical path means for controlling the position at which the beam is aimed in X-Y directions,
• (c) beam focussing means connected to the optical path means for controlling the depth at which the laser beam is focussed,
• template means controlled by the user for generating and implementing a template or path of successive laser interventions across the work site as overlaid on magnified video images of the work site displayed on the video monitor, and for automatically carrying out the template-controlled interventions without active participation by the user during the operation,
• tracking means for tracking movements of the work site during the progress of the operation, including X-Y tracking means for tracking a feature of the worksite in X and Y directions,
• microprocessor means connected to the tracking means for automatically shifting the optical path means as the feature of the work site is tracked through X-Y movements, so as to change the aim of the laser beam when necessary to follow such movements of the feature, and
• interrupt means associated with the microprocessor means for interrupting delivery of the laser beam to the work site when it is determined via the microprocessor means that the tracking means has lost the feature being tracked.