Intrastromal refractive surgery by inducing shape change of the cornea
OwnerShui T. Laiinventor
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Abstract
A shape change is induced in a cornea for treating a keratoconus condition, and/or correcting a refractive error and/or a high order aberration. A beam of laser pulses is focused to a stromal layer of a patient's eye, and an intrastromal pocket is ablated. An injection port is cut between the intrastromal pocket and a cornea surface of the eye. A polymerizable fluid is flowed into the intrastromal pocket through the injection port. The fluid is cured to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change.
Claims37
A method of inducing a shape change in a cornea for treating a keratoconus condition, or correcting a refractive error or a high order aberration, or other optical eye treatment, or combinations thereof, comprising:
- (a) generating a beam of laser pulses;
- (b) focusing said beam of pulses to a stromal layer of the patient's eye;
- (c) directing said beam of pulses for ablating an intrastromal pocket within the patient's eye;
- (d) further focusing and directing the beam of pulses to cut an injection port between the intrastromal pocket and a cornea surface of the eye;
- (e) flowing a polymerizable fluid into the intrastromal pocket through the injection port;
- and
- (f) curing the fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change, and
- (g) wherein the curing comprises photoreactive curing with curing light.
A method of inducing a shape change in a cornea for treating a keratoconus condition, or correcting a refractive error or a high order aberration, or other optical eye treatment, or combinations thereof, comprising:
- (a) generating a beam of laser pulses;
- (b) focusing said beam of pulses to a stromal layer of the patient's eye;
- (c) directing said beam of pulses for ablating an intrastromal pocket within the patient's eye;
- (d) further focusing and directing the beam of pulses to cut an injection port between the intrastromal pocket and a cornea surface of the eye;
- (e) flowing a polymerizable fluid into the intrastromal pocket through the injection port;
- and
- (f) curing the fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change, wherein the curing comprises applying UV light through a mask to provide a pattern for the polymeric insert.
A method of inducing a shape change in a cornea for treating a keratoconus condition, or correcting a refractive error or a high order aberration, or other optical eye treatment, or combinations thereof, comprising:
- (a) generating a beam of laser pulses;
- (b) focusing said beam of pulses to a stromal layer of the patient's eye;
- (c) directing said beam of pulses for ablating an intrastromal pocket within the patient's eye;
- (d) further focusing and directing the beam of pulses to cut an injection port between the intrastromal pocket and a cornea surface of the eye;
- (e) flowing a polymerizable fluid into the intrastromal pocket through the injection port;
- (f) curing the fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change, and
- (g) adding a bleachable absorbing agent to the polymerizable fluid.
A method of changing the shape of a cornea, comprising:
- (a) generating a substantially closed pocket in a stroma of an eye, and at least one opening connecting a cornea surface to the pocket, wherein a size of the opening is substantially smaller than an area of the pocket;
- (b) injecting a polymerizable fluid in the pocket through the opening;
- (c) conforming an anterior surface of the cornea to a shaped surface of an applanator;
- and
- (d) applying radiation energy to cure the injected material to form a rigid layer, and to maintain a permanent shape change of the cornea, and
- (e) reversing the method comprising removing the material of the rigid layer using a scissor and cutting the material through a small opening at the cornea.
A method of changing the shape of a cornea, comprising:
- (a) generating a substantially closed pocket in a stroma of an eye, and at least one opening connecting a cornea surface to the pocket, wherein a size of the opening is substantially smaller than an area of the pocket;
- (b) injecting a polymerizable fluid in the pocket through the opening;
- (c) conforming an anterior surface of the cornea to a shaped surface of an applanator;
- and
- (d) applying radiation energy to cure the injected material to form a rigid layer, and to maintain a permanent shape change of the cornea, and
- (e) wherein the applying radiation energy comprises curing the polymerizable fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing said permanent shape change, and
- (f) wherein the curing comprises photoreactive curing with curing light.
The method claim of 27, wherein the OPD map is substantially built by a thickness profile of cured material, a change of index of refraction in injected polymer, or a volume expansion of cured material in the rigid layer.
A method of changing the shape of a cornea, comprising:
- (a) generating a substantially closed pocket in a stroma of an eye, and at least one opening connecting a cornea surface to the pocket, wherein a size of the opening is substantially smaller than an area of the pocket;
- (b) injecting a polymerizable fluid in the pocket through the opening;
- (c) conforming an anterior surface of the cornea to a shaped surface of an applanator;
- and
- (d) applying radiation energy to cure the injected material to form a rigid layer, and to maintain a permanent shape change of the cornea, and
- (e) wherein the polymerizable fluid comprises of a light activated component and a thermally activated component, such that the light activated component provides the rigid layer, and the thermally activated component increases a viscosity, or turns into solid, or a combination thereof, of remaining uncured material.
A method of enhancing a mechanical strength of a cornea, comprising:
- (a) generating a pocket in a stroma of an eye having an opening to a cornea surface substantially smaller than a size of the pocket;
- (b) injecting a polymerizable fluid into the pocket through the opening;
- and
- (c) applying radiation energy to the injected fluid to form a rigid layer, and
- (d) wherein the applying radiation energy comprises curing the polymerizable fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change, and
- (e) wherein the curing comprises photoreactive curing with curing light.
A method of changing a shape of a cornea, comprising:
- (a) generating multiple excision channels in the stromal layer of a cornea and at least one opening connecting a cornea surface to the channels, wherein a size of each opening is substantially smaller than an area occupied by the channels;
- (b) injecting a polymerizable fluid to fill the channels through the at least one opening;
- (c) conforming an anterior surface of the cornea to a shaped surface of an applanator;
- and
- (d) applying radiation energy to the fluid to form a rigid layer for maintaining a permanent shape change of the cornea, and
- (e) wherein the applying radiation energy comprises curing the polymerizable fluid to form a polymeric insert, and thereby inducing a cornea shape change, and
- (f) wherein the curing comprises photoreactive curing with curing light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.