Ophthalmological device and method for the treatment of corneal diseases

A method of treating Keratonconus and Glaucoma, comprising the steps of:

• applying an effective amount of a photo-sensitizer to a cornea of an eye of a patient;
• providing a non-surgical, non-heat based ophthalmological device comprising:
• (a) a suction body having an elongated, hollow, tubular configuration with a first end and a second end;
• (b) a UV lamp disposed at the second end of the suction body for directing a beam of UV light down the hollow interior of the suction body;
• and
• (c) a vacuum source communicatively connected to a moulding head for applying the partial vacuum within the hollow interior of the suction body;
• selecting a moulding head having a hollow, tubular configuration with a first end, a second end, and a predetermined length, the second end having a curved, transparent lens having a distal moulding surface, the transparent lens being adapted to transmit UV light, the lens having a plurality of apertures therein wherein the apertures are arranged coaxially in two circular rows including an inner row and an outer row, the moulding surface having a predetermined curvature, the moulding surface being adapted to be applied to the cornea of an eye of a patient for shaping the corneal tissue to the predetermined curvature, the first end of the moulding head being connected to the first end of the suction body, the hollow interiors of the moulding heads and the suction body defining a suction chamber in which a partial vacuum is adapted to be induced by the vacuum source so as to form a partial vacuum within the moulding head which is adapted to attract the cornea onto the moulding surface through the lens apertures;
• attaching the first end of the moulding head to the first end of the suction body, whereby the UV lamp is spaced and separated from the moulding surface of the moulding head by the elongated suction body to reduce heating of the moulding surface;
• applying the moulding head to the cornea thereby to shape the cornea until a desired corneal shape is achieved;
• applying a suction to the cornea, via the vacuum source through the hollow interiors of the suction body and the moulding head, and through the lens apertures, so as to attract the cornea onto the moulding surface of the mould, the vacuum source being connected to the moulding head body via a suction connector disposed between the midpoint of the length of the of the moulding head and the second end of the moulding head;
• and
• irradiating the cornea with a focused beam of UV light, transmitted down the hollow interiors of the suction body and the moulding head, through the lens, thereby to induce a cross-linking of collagen fibres in the cornea while the cornea is attracted onto the moulding surface of the moulding head by the vacuum acting on the transparent multi-apertured moulding surface;
• whereby the partial vacuum provided by (1) the vacuum source connected away from the moulding surface a predetermined distance in the moulding head, (2) the suction chamber of the suction body, and (3) the plurality of apertures in the moulding surface of the moulding head provide an optimized moulding force to the patient's cornea during the non-heat based UV irradiation;
• and
• whereby the method does not use surgery, heat or a laser to treat Keratonconus or Glaucoma.