Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F9/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting in contact-lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
  • A61F9/007—Methods or devices for eye surgery
  • A61F9/008—Methods or devices for eye surgery using laser
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61F—FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS
  • A61F9/00—Methods or devices for treatment of the eyes; Devices for putting in contact-lenses; Devices to correct squinting; Apparatus to guide the blind; Protective devices for the eyes, carried on the body or in the hand
  • A61F9/007—Methods or devices for eye surgery
  • A61F9/008—Methods or devices for eye surgery using laser
  • A61F2009/00861—Methods or devices for eye surgery using laser adapted for treatment at a particular location
  • A61F2009/00872—Cornea

Definitions

• the invention relates to a device for treating the eye with a laser in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1.
• Devices of this type are used, for example, for coagulation of the fundus with an argon laser, for treatments or for operations in the front sections of the eye with a neodymium-YAG laser or for radial keratotomy with an excimer or infrared laser .
• the invention is based on the object of specifying a device for treating the eye with a laser in which the time required for treatments in which a large number of laser spots have to be set is substantially reduced.
• a solution to this problem according to the invention is characterized by its developments in the claims.
• At least one beam multiplier is arranged in the beam path of the laser, which splits the beam of the laser into at least two partial beams.
• These partial beams have a certain spatial relationship to one another, i.e. for example, they have a certain angular distance from one another and a certain distance from the optical axis and are mapped together onto the area of the eye to be treated.
• the treatment time for example for larger fundus areas, is shortened by multiplying the laser spots in accordance with the number of laser spots, for example, the treatment time per laser shot is reduced by a factor of 10 when the laser beam is split into 10 partial beams.
• the beam multiplier used according to the invention can in principle be of any design.
• the beam multiplier can consist of a diffraction grating, a hologram, mirrors, a pair of plane lenses or a calcate prism, for example a so-called Wollaston prism.
• a particularly preferred embodiment of the beam multiplier is characterized in claim 2.
• a prism plate with radially arranged prisms is used as the beam multiplier.
• Such a prismatic plate has a number of advantages:
• the number of laser spots is given by the number of prisms and the spacing of the individual spots by the wedge angle.
• the power of the laser is divided among the individual spots.
• each laser spot generated by a prism has the same energy distribution over the spot diameter if the beam splitter prism is arranged in the parallel beam path of the laser.
• the energy distribution is also equal to the distribution that one. obtained if the laser beam is imaged without a beam multiplier.
• the prismatic plate If all prisms of the prismatic plate are of the same design, laser spots are obtained which are arranged equidistant from the optical axis and in which the same power is output in each case.
• the power of the laser beam can be divided differently between the individual laser spots by correspondingly different angular extent of the individual spots.
• the device according to the invention can not only be used to generate a series of laser beam spots which are arranged next to one another, but also, according to claim 8, to generate a comparatively large spot with almost homogeneous energy distribution by superimposing the individual laser beam spots which merge into one another .
• the beam multiplier according to the invention is therefore also suitable for spot size variation with the advantage that the power distribution in the enlarged spot no ⁇ Gaussian distribution, but a nearly "rechteckför--shaped distribution.
• FIG. 1 shows a device for laser treatment of the eye, in the beam path of which a beam multiplier is arranged
• FIG. 2a shows an exemplary embodiment of a beam multiplier according to the invention
• Figure 2b shows the laser spot arrangement
• FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a beam multiplier according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 shows a device for laser treatment of the eye, in which a laser beam (1) is reflected from below into the housing (2) of a slit lamp microscope (not shown in more detail). This laser beam is guided in a manner known per se as a parallel beam through the arm of the slit lamp microscope and is expanded by optical elements (not shown) before the part of the beam path shown.
• the reflected laser beam is focused by means of a mirror (3) and imaging optics (4) on the fundus of an eye to be treated, of which only one plane of focus (5) is indicated schematically.
• Figure 2a shows an embodiment of such a beam multiplier (6) in cross section or in supervision.
• the beam multiplier (6) consists of a small plane-parallel plate (7) with a circular contour, which is arranged in the optical axis (11) of the laser beam (1).
• FIG. 2b shows, part of the laser beam (1) passes through the plate (7) uninterrupted, while the rest of the laser beam is deflected by the prisms (81 ... 88) according to their wedge angle. This deflection is indicated schematically in FIG. 2a by two partial beams (1 ') and (1 ").
• Figure 2b shows the arrangement of laser spots, which results with the beam multiplier (6) shown in Figure 2a.
• nine laser beam spots (91) to (99) are obtained in the exemplary embodiment shown.
• the laser beam spot (91) is located in the optical axis (11) of the arrangement, while the spots (92) to (99) are mutually independent both from one another and from the optical axis (11).
• FIG. 3 shows a further exemplary embodiment of a beam multiplier according to the invention, which has prisms (81) to 88 with a wedge angle not equal to 0 ° and prisms (101), (102), (103) and (104) with the wedge angle "0 °" .
• These prisms do not influence the laser beam, so that this beam multiplier also results in a central laser spot in the optical axis 11 and 8 laser spots arranged around it, which are mutually constant and each have the same distance from the optical axis.
• the beam multiplier provided according to the invention cannot only be arranged according to FIG. 1; Of course, it is possible to guide it in the divergent, convergent or parallel beam path of any laser beam guide, for example a guide through or onto one Slit lamp to be provided.
• the individual laser beam spots can not only be discrete, spaced-apart spots, it is also possible for the individual spots to overlap. It is particularly advantageous if the individual spots are superimposed such that the superimposition of the individual laser light power distributions in the individual spot areas results in an almost homogeneous and rectangular power distribution over the entire spot area.
• the beam multiplier provided according to the invention is therefore also suitable for enlarging the laser beam spot with the advantage that a targeted influencing of the energy distribution in the enlarged laser beam spot is possible.
• the circular arrangement of the individual spots can be used: for example, it is possible to arrange the individual spots in such a way that a beam cross section that is particularly useful for radial keratotomy is obtained.
• the beam multiplier provided according to the invention does not have to consist of prisms. Rather, it is also possible to use a beam multiplier according to the invention Diffraction gratings, a hologram, mirrors, plane lens pairs or calcite prisms can be realized.
• the combination with a wobble lens can also be used to reproduce the laser spots again.
• a plurality of differently designed beam multipliers can also be arranged on a revolver or recoss disc, so that the different beam multipliers can optionally be swiveled into the beam path one after the other.
• treatment with a different number of spots and / or spot arrangement is or. 'treatment with ' different spot sizes of a large laser spot possible ' .
• a motorized control of Recoss disks enables programmable laser treatment with previous laser planning, an empty field in the Recoss disk allows conventional laser treatment with only a single laser spot.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Vascular Medicine (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Laser Surgery Devices (AREA)
• Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
• Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=6303363

Family Applications (1)

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• 1986
  • 1986-06-20 DE DE19863620744 patent/DE3620744A1/de active Granted
• 1987
  • 1987-06-20 US US07/162,322 patent/US4884884A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1987-06-20 EP EP87904023A patent/EP0276232A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 1987-06-20 JP JP62503728A patent/JPS63503521A/ja active Pending
  • 1987-06-20 WO PCT/DE1987/000279 patent/WO1987007829A2/de not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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