Other

Eduardo Matallana

Luis Antonio Ruiz

Antonio Ruiz

Arnoldo Narvaez

An electro-optical patternable mask is provided which is controllable by way of a processor for presenting a variety of patterns to electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment of the mask, the electro-optical mask includes an electrochromic layer that works in conjunction with deposited electrode layers (at least one with an x-y pixel array) to present a pattern of non-transmission (colored) and transmission (bleached clear) pixel cells. The sandwiched electrochromic material is supported in one embodiment with a UV grade support substrate with the electrochromic cells of the mask being individually (e.g., individual cells or small groups of individual cells in an array) controlled by a processor and interface to achieve a sequence of different or the same patterns to achieve desired ablation volume upon transmitting ultraviolet energy through the mask such as in conjunction with an opthalmic laser surgery process. In an alternate embodiment a substrate-dispersed liquid crystal material is used in the mask as the means for controlling the transmission of electromagnetic energy such as ultraviolet light of a pulsed laser. An electro-optical device featuring a stacked, preferably monolithic multiple substrate dispersed liquid crystal layer member is also described to ensure blockage of ultraviolet light that hits a pixel cell. The multi-series or multi-stacked substrate dispersed liquid crystal material cell has its field states controlled with electric field generating device which mainains an intermediate substrate-dispersed layer with an electric field across it while the outer substrate dispersed liquid crystal layers can be switched from a no field-blockage mode to an electric-field on full transmission through cell mode. The multi-stack or series electro-optical device is useful as a mask pixel cell as well as in a variety of other field involving wavelength across the visible and ultraviolet spectrum, for example. The various mask embodiments provide a reusable controllable mask well suited for ablation processes such as corneal resurfacing using an opthamological laser surgery (e.g., LASIK) system. The electro-optical mask of the present invention provides for rapid large beam application with a smooth and high precision ablation.

Controllable electro-optical patternable mask, system with said mask and method of using the same

A system and method particularly suited for controlled ablation of the cornea, using ultraviolet laser radiation, with the cornea sculpturing action resulting from a computer driven digital programmed distribution of excimer flux density across a controllable liquid crystal matrix mask to achieve a desired volume and shape of ablation for the correction of the curvature of the cornea. The optical mask, in one embodiment, is based on an arrayable matrix of individual optical pixel cells with two optical states between fully transparent to fully opaque or mirror like to the UV light. The system provides a highly versatile system for correcting known corneal defects in both regular and irregular corneas by simply executing computer customized patterns in very short time and with great precision and detail.

Controllable liquid crystal matrix mask particularly suited for performing ophthamological surgery, a laser system with said mask and a method of using the same

An eye laser system which includes a laser and a laser delivery system for delivering a laser beam generated by the laser to the eye and an eyetracking system which monitors movement of the eye and conveys eyetracking information to the laser delivery system with the eyetracking system including a non-invasive eye tilt reference marker. The reference marker projects an energy beam that is preferably visible so as to reflect off the iris of the eye and provide microscope and surgical field illumination. The reference marker includes a plurality of points arranged concentrically about the pupil of the eye and/or a concentric ring marking device. This arrangement provides information as to eye tilt for use in, for example, video frame review during an initial reference setting or a subsequent eye tracking stage. Also described are laser delivery systems including an eye tilt accommodation laser delivery systems that are well suited for use with the eyetracking system described above which provides an indication of eye tilt and provide data sufficient for determining an angle of eye tilt and hence an angle required by the laser accommodating system to provide a laser beam coincident with the axis of tilt for a tilted eye.

Method and apparatus for precision laser surgery

An electro-optical patternable mask is provided which is controllable by way of a processor for presenting a variety of patterns to electromagnetic radiation. In one embodiment of the mask, the electro-optical mask includes an electrochromic layer that works in conjunction with deposited electrode layers (at least one with an x-y pixel array) to present a pattern of non-transmission (colored) and transmission (bleached clear) pixel cells. The sandwiched electrochromic material is supported in one embodiment with a UV grade support substrate with the electrochromic cells of the mask being individually (e.g., individual cells or small groups of individual cells in an array) controlled by a processor and interface to achieve a sequence of different or the same patterns to achieve desired ablation volume upon transmitting ultraviolet energy through the mask such as in conjunction with an opthalmic laser surgery process. In an alternate embodiment a substrate-dispersed liquid crystal material is used in the mask as the means for controlling the transmission of electromagnetic energy such as ultraviolet light of a pulsed laser. An electro-optical device featuring a stacked, preferably monolithic multiple substrate dispersed liquid crystal layer member is also described to ensure blockage of ultraviolet light that hits a pixel cell. The multi-series or multi-stacked substrate dispersed liquid crystal material cell has its field states controlled with electric field generating device which maintains an intermediate substrate-dispersed layer with an electric field across it while the outer substrate dispersed liquid crystal layers can be switched from a no field-blockage mode to an electric-field on full transmission through cell mode. The multi-stack or series electro-optical device is useful as a mask pixel cell as well as in a variety of other field involving wavelength across the visible and ultraviolet spectrum, for example. The various mask embodiments provide a reusable controllable mask well suited for ablation processes such as corneal resurfacing using an opthamological laser surgery (e.g., LASIK) system. The electro-optical mask of the present invention provides for rapid large beam application with a smooth and high precision ablation.

Growing community of inventors

Santafe de Bogota, D.C., Colombia

Eduardo Matallana