Summit Technology, Inc.

Other

Proteus Vision, LLC

Collapeutics, LLC

Kiefer Corp.

Peter J Klopotek

Alex C Sacharoff

David F Muller

Theo Seiler

Michael C King

Richard G Caro

Troy Harmon

Mike D'Agati

Evan Sherr

Marc Friedman

Timothy J Bell

The present invention provides an intra-ocular lens (IOL) whose focusing performance can be modified after its implantation in the eye without a need for any invasive procedure. An IOL of the invention has an optical chamber having at least a flexible region that is deformable under influence of a fluid. The IOL further include a reservoir for storing an optical fluid in fluid communication with the optical chamber, and a valve that regulates the fluid communication between the reservoir and the optical chamber. The lens can also include a pump that is actuated by an external energy source to transfer the optical fluid between the reservoir and the optical chamber to change the amount of fluid in the optical chamber, thereby modifying the focusing performance of the IOL.

Adjustable intraocular lens

Methods and apparatus are diclosed for removal of biological tissue slices or layers, preferably in the form of lamellar sections ( ) of predetermined shape and thickness employing a reference member ( ) that engages a target tissue site and cooperates with a cutter ( ) in order to remove the tissue segment or lamella. The cutter can include a flexible cutting element such as a wire or band element that is brought into physical contact with a guiding edge ( ) integrated with, or otherwise coupled to, the reference member. Alternatively, the cutter can include a stiff rigid blade element ( B) that is maintained in contact with the guiding edge. The cutter is drawn along a path defined by the guide edge through the tissue to sever, at least partialy, a tissue section. In one particularly useful aspect of the invention, devices for keratectomy are diclosed employing an ocular reference member that engages the upper central region of the cornea and cooperates with a cutter to remove a lamellar segment from the cornea. Such lamellar resections are useful in preparing the cornea for further surgery (by mechanical or laser surgical techniques), or in performing refractive keratectomy directly upon the eye, or in treating (e.g., smoothing) the corneal surface to correct abnormalities, (e.g., to remove ulcerated tissue or otherwise improve the optical properties of the cornea).

Surgical microtomes

A method and apparatus of reducing skin wrinkles, including applying an acoustic pulse or train of pulses to a subsurface region of human skin without damaging or adversely affecting the surface or epidermis layer of the skin. The pulses cause changes in the dermis layer of the skin that result in enhanced smoothness of the epidermis layer of the skin. In particular, the acoustic pulses are applied to the dermis layer at an amplitude and for a period of time sufficient to induce production of new connective tissue that reduces or eliminate of skin wrinkles.

Method and apparatus for therapeutic treatment of skin

The invention features improvements in PRK procedures that relate to preventing non-uniform removal of material from the corneal surface. It has been realized that photoablation by-products resulting during the PRK procedure can affect the accuracy and the predictability of the procedure. Under certain conditions, the plume of photoablation by-products that have left the corneal surface can non-uniformly redeposit onto the ablation area and thus affect the uniformity of subsequent material removal. The plume of photoablation by-products, in the space above the corneal surface, can also non-uniformly affect the escape of further photoablation products from the surface. In addition to the plume effects, it has been realized that the hydration level of the corneal tissue during the PRK procedure can vary over the ablation area and likewise non-uniformly affect the PRK procedure.

Photo-refractive keratectomy

A method and apparatus of reducing human skin wrinkles, including applying a focused ultrasound beam to a region of human skin to stimulate or irritate a dermis layer in the region of the skin without adversely damaging an epidermis layer in the region of the skin so as to cause a change in the dermis layer of the skin that results in a change in a smoothness of the epidermis layer of the skin. In particular, relatively low power, low frequency focused ultrasound is applied to the dermis layer for a period of time sufficient to cause a biological response in the body wherein the biological response causes synthesis and/or production of new connective tissue that results in reduction or elimination of human skin wrinkles.

Method and apparatus for therapeutic treatment of skin with ultrasound

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for warming a typist's hands to provide relief from arthritis, muscle fatigue, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and general discomfort. A radiative hand warming apparatus is disclosed, including a source of hand-warming radiation, and a holder for supporting the radiation source in proximity to a keyboard or other manual operation device, such that the user's hands can be warmed by radiant energy during typing. In one embodiment, the source of hand-warming radiation emits radiation having an intensity of about 10 to about 750 milliwatts/square centimeter as measured at the typist's hands. The radiation source can be, for example, an infrared (IR) radiation source. Such an infrared radiation source preferably emits IR radiation in at least a portion of the spectrum from about 1 to about 30 micrometers.

Radiative keyboard heating apparatus

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for removal of biological tissue slices or layers, preferably in the form of lamellar sections of predetermined shape and thickness employing a reference member that engages a target tissue site and cooperates with a cutter in order to remove the tissue segment or lamella. The cutter can include a flexible cutting element such as a wire or band element that is brought into physical contact with a guiding edge integrated with, or otherwise coupled to, the reference member. Alternatively, the cutter can include a stiff rigid blade element that is maintained in contact with the guiding edge. The cutter is drawn along a path defined by the guide edge through the tissue to sever, at least partially, a tissue section. In one particularly useful aspect of the invention, devices for keratectomy are disclosed employing an ocular reference member that engages the upper central region of the cornea and cooperates with a cutter to remove a lamellar segment from the cornea. Such lamellar resections are useful in preparing the cornea for further surgery (by mechanical or laser surgical techniques), or in performing refractive keratectomy directly upon the eye, or in treating (e.g., smoothing) the corneal surface to correct abnormalities, (e.g., to remove ulcerated tissue or otherwise improve the optical properties of the cornea).

Apparatus, methods, materials and systems for devitalizing hair follicles are disclosed in which magnetically susceptible particles are applied to a skin segment in a manner whereby the particles are deposited within the hair follicles and then subjected to a varying magnetic field to induce localized heating in the proximity of the particle, thereby devitalizing at least one component of the hair follicle to inhibit further hair growth.

Hair follicle devitalization by induced heating of magnetically

A beam profiler comprising: an intensity modifier constructed and arranged to separately modify the intensity profile of different subbeam portions of an initial beam to thereby create respective subbeams each having a respective predetermined modification; and a subbeam-directing optical system constructed and arranged to direct the multiple subbeams along respective subbeam beam paths that substantially overlap in an overlap plane, whereby, a resulting beam of radiation is created at the overlap plane that has an intensity profile equal to the optical incoherent summation of the predetermined intensity profiles of said overlapping subbeams. The intensity modifier preferably comprises an array of intensity-modifying profiling elements disposed across the initial beam each producing a corresponding subbeam.

Profiling the intensity distribution of optical beams

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for removal of biological tissue slices or layers, preferably in the form of lamellar sections of predetermined shape and thickness employing a reference member that engages a target tissue site and cooperates with a cutter in order to remove the tissue segment or lamella. The cutter preferably includes a flexible cutting element such as a wire or band element that is brought into physical contact with a guiding edge of the reference member and then draw along a path defined by the guide edge through the tissue to sever, at least partially, a tissue section. In one particularly useful aspect of the invention, methods and apparatus for keratectomy are disclosed employing an ocular reference member that engages the upper central region of the cornea and cooperates with a cutter to remove a lamellar segment from the cornea. Such lamellar resections are useful in preparing the cornea for further surgery (by mechanical or laser surgical techniques), or in performing refractive keratectomy directly upon the eye, or in treating (e.g., smoothing) the corneal surface to correct abnormalities, (e.g., to remove ulcerated tissue or otherwise improve the optical properties of the cornea).

A method and system are described for performing photorefractive keratectomy procedure employing pulses of photoablative radiation to selectively ablate corneal tissue of a patient's eye in an ablation zone on the anterior corneal surface to produce a desired refractive correction in the corneal tissue. The method and system employ control of the effect of ocular fluid at the corneal surface so as to reduce the disturbance of such fluid on the desired ablation process while maintaining hydration of the corneal tissue. Controlling the average repetition rate of the radiation pulses applied to the corneal surface so as to reduce intrapulse fluid accumulation at the corneal surface without dehydrating the corneal tissue, selecting an increased fluence level of the pulse applied to the corneal surface to reduce the effect of fluid accumulation at the corneal surface, and applying evaporative energy to the site of incidence of a pulse of an ablative beam prior to incidence of said pulse at said site are shown as ways to effect this control. Application of the new method and system to wide area ablation techniques and to scanning techniques are described Reduction of irregularities when ablating large areas, e.g., grater than 5.5 cm is made possible in either case.

Control of photorefractive keratectomy

A calibration apparatus is disclosed for measuring the properties of a laser beam. The apparatus includes a photoreactive element having a composition which reacts with laser radiation in a manner proportional to the intensity or intensity profile of the laser beam and an alignment means for disposing the photoreactive element in the path of a laser beam, such that the beam can be activate to impinge upon the photoreactive element and the properties of the beam are recorded by changes in the state of the calibration element. The calibration element may also be used to provide corrective feedback for modifying or controlling the properties of the laser beam.

Calibration apparatus for laser ablative systems

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for warming a typist's hands to provide relief from arthritis, muscle fatigue, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and general discomfort. A radiative hand warming apparatus includes, including a source of hand-warming radiation, and a holder for supporting the radiation source in proximity to a keyboard or other manual operation device, such that the user's hands can be warmed by radiant energy during typing. In one embodiment, the source of hand-warming radiation emits radiation having an intensity of about 10 to about 150 milliwatts/square centimeter as measured at the typist's hands. The radiation source can be, for example, an infrared (IR) radiation source. Such an infrared radiation source preferably emits IR radiation in at least a portion of the spectrum from about 1 to about 30 micrometers.

Apparatus and methods to modify the intensity distribution of a beam of radiation, such as a laser, and for eroding surfaces with predetermined shapes. A rotatable mask is formed with one or more apertures that have a geometric spiral shape originating substantially the center of rotation on the mask. The mask is insert to the beam for modification of the intensity of that beam, and additionally to form the desired etch pattern on a target surface. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is useful for performing kerotoplasty or keratomileusis.

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Framingham, MA, United States of America

Peter J Klopotek