Nidek Co., Ltd.

Nidek Corporation

Takua Nakamura

Toshifumi Sumiya

Yoshitaka Suzuki

Motohiro Sugiura

Kazuharu Sugiyama

A corneal surgery apparatus for correcting a refractive error by ablating corneal tissue with a laser beam, being capable of finding a correction pattern optimum for a patient to ensure precise correction, and a method of determining correction data. The apparatus includes units for inputting refractive power data on a trial contact lens, converting the refractive power data to obtain ablation data, controlling an ablation amount of the corneal tissue based on the ablation data, storing the refractive power data corresponding to each contact lens, and revising the refractive power data. The method includes processes for obtaining a correction value made with a contact lens based on of an ophthalmic examination, selecting a contact lens based on the value and converting the refractive power data on the selected contact lens into the ablation data for correcting the refractive error if the trial use of the contact lens results favorably.

Corneal surgery apparatus and correction data determining methods

The present invention intends to provide a method with a relatively uncomplicated mechanism, for assessing irradiation intensity of a laser beam, whereby an operator can accurately assess irradiation intensity of the laser beam, and to provide an apparatus used through this method. The method for assessing irradiation intensity of a laser beam includes steps of irradiating the laser beam onto a reference object on which a change in its state is caused by irradiating the laser beam, and a light quantity of transmitted light of specified illumination light changes in accordance with an irradiation energy density of the laser beam when the illumination light is projected, obtaining an image formed by a change in the light quantity of the transmitted light, occurring when the illumination light is projected on the reference object having been irradiated by the laser beam, and analyzing a condition of the change in the reference object based on the obtained image, wherein an irradiation intensity distribution of the laser beam is assessed based on an analytical result.

Method for assessing irradiation intensity of a laser beam, an apparatus for assessing irradiation intensity used under this method, and a laser beam irradiation system

A corneal surgery apparatus, for ablating a cornea with a laser beam to correct a refractive error more precisely, includes an ablation amount computing device for obtaining an ablation amount of the cornea for each of plural ablation steps based on a refractive error, a determining device for determining laser irradiation control data for each of the ablation steps based on the ablation amount, a corneal shape measurement device including a projecting optical system for projecting a target on the cornea, a photographing optical system for photographing an image of corneal reflection of the target, and a shape computing device for obtaining a corneal shape by processing the photographed target image, and a correcting device for comparing a predetermined ablation amount with an actual ablation amount based on the corneal shape measured after laser irradiation and for correcting the control data for the next step based on the comparison result.

Corneal surgery apparatus

An ablation apparatus for ablating by laser beam including a laser beam providing means for providing laser beam to ablate an object to be processed into a desired form, a light beam delivering optical system for delivering the laser beam to the object to be processed, an ablation area changing diaphragm for changing ablation area on the object to be processed, and a control device for controlling the motion of the ablation area changing diaphragm, the ablation apparatus comprising instructing device for instructing the controlling device to form a curved surface with a first optical characteristic on the rate reference object which has a known ablation rate as to an ablation rate of the object to be processed, measuring device for measuring a second optical characteristic of the curved surface actually formed on a rate reference object in accordance with control by the controlling device, input device for inputting the second optical characteristic measured by the measuring device, and correcting device for calculating an ablation rate with respect to the object to be processed based on a comparison between the second optical characteristic input by the input device and the first optical characteristic whereby a driving information of the ablation apparatus is corrected.

Laser beam and ablating apparatus and related method

An ablation apparatus for ablating the surface of a cornea by laser beam having a laser source for emitting a laser beam, an ablation optical system for ablating the surface of a cornea by the laser beam emitted from the laser source, an diaphragm with a variable diameter for changing an ablation area on the cornea, a cornea shape forming device for forming a desired shape of cornea's optical zone by superposing the irradiation through the ablation optical system, an input device for inputting a data to determine a transition zone as to be connected the optical zone with a non-ablation area smoothly, and a control device for controlling the diameter of the diaphragm by determining the shape of the transition zone based on the data inputted through the input device.

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Hoi-gun, Japan

Takua Nakamura