The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 26, 2003
Filed:
Oct. 05, 2000
Jack T. Holladay, Bellaire, TX (US);
Travis D. Terry, Orlando, FL (US);
Lance R. Marrou, Orlando, FL (US);
Michael J. Smith, Orlando, FL (US);
Other;
Abstract
Apparatus and techniques for performing prolate shaped corneal reshaping. In accordance with the techniques, an ablation scanning laser system includes fitter modules to fit input refractive or topographical measurement data to a three (3) variable ellipsoid model. This provides pre- and post-operative approximations of a cornea. A desired prolate shaped ablation profile is determined based on a desired prolate ellipsoidal shape. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the spheroequivalent ellipsoid model has only three degrees of freedom (not four as in a conventional biconic technique) to define a desired ablation profile, providing extremely accurate and predictable long term vision correction. To arrive at an ellipsoid model having only three numbers of freedom, a spheroequivalent (SEQ) value of asphericity Q is generated. The spheroequivalent eccentricity Q value replaces two degrees of freedom (i.e., eccentricities) in an otherwise conventional biconic modeling system, leaving only three (3) variables to determine for a best fit ellipsoid to a corneal surface, to make accurate prolate ellipsoidal modeling of a cornea possible, and to limit results to regular astigmatism that can be corrected with optical spherocylinders.