초록 ▼

The invention contemplates instrumentation to aid in performing refraction-corrective surgery on the conrea, (1) by determining the topography of the anterior surface of the cornea, the determination being in the form of digitized data entered into computer storage, (2) by determining the local thic

The invention contemplates instrumentation to aid in performing refraction-corrective surgery on the conrea, (1) by determining the topography of the anterior surface of the cornea, the determination being in the form of digitized data entered into computer storage, (2) by determining the local thickness of the cornea along multiple axes, the determination being also in the form of digitized data entered into computer storage, and (3) by providing a CAD/CAM display of both categories of data, correlated as appropriate for the surgeon\s selective display of a corneal region, aspect or section, as the surgeon may deem pertinent to a prospective operation.

대표청구항 ▼

The method of using a digital computer to correctively improve optical properties of an eye by changing the curvature of the anterior surface of the cornea in approach to a computer-stored digital definition of an idealized three-dimensional anterior-surface curvature, which method comprises: (a) de

The method of using a digital computer to correctively improve optical properties of an eye by changing the curvature of the anterior surface of the cornea in approach to a computer-stored digital definition of an idealized three-dimensional anterior-surface curvature, which method comprises: (a) determining and digitizing the topography of the anterior surface of the cornea as a three-dimensional curved surface, and entering digitized topography data thereof into computer storage; (b) creating from said topography data and from said stored digital definition a displayed numerical statement of the spherical and cylindrical-components of difference bewteen the determined and the idealized curvatures, whereby the displayed numerical statement is also a statement which is definitive of a characterized volumetric removal of corneal tissue necessary to proceed from the determined to the idealized curvature; (c) directing ultraviolet laser radiation to the anterior surface of the cornea to selectively ablate the same by photodecomposition; and (d) using said computer-storage data to control the laser radiation to achieve a curvature change in approach to the diealized surface curvature in a volumetric removal of tissue from the anterior surface and with penetration into the stroma.