초록 ▼

A laser beam delivery system and a method for ablating tissue, e.g., for reshaping a cornea of an eye is provided. The laser beam delivery system directs a laser beam on the tissue to be ablated in a predetermined pattern according to the principles of the present invention. The laser beam is increm

A laser beam delivery system and a method for ablating tissue, e.g., for reshaping a cornea of an eye is provided. The laser beam delivery system directs a laser beam on the tissue to be ablated in a predetermined pattern according to the principles of the present invention. The laser beam is incrementally scanned to subsequent laser beam ablation points or spots in the ablation zone in accordance with the predetermined pattern. The laser beam ablates tissue at the spots in the predetermined pattern in an arranged order. In one aspect of the present invention, the radii of the predetermined pattern is varied between scans of the laser beam until a predetermined reshaping is achieved by ablation. In another aspect of the present invention, every other, every third, every fourth, etc. laser beam spot in a predetermined pattern is ablated, and the scans are repeated for unablated points until all spots are ablated. In yet another aspect of the present invention, one or more layers in each of a plurality of annular ablation zones may be fully ablated before ablation in other annular ablation zones is performed.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of ablating tissue with an ablating laser beam, said method comprising:defining a first scan line in an ablation zone on said tissue; defining a plurality of laser beam ablation points along said first scan line; andperforming at least two passes along said first scan line

[ We claim:] [1.] A method of ablating tissue with an ablating laser beam, said method comprising:defining a first scan line in an ablation zone on said tissue; defining a plurality of laser beam ablation points along said first scan line; andperforming at least two passes along said first scan line to ablate said tissue at each of said plurality of laser beam ablation points;wherein during each of said at least two passes along said first scan line, substantially only non-adjacent ones of said plurality of laser beam ablation points are ablated along said first scan line.