초록 ▼

An instrument primarily adapted for use in photothermal keratoplasty procedures to shrink collagen tissue within a cornea of an eye being treated by controlled heating of the tissue with infra-red radiation. In a specific implementation example, a moveable multi-faceted prism is a primary optical el

An instrument primarily adapted for use in photothermal keratoplasty procedures to shrink collagen tissue within a cornea of an eye being treated by controlled heating of the tissue with infra-red radiation. In a specific implementation example, a moveable multi-faceted prism is a primary optical element that forms a desired treatment infra-red radiation pattern from a single beam source. Multiple exposures to variations of the radiation pattern are provided. Parameters of two or more exposures to spot radiation patterns are stored in a memory of the instrument, and automatically configure the instrument to deliver the two or more exposures in sequence. Automatic calibration of the radiation intensity is also provided. A guide positions the head of the patient with respect to the instrument, and sensors monitoring movement of both the head and eye provide signals used to by the instrument to control radiation delivery. Connection of a number of instruments over the Internet to a central computer system allows maintaining a central patient treatment database, storing data of any instrument failures or faults useful for instrument maintenance and charging the instrument users for the individual procedures performed. A smart card is also useable as a pre-payment device to authorize treatments to be performed by the instrument, and data from the treatment may also be recorded on the smart card.

대표청구항 ▼

[ It is claimed:] [1.] In a medical treatment apparatus capable of simultaneously projecting against an eye a plurality of electromagnetic radiation spots spaced around a circumference of a circle, wherein the diameter of the circle and rotatable position of the spots therearound are controllable, a

[ It is claimed:] [1.] In a medical treatment apparatus capable of simultaneously projecting against an eye a plurality of electromagnetic radiation spots spaced around a circumference of a circle, wherein the diameter of the circle and rotatable position of the spots therearound are controllable, a method of treating a patient eye, comprising:storing, within a memory of the apparatus, at least first and second sets of parameters of exposures of the patient eye for respective at least first and second radiation spot patterns to provide a desired correction of the patient eye, the exposure parameters including radiation energy level, circle diameter, rotatable position of the spots and relative attenuation of the individual spots,causing the apparatus to make adjustments according to the stored parameters of exposure to the first radiation spot pattern,thereafter projecting the first radiation spot pattern against the given patient eye from the apparatus adjusted to the first set of parameters of exposure,thereafter causing the apparatus to make adjustments according to the stored parameters of exposure to the second radiation spot pattern, andthereafter projecting the second radiation spot pattern against the given patient eye from the apparatus adjusted to the second set of parameters of exposure.