초록 ▼

Improved systems, devices, and methods are provided for verifying the scanning motion or adjustment of a laser beam. The system can advantageously be used in laser eye surgery where accurate control of the laser beam is crucial for patient safety and successful vision correction. In one embodiment,

Improved systems, devices, and methods are provided for verifying the scanning motion or adjustment of a laser beam. The system can advantageously be used in laser eye surgery where accurate control of the laser beam is crucial for patient safety and successful vision correction. In one embodiment, a laser system is provided for sculpting a portion of the eye. The system includes a laser for generating a laser beam suitable for ablation of a portion of the eye. A laser beam adjustment mechanism is optically coupled to the laser beam from the laser. The adjustment mechanism scans or adjusts the laser beam in accordance with a predetermined ablation pattern of the laser beam on the eye. An energy motion sensor optically coupled to the laser beam downstream from the adjustment mechanism is provided to verify adjustment of the laser beam in accordance with the ablation pattern. Typically, the energy motion sensor has a mask arranged to block varying portions of the laser beam in response to laser beam adjustment. Positioning of the laser beam is verified by comparing anticipated energy readings from the sensor based on the expected positional adjustment of the beam on the mask and actual energy readings measured by the sensor during the eye ablative procedure.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A corrective eye surgery system including:a laser for generating an ablative laser beam arranged to ablate eye tissue;a computer programmed to effect a desired position adjustment sequence for sequentially adjusting the ablative laser beam, the desired position adjustment sequence including a des

1. A corrective eye surgery system including:a laser for generating an ablative laser beam arranged to ablate eye tissue;a computer programmed to effect a desired position adjustment sequence for sequentially adjusting the ablative laser beam, the desired position adjustment sequence including a desired lateral position having a first central axis and a subsequent desired lateral position having a second central axis across a treatment area on a patient's eye, the second axis being non-concentric with the first axis;a laser beam adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the laser beam in accordance with the desired position adjustment sequence so as to ablate successive portions of the patient's eye extending across the treatment area on the eye during an ablation procedure; anda comparing system for comparing actual positions of the laser beam to desired positions at at least the desired lateral position having the first central axis and the subsequent desired lateral position having the second central axis as the ablation procedure progresses with the desired position adjustment sequence. 2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer is programmed to determine the desired adjustment sequence upon entry of a patient eye specific parameter into the computer. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1, which further includes a sensor positioned across a path of the laser beam, the sensor monitoring the positions of the laser beam. 4. A system as claimed in claim 3, which further includes a beam splitter, the laser beam being a source beam, the splitter splitting the source beam into a primary beam directed at the treatment area to perform the ablation procedure and a secondary beam directed at the sensor. 5. A system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor includes a laser energy sensitive surface configured to yield different energy values depending upon the position of incidence of the secondary laser beam thereon. 6. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the computer is programed to calculate expected energy values of the sensor corresponding to at least some laser beam positions determined by the adjustment sequence and in which the sensor is operatively connected to the computer to enable the computer to compare actual energy values from the sensor with the expected energy values, so as to compare actual laser beam adjustment with the desired adjustment sequence. 7. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the laser energy sensitive surface includes an underlying energy sensitive surface and a mask covering portions of the underlying surface so that as the position of incidence of the laser beam changes across the energy sensitive surface, a different portion of the beam is blocked by the mask thereby changing the degree of exposure of the underlying surface to the beam and consequently varying the energy value. 8. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor is a quadrant sensor. 9. A system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensor is a CCD sensor. 10. A laser system for sculpting a portion of the eye, said system comprising:a laser for generating a laser beam suitable for ablation of said portion of the eye;a laser beam adjustment mechanism optically coupled to said laser beam for laterally deflecting said laser beam to create an ablation pattern including a lateral position and a subsequent non-concentric lateral position on said eye; andan energy motion sensor optically coupled to at least a portion of said laser beam downstream from said laser beam adjustment mechanism for confirming deflection of the laser beam by said adjustment mechanism at at least the lateral position and the subsequent non-concentric lateral position; anda mask disposed between said beam and said sensor, said mask having a configuration adapted to vary exposure of the sensor to the laser beam as the beam moves laterally across the sensor through the series of positions. 11. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said laser b eam adjustment mechanism comprises at least one galvanometer optically coupled to said laser beam, said galvanometer having a reflective surface for repositioning said laser beam to alter the ablation pattern on the eye. 12. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said mask comprises a plurality of openings adapted to vary exposure of the sensor to the beam;said beam being of sufficient size to create distinct energy readings for each position of the beam on the sensor. 13. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said configuration limits the amount of energy from the beam reaching the sensor as the beam is moved along an X-axis of the sensor. 14. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said configuration limits the amount of energy from the beam reaching the sensor as the beam is moved along a Y-axis of the sensor. 15. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said configuration is asymmetric about an X-axis of the sensor. 16. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said configuration is asymmetric about a Y-axis of the sensor. 17. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein said energy motion sensor further comprises a mask having a plurality of openings to partially block said laser beam on the sensor to create a plurality of locations on the sensor adapted to produce distinct energy readings. 18. A laser system as in claim 10, further comprising a beam splitter separating the laser beam into a primary beam and a secondary beam, said beam splitter directing said primary beam towards the eye. 19. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a quadrant sensor. 20. A laser system as in claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises a CCD sensor. 21. A method for verifying motion of a laser beam comprising:transmitting a laser beam onto a position on an energy sensor having a mask that controls a percentage of the energy sensor exposed to the beam at each position on the sensor;determining an expected energy reading based on the percentage of the energy sensor exposed to the beam at the position on the energy sensor; andcomparing the expected energy reading of the sensor with an actual energy reading for said position on the sensor. 22. A method as in claim 21, further comprising turning off said laser beam if said actual energy reading does not match said expected energy reading. 23. A method as in claim 21, wherein the transmitting of the laser beam comprises splitting said laser beam into a primary beam and a secondary beam and transmitting said secondary beam onto the energy sensor and directing said primary beam towards a target surface. 24. A method of performing corrective eye surgery, the method, including:determining a desired position adjustment sequence for sequentially adjusting the position of an ablative laser beam, the desired position adjustment sequence including a desired lateral position and a subsequent non-concentric desired lateral position across a treatment area on a patient's eye;adjusting the laser beam in accordance with the desired position adjustment sequence by laterally deflecting the beam between actual positions so as to ablate successive portions of the patient's eye extending across the treatment area on the eye during an ablation procedure; andcomparing actual positions of the laser beam to desired positions at at least the desired lateral position and the subsequent non-concentric desired lateral position as the ablation procedure progresses with the desired position adjustment sequence. 25. A method as claimed in claim 24, which further includes interrupting the ablation procedure should the actual adjustment of the laser beam deviate from the desired adjustment sequence. 26. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the determining step includes entering a patient specific parameter into a computer and causing the computer to determine the desired adjustment sequence. 27. A method as claimed in claim 26, wherein an adjustment mechanism is operatively linked to the computer, the method including transmitting instructions from the computer to the adjustment mechanism to cause the adjustment mechanism to scan the laser beam across the treatment area in accordance with the desired adjustment sequence. 28. A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein the laser beam is a source laser beam and the comparing step includes splitting the source laser beam into a primary beam directed onto the treatment area to perform the ablation procedure and a secondary beam directed at a sensor arranged to monitor actual adjustment of the source laser beam. 29. A method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the sensor has a laser energy sensitive surface, the comparing step further including simulating adjustment of the primary beam across the treatment area by the secondary beam on the laser energy sensitive surface of the sensor. 30. A method of performing corrective eye surgery, the method including:determining a desired position adjustment sequence for sequentially adjusting the position of an ablative laser beam, the desired position adjustment sequence including a desired lateral position and a subsequent non-concentric desired lateral position across a treatment area on a patient's eye;adjusting the laser beam in accordance with the desired position adjustment sequence by laterally deflecting the beam between actual positions so as to ablate successive portions of the patient's eye extending across the treatment area on the eye during an ablation procedure;comparing actual positions of the laser beam to desired positions at at least the desired lateral position and the subsequent non-concentric desired lateral position as the ablation procedure progresses with the desired position adjustment sequence,wherein the laser beam is a source laser beam and the comparing step includes splitting the source laser beam into a primary beam directed onto the treatment area to perform the ablation procedure and a secondary beam directed at a sensor arranged to monitor actual adjustment of the source laser beam, andwherein the sensor has a laser energy sensitive surface, the comparing step further including simulating adjustment of the primary beam across the treatment area by the secondary beam on the laser energy sensitive surface of the sensor; andselectively masking the laser energy sensitive surface so as to yield differing energy values depending on a position of incidence of the secondary beam thereon. 31. A method as in claim 30, wherein the laser beam comprises a series of discrete pulses and wherein a laser beam adjustment mechanism repositions said laser beam between pulses. 32. A method as claimed in claim 30, which includes progressively comparing successive energy values actually derived from the sensor with energy values associated with the desired adjustment sequence so as to compare actual adjustment of the laser beam with the desired adjustment sequence.