U.S. patents available from 1976 to present.
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Optical guide and method for use in corrective laser eye surgery

Patent 5807380 Issued on September 15, 1998. Estimated Expiration Date: Icon_subject April 26, 2016. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

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Issued on: 04/01/1997
Inventor: Okamoto

Inventor

Application

No. 639127 filed on 04/26/1996

US Classes:

606/5, Recurving or reshaping of the eye606/4, Ophthalmic606/166Corneal cutter or guide for corneal cutter

Examiners

Primary: Nasser, Robert L.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

A61M 035/00

Abstract

An optical guide dispenses laser light that is incident outside a selected region during laser eye surgery. The guide is formed as a body with a passageway of selected geometrical cross-section that defines a mininmum optical opening. The body has a material which circumferentially surrounds the passageway that is effective to dispense laser light incident thereto such that the energy thereof is dissipated to a level that will not affect eye tissue. A handle may optionally be provided to facilitate manipulation of the body. The passageway is preferably frustoconical. An optical system incorporates the optical guide and includes a mount that is to be placed in contact with the eye. The optical guide is secured to the mount, such as by cooperative rails and protrusions. A method is described to perform laser eye surgery using such optical guide and directing laser light along an optical path parallel to the central axis of the passageway. The laser light beam is then moved to follow a pathway that surrounds a central point. The diameter of the beam may be varied.

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