Compound astigmatic myopia or hyperopia correction by laser ablation

Patent 5997529 Issued on December 7, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 27, 2017. 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.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

2480737

3074407

3476112

3697889

3743965

3848104

Tunable laser
Patent #: 3938058
Issued on: 02/10/1976
Inventor: Yamamoto

Eye surgical instrument
Patent #: 3982541
Issued on: 09/28/1976
Inventor: L'Esperance, Jr.

Tunable laser systems and method
Patent #: 3983507
Issued on: 09/28/1976
Inventor: Tang , et al.

Eye attention monitor
Patent #: 4169663
Issued on: 10/02/1979
Inventor: Murr

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Inventors

Application

No. 957608 filed on 10/27/1997

US Classes:

606/4, Ophthalmic606/5Recurving or reshaping of the eye

Examiners

Primary: Dvorak, Linda C. M.
Assistant: Gibson, Randy W.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Foreign Patent References

1243732 CA. 10/11/1984
0 151869 A1 EP. 08/11/1985
0296982A1 EP. 06/11/1988
0151869B1 EP. 01/11/1990
0368512A2 EP. 05/11/1990
0207648B1 EP. 08/11/1990
0418890A3 EP. 03/11/1991
0602756A1 EP. 06/11/1994
PCT/FR8700139 WO. 11/11/1987
PCT/US9209625 WO. 05/11/1993
PCT/US9300327 WO. 08/11/1993
PCT/US94/02007 WO. 09/11/1994
PCT/EP95/01287 WO. 10/11/1995

International Class

A61B 017/36

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for performing corneal refractive surgery by ablating a portion of a corneal surface of an eye. The apparatus includes a pulsed laser for producing a pulsed output beam of light. A scanning mechanism scans the output beam, and the output beam is operatively associated with the scanning mechanism such that the output beam may be scanned over a predetermined surface defined by a mathematically derived ablation layer boundary curve for each ablation layer. A controller is operatively associated with the scanning mechanism so as to deliver output beams to the predetermined surface such that center points of output beams may be disposed within the ablation layer boundary curve, on the ablation layer boundary curve, and outside but within a predetermined distance from a nearest point on the ablation layer boundary curve so as to integrate the edges of the ablation layer boundary curve to more closely correspond to the desired ablated shape.

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