Claims
- 1. A method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated, said method comprising:
determining an initial surface around a visual axis of an eye; determining a visual system error of said eye; applying said visual system error to said initial surface to determine a target surface; offsetting said initial surface and said target surface each by an amount substantially equal to an offset of said visual axis from said pupil center; and subtracting said target surface from said initial surface to establish ablation values.
- 2. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, further comprising:
locating said visual axis of said eye.
- 3. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 2, further comprising:
locating said pupil center of said eye.
- 4. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein said initial surface and said target surface each comprise:
a keratometric surface.
- 5. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein said initial surface comprises:
a wavefront surface.
- 6. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein:
said wavefront surface is a piecewise refractive surface.
- 7. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein:
said established ablation values are determined along a diameter of a chosen corneal treatment zone.
- 8. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 7, further comprising:
ensuring that said established ablation values along said diameter of said chosen corneal treatment zone and within said diameter are positive thereby defining a resulting ablation profile.
- 9. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 8, further comprising:
using said resulting ablation profile as a guide for corneal tissue to be ablated, with greater positive values defining deeper ablation depths.
- 10. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 8, wherein said step of ensuring comprises:
setting to zero any negative ones of said established ablation values.
- 11. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein:
said step of determining said initial surface utilizes a topographic keratometer.
- 12. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein:
said step of determining said visual system error utilizes a phoropter.
- 13. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein:
said step of determining said visual system error utilizes an auto-refractor device.
- 14. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 1, wherein said step of applying said visual system error to said initial surface comprises:
adding said visual system error to said initial surface.
- 15. The method of identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 7, wherein:
said diameter of said chosen corneal treatment zone is substantially equivalent to a pupil aperture.
- 16. Apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated, comprising:
means for determining an initial surface around a visual axis of an eye; means for determining a visual system error of said eye; means for applying said visual system error to said initial surface to determine a target surface; means for offsetting said initial surface and said target surface each by an amount substantially equal to an offset of said visual axis from said pupil center; and means for subtracting said target surface from said initial surface to establish ablation values.
- 17. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, further comprising:
means for locating said visual axis of said eye.
- 18. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 17, further comprising:
means for locating said pupil center of said eye.
- 19. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein said initial surface and said target surface each comprise:
a keratometric surface.
- 20. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein said initial surface comprises:
a wavefront surface.
- 21. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein:
said wavefront surface is a piecewise refractive surface.
- 22. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein:
said means for subtracting determines said ablation values along a diameter of a chosen corneal treatment zone.
- 23. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 22, further comprising:
means for ensuring that said ablation values determined along said diameter of said chosen corneal treatment zone are positive thereby defining a resulting ablation profile.
- 24. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 23, further comprising:
means for using said resulting ablation profile as a guide for corneal tissue to be ablated, with greater positive values defining deeper ablation depths.
- 25. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 23, wherein said means for ensuring comprises:
means for setting to zero any negative ones of said established ablation values.
- 26. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein:
said means for determining said initial surface utilizes a topographic keratometer.
- 27. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein:
said means for determining said visual system error utilizes a phoropter.
- 28. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein:
said means for determining said visual system error utilizes an auto-refractor device.
- 29. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 16, wherein said means for applying said visual system error to said initial surface comprises:
means for adding said visual system error to said initial surface.
- 30. The apparatus for identifying corneal tissue to be ablated according to claim 22, wherein:
said diameter of said chosen corneal treatment zone is substantially equivalent to a pupil aperture.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is based on and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/241,752 filed on Oct. 20, 2000, the entirety of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60241752 |
Oct 2000 |
US |