SLO-based laser guidance for treating vitreous floaters
Inventors
Bor, Zsolt • Malek Tabrizi, Alireza
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-12758425-B2
Publication Date
2026-10-13
Expiration Date
Abstract
In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic surgical laser system for imaging and treating an eye floater includes an SLO subsystem, a treatment laser subsystem, a scanner, optical elements, and a computer. The SLO subsystem provides an SLO laser beam with an SLO focal point, and the treatment laser subsystem provides a treatment laser beam with a treatment focal point that spatially coincides with the SLO focal point. The scanner scans the SLO laser beam across a scan region and directs the treatment laser beam to the xy-location of the scan region. The optical elements aim the SLO laser beam and the treatment laser beam at substantially the same point of the scan region. The computer receives an SLO image of the floater, determines an xy-location of the floater, and instructs the treatment laser subsystem to direct the treatment laser beam towards the xy-location and the z-scan location of the floater.
Core Innovation
The disclosed ophthalmic laser system uses a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) to image a vitreous floater through its shadow on the retina, without OCT. The SLO and treatment laser focal points spatially coincide, and optical elements move the scan region in the z-direction to the floater. A computer analyzes the shadow image to determine whether the floater is clinically significant and, if so, directs treatment toward its xy-location and z-scan location.
The described system and method also include features for determining floater location, moving the scan region through adjustment of optical components, and monitoring retinal radiation exposure. Other described features include floater tracking, three-dimensional imaging, and treatment pulses directed to a three-dimensional volume covering at least 80% of the floater’s volume. The background section is not included in the provided content, so the problem being solved is not explicitly described in patent.
Claims Coverage
The provided claims include two independent claims: claim 1 covers an ophthalmic surgical laser system, and claim 21 covers a method for treating a floater. Their main inventive features are the SLO-based assessment and location of a floater and the direction of treatment to its xy- and z-scan locations.
Ophthalmic surgical laser system for treating a floater
The system uses an SLO subsystem with a pinhole filter conjugated to the SLO focal point, and a treatment laser whose focal point spatially coincides with the SLO focal point. A computer analyzes an image of the floater’s retinal shadow, determines clinical significance from image-derived characteristics, and, if significant, directs treatment toward the floater’s xy-location and z-scan location.
Method for treating a floater
The method provides SLO and treatment laser beams with spatially coinciding focal points, scans and focuses the SLO beam at the floater’s z-scan location, and analyzes an image of the floater’s retinal shadow. If the floater is clinically significant, the method determines its xy-location and directs the treatment laser beam toward its xy- and z-scan locations.
The independent claims cover a system and a method that use SLO imaging of a floater’s retinal shadow to assess clinical significance and direct a treatment laser to the floater’s location.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Treating a floater in the vitreous of an eye.
Interested in licensing this patent?