System and method for treating an eye

Abstract

The invention provides a device for delivering electromagnetic radiation to a limbal area of an eye that transforms one or more beams of electromagnetic radiation that are incident on a first side into one or more emitted beams of the electromagnetic radiation where the one or more beams are arrayed in a cylindrical array, an array of one or more beams each beam having a cross sectional shape of a circular arc or an array comprising a beam having an annular cross section. The invention also provides a system for delivering electromagnetic radiation to the limbal area of an eye that includes one or more devices of the invention and a source of electromagnetic radiation. The system may be used in the treatment of glaucoma.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A system for delivering electromagnetic radiation to a region of an eye, the system comprising:
 (a) at least one source of electromagnetic radiation configured for producing a treatment beam of a first electromagnetic radiation and a second aiming beam of a second electromagnetic radiation of a visual spectral range;   at least one device configured for directing therethrough the first and second beams of the first and second electromagnetic radiations from said at least one source of electromagnetic radiation to one or more regions of an eye, said at least one device being configured in accordance with a circumference of a limbus or a sclera around the limbus and being manipulatable for directing the aiming visible beam onto said circumference thereby enabling visible control of the treatment beam propagation through said device to the one or more regions on said circumference,   each of said at least one devices having a first side and a second side, and transforming each of the treatment and aiming beams from the first and second sources that are incident on the first side of the device into one or more beams of the respective electromagnetic radiation propagating from the second side.   
     
     
         29 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein said one or more beams of radiation delivered to said circumference region of an eye form illumination of a ring-like annular cross section shape. 
     
     
         30 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein the at least one device comprises an element opaque to the first and second electromagnetic radiation and having therein a circular array of spaced-apart apertures each aperture extending from a first face of the opaque element to a second face of the opaque element. 
     
     
         31 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein said first and second beams of the electromagnetic radiations are produced by first and second radiation sources. 
     
     
         32 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein the at least one device comprises a thin plate having one or more apertures that are arrayed in the plate to overly locations on said circumference. 
     
     
         33 . The system according to  claim 29 , wherein the ring-like annular cross section of the radiation delivered to the circumference region of an eye has an inner diameter of 9 mm and an outer diameter of 13 mm. 
     
     
         34 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least one source of electromagnetic radiation is automatically operable to direct the treatment beam through said at least one device onto the one or more regions on said circumference of the limbus or sclera around the limbus. 
     
     
         35 . The system according to  claim 32 , wherein said device has at least one of the following configurations: (a) said apertures comprises apertures having a circular cross section; (b) said apertures comprise apertures of an arced shape; and (c) said plate is configured to be rotatable so that each aperture can be positioned over different locations on said circumference. 
     
     
         36 . The system according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least one device has one of the following configurations: (1) comprises a cylindrical array of optic fibers; (2) comprises a refractive or diffractive optical element. 
     
     
         37 . The device according to  claim 28 , wherein said at least one device comprises a cylindrical array of optic fibers embedded in an opaque element and extending from a first face of the opaque element to a second face of the opaque element. 
     
     
         38 . The system according to  claim 31 , wherein the first source is a laser. 
     
     
         39 . The system according to  claim 38 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a wavelength in at least one of visible or near infrared range. 
     
     
         40 . The system according to  claim 39  wherein the laser is a 532 Nd:YAG laser. 
     
     
         41 . The system according to  claim 28  further comprising a processor configured to execute a predetermined regime of activation of the source of electromagnetic radiation to produce said first treatment beam. 
     
     
         42 . The system according to  claim 41  wherein the predetermined regime of activation of the source of electromagnetic radiation is a pulse regime comprising generation of a series of pulses. 
     
     
         43 . The system according to  claim 42  wherein said pulse regime provides at least one of the following: (i) the pulses are between 0.1 to 3 nanoseconds in duration; (ii) the fluence of a single pulse is from 0.84 to 10,000 J/cm 2 ; and (iii) the total energy delivered to a single eye is from 4 to 20 J. 
     
     
         44 . A method for delivering electromagnetic radiation to a region of an eye, the method comprising
 (b) directing a first treatment beam of first electromagnetic radiation and a second aiming beam of second electromagnetic radiation of a visible spectrum towards the limbal area of the eye;   (c) passing each of said first and second beams of the first and second electromagnetic radiations through a beam shaping device configured in accordance with a circumference of a limbus or a sclera around the limbus and manipulating said beam shaping device for delivering the aiming visible beam onto said circumference thereby enabling visible control of the treatment beam propagation through said device in the form of one or more beams to the one or more regions on said circumference.   
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44  for use in the treatment of glaucoma.