Semi-automated ophthalmic photocoagulation method and apparatus

Abstract

An ophthalmic treatment system is configured to perform scanning of target tissue in a patient's eye to at least visualize the target tissue. The scanning pivots about a patient's iris to scan a retina.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An ophthalmic treatment system configured to perform scanning of target tissue in a patient's eye to at least visualize the target tissue, wherein the scanning pivots about a patient's iris to scan a retina. 
     
     
         2 . The ophthalmic treatment system of  claim 1 , comprising a light source configured to produce treatment light for performing therapy on the target tissue in a retinal scan field by the scanning that pivots about the patient's iris. 
     
     
         3 . The ophthalmic treatment system of  claim 2 , further comprising a delivery system configured to project a pattern onto the patient's eye, the pattern containing a plurality of visible spots that separate from one another, wherein
 in response to a user operation, the delivery system delivers the treatment light to at least two treatment sites that generally match the spots in the patient's eye.   
     
     
         4 . The ophthalmic treatment system of  claim 1 , further comprising a device configured to perform the scanning, wherein
 the device is an opthalmoscope, a slit lamp biomicroscope, a fundus camera, a scanning laser ophthalmoscope, or an optical coherence tomography system.   
     
     
         5 . The ophthalmic treatment system of any one of  claims 1  to  4 , further comprising:
 a scanner configured to perform the scanning; and 
 control electronics configured to control at least the scanning by the scanner.