System and process for retina phototherapy

Abstract

A system and process for treating retinal diseases includes passing a plurality of radiant beams, i.e., laser light beams, through an optical lens or mask to optically shape the beams. The shaped beams are applied to at least a portion of the retina. Due to the selected parameters of the beams—pulse length, power and duty cycle—the beams can be applied to substantially the entire retina, including the fovea, without damaging retinal or foveal tissue, while still attaining the benefits of retinal phototherapy or photostimulation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation, comprising:
 a laser console generating a plurality of radiant beams, wherein each beam comprises a predetermined wavelength, power, and duty cycle;   an optical lens or mask that the radiant beams pass through to optically shape the beams; and   a coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera projecting the radiant beams to at least a portion of a desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , including coupling the radiant beams into a single output beam before performing the passing through the optical lens or mask or projecting from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera, wherein the passing and projecting are performed using the single output beam. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the single output beam projected from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing system is steered according to an offset pattern configured to achieve complete coverage of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation for the wavelength of a selected beam of the plurality of radiant beams. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the single output beam projected from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera is steered according to the offset pattern so as to achieve incomplete or overlapping coverage of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation for the wavelengths of non-selected beams of the plurality of radiant beams. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the radiant beams from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera is projected sequentially to at least a portion of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein each of the radiant beams projected from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing system is steered according to an offset pattern configured to achieve complete coverage of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation for each wavelength of each of the radiant beams. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein each of the radiant beams projected from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera is steered according to the offset pattern so as to result in identical coverage of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation for each wavelength and exclude simultaneous contact of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation by multiple radiant beams. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , including separate optical lenses or masks configured so as to optically shape each radiant beam according to its wavelength so as to produce each beam in a single predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , including a diaphragm adjusted on an iris aperture so as to block the radiant beams from an outer perimeter portion of the retina, wherein the radiant beam is transmitted to an inner central portion of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , including a liquid crystal display array configured on a grid aperture so as to block the radiant beams from one or more selective grid portions of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation and transmit the radiant beams to any unblocked portions of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fundus image of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation displayed parallel to or superimposed over a result image from a retinal diagnostic modality. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the optical lens or mask includes diffractive optics to generate a plurality of spots from the beams, and wherein the plurality of spots are projected from the coaxial wide-field non-contact digital optical viewing camera to at least a portion of the desired site for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation. 
     
     
         13 . A process for performing retinal phototherapy or photostimulation, comprising the steps of:
 generating a therapeutic laser exposure of one or more radiant beams that creates a true subthreshold photocoagulation in retinal or foveal tissue of an eye, wherein each of the radiant beams comprises a predetermined wavelength, power, and duty cycle;   passing the radiant beams through optics to optically shape the radiant beams; and   applying the optically shaped radiant beams to at least a portion of the retina, including the fovea.   
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 13 , including the step of coupling the radiant beams into a single output beam before performing the passing or applying steps, wherein the passing and applying steps are performed using the single output beam. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the applying step comprises the step of steering the single output beam according to an offset pattern configured to achieve complete coverage of the retina for the wavelength of a selected beam of the one or more radiant beams. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the applying step comprises sequentially applying each of the radiant beams to the retina, wherein the applying step comprises the step of steering each of the radiant beams according to an offset pattern configured to achieve complete coverage of the retina for each wavelength of each of the one or more radiant beams. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16 , wherein the steering step comprises the step of steering each of the radiant beams according to the offset pattern so as to result in identical coverage of the retina for each wavelength and exclude simultaneous treatment of the retina by multiple radiant beams. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the passing step comprises separately passing each of the one or more radiant beams through separate optics for each of the radiant beams. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18 , including the step of configuring the separate optics so as to optically shape each of the radiant beams according to its wavelength so as to produce each radiant beam in a single predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 18 , further comprising the step of combining the optically shaped radiant beams into a single beam of multiple wavelengths having a single predetermined pattern. 
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 13 , including the step of adjusting a diaphragm on an iris aperture so as to block a portion of the radiant beams from an outer perimeter portion of the retina and transmit the radiant beams to an inner central portion of the retina. 
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21 , including the step of configuring a liquid crystal display array on a grid aperture so as to block a portion of the one or more radiant beams from one or more selective grid portions of the retina and transmit the radiant beams to any unblocked portions of the retina. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 13 , further comprising the step of displaying a fundus image of the retina parallel to or superimposed over a result image from a retinal diagnostic modality. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 13 , wherein the optics comprise an optical lens or mask including diffractive optics to generate a plurality of laser spots from the one or more radiant beams. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 24 , wherein the applying step comprises simultaneously applying the plurality of laser spots to at least a portion of the retina, including the fovea, wherein each of the plurality of laser spots creates true subthreshold photocoagulation.