Performing a procedure based on monitored properties of biological tissues

Abstract

A procedure is performed on at least one section of an ocular component. At least one first electro-magnetic radiation is provided to the section so as to interact with at least one acoustic wave in the ocular component. At least one second electro-magnetic radiation is produced based on the interaction. Multiple portions of the second electromagnetic radiation are received. Each portion was emitted from a different corresponding segment of the section. A visco-elastic modulus of the section is monitored based on the multiple portions during the procedure. Feedback is applied to the procedure based at least in part on the monitored visco-elastic modulus, including at least one of: (1) guiding a trajectory of an incision based on different respective monitored values of visco-elastic modulus for the segments, or (2) determining a number of incisions to be made based on different respective monitored values of visco-elastic modulus for the segments.

1 . A method for guiding an invasive procedure performed on an eye of a subject based on monitored properties of the eye, the method comprising:
 providing at least one first electro-magnetic radiation to the eye to interact with at least one acoustic wave in the eye, wherein, at least one second electromagnetic radiation is produced based on the interaction between the first electro-magnetic radiation and the acoustic wave;   receiving multiple portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation, each portion having been emitted from a different corresponding segment of the eye;   determining a visco-elastic modulus of at least one section of the eye based on the multiple portions; and   communicating feedback about the invasive relative to at least one of a width, depth, length, curvature, number of incisions, or location of incision to be used in the invasive procedure.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invasive procedure increases stiffness of the eye. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the invasive procedure comprises collage crosslinking of a cornea of the eye. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invasive procedure reduces stiffness of the first ocular component. 
     
     
         5 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the incision comprises a laser incision that induces optical breakdown of a first ocular-component based on cavitation bubble creation. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the incision comprises a mechanical incision that induces mechanical breakdown of a first ocular component. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first ocular component comprises a crystalline lens of the eye, and the invasive procedure reduces stiffness of the first ocular component by inducing optical breakdown of the crystalline lens. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invasive procedure uses an optical source to provide a third electro-magnetic radiation to the eye. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the invasive procedure uses an acoustic source to provide at least a portion of the energy in the acoustic wave. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation is produced based on a Brillouin scattering interaction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein communicating feedback includes applying real time feedback to guide the invasive procedure in real time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein guiding the invasive procedure in real time includes determining a plurality of values of visco-elastic modulus based on different respective values of a spectral characteristic of each of the multiple portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein communicating feedback includes guiding the invasive procedure based on different respective monitored values of visco-elastic modulus. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the visco-elastic modulus includes performing anisotropic monitoring of the visco-elastic modulus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the visco-elastic modulus includes computing a time-dependent evolution of a spatial-dependent function of multiple discrete element values, where each discrete element value is derived from a value of visco-elastic modulus for at least one of the multiple segments, and each discrete element value is updated at each of multiple sequential times during the invasive procedure. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the visco-elastic modulus for a particular segment is determined based at least in part on at least one of a spectral line width or spectral shift of a spectrum of a corresponding portion of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation. 
     
     
         22 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the visco-elastic modulus includes detecting the portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation using a polarization sensitive device to determine characteristics of the portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation that are associated with propagation direction of the acoustic wave. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the visco-elastic modulus includes detecting each of the portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation in a different location of a two-dimensional sensor array. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the visco-elastic modulus is determined for each of a plurality of the segments, and is represented as a parameter that includes a component representing a viscous modulus and a component representing an elastic modulus. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus for monitoring an invasive procedure to be performed on eye of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
 a light source configured to provide at least one first electromagnetic radiation to interact with at least one acoustic wave in the eye of the subject and produce at least one second electro-magnetic radiation based on the interaction;   imaging optics configured to receive multiple portions of the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation, each portion having been emitted from a different corresponding segment of the eye; and   a computer configured to monitor a visco-elastic modulus; and   an interface configured to deliver feedback about the invasive procedure including at least one of width, a depth, a length, a curvature, or a location of where the invasive procedure is performed on the eye of the subject.