Laser System for Eye Surgery

Abstract

The here described invention generally relates to systems for laser eye surgery. It certain embodiments it discloses systems to perform femtosecond eye surgery without docking between the laser delivery system and the patient's eye as well as certain laser delivery system configurations that allow integration of laser delivery systems into a surgical microscope in specific ways, as well as integration into a slit lamp system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for eye surgery, comprising a femtosecond laser system to cut a tissue structure of an eye with a laser beam;
 the femtosecond laser system comprising at least a laser delivery system and a laser engine wherein the laser beam propagates through the laser delivery system and into the eye without a docking connection between the laser delivery system and the eye.   
     
     
         2 . A system as in  claim 1  where the structure of the eye includes a lens capsule, limbal relaxing incisions, corneal incisions, vitreous, retina, and anterior chamber. 
     
     
         3 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein a patient interface is affixed to the eye and the patient interface has no physical connection to the laser delivery system. 
     
     
         4 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the laser delivery system is mounted under a surgical microscope in such a way that allows viewing of the eye through the surgical microscope while the laser beam is simultaneously delivered into the eye through the laser delivery system. 
     
     
         5 . A system as in  claim 4 , wherein the laser delivery system can be moved between an engaged and a disengaged position under the surgical microscope while the surgical microscope stays aligned over the eye. 
     
     
         6 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the femtosecond laser system further includes an articulating arm having a proximal end connected to the laser engine and a distal end connected to the laser delivery system, allowing the laser beam to propagate from the laser engine to the laser delivery system. 
     
     
         7 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the femtosecond laser system includes a guidance system. 
     
     
         8 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the laser engine is integrated as a sub-module into a common housing with at least a portion of a phacoemulsification system. 
     
     
         9 . A system as in  claim 1 , wherein the femtosecond laser system is controlled by a phacoemulsification system. 
     
     
         10 . A system for eye surgery, comprising a femtosecond laser system to cut a tissue structure of an eye with a laser beam;
 the femtosecond laser system at least comprising:
 a laser engine; and 
 a laser delivery system, wherein the laser beam propagates through the laser delivery system and into the eye, and the laser delivery system including a 45 deg mirror and at least one focusing lens; and 
 wherein the laser delivery system is configured such that the laser beam propagating through the delivery system is first propagating through the at least one focusing lens and then being reflected by the 45 deg mirror towards the eye. 
   
     
     
         11 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the laser delivery system is mounted under a surgical microscope configured for a patient laying under the surgical microscope in a horizontal position, and where the laser delivery system is mounted under the surgical microscope in such a way that allows a viewing path through the surgical microscope into the eye and the viewing path through the surgical microscope also propagating through the 45 deg mirror, and that viewing path not propagating through the at least one focusing lens. 
     
     
         12 . A system as in  claim 11 , wherein the laser delivery system can be moved between an engaged and a disengaged position under the surgical microscope while the surgical microscope stays aligned over the eye. 
     
     
         13 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the femtosecond laser system can be controlled to cut the tissue structure of the eye that includes a lens capsule, limbal relaxing incisions, corneal incisions, vitreous, retina, and anterior chamber. 
     
     
         14 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the femtosecond laser system further includes an articulating arm having a proximal end connected to the laser engine and a distal end connected to the laser delivery system, allowing the laser beam to propagate from the laser engine to the laser delivery system. 
     
     
         15 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the eye is affixed to a patient interface and the patient interface is docked to laser delivery system thereby creating a physical connection between the eye and the laser delivery system. 
     
     
         16 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the laser engine is integrated as a sub-module into a common housing with at least a portion of a phacoemulsification system. 
     
     
         17 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the femtosecond laser system is controlled by a phacoemulsification system. 
     
     
         18 . A system as in  claim 10 , wherein the 45 deg mirror is mounted in a motorized gimbal mount that allows the reflected laser beam to be scanned in a x-axis and a y-axis creating a two dimensional scanning plane. 
     
     
         19 . A system for eye surgery, comprising a slit lamp microscope system and a femtosecond laser system to cut a tissue structure of an eye with a laser beam.
 the femtosecond laser system at least comprising a laser engine; and
 a laser delivery system, wherein the laser beam propagates through the laser delivery system and into the eye; and 
   furthermore, the femtosecond laser system being integrated into the slit lamp microscope system.