Patent ID: 9351877
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: A61B,A61F

Claim Text:
1. A device for thermally separating tissue in the anterior lens capsule of an eye in a procedure creating an opening in the anterior lens capsule, the device comprising: a laser device programmed to direct a laser beam along a predetermined closed curve on the anterior lens capsule; wherein the laser beam power, wavelength, and diameter at the anterior lens capsule are selected such that the laser beam is absorbed by a light absorbing agent in or on the anterior lens capsule to locally heat the anterior lens capsule along the closed curve without ablation of the anterior lens capsule, thereby separating the anterior lens capsule along the closed curve to form an area of anterior lens capsule tissue inside the closed curve and an area of anterior lens capsule tissue outside the closed curve, the lens capsule tissue outside the closed curve defining the boundary of the opening in the anterior lens capsule; wherein the laser device is programmed to direct the laser beam in a single pass starting at an initial point interior to the closed curve, then along the closed curve, and then to a final point interior to the closed curve; wherein the laser beam diameter at the anterior lens capsule is 50 microns to 600 microns; wherein the laser beam power at the anterior lens capsule is less than or equal to 1000 mW; wherein the laser beam is directed along the closed curve at less than or equal to 10 millimeters/second; and wherein absorption of the laser beam by the light absorbing agent causes a temperature increase at the anterior lens capsule along the closed curve of between 50 degrees Celsius and 150 degrees Celsius.