Patent ID: 9545340
Date: 2017-01-17
CPC Classifications: A61F

Claim:
1. A method for micromachining a living or fixed ocular tissue, the method comprising: (a) applying a multiple-photon-absorbing chromophore to the living or fixed ocular tissue; (b) providing a laser and emitting laser pulses therefrom at a wavelength in the visible or near-infrared range, a pulse width of between 5 fs and 1 ps, a frequency between 1 MHz and 10 GHz, an average power between 1 mW and 1,000 mW, and an intensity high enough to change the refractive index of a focus spot in the ocular tissue, but not high enough to destroy the ocular tissue; (c) directing said pulses at the ocular tissue and focusing said pulses to form said focus spot such that said multiple-photon-absorbing chromophore undergoes multiple-photon absorption, wherein a size of the focus spot is between 0.5 μm and 50 μm; and (d) changing the refractive index of the ocular tissue at locations defined by the focus spot, using the multiple-photon absorption caused by the pulses, wherein the ocular tissue comprises tissue of a lens or tissue of a cornea.