Patent ID: 6562027
Filing Date: 2003-05-13
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A method for improving the accuracy of photorefractive keratectomy for a laser during ophthalmological surgery upon a patient, comprising:identifying a photorefractive keratectomy ablation profile topography for the patient's eye; converting said photorefractive keratectomy ablation profile topography into a targeted energy map based upon a predetermined ablation rate for the laser; applying a UV power meter in the optical path of the laser beam for measuring of the laser pulse energy; applying a UV power meter in the optical path of the laser beam for measuring of the laser pulse size; applying a UV power meter in the optical path of the laser beam for measuring a laser pulse location during performance of an ablation upon the patient's eye, the ablation rate determined by measuring of a size of a convergent or divergent last spot, before and after a known number of laser pulses are conducted; summating the total energy measured at each location in said ablation; creating a three-dimensional map of the measured energy delivered during the performance of photorefractive keratectomy upon the patent's eye; comparing the targeted energy map and the measured energy map; and for areas of the patient's eye with measured energy below the targeted energy, applying more laser pulses until the measured energy equals the targeted energy.