Patent ID: 6530916
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A method of performing corrective eye surgery, the method comprising:directing a laser beam at a cornea region of an eye of a patient, the laser beam having a cross-sectional area and an energy distribution profile extending across the cross-sectional area of the laser beam; determining a desired non-uniform energy distribution profile, the desired non-uniform profile having a central region with a first energy intensity and a peripheral region with a second energy intensity, the desired non-uniform profile being determined such that the second energy intensity is sufficiently lower than the first energy intensity to compensate for a local peripheral ablation rate being higher than a local central ablation rate so as to produce a generally uniform ablation rate depth across the laser beam; adapting the energy distribution profile extending across the cross-sectional area of the laser beam to provide a resultant laser beam having the desired non-uniform energy distribution profile adjacent the eye wherein the adapting step comprises directing the laser beam through a diffractive optic; and ablating corneal tissue of the eye with the resultant laser beam so that the non-uniform energy profile effects a generally uniform ablation depth across the cross-sectional area of the beam.