Patent ID: 6342053
Filing Date: 2002-01-29
Classification: A61F

Abstract:
A method of reshaping an outside surface of a cornea of an eye, comprising:engaging an outside surface of the eye surrounding the cornea with a coupler structure that also contacts the outside surface of the cornea with a concave surface having a shape corresponding approximately to a desired emmetropic shape of the corneal outside surface, the concave surface being transparent to infrared radiation, providing a liquid layer between the outside surface of the cornea and the concave surface of the coupler, passing infrared radiation through the concave surface of the coupler, liquid layer and into the cornea in order to raise the temperature of collagen tissue within the cornea sufficiently to shrink said tissue without damaging an endothelium layer of the cornea, and urging the concave surface of the coupler against the outside surface of the cornea during the passing of infrared radiation.