Abstract:
The present invention relates to a contact lens assembly and to an ophthalmic treatment apparatus comprising same. The contact lens assembly according to the present invention comprises: a housing arranged on the cornea of an eyeball so as to guide the treatment beam radiated onto the eyeball; and a reflection unit arranged inside the housing so as to radiate the treatment beam guided to the inside of the housing to a plurality of irradiation points along the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball around the pupil of the eyeball.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a contact lens assembly and an ophthalmic treatment apparatus including the same and, more particularly, to a contact lens assembly for treating glaucoma and an ophthalmic treatment apparatus including the same. 
         [0003]    2. Related Art 
         [0004]    In general, the diseases of an eyeball are basically divided into glaucoma, a cataract, macular degeneration, etc. Glaucoma is a disease of an eyeball in which lacrimal gland, etc. are occluded and thus intraocular pressure within the eyeball is increased, a cataract is a disease of an eyeball in which the crystalline lens is whitened, and macular degeneration is a disease of an eyeball that is generated in the retina. 
         [0005]    A method of treating glaucoma of such diseases of an eyeball includes radiating a beam for treatment, such as a laser, to the ciliary body of the outer circumference of the cornea in order to reduce intraocular pressure of an eyeball, that is, vitreous humour. 
         [0006]    Meanwhile, a conventional glaucoma treatment apparatus has been disclosed in “Korean Patent Application Publication No. 2003-0092736” entitled “Glaucoma Treatment Apparatus Using a Semiconductor Laser.” The “glaucoma treatment apparatus using a semiconductor laser”, that is, the aforementioned prior art, includes treatment means for radiating a guide beam in response to an operator&#39;s manipulation so that a treatment location is checked and a laser beam of an IR region is radiated to the tissue of the treatment location in order to treat glaucoma through photocoagulation and output means for enabling the operator to be aware of the current operating status of the treatment means. 
         [0007]    However, the “glaucoma treatment apparatus using a semiconductor laser” disclosed in the conventional prior document is problematic in that the time taken for treatment is increased because the glaucoma treatment apparatus must be moved to each radiation location so that a laser beam is radiated along the outer circumference of the cornea at a specific interval. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    An object of the present invention is to provide a contact lens assembly having an improved method of radiating a beam for treatment so that a beam for treatment radiated for glaucoma treatment is radiated along the circumference of the cornea at specific intervals and an ophthalmic treatment apparatus including the same. 
         [0009]    According to the present invention, means for solving the object is accomplished by a contact lens assembly for treating glaucoma, including a housing which is disposed on the cornea of an eyeball and guides a beam for treatment radiated to the eyeball and a reflection unit which is disposed within the housing and guides the beam for treatment guided to the inside of the housing to a plurality of radiation locations in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball around a pupil of the eyeball. 
         [0010]    In this case, the reflection unit preferably has a rotational axial line in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the beam for treatment is incident and is subject to a rotational motion so that the beam for treatment is radiated to the plurality of radiation locations in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball at specific intervals. 
         [0011]    The reflection unit may include a mirror unit which is disposed within the housing and reflects the beam for treatment incident on the inside of the housing and a driving unit which is connected to the mirror unit and provides a driving force so that the mirror unit is subject to the rotational motion. 
         [0012]    Preferably, a plurality of the reflection units may be disposed at specific intervals within the housing depending on a turn angle of the reflection unit. 
         [0013]    Furthermore, preferably, the reflection unit may be provided in a sheet form, and a plurality of the reflection units may be disposed along an inner circumferential surface of the housing so that a location where the beam for treatment is radiated is moved in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball. 
         [0014]    Furthermore, preferably, the reflection unit may have curvature corresponding to curvature of the inner circumference of the housing and may be provided to have a specific length along the inner circumferential surface of the housing so that a location where the beam for treatment is radiated is moved in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball. 
         [0015]    In contrast, the reflection unit may include a mirror unit of a sheet form which is disposed within the housing and reflects the beam for treatment incident on the inside of the housing in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball and a driving unit which moves the mirror unit along an inner circumferential surface of the housing so that the mirror unit reflects the beam for treatment in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball. 
         [0016]    Meanwhile, according to the present invention, means for solving the object is accomplished by an ophthalmic treatment apparatus for treating glaucoma, including a beam generation unit which generates a beam for treatment, a beam delivery unit which guides the beam for treatment generated by the beam generation unit to an eyeball, and the aforementioned contact lens assembly disposed between the eyeball and the beam delivery unit. 
         [0017]    In this case, preferably, the beam delivery unit may control the radiation path of the beam for treatment that is incident from the beam generation unit and that is radiated to the contact lens assembly. 
         [0018]    The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and the drawings. 
         [0019]    The contact lens assembly and the ophthalmic treatment apparatus including the same according to the present invention is advantageous in that a beam for treatment can be radiated to a plurality of radiation locations in a short time because the reflection unit for illuminating a plurality of radiation locations is disposed in the outer circumferential direction of an eyeball and thus treatment efficiency can be improved. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0020]      FIG. 1  is a schematic configuration diagram of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0021]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0022]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating locations where beams for treatment are radiated using the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0023]      FIG. 4  a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0024]      FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, 
           [0025]      FIG. 6  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, and 
           [0026]      FIG. 7  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0027]    Hereinafter, contact lens assemblies and ophthalmic treatment apparatuses including the same in accordance with embodiments of the present invention are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
         [0028]    Prior to a description, it is to be noted that although a beam generation unit and a beam delivery unit, that is, elements of ophthalmic treatment apparatuses in accordance with first to fourth embodiments of the present invention, are assigned the same reference numerals, the contact lens assemblies and their subordinate elements, that is, characteristics of the embodiments, are assigned different numerals even if they have the same names. 
       First Embodiment 
       [0029]      FIG. 1  is a schematic configuration diagram of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating locations where beams for treatment are radiated using the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 4  a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0030]    As illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 4 , the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention includes a beam generation unit  10 , a beam delivery unit  30 , and a contact lens assembly  50 . The ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention guides a beam for treatment, generated by the beam generation unit  10 , to the beam delivery unit  30  and the contact lens assembly  50  and radiates the beam for treatment to the ciliary body of an outside circumference of the cornea Co of an eyeball O, that is, a ciliary body supporting the crystalline lens Cr, in order to treat glaucoma. 
         [0031]    The beam generation unit  10  is provided in order to generate a beam for treatment. The beam generation unit  10  generates a laser as a beam for treatment. The laser generated by the beam generation unit  10  has a wavelength band that may be applied to the ciliary body of the outside circumference of the cornea Co. In this case, the beam generation unit  10  may include a resonator or laser diode including a laser medium so that the laser is generated as the beam for treatment. 
         [0032]    The beam delivery unit  30  guides a beam for treatment, generated by the beam generation unit  10 , to the contact lens assembly  50 . The beam delivery unit  30  includes an XY scanner  32 , a collimation unit  34 , and a beam splitter  36 . 
         [0033]    The XY scanner  32  is provided in order to control a location where a beam for treatment is radiated on an XY plane, that is, a direction perpendicular to the optical axial line of the beam for treatment. The XY scanner  32  includes at least two mirrors (not illustrated) for controlling a location where a beam for treatment is radiated on the XY plane. 
         [0034]    In this case, the beam generation unit  10  or the beam delivery unit  30  may further include a shutter (not illustrated) for selectively radiating a beam for treatment to an affected part. The shutter can prevent a beam for treatment from being consecutively radiated while a radiation location is changed by the beam delivery unit. Furthermore, control may be performed so that a beam for treatment is radiated after a change into a desired radiation location and a beam for treatment is radiated after the radiation location is changed again. 
         [0035]    The collimation unit  34  guides a beam for treatment incident from the XY scanner  32  to the contact lens assembly  50 . The collimation unit  34  is formed of an object lens. The beam splitter  36  is disposed between the XY scanner  32  and the collimation unit  34  and guides a beam for treatment from the XY scanner  32  to the collimation unit  34 . 
         [0036]    The contact lens assembly  50  includes a housing  52  and reflection units  54 . The contact lens assembly  50  reflects an incident beam for treatment to radiation locations so that the beam for treatment is radiated to the ciliary body of the outside circumference of the cornea Co at specific intervals. 
         [0037]    The housing  52  is disposed on the cornea Co of the eyeball O, and it guides a beam for treatment that is radiated to the eyeball  0 . That is, the housing  52  comes in contact with the cornea Co of the eyeball O. The housing  52  has a conical shape of a trapezoid, that is, cross-sectional shape having both sides open. 
         [0038]    The reflection units  54  are disposed within the housing  52 , and they radiate beams for treatment guided to the inside of the housing  52  to a plurality of radiation locations in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball O around the pupil Pu of the eye of the eyeball O. The reflection unit  54  performs a rotational motion with a rotational axial line in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a beam for treatment is incident so that the beam for treatment is radiated to a plurality of radiation locations at specific intervals in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball O. The reflection units  54  are disposed at specific intervals within the housing  52  depending on a turn angle. 
         [0039]    That is, as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a plurality of the reflection units  54  is disposed so that beams for treatment are radiated to radiation locations ‘1 to 8.’ For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , four reflection units  54  may be provided so that beams for treatment are radiated to respective radiation locations ‘1 and 2’, ‘3 and 4’, ‘5 and 6’, and ‘7 and 8.’ However, the reflection units  54  illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4  are only an embodiment, and the number of reflection units  54  may be changed depending on the number of radiation locations. The reflection unit  54  according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a mirror unit  54   a  and a driving unit  54   b.    
         [0040]    The mirror unit  54   a  is provided in order to reflect a beam for treatment guided to the inside of the housing  52  toward a radiation location. Four mirror units  54   a  are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction in such a way as to correspond to the four reflection units  54 . The mirror unit  54   a  may be configured to rotate at a specific angle on a plane that forms the circular cross section of the contact lens assembly. (Alternatively, the mirror unit  54   a  performs a rotational motion with a rotational axial line in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which a beam for treatment is incident. 
         [0041]    The driving unit  54   b  is connected to the mirror unit  54   a,  and it performs a rotational motion on the mirror unit  54   a.  The driving unit  54   b  is provided so that it corresponds to the number of mirror units  54   a.  The driving unit  54   b  generates a driving force so that the mirror unit  54   a  is subject to a rotational motion and provides the driving force to the mirror unit  54   a.    
       Second Embodiment  
       [0042]      FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0043]    As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention includes the beam generation unit  10 , the beam delivery unit  30 , and a contact lens assembly  150 . In this case, the beam generation unit  10  and the beam delivery unit  30  are the same as those of the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. 
         [0044]    The contact lens assembly  150  in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention includes a housing  152  and reflection units  154 . Each of the reflection units  154  is provided in a sheet form. A plurality of the reflection units  154  is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing  152  so that a location where a beam for treatment is radiated is moved in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball O. Beams for treatment can be radiated to a plurality of radiation locations because the plurality of reflection units  154  is disposed at equal intervals on the inner circumferential surface of the housing  152  as described above. 
       Third Embodiment 
       [0045]      FIG. 6  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0046]    The ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention includes the beam generation unit  10 , the beam delivery unit  30 , and a contact lens assembly  250 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0047]    The contact lens assembly  250 , that is, a technical characteristic of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention, includes a housing  252  and a reflection unit  254 . The reflection unit  254  has curvature corresponding to the curvature of the inner circumference of the housing  252 , and it is disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the housing  252 . The reflection unit  254  having curvature has a specific length along the inner circumferential surface of the housing  252  so that a location where a beam for treatment is radiated is moved in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball  0 . The reflection unit  254  reflects a beam for treatment that is incident on the inside of the housing  252  and radiates the beam to a plurality of radiation locations because the reflection unit  254  having curvature corresponding to the curvature of the inner circumference of the housing  252  is disposed in a specific length as described above. 
       Fourth Embodiment 
       [0048]      FIG. 7  is a plan view illustrating the operation of the contact lens assembly of an ophthalmic treatment apparatus in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0049]    As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes the beam generation unit  10 , the beam delivery unit  30 , and a contact lens assembly  350 . 
         [0050]    The contact lens assembly  350  of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a housing  352  and a reflection unit  354 . In this case, the reflection unit  354  moves along the inner circumferential surface of the housing  352  and guides a beam for treatment incident on the inside of the housing  352  to a plurality of radiation locations. The reflection unit  354  includes a mirror unit  354   a  and a driving unit  354   b.    
         [0051]    The mirror unit  354   a  is disposed within the housing  352  and provided in a sheet form so that it reflects a beam for treatment that is incident on the inside of the housing  352  in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball O. The driving unit  354   b  provides a driving force that moves the mirror unit  354   a  along the inner circumferential surface of the housing  352  so that the mirror unit  354   a  reflects a beam for treatment in the outer circumferential direction of the eyeball O. As described above, the mirror unit  354   a  can move along the inner circumferential surface of the housing  352  by a driving force provided by the driving unit  354   b  and radiate a beam for treatment that is incident on the inside of the housing  352  to a plurality of radiation locations. 
         [0052]    An operational process of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  having such a configuration in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention is described below. 
         [0053]    The operational process of the ophthalmic treatment apparatus  1  to be described below is described based on the first embodiment, that is, a representative example. 
         [0054]    First, the contact lens assembly  50  is brought in contact with the cornea Co of the eyeball O of a patient. Furthermore, the beam generation unit  10  operates and generates a beam for treatment. The beam for treatment generated by the beam generation unit  10  is guided to the contact lens assembly  50  by the beam delivery unit  30 . 
         [0055]    In this case, the beam for treatment that is incident on the housing  52  of the contact lens assembly  50  is reflected by the reflection unit  54  and radiated to a radiation location according to the circumference of the eyeball O outside the eyeball O. In this case, if the mirror unit  54   a  of the reflection unit  54  disposed within the housing  52  is configured to rotate or move (the first embodiment and the fourth embodiment), the driving unit  54   b  provides a driving force to drive the mirror unit  54   a  so that the incident beam for treatment is radiated to a plurality of radiation locations. 
         [0056]    In this case, in the first embodiment, the driving unit  54   b  of the mirror unit  54   a  that belongs to the plurality of mirror units and that corresponds to the direction in which the beam for treatment is incident may be controlled based on the operation contents of the beam delivery unit so that the driving unit  54   b  is driven. In this case, the driving unit  54   b  may control the rotational operation of the mirror unit  54   a  based on the operation cycle of the aforementioned shutter so that the rotational operation corresponds to the cycle in which the beam for treatment is radiated. 
         [0057]    Meanwhile, in the fourth embodiment, the driving unit  54   b  may control the mirror unit  54   a  based on the operation contents of the beam delivery unit and the operation cycle of the shutter by taking into consideration the direction in which the beam for treatment is incident and the cycle in which the beam for treatment is incident so that the location of the mirror unit  54   a  is moved. 
         [0058]    As described above, the reflection unit for illuminating a plurality of radiation locations is disposed in the outer circumferential direction of an eyeball. Accordingly, a beam for treatment can be radiated to a plurality of radiation locations in a short time, and thus treatment efficiency can be improved. 
         [0059]    As described above, although the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention may be implemented in other detailed forms without changing the technical spirit or indispensable characteristics of the present invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the aforementioned embodiments are illustrative and not limitative from all aspects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the detailed description, and the present invention should be construed as covering all modifications or variations derived from the meaning and scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.