Patent Publication Number: US-2023157890-A1

Title: Surgical contact lens system with a patient contact lens

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates generally to surgical contact lenses, and more particularly to a surgical contact lens system with a patient contact lens and a method for using the system. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In ophthalmic laser surgery, a surgeon may direct a laser beam into the eye to treat the eye. For example, a laser beam may be directed into the vitreous to treat eye floaters. Eye floaters are clumps of collagen proteins that form in the vitreous. These clumps disturb vision with moving shadows and distortions. To treat eye floaters, the surgeon places a surgical contact lens onto the eye to direct the laser beam into the eye. The laser beam is used to disintegrate the floaters, thus improving vision. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     In certain embodiments, a surgical contact lens system for ophthalmic treatment with a laser beam includes a patient contact lens and a surgical contact lens. The patient contact lens reduces one or more refractive error(s) of the eye. The patient contact lens has a concave surface and a convex surface. The concave surface is to be disposed outwardly from a cornea of an eye. The surgical contact lens has an eye end to be disposed outwardly from the convex surface of the patient contact lens. The surgical contact lens includes a frame and an optical component coupled to the frame. The patient contact lens reduces pressure from the surgical contact lens to reduce corneal folding of a posterior surface of the cornea. The optical component of the surgical contact lens and the patient contact lens transmit the laser beam to treat the eye. 
     Embodiments may include none, one, some, or all of the following features:
         The patient contact lens reduces corneal folding of the posterior surface of the cornea such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.   The patient contact lens reduces refractive error(s) of the eye such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.   A refractive error is an astigmatism.   The patient contact lens includes a hydrogel, silicone, silicone hydrogel, or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) material.   The patient contact lens is a hydrogel contact lens, a silicone hydrogel contact lens, a gas permeable (GP) lens, a rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens, a scleral contact lens, a hybrid contact lens, or a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) lens.   The eye end of the surgical contact lens is to be disposed outwardly from a contact gel that is disposed between the convex surface of the patient contact lens and the eye end of the surgical contact lens.   The surgical contact lens is an ocular Karickhoff four mirror lens, an ocular Karickhoff off-axis lens, an ocular Peyman lens, or a Singh mid-vitreous lens.   The optical component of the surgical contact lens and the patient contact lens transmit the laser beam to irradiate a floater in a vitreous of the eye.   The surgical contact lens is hand-held.       

     In certain embodiments, a method for using a surgical contact lens system for ophthalmic treatment with a laser beam includes disposing a patient contact lens outwardly from a cornea of an eye. The patient contact lens is designed to reduce one or more refractive error(s) of the eye and has a concave surface and a convex surface, where the concave surface is to be disposed outwardly from the eye. A surgical contact lens is disposed outwardly from the patient contact lens. The surgical contact lens has an eye end to be disposed outwardly from the convex surface of the patient contact lens. The surgical contact lens comprises an optical component coupled to a frame. The patient contact lens reduces force from the surgical contact lens in order to reduce corneal folding of a posterior surface of the cornea. The laser beam is directed through the optical component of the surgical contact lens and the patient contact lens to treat the eye. 
     Embodiments may include none, one, some, or all of the following features:
         The method further includes reducing, by the patient contact lens, the corneal folding of the posterior surface of the cornea such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.   The method further includes reducing, by the patient contact lens, the refractive error(s) of the eye such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.   A refractive error is an astigmatism.   The method further includes disposing a contact gel outwardly from the convex surface of the patient contact lens between the patient contact lens and the eye end of the surgical contact lens.   The method further includes irradiating a floater in a vitreous of the eye by transmitting the laser beam through the optical component of the surgical contact lens and the patient contact lens.   The surgical contact lens is disposed outwardly from the patient contact lens by hand.       

     In certain embodiments, a patient contact lens for ophthalmic treatment with a laser beam has a concave surface and a convex surface. The concave surface is to be disposed outwardly from a cornea of an eye. The convex surface is to be in contact with an eye end of a surgical contact lens. The surgical contact lens includes an optical component coupled to a frame of the surgical contact lens. The optical component transmits the laser beam to treat the eye. The patient contact lens reduces one or more refractive error(s) of the eye, reduces pressure from the surgical contact lens to reduce corneal folding of a posterior surface of the cornea, and transmits the laser beam to treat the eye. 
     Embodiments may include none, one, some, or all of the following features:
         The patient contact lens reduces the corneal folding of the posterior surface of the cornea such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.   The patient contact lens reduces the refractive error(s) of the eye such that wavefront error of the laser beam is reduced.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    illustrates an example of a surgical contact lens system that reduces laser beam wavefront errors, according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG.  2    illustrates an example of a patient contact lens that may be used with the surgical contact lens system of  FIG.  1   , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG.  3    illustrates an example of a surgical contact lens that may be used with the surgical contact lens system of  FIG.  1   , according to certain embodiments; 
         FIG.  4    illustrates an example of corneal folds; and 
         FIG.  5    illustrates an example of a method that may be used with the surgical contact lens system of  FIG.  1    to reduce laser beam wavefront errors, according to certain embodiments. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the description and drawings, example embodiments of the disclosed apparatuses, systems, and methods are shown in detail. The description and drawings are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit the claims to the specific embodiments shown in the drawings and disclosed in the description. Although the drawings represent possible embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be simplified, exaggerated, removed, or partially sectioned to better illustrate the embodiments. 
     Surgical contact lenses are important to direct the laser beam into the eye during surgery, but they can contribute to laser beam wavefront errors. Unknown to most people, surgical contact lenses create corneal folds in the eye, which contribute to wavefront errors. Wavefront errors undesirably increase the laser pulse energy needed to treat an eye (e.g., the energy needed to remove a floater from the eye). Accordingly, reducing wavefront errors lowers the needed pulse energy, which in turn improves retinal safety and treatment efficiency (e.g., floater disintegration efficiency). Improving efficiency decreases the number of pulses needed for treatment, thus reducing treatment time. 
     The surgical contact lens system disclosed herein includes a patient contact lens that reduces laser beam wavefront errors. The patient contact lens is disposed between the cornea and a surgical contact lens. The lens alleviates pressure on the cornea from the surgical contact lens, thus reducing corneal folds. The patient contact lens may also include corrective features that reduce the refractive error of the eye, further reducing wavefront errors. Thus, the surgical contact lens system reduces factors that degrade the laser beam, allowing for improved treatment of the eye. 
       FIG.  1    illustrates an example of a surgical contact lens system  110  that reduces laser beam wavefront errors, according to certain embodiments. Surgical contact lens system  110  includes a patient contact lens  120  disposed outwardly from cornea  114  of eye  112  and a surgical contact lens  122  disposed outwardly from patient contact lens  120 . Laser beam  116  is transmitted through an optical component of surgical contact lens  122  and patient contact lens  120  to treat eye  112 . 
     Patient contact lens  120  reduces corneal folding of a posterior surface of cornea  114  and refractive error of eye  12 , which in turn reduces wavefront error of laser beam  116 . Patient contact lens  120  is disposed between cornea  114  and outer surface  124  of surgical contact lens  122 . The material of lens  120  alleviates pressure on cornea  114  by reducing and/or distributing the force of surgical contact lens  122  on cornea  114 , which reduces corneal folding. Reducing corneal folding includes reducing folding to the extent that the folding is eliminated. Patient contact lens  120  may also have corrective features that reduce (or may even correct) refractive error of eye  12  when lens  120  is placed onto cornea  114 . Reducing refractive error includes reducing error to the extent that the error is corrected. 
       FIG.  2    illustrates an example of patient contact lens  120  that may be used with surgical contact lens system  110  of  FIG.  1   , according to certain embodiments. Patient contact lens  120  has a concave surface  126  and a convex surface  128 . Concave surface is configured to be disposed outwardly from cornea  114 . Patient contact lens  120  may have corrective features (such as those of commercial corrective contact lenses) designed to reduce refractive error of the eye. Reducing a refractive error may range from decreasing the amount of error to substantially correcting the error. Patient contact lens  120  may reduce any suitable refractive error, such as a spherical error or higher order error, e.g., astigmatism. Patient contact lens  120  may also reduce corneal folding of cornea  114  by reducing and/or distributing the force of surgical contact lens  122  on cornea  114 . Reducing corneal folds may range from decreasing the height of or substantially eliminating the corneal folds that would have occurred in the absence of patient contact lens  120 . 
     Patient contact lens  120  may have any suitable size that can be placed outwardly from cornea  114 . In certain embodiments, patient contact lens  120  may be slightly larger (e.g., a diameter greater by up to, e.g., 5 mm) than the outer diameter of surgical contact lens  122  such that lens  120  may be disposed between cornea  114  and surgical contact lens  122  to protect cornea  114  from the pressure of surgical contact lens  122 . In other embodiments, patient contact lens  120  may be the same size as or slightly smaller (e.g., a diameter less than by up to, e.g., 5 mm) than the outer diameter of surgical contact lens  122 . 
     Patient contact lens  120  may comprise any suitable material, such as a rigid material that can reduce and/or distribute the force of surgical contact lens  122  on cornea  114 . Examples of suitable material include hydrogel, silicone, silicone hydrogel, and/or polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Examples of lens  120  include a hydrogel contact lens, silicone hydrogel contact lens, gas permeable (GP) lens, rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens, scleral contact lens, hybrid contact lens (a lens with a rigid GP central region surrounded by an outer region of hydrogel or silicone hydrogel material), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) lens. 
       FIG.  3    illustrates an example of surgical contact lens  122  that may be used with surgical contact lens system  110  of  FIG.  1   , according to certain embodiments. Surgical contact lens  122  has an eye end  140  and an operator end  142 . Eye end  140  is to be disposed outwardly from eye  112  and has a flange  134  that may be sized in the range of the average cornea +/−5 mm. Operator end  142  is to be handled by an operator such as a surgeon, and may have texture that allows the operator to easily handle end  142 . Surgical contact lens  122  includes one or more optical components  130  and a frame  132 , which has an annular shape. 
     Optical components  130  are coupled to and may be disposed within frame  132 , and serve to magnify and/or focus the interior of eye  112 . In general, an optical component transmits, refracts, reflects, or otherwise modulates light. In certain embodiments, optical components  130  include lens(es) and/or mirror(s) magnify and/or focus the interior of eye  112 . In certain embodiments, outer surface  124  of optical components  130  has a curvature slightly less than that of the cornea, e.g., the radius of curvature may be 0 to 5 millimeters (mm) greater than that of the cornea, which may be approximately 7 mm. 
     Examples of surgical contact lens  122  include a Karickhoff four mirror lens, Karickhoff off-axis lens, Peyman lens, Sing mid-vitreous lens, and other frames with optical components that allow an operator to view an eye. For example, an ocular Karickhoff four mirror lens has four mirrors and a central axis view, which provides a view of the interior of the eye. As another example, an ocular Karickhoff off-axis lens has an off-axis view, which allows the operator to rotate the lens to view off-axis regions of the eye, without patient moving their eye. The focus point may allow for monitoring of the retina during treatment. As another example, an ocular Peyman lens may include lenses with focal points that treat different regions of the eye, e.g., the anterior chamber to the posterior capsule, mid-vitreous, and deep vitreous. As another example, a Singh mid-vitreous lens may provide views from the lens posterior to the retina. 
     In certain embodiments, a contact gel (e.g., a bubble-free optically-homogeneous contact gel) may be applied to patient contact lens  120  to accommodate surgical contact lens  122  and to allow for a better optical connection between patient contact lens  120  and surgical contact lens  122 . In the embodiments, eye end  140  of surgical contact lens  122  is configured to be disposed outwardly from the contact gel applied to patient contact lens  120 . 
       FIG.  4    illustrates examples of corneal folds  150  that may be caused by an applanation plate  152  of certain known surgical contact lens systems. In general, corneal folds  150  are only detectable with highly sensitive imaging systems (e.g., OCT systems), so most people in the field fail to realize that folds  150  exist. 
     The different refractive indices of the cornea  114  and aqueous  154  cause the corneal folds  150  to yield significant wavefront errors of a laser beam. The corneal refractive index is 1.376, and the aqueous refractive index is 1.336, so the difference in refractive indices is 1.376−1.336=0.04. The RMS wavefront error may be determined according to H μm×0.04=0.04 H=0.04 H λ, where H represents the height of the corneal folds  150 . In some cases, the height H of corneal folds  150  may be as high as 100 μm. An RMS wavefront error reduces the Strehl ratio, which is the ratio of peak intensities in the focal point with an aberrated and perfect phase front. For example, an RMS wavefront error of 0.13 λ reduces the Strehl ratio from 1 to 0.5, that is, reduces the intensity of the focal point to 50%. 
       FIG.  5    illustrates an example of a method that may be used with surgical contact lens system  110  of  FIG.  1    to reduce laser beam wavefront errors, according to certain embodiments. The method starts at step  310 , where a patient contact lens is disposed outwardly from the cornea. The patient contact lens is designed to reduce corneal folding and to reduce refractive error of the cornea, which in turn reduce wavefront errors of the laser beam. Contact gel is disposed outwardly from the patient contact lens at step  312  to allow for a better optical connection between the patient contact lens and surgical contact lens. 
     A surgical contact lens is disposed outwardly from the contact gel and patient contact lens at step  314 . The surgical contact lens includes an optical component coupled to a frame. In certain embodiments, the patient contact lens alleviates pressure on the cornea by reducing and/or distributing the force of the surgical contact lens on the cornea, which reduces corneal folds and laser beam wavefront errors. A laser beam is directed through the optical component and patient contact lens to treat the eye at step  316 . In certain embodiments, the laser beam is used to perform laser vitreolysis to remove floaters from the eye. The laser beam irradiates the floater to fragment, disintegrate, and/or remove the floater. 
     Although this disclosure has been described in terms of certain embodiments, modifications (such as changes, substitutions, additions, omissions, and/or other modifications) of the embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, modifications may be made to the systems and apparatuses disclosed herein. The components of the systems and apparatuses may be integrated or separated, or the operations of the systems and apparatuses may be performed by more, fewer, or other components, as apparent to those skilled in the art. As another example, modifications may be made to the methods disclosed herein. The methods may include more, fewer, or other steps, and the steps may be performed in any suitable order, as apparent to those skilled in the art. 
     To aid the Patent Office and readers in interpreting the claims, Applicants note that they do not intend any of the claims or claim elements to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f), unless the words “means for” or “step for” are explicitly used in the particular claim. Use of any other term (e.g., “mechanism,” “module,” “device,” “unit,” “component,” “element,” “member,” “apparatus,” “machine,” “system,” “processor,” or “controller”) within a claim is understood by the applicants to refer to structures known to those skilled in the relevant art and is not intended to invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).