Patent ID: 8403919

Claim:
A method for optimizing a prescription for laser-ablation corneal treatment comprising the steps of: receiving a current measured correction prescription for a current patient; accessing a database of treatment outcomes on a plurality of previously treated patients, each treatment outcome comprising a desired correction based upon a measured correction prescription and a postoperative actual correction of a previously treated patient; calculating, by a processor, from the treatment outcomes in the database a distribution of data points as a function of correction level; calculating, by the processor, from the data point distribution a slope and a statistically based offset using a regression analysis that characterizes the data point distribution, the slope and offset corresponding to a trend line; calculating, by the processor, from the data point distribution a confidence interval of the data points relative to the trend line using a predetermined confidence level; calculating, by the processor, from the slope and the offset of the data point distribution a compensation value used to adjust the current measured correction prescription, the compensation value adjusting the current measured correction prescription to a greater extent if there is a smaller confidence interval to a lesser extent if there is a larger confidence interval; and outputting the compensation value for use in performing a refractive procedure.