The underlying invention is directed to a method for changing the human perceptual color appearance of the iris of a human's or animal's eye by selectively decreasing the density of pigments of the anterior stroma layer of the iris. The method comprises generating, by a generator module, a plurality of predefined energy quantities; and applying, by the genera-tor module, one or more of the predefined energy quantities to the anterior stroma layer, wherein each of the predefined energy quantities is generated and applied, such that the energy quantities ablate, at least in part, melanocytes of the stroma whilst leaving non-melanocyte tissue of at least the stroma essentially undamaged, and wherein the predefined energy quantities generated and applied to the anterior stroma layer in the form of pressure waves and/or pulses generated within a fluid medium that is in fluidical communication with the anterior stroma layer.

A change in the response of the cornea to ultrasonic energy directed into the cornea is monitored during irradiation of the cornea to bring about corneal crosslinking. Because the change in ultrasonic response is correlated with the degree of crosslinking achieved, a desired degree of crosslinking can be achieved by terminating the irradiation when the change reaches a threshold. The change in ultrasonic response can be determined by taking a baseline measurement before irradiation and additional measurements during irradiation using the same ultrasonic transducer (47). The transducers may be carried on a device (30) resembling a contact lens which overlies the eye and which transmits the light used in the irradiation step to the eye.

The present application relates generally to a method for vision correction using corneal collagen crosslinking (CCXL), in which the physician is able to precisely control the pattern of ultraviolet (UV) energy delivered to the cornea, by means of a programmable masking array placed between the UV source and the cornea. A CCXL LCD masked is used to create various patterns of on and off pixels. The physician is able to control the degree of polarization of the LCD pixels, thereby allowing the physician to create various patterns of UV irradiation and thus, varying levels of CCXL.

Devices and methods for novel retinal irradiance distribution modification (IDM) to improve, stabilize or restore vision are described herein. Also encompassed herein are devices and methods to reduce vision loss from diseases, injuries and disorders that involve damaged and/or dysfunctional and/or sensorily deprived retinal cells. Conditions that may be treated using devices and methods described herein include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Therapy provided by retinal IDM devices and methods described herein may also be used in combination with other therapies including, but not limited to, pharmacological, retinal laser, gene and stem cell therapies.

A device for applying a bubble of a substance to a tissue surface, the device comprising a cannula, a distal tip at the distal end portion of the cannula, the distal tip having a bubble support surface and an exit port extending through the bubble support surface, an expansion fluid passageway extending through the cannula to the exit port, a source of an expansion fluid and an actuator therefor. In some arrangements, the distal tip can be configured to support a layer of the substance thereon over the distal port and the device can be configured such that the advancement of the expansion fluid from the fluid source through the exit port causes at least one bubble of the substance to form on the distal tip, wherein the at least a portion of the bubble can be transferred to the tissue surface to treat a defect on the tissue surface.

The present invention relates to an ophthalmic treatment apparatus and to a beam control method therefor. The ophthalmic treatment apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a beam generating unit for generating beams having different pulse energies; a bubble sensing unit for sensing whether or not bubbles have been generated, as well as the amount of generated bubbles, on the basis of the pulse energy of the beam generated by the beam generating unit and radiated onto the treatment region of an eyeball; and a control unit for controlling the operation of the beam generating unit such that the pulse energy of the beam generated by the beam generating unit can be adjusted in accordance with the signal from the bubble sensing unit.

A method is provided for treating a targeted area of ocular tissue in a tissue-sparing manner comprising use of two or more therapeutic modalities, including thermal radiation source (such as an CW infrared fiber laser), operative in a wavelength range that has a high absorption in water, and photochemical collagen cross-linking (CXL), together with one or more specific system improvements, such as pen-operative feedback measurements for tailoring of the therapeutic modalities, an ocular tissue surface thermal control/cooling mechanism and a source of deuterated water/riboflavin solution in a delivery system targeting ocular tissue in the presence of the ultraviolet radiation. Additional methods of rapid cross-linking (RXL), are provided that enables cross-linking (CXL) therapy to be combined with thermal therapy.

An electrosurgical working end that utilizes supercavitation phenomenon for controlled application of electrosurgical energy to tissue. In one preferred method of the invention, the system utilizes an electrosurgical surface that is rotatable in a liquid substance at very high surface velocities capable of localized lowering of the pressure of the substance below its saturated vapor pressure to cause supercavitation, and contemporaneously applying electrical energy from the electrosurgical surface across the cavity to ablate adjacent tissue. The system creates supercavitation with surface velocities of greater than about 70 m/sec in a liquid substance by means of high speed rotation and optionally ultrasound actuation.

A surgical device is disclosed for cutting tissue, including for performing a capsulotomy of a lens capsule of an eye. This device includes a reversibly collapsible cutting element for cutting a portion of a capsule membrane of the eye. The cutting element includes an outer layer, an inner layer, and a bottom layer that has a higher electrical resistance than the electrical resistance of the outer layer and the inner layer. The bottom layer is configured to conduct an electrical current between the outer layer and the inner layer, which causes a temperature increase in the bottom layer for cutting tissue.

An apparatus and system for monitoring and treating cataracts, the apparatus comprising: a monitoring light source configured to monitor cataracts by emitting monitoring light in the wavelength range of 350 to 410 nm to excite fluorescence light in the cataracts, a treating light source configured to treat cataracts by emitting treating light in the wavelength range of 400 to 570 nm to irradiate the cataracts, a wavelength selection system configured to monitor cataracts by selecting wavelengths of the excited fluorescence light in the cataracts and a dichroic beam splitter configured to reflect the monitoring light and the treating light towards the cataracts and the excited fluorescence light in the cataracts towards the wavelength selection system, wherein the monitoring light, the treating light and the excited fluorescence light are reflected by the dichroic beam splitter along a common optical axis and wherein the dichroic beam splitter is arranged at 45 degrees to the common optical axis to transmit wavelengths longer than wavelengths of the monitoring light, the treating light and the excited fluorescence light towards an operator of the apparatus.