Excimer laser eye surgery system

Abstract

A compact excimer laser system is provided that includes argon fluoride laser gas, electronic, and laser head all compactly arranged such that the patient bed can rotate over all of these components. This allows the patient bed to be rotated for easy egress of the patient without striking the head against an optical extension through which the excimer laser is fired onto the patient's eye. Further, an automated lamellar keratoplasty system is incorporated into the electronics and components of the laser system so that laser in situ keratomileusis can be easily performed.

1 . A system for laser eye surgery, the system comprising: 
 a laser head for providing a laser beam suitable for removing tissue from an eye;    a power supply connected to the laser head for powering the laser head;    an aiming system for providing an optical path from said laser head and for aiming the laser beam along the optical path to the eye, said aiming system further comprising: 
 a final beam directing portion extending horizontally over a patient in an operational position, the final beam directing portion directing the laser beam substantially perpendicular to the patient's eye when the patient is in the operational position;  
   a patient bed positioned rotatably below the final beam directing portion, said patient bed rotatable from a first position wherein the patient is in the operational position below said final beam directing portion, to a second position in which the patient is moved away from below said final beam directing portion, whereby the patient can easily sit up without striking his or her head against the final beam directing portion.    
     
     
         2 . The system of    claim 1   , wherein when the patient is in an operational position below said final beam directing portion, the eye of the patient is about one-half meter below said final beam directing portion.  
     
     
         3 . The system of    claim 1   , wherein said bed is rotatable away from below said final beam directing portion by about 30°.  
     
     
         4 . The system of    claim 1   , wherein said bed is rotatable about 90° into a second operational position in which non-laser surgery can be performed.  
     
     
         5 . The system of    claim 1   , wherein the laser head is an excimer laser.  
     
     
         6 . The system of    claim 5   , wherein the excimer laser is an argon fluoride laser providing a laser beam of approximately 193 nanometers.  
     
     
         7 . The system of    claim 1    further comprising a solenoid between the bed and a base for the bed, said solenoid locking the bed into position when the bed is in the operational position.  
     
     
         8 . The system of    claim 1   , wherein the bed is rotatable on a single bearing connected to the base of the bed.  
     
     
         9 . A laser system for performing laser in situ keratomileusis, the laser system comprising: 
 a laser head providing a laser beam for ablation of stromal tissue;    an aiming system providing an optical path from said laser head for the laser beam and for aiming the laser beam along the optical path to the eye;    a computer system coupled to said aiming system and said laser head, said computer system controlling the firing of said laser head and the aiming system and displaying data on a display, said computer system coupled to said automated lamellar keratoplasty system and displaying vacuum and power data from said automated lamellar keratoplasty system;    an integrated automated lamellar keratoplasty system comprising: 
 a vacuum source for vacuum port for providing a vacuum to a microkeratome source  
 a power source for providing power to a port for providing power to the microkeratome.  
   
     
     
         10 . The system of    claim 9    further comprising: 
 a patient bed disposed horizontally, and  
 wherein said aiming system further comprises: 
 a final beam directing portion extending horizontally over the patient bed, and  
 wherein said final beam directing portion includes said vacuum port and said power port for easy access to a physician performing automated lamellar keratoplasty upon a patient on the patient bed.  
 
 
     
     
         11 . The system of    claim 9    further comprising: 
 a patient bed, said patient bed including: 
 a foot rest with two foot switches coupled to the automated lamellar keratoplasty system, said foot switches controlling said vacuum source and said power source.  
 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of    claim 9   , wherein said computer system further controls said vacuum source and said power source of said automated lamellar keratoplasty system responsive to said foot switches.  
     
     
         13 . The system of    claim 9   , wherein said computer system further provides input for a physician to set a vacuum level and a power level for said vacuum source and said power source in the automated lamellar keratoplasty system.  
     
     
         14 . A compact laser surgery system comprising: 
 a patient bed enclosure with a patient surface and a patient height, said patient bed enclosure surrounding an open space;    a laser gas container disposed in said open space towards a first side of said patient bed;    an electronics package for providing computer control disposed in said open space adjacent to said laser gas container towards a second side of said patient bed;    a laser head located adjacent to said patient at a height less than said patient height, said laser head connected to laser gas container for receiving laser gas and connected to said electronics for receiving power.    
     
     
         15 . The system of    claim 14    further comprising an aiming system providing an optical path from said laser head, said aiming system disposed perpendicularly upwards from the laser heard, transversely across from the laser head in an optical extension above the patient bed, the aiming system to provide the laser beam substantially perpendicular towards the eye of the patient on the patient bed.  
     
     
         16 . The system of    claim 14   , wherein the patient surface rotates across the laser head and away from the optical extension.  
     
     
         17 . The system of    claim 14    further including cooling system components disposed in said open space adjacent to said laser gas container towards said second side of said patient bed, but away from said electronics.  
     
     
         18 . The system of    claim 17   , wherein power components are disposed between said cooling system components and said electronics.  
     
     
         19 . The system of    claim 14   , wherein said patient bed is mounted on the rollers with stops, allowing said patient bed to be rolled away to provide access to said gas container and said electronics.