Apparatus and processes for preventing or delaying one or more symptoms of presbyopia

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus and processes for preventing or delaying presbyopia. More particularly, the present invention relates to processes and apparatus for ablating epithelial cells in the germinative zone or the pregerminative zone of the crystalline lens of the eye so that onset or progression of presbyopia or one or more symptoms is delayed or prevented.

1 - 12 . (canceled)  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus for ablating epithelial cells in a crystalline lens, the apparatus comprising: 
 a laser source providing laser light radiation; and    a laser delivery system operatively connected to the laser source for receiving the radiation from the laser source and generating a plurality of laser beams.    
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser provides radiation having a wavelength in the range of about  400  nm to about  1400  nm.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser delivery system comprises a fiber optic bundle.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser delivery system comprises a diffractive optic or a binary optic.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser delivery system comprises a focus lens for receiving and focusing the plurality of laser beams.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the laser delivery system comprises a plurality of focus lenses having different focal lengths.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser delivery system comprises a rotator for automatically rotating the plurality of laser beams.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the laser apparatus comprises an alignment mechanism which provides visible light at the ablation points.