Controlled laser treatment for non-invasive tissue alteration, treatment and diagnostics with minimal collateral damage

Abstract

A highly controlled and precise system, device and method for tissue and cellular alteration and treatment below or at surfaces with a laser. The present invention is characterized by ultra low levels of collateral damage as defined by physiologically relevant tests that measure tissue viability. The operation of the present invention is based on spectrally confining the interaction between laser energy and a targeted tissue including an essential element for physiologically relevant tests for monitoring tissue viability.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for treating an eye, comprising:
 irradiating the eye with a laser beam having laser pulses which produce multiphoton laser tissue effects in the eye; and   controlling the laser beam, such that the eye is selectively affected by said multiphoton laser tissue effects.   
     
     
         2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method is for treating a cataract in an eye; and
 wherein said controlling includes controlling the laser beam, such that the cataract is selectively affected thereby.   
     
     
         3 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said laser pulses produces multiphoton laser tissue effects in the cataract, said controlling including controlling the laser beam such that the cataract is selectively affected by said multiphoton laser tissue effects. 
     
     
         4 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said multiphoton laser tissue effects include mechanical destruction of the cataract. 
     
     
         5 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein said treating a cataract includes treating a membrane behind a lens in the eye, said targeting resulting in selective destruction of the membrane, wherein collateral damage to tissue surrounding the target area is below a preselected threshold. 
     
     
         6 . A method according to  claim 2 , whereby at every point other than at the cataract the laser beam has lower fluence than the fluence at the cataract. 
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 2 , wherein thermal or other collateral damage to tissue not associated with the cataract is below a preselected threshold. 
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein said method is for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), wherein the presence of AMD is associated with a pigment that has accumulated in the eye; and
 wherein said controlling includes controlling the laser beam, such that the pigment is selectively affected thereby.   
     
     
         9 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said irradiating includes irradiating the pigment with a laser beam having laser pulses with a duration in the range of from femtoseconds to picoseconds. 
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said irradiating includes irradiating with a laser beam having laser pulses with a duration of nanoseconds. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said irradiating is performed with a Ti:Sapphire laser. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said treating includes one of bleaching, destroying, and reducing the pigment. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said treating includes bleaching of a certain component of the tissue. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said controlling includes controlling the laser beam such that tissue surrounding the pigment is not affected thereby. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said controlling includes forming a spot with a resolution of at most microns behind the retina without touching the overlying retina. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said controlling includes increasing a fluence of the laser beam in a non-linear fashion to cause multiphoton absorption in a very narrow range around a focal spot which is under the retina. 
     
     
         17 . Apparatus for treating an eye, said apparatus comprising:
 a laser configured to produce a laser beam having multiphoton laser tissue effects; and   optics for controlling the laser beam, such that a targeted portion of the eye is affected by the laser beam.   
     
     
         18 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said laser is a pulsed laser. 
     
     
         19 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said laser is configured to produce a laser beam having ultrashort pulses. 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said laser is configured to produce pulses with a duration in the range of from femtoseconds to picoseconds. 
     
     
         21 . Apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein said laser is configured to produce pulses with a duration of nanoseconds. 
     
     
         22 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said laser is configured to operate at a wavelength selected from 1.5 microns, 800 nm, and 780 nm. 
     
     
         23 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising optics configured to focus the laser beam at the targeted portion of the eye such that the laser beam produces the multiphoton effects. 
     
     
         24 . Apparatus according to  claim 23  further comprising of a slit lamp. 
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 24  wherein said focusing is used to increase the fluence of said laser to cause multiphoton absorption in a range around a focal spot in the eye. 
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said laser is configured to be operated externally to an organ of the body. 
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said laser is configured to be operated internally in an organ of the body. 
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said multiphoton laser tissue effects are internal to the eye. 
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said multiphoton laser tissue effects are external to the eye. 
     
     
         30 . Apparatus for treating a body portion other than an eye, said apparatus comprising:
 a laser configured to produce a laser beam having multiphoton laser tissue effects; and   optics for controlling the laser beam, such that a targeted tissue in the body portion is affected by the laser beam.   
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said multiphoton laser tissue effects are external to the body portion. 
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said multiphoton laser tissue effects are internal to the body portion.