US 11,833,078 B2
Multi-spot ophthalmic laser
Wei Xia, Mawson Lakes (AU); Victor Previn, Mawson Lakes (AU); Robin McWilliams, Mawson Lakes (AU); and John Marshall, Mawson Lakes (AU)
Assigned to ELLEX MEDICAL PTY LTD, Mawson Lakes (AU)
Appl. No. 16/638,745
Filed by Ellex Medical Pty Ltd, Mawson Lakes (AU)
PCT Filed Aug. 17, 2018, PCT No. PCT/AU2018/050879
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 12, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/033176, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 21, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2017903330 (AU), filed on Aug. 18, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0128348 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. A61F 9/008 (2006.01); G02B 6/04 (2006.01); G02B 19/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/09 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 9/008 (2013.01) [G02B 6/04 (2013.01); G02B 19/0009 (2013.01); G02B 19/0047 (2013.01); G02B 27/0944 (2013.01); A61F 2009/00863 (2013.01); A61F 2009/00872 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A multi-spot ophthalmic laser device for improving function of a retina of a human eye by laser irradiation through a cornea of the eye to retinal pigmented epithelium comprising:
a Q-switched laser module producing a laser pulse or sequence of laser pulses each having: a pulse duration in the range of 10 ps to 20 μs;
a wavelength in the range of 500 nm to 900 nm;
a pulse energy in the range of 00 to 10 mJ per pulse; and
an optical beam profiling module that modifies an output beam profile of each pulse of the Q-switched laser module to deliver multiple spatially-distributed laser spots of defined size and energy;
wherein a spatial distribution of the laser spots is defined by a spot diameter to space ratio in the range 1:2 to 1:20,
wherein each laser spot has a diameter of from 1 μm to 50 μm,
wherein spacing between laser spots is in the range of 2 μm to 200 μm,
wherein the optical beam profiling module comprises a multimode optical fibre that modifies the output beam profile of the Q-switched laser module to produce a uniform beam profile and an optical fibre bundle coupled to the output of the multimode optical fibre to deliver the multiple spatially-distributed laser spots of defined size and energy,
wherein the multimode optical fibre has a core diameter of about 400 μm,
wherein the optical fibre bundle comprises optical fibres with a core diameter of 1 μm to 50 μm,
wherein the optical fibres of the optical fibre bundle comprise up to 500 micro-fibres grouped and bonded together in a hexagonal close packing bundle to make a bundle with a cross-section about the same size as the multimode optical fibre of about 400 μm,
wherein each respective micro-fibre of the up to 500 micro-fibres is covered by a cladding that reflects energy back into the respective micro-fibre, wherein a thickness of the cladding determines a ratio between the core diameter and core spacing of about 1:4 to produce a consistent projected energy within each respective micro-fibre thus delivering a consistent projected energy, and
wherein the multimode optical fibre and the optical fibre bundle are fused together to remove an air gap between the multimode optical fibre and the optical fibre bundle minimizing scattering and reflections.