US 12,263,124 B2
Ophthalmological device for intra-capsular fragmentation of a lens nucleus
Richard Thorlakson, Phoenix, AZ (US); Thomas Asshauer, Aarau (CH); and Christian Rathjen, Bremen (DE)
Assigned to Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port (CH)
Filed by Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG, Port (CH)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/089,863.
Claims priority of application No. 19207265 (EP), filed on Nov. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0128360 A1, May 6, 2021
Int. Cl. A61F 9/008 (2006.01)
CPC A61F 9/00836 (2013.01) [A61F 2009/00889 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An ophthalmological device for intracapsular fragmentation of a lens nucleus of an eye, preparatory to emulsification and removal of the lens nucleus from the eye using a phaco handpiece tip, the ophthalmological device comprising:
a laser source configured to generate a pulsed laser beam;
a focusing optical module configured to make the pulsed laser beam converge onto a focus in the lens nucleus;
a scanner system configured to move the focus to target locations in the lens nucleus; and
an electronic circuit configured to control the scanner system to move the focus to intracapsular target locations on three cutting planes which extend from a posterior surface of the lens nucleus to an anterior surface of the lens nucleus for generating three intracapsular tissue cuts for the fragmentation of the lens nucleus into six nucleus fragments,
wherein the three cutting planes form a maximum of two intracapsular intersecting lines on any of the cutting planes,
a first cutting plane and a second cutting plane, of the three cutting planes, are arranged at a mutual distance larger than a diameter of the phaco handpiece tip, have an optical axis of the lens nucleus running therebetween without intracapsular intersection, and divide the lens nucleus into three nucleus fragments, and
a third cutting plane, of the three cutting planes, forms intracapsular intersecting lines with the first cutting plane and the second cutting plane for subdividing each of the three nucleus fragments, thereby dividing the lens nucleus into the six nucleus fragments which are each larger than the diameter of the phaco handpiece tip and which are separated by the first cutting plane and the second cutting plane, not intersecting each other, and the third cutting plane, intersecting the first cutting plane and the second cutting plane.