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    Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK and Excimer Lasers Michael Hutchins

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    starsk777
    This document discusses laser eye surgery techniques such as LASIK for correcting vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It explains that LASIK uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea by cutting a flap and ablating tissue. The excimer laser utilizes noble gas halides to emit ultraviolet light that breaks molecular bonds on the corneal surface without heat. Potential side effects of LASIK are also outlined. Alternatives like PRK that do not require cutting a corneal flap are mentioned.

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    Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK and Excimer Lasers Michael Hutchins

    Uploaded by

    starsk777
    63 views17 pages
    This document discusses laser eye surgery techniques such as LASIK for correcting vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It explains that LASIK uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea by cutting a flap and ablating tissue. The excimer laser utilizes noble gas halides to emit ultraviolet light that breaks molecular bonds on the corneal surface without heat. Potential side effects of LASIK are also outlined. Alternatives like PRK that do not require cutting a corneal flap are mentioned.

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    Laser_Eye

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    This document discusses laser eye surgery techniques such as LASIK for correcting vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It explains that LASIK uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea by cutting a flap and ablating tissue. The excimer laser utilizes noble gas halides to emit ultraviolet light that breaks molecular bonds on the corneal surface without heat. Potential side effects of LASIK are also outlined. Alternatives like PRK that do not require cutting a corneal flap are mentioned.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    63 views17 pages

    Laser Eye Surgery: LASIK and Excimer Lasers Michael Hutchins

    Uploaded by

    starsk777
    This document discusses laser eye surgery techniques such as LASIK for correcting vision problems like nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism. It explains that LASIK uses an excimer laser to reshape the cornea by cutting a flap and ablating tissue. The excimer laser utilizes noble gas halides to emit ultraviolet light that breaks molecular bonds on the corneal surface without heat. Potential side effects of LASIK are also outlined. Alternatives like PRK that do not require cutting a corneal flap are mentioned.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 17

    Laser EYE SURGERY

    LASIK and Excimer Lasers


    Michael Hutchins
    The PROBLEM
    Myopia - near sightedness
    Caused by either an elongated
    eye or steep cornera.
    The focal point is in front of the
    retina instead of on it.
    Typically corrected with concave
    (negative optical power) lenses.
    THE PROBLEM
    Hyperopia - far sightedness
    Caused by a at cornea or
    a short eye.
    Focal point is behind the
    retina.
    Corrected with concave
    lenses (positive optical
    power).
    THE PROBLEM
    Astigmatism arises from different focal points in different
    planes of the eye.
    Caused by non-uniform curvature of the cornea or scarring on
    the lens.
    Irregular astigmatism cannot be xed by glasses, just contacts.
    INTERNAL CORRECTIONS
    LASIK - Laser Assisted in SItu Keratomileusis
    Keratomileusis is the procedure of opening the eye and
    altering the cornea.
    LASIK uses an excimer laser to perform the alterations and
    either a knife or a femtosecond laser to create the opening.
    LASIK is an alternative to wearing glasses or contacts as it
    corrects myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism.
    LASIK
    LASIK began in 1950 in Bogot, Columbia with the
    development of keratomileusis.
    A breakthrough was the 1973 announcement of the excimer
    laser.
    Dr. Gholam Peyman led the rst LASIK patent in 1989 as a
    Method for modifying corneal curvature. It includes the
    procedure of revealing the cornea, using an excimer laser and
    closing the eye.
    LASIK
    LASIK is performed while awake
    with an occasional mild sedative.
    A hinged ap is cut with either a
    metal blade or a femtosecond
    laser.
    An Excimer laser remodels the
    cornea by ablating tissue.
    The ap is repositioned and left
    to heal.
    LASIK
    Cutting the ap is either done with a microkeratome or a
    femtosecond laser.
    Excimer Lasers
    Excimer lasers are UV lasers that utilize
    noble gas halides.
    They often use a combination of an inert
    gas such as argon, krypton or xenon
    with a highly reactive gas like chlorine or
    uorine.
    A short lived molecule called an excimer
    gives rise to the laser light.
    Excimer Lasers
    Excimers are formed
    when the inert gas
    goes into an excited
    state, in this state they
    bond with the halide
    to form a molecule.
    Excimer Lasers
    When the noble gas
    returns to its ground
    state it repels the halide
    which gives rise to the
    ultraviolet light.
    EXCIMER LASERS
    Typical wavelengths for
    various excimers.
    The bond energy of an H-O
    bond of H2O is about 4.76
    eV and to break a C-H bond
    in Ethane it is 4.38 eV
    Visible light is 2-3 eV while
    room temperature is 1/40 eV
    Excimer Wavelength (nm) Energy (eV)
    Ar
    2
    * 126 9.85
    Kr
    2
    * 146 8.50
    F
    2
    157 7.90
    Xe
    2
    * 172 & 175 7.21 & 7.09
    ArF 193 6.43
    KrF 248 5.00
    XeBr 282 4.40
    XeCl 308 4.03
    XeF 351 3.54
    CaF
    2
    193 6.43
    KrCl 222 5.59
    Cl
    2
    259 4.79
    Excimer Lasers
    The ultraviolet light is absorbed by tissue and organic matter,
    the added energy breaks the bonds of molecules at the surface.
    These molecules ablate into the air without adding heat to the
    area. This is called Ablative Photodecomposition.
    Current excimer lasers typically pulse for 10 ns at 100 Hz.
    Those used in eye surgery reposition to follow the eye 4000
    times per second.
    Excimer Lasers
    Shallow absorption depth: 0.1
    to 0.5m.
    Energy highly absorbed by
    materials.
    Uniform power density over
    relatively large area.
    Discharge circuit - expensive
    and require frequent
    maintenanceLaser gas mixture
    is toxic and corrosive.
    The laser must be relled with
    fresh gas regularly.
    LASIK Side Effects
    Surgery induced dry eyes
    Over or under correction
    Visual acuity uctuation
    Halos or starbursts around light
    sources at night
    Light sensitivity
    Ghost images
    Wrinkles in ap
    Decentered ablation
    Debris or growth under ap
    Induced astigmatism
    Corneal Ectasia
    Floaters
    Epitheliun erosion
    Posterior vitreous detachment
    Some higher order abberations can
    occur as they cannot be diagnosed
    with normal eye exams.
    One is halos and starbursts: vision
    is ne during the day but at night
    the pupil can expand and pass the
    edge of the LASIK ap, this gives
    rise to halos and other abberations.
    LASIK Alternatives
    LASIK is limited by the excimer laser and can cause some
    damage to the eyes nerves so new methods are being
    developed.
    Another popular method is PRK it is similar to LASIK without
    necessitating a ap to be cut (necessary for pilots).
    Compared to LASIK it has a longer recovery period and more
    discomfort.
    References
    Wikipedia entries on: LASIK, Excimer Laser, Excimer, Myopia,
    Hyperopia, Astigmatism (eye), Keratomileusis, Photorefractive
    Keratectomy
    Non-Wikipedia images from:
    http://eyeclinicpc.com/lasik/lasik.htm and http://
    www.nseyespecialists.com/images_content/technolasphoto.jpg

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