Open AccessMini-invasive corneal surgery and imaging with femtosecond lasers
Author(s) -
Meng Han,
Günter Giese,
Leander Zickler,
Hui Sun,
Josef F. Bille
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.12.004275
Subject(s) - femtosecond , laser , optics , materials science , laser surgery , ablation , refractive surgery , second harmonic imaging microscopy , second harmonic generation , optoelectronics , cornea , medicine , physics
Based on the transparency of corneal tissue and on laser plasma mediated non-thermal tissue ablation, near infrared femtosecond lasers are promising tools for minimally invasive intrastromal refractive surgery. Femtosecond lasers also enable novel nonlinear optical imaging methods like second harmonic corneal imaging. The microscopic effects of femtosecond laser intrastromal surgery were successfully visualized by using second harmonic corneal imaging with diffraction limited resolution, strong imaging contrast and large sensing depth, without requiring tissue fixation or sectioning. The performance of femtosecond laser intrastromal surgery proved to be precise, repeatable and predictable. It might be possible to integrate both surgical and probing functions into a single femtosecond laser system.