From Breakthrough to Standard: Femtosecond Lasers in Modern Eye Surgery ??

Lasers first entered the world of eye surgery back in 1979, but they've come a long way since those early days. What started as an experimental technique has now exploded into a game-changing technology that's constantly improving patient outcome and reducing recovery time of what used to be a very intrusive procedure.?

But how do femtosecond lasers correct the eye, exactly?

Thanks to the extremely high peak power generated during the ultrashort laser pulses of femtosecond lasers (FS lasers), non-linear optical effects can occur. In simpler terms, these effects cause transparent eye tissues to absorb laser light very locally, creating tiny cavitation bubbles. By forming many of these bubbles in close proximity (small pulse separation), the laser can precisely cut any 2D or 3D shape inside the eye with extraordinary precision. As illustrated in the figure below, it is critical to find the optimal laser pulse parameters in order to achieve precise and smooth ablation, which is key to reduce damage and improve patient outcome.

Here are some of the most common surgical procedures of FS lasers in ophthalmology:

1. LASIK: An FS laser cuts a flap in the cornea, which is then lifted to expose deeper layers of tissue. An excimer laser ablates and reshapes the cornea to correct the patient’s vision. The flap is placed back for healing.
2. Lenticule Extraction: An FS laser cuts two planes — a lower and an upper one — within the cornea, creating a lenticule?(a small lens-shaped segment of tissue). With a tiny incision of about 50°, the lenticule?is removed using tweezers. This reshapes the cornea as prescribed by the ophthalmologist.
3. Corneal Ring Segments: FS lasers create cavities within the cornea to allow the insertion of ring segments. These segments reshape the cornea, altering its optical power. This approach is especially beneficial for patients with keratoconus, a condition that thins the cornea and makes LASIK unsuitable.

Enhancing Laser Performance for Better Surgeries

The smoother and less invasive the ablation process, the better the patient outcome and the shorter the recovery time. Shorter, higher-quality laser pulses are key to achieving this. TeraXion’s high-precision pulse stretchers enable more affordable and more reliable ultrafast lasers because the laser stays in the fiber for longer. This has the potential to make advanced eye surgery more accessible worldwide, which makes us very proud.

But the lasers are just one part of the equation. As one can easily imagine, precise measurement and positioning of the laser ablation inside the eye is of absolute importance. To achieve vision inside the eye and position the system correctly, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)?is employed. To learn more about OCT technology, visit Exalos’s website.

FS lasers are shaping the future of ophthalmology, providing precision and versatility in vision correction and paving the way for broader accessibility to life-changing procedures.