Patent · US Expired

Eye tracking and positioning system for a refractive laser system

US6280436A · kind A · utility

59Cited by
28References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 10, 1999
Grant dateAug 28, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 10, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61F2009/00872
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An eye tracking and positioning system for use with a refractive laser system includes a camera interface, a computer, and a system for moving the patient relative to the laser beam. The computer includes a video frame grabber which extracts images of the eye from the camera, and is programmed to perform an eye tracking algorithm. The eye tracking algorithm calculates the exact center of the eye pupil, and compares the center with the desired location of the laser beam, as determined by a surgeon, with an image processing algorithm. If the relative location of the eye center and the laser beam fall outside a predetermined value, the patient chair, and thereby the patient, is repositioned relative to the laser beam, as opposed to the laser beam being repositioned relative to the patient. The repositioning counters the movement of the eye.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.