HYDROPHILICITY ALTERATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system/method allowing hydrophilicity alteration of a polymeric material (PM) is disclosed. The PM hydrophilicity alteration changes the PM characteristics by decreasing the PM refractive index, increasing the PM electrical conductivity, and increasing the PM weight. The system/method incorporates a laser radiation source that generates tightly focused laser pulses within a three-dimensional portion of the PM to affect these changes in PM properties. The system/method may be applied to the formation of customized intraocular lenses comprising material (PLM) wherein the lens created using the system/method is surgically positioned within the eye of the patient. The implanted lens refractive index may then be optionally altered in situ with laser pulses to change the optical properties of the implanted lens and thus achieve optimal corrected patient vision. This system/method permits numerous in situ modifications of an implanted lens as the patient's vision changes with age.

主权项

1. A system for changing the hydrophilicity of an internal region of a polymeric material, said system comprising:
(a) laser source; (b) laser scanner; and (c) microscope objective; wherein said laser source is configured to emit a pulsed laser radiation output; said laser scanner is configured to distribute said pulsed laser radiation output across an input area of said microscope objective; said microscope objective further comprises a numerical aperture configured to accept said distributed pulsed laser radiation and produce a focused laser radiation output; and said focused laser radiation output is transmitted by said microscope objective to an internal region of polymeric material (PM); said focused laser radiation output interacts with polymers within the treated internal region and results in a change in hydrophilicity within said internal region of said PM.