IN SITU INTERNAL REFRACTIVE CORNEAL RESHAPING

摘要

A method, and device for the selective internal reshaping of corneal tissue to provide refractive corrections. The device comprises a high speed controlled water jet, and a specifically shaped compression template. The cornea is selectively compressed by the template to provide local areas of compression corresponding to areas of the cornea necessary for removal for refraction correction. With the template in place, a high speed pressurized water jet is used to enter the corneal tissue (5) (through a preformed aperture (31) in the corneal tissue), to laterally erode (i.e., remove) tissue under compression, and to laterally cleave but otherwise not remove tissue not under compression. The water jet removes eroded tissue. The compression template causes corneal tissue to fill the area of eroded tissue, and to thereby controllably internally reshape the cornea.