NON-INVASIVE SCLEROSTOMY LASER APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

In a non-invasive glaucoma treatment, a portion of the sclera is iontophoretically dyed with a dye having absorption at a wavelength to which the cornea of the eye is particularly transmissive. Radiation from a tunable dye laser is specifically tuned to the absorption of the dye for ablation. The iontophoretically applied dye traverses the conjunctiva and enters the sclera to identify a region to which relatively high power dye laser radiation is directed through a goniolens. The high power beam is aimed by using a low power aiming laser beam coupled into the same optical path as the dye laser radiation and delivered through a tapered optic fiber and slit lamp delivery system. The laser provides pulses of between 75 and 750 millijoules and of between 1 and 30 microseconds duration, preferably about 10 microseconds. A spot of between 100 and 300 microns is illuminated.