Accurate, non-mechanical removal of the epithelium from essentially only the area of the cornea to be treated. In particular, an epithelium-ablative laser device irradiates the selected region of the epithelium with ablative laser energy, a spectroscopic system monitors the ablation and spectroscopically determines whether epithelium is being ablated, and a control system terminates the epithelium removal upon spectroscopic determination of a substantial absence of epithelium ablation.
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/567,896, filed Dec. 6, 1995, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/218,720, filed Mar. 28, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,505,724.
The invention is directed to a process for the targeted application of therapy radiation in the treatment of diseased areas in the eye by means of a therapy beam which is directed into the eye through an applicator. In order to determine the parameters characterizing the diseased area, an image of the fundus of the eye to be treated is produced. The parameters characterizing the shape and/or size of the area to be irradiated and controlling variables are derived from this fundus image and are further processed by a computer. A control device is controlled by means of these parameters and controlling variables and adjusts or displaces an actuating arrangement corresponding to the shape and/or size of the area to be irradiated, which actuating arrangement changes the shape and/or size of the cross section of the therapy laser beam or changes the direction of the therapy laser beam in a plurality of coordinates and is arranged in the beam path of the therapy beam.
Improved systems, devices, and methods measure and/or change the shape of a tissue surface, particularly for use in laser eye surgery. Fluorescence of the tissue may occur at and immediately underlying the tissue surface. The excitation energy can be readily absorbed by the tissue within a small tissue depth, and may be provided from the same source used for photodecomposition of the tissue. Changes in the fluorescence spectrum of a tissue correlate with changes in the tissue's hydration.
