Investigations on laser thermokeratoplasty

R. Brinkmann*, G. Droge, N. Koop, A. Wordemann, G. Schirner, R. Birngruber

*Corresponding author for this work
22 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Laser thermokeratoplasty (LTK) is a minimally invasive treatment to correct hyperopia and astigmatism. The increase in refractive power is achieved by thermally induced shrinkage of collagen in the corneal periphery. The authors used a flashlamp pumped holmium laser (λ = 2.12 μm) in combination with a non-contact focusing device to investigate the influence of laser pulse energy and repetition rate on the refractive outcome working with enucleated porcine eyes. The energy range useful for LTK was evaluated and a significant correlation between the refractive change and the pulse repetition frequency was found. To interpret these findings, the authors performed calculations of the spatial and temporal temperature profiles in the irradiated volume. The results suggest that the high peak temperatures occurring in pulsed LTK are less responsible for a contractive effect than the average temperature rise during exposure: Based on these results, the authors propose the use of cw-laser diodes emitting in the 2-μm spectral range for LTK.

Original languageEnglish
JournalLasers and Light in Ophthalmology
Volume6
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)259-270
Number of pages12
ISSN0922-5307
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1994

Research Areas and Centers

  • Academic Focus: Biomedical Engineering

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