Jeffrey Whitman

US Patent:

20020133144, Sep 19, 2002

Filed:

Mar 19, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/812219

Inventors:

Kin Chan - Plano TX, US
Jeffrey Whitman - Dallas TX, US
Suzanne Ahn - Dallas TX, US

Assignee:

Ball Semiconductor, Inc.

International Classification:

A61B018/20

US Classification:

606/004000

Abstract:

A digital micromirror device is used in a semi-automated system to reflect a tailored portion of a laser beam according to image data that defines a mapped target area of an object for selective irradiation by the tailored laser beam. A computer having an interface device, such as a light pen, is used to map the boundary on a computer screen of a target area of an object, which may be the retina of a patient's eye or some other object. A projector cooperates with a laser source, the digital micromirror device and the computer to enable a laser beam to be tailored to correspond to the irregular shape of the intended target area to avoid irradiating portions of the object other than the target area itself. The system is capable of tracking movement of the target area and maintaining the tailored laser beam aligned to irradiate the target area during movement. The individual micromirrors of the digital micromirror device can be time-division modulated to vary the dose of irradiation across the target area according to a gray-scale map of the image of the target area.