Abstract

This paper presents a study of the optical properties of the components of the stroma of the human cornea in the wavelength range 190-250nm. It is shown that absorption of 223-nm radiation by the corneal fluid is a factor of 20 less than of 193-nm radiation. Because of this effect, the rate and efficiency of ablation of the cornea is about a factor 2 greater for laser radiation with a wavelength of 223nm than for 193-nm radiation. The temperature on the surface of the cornea has been measured when radiation with wavelengths 193 and 223nm is acting on it. It was found that the relative temperature increase on the surface of the cornea during ablation by wavelength 193nm was 11°C, and during ablation at 223nm only 5°C for identical parameters of operation and laser radiation. It is shown that 223-nm radiation is preferable for performing refractive operations, as having a number of advantages over the traditionally used 193-nm radiation.

© 2009 Optical Society of America

Suitability of Filofocon A and PMMA for experimental models in excimer laser ablation refractive surgery

Carlos Dorronsoro, Jan Siegel, Laura Remon, and Susana Marcos
Opt. Express 16(25) 20955-20967 (2008)

Changes in corneal asphericity after laser refractive surgery, including reflection losses and nonnormal incidence upon the anterior cornea

Rosario G. Anera, Jose R. Jiménez, Luis Jiménez del Barco, and Enrique Hita
Opt. Lett. 28(6) 417-419 (2003)

Testing a model for excimer laser-ablation rates on corneal shape after refractive surgery

José R. Jiménez, José J. Castro, Carolina Ortiz, and Rosario G. Anera
Opt. Lett. 35(11) 1789-1791 (2010)

Corneal-tissue absorption coefficients for 193- and 213-nm ultraviolet radiation

G. H. Pettit and M. N. Ediger
Appl. Opt. 35(19) 3386-3391 (1996)

Experiments on PMMA models to predict the impact of corneal refractive surgery on corneal shape

Carlos Dorronsoro, Daniel Cano, Jesús Merayo-Lloves, and Susana Marcos
Opt. Express 14(13) 6142-6156 (2006)