Monday, November 10, 2008

Ophthalmologists check out new WaveLight laser


Though it won’t be available until the end of 2009, demonstrations of WaveLight’s just-revealed UltraFlap femtosecond laser concept platform drew a steady stream of interested ophthalmologists – as well as a few spies from the competition – throughout the day. The 200 kHz system will be capable of cutting a LASIK flap in under 15 seconds, matching or bettering the performance of the fastest lasers currently on the market, according to Mario Klafke, WaveLight’s director of product management for ophthalmology.
Designed to enhance quality, safety, comfort and efficiency, the laser’s high repetition rate, small focal area and low pulse energy produce exceptionally smooth flap surfaces with sharp edges that make flap lifting easy, Mr Klafke added. Tests on pig eyes show low standard deviation in flap thickness. The UltraFlap integrates seamlessly with the Allegretto excimer platform. The two can be placed side by side, allowing the patient to be rotated from one to the other during a procedure in an office space as small as nine square metres. They also share data, enabling safety features such as a warning if the surgeon chooses a flap size too small to accommodate the ablation zone. UltraFlap also supports other surgical applications, including sub-Bowman keratomileusis, intracorneal ring segments, lamellar keratoplasty, penetrating keratoplasty and self-sealing keratoplasty.

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