1. A device for treatment of an ocular pathology comprising at least one eye ring wherein a proximal end of said eye ring is suitable to be applied onto a globe, and means to generate ultrasound beam fixed on the distal end of the eye ring.
2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said means fixed on the distal end of the eye ring are suitable to generate scattered ultrasound beam.
3. A device according to claim 1 wherein means fixed on the distal end of the eye ring are suitable to generate high intensity focused ultrasound beam.
4. A device according to any claim 1 wherein the eye ring comprises a sawn-off cone element open at both ends wherein a small base is the proximal end and a large base is the distal end.
5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the proximal end of the sawn-off cone element comprises an external annular flange suitable to be applied onto the eye globe.
6. A device according to claim 4 wherein the proximal edge of the sawn-off cone element comprises an annular groove communicating with at least one hose formed in the sawn-off cone element and connected to a suction device.
7. A device according to claim 1 wherein the internal diameter of the proximal end of the sawn-off cone element is sensibly equal to the sum of the corneal diameter with a value comprised 2 to 6 millimetres.
8. A device according to claim 1 wherein the sawn-off cone element is in medical grade silicon or in medical grade polymer.
9. A device according to claim 3 wherein means to generate high intensity focused ultrasound energy at least two transducers having an annular flat segment shape, fixed on the distal end of the sawn-off cone element in such a way that said transducers extend toward the revolution axis of said sawn-off cone element, and including a focusing acoustic lens extending under said flat annular transducers.
10. A device according to claim 3 wherein means to generate high intensity focused ultrasound energy comprises at least two transducers having a cylindrical segment shape, fixed on the distal end of the sawn-off cone element in such a way that said transducers extend toward the revolution axis of said sawn-off cone element.
11. A device according to claim 3 wherein means to generate high intensity dynamically focused ultrasound energy comprises at least two annular array transducers having a toric segment shape, fixed on the distal end of the sawn-off cone element in such a way that said annular array transducers extend toward the revolution axis of said sawn-off cone element.
12. A device according to claim 2 wherein means to generate scattered ultrasound beam are means to generate high intensity non focused ultrasound energy consisting in at least two transducers having an annular flat segment shape, fixed on the distal end of the sawn-off cone element in such a way that said transducers extend toward the revolution axis of said sawn-off cone element.
13. A device according to claim 9 wherein said transducers are connected to a control unit.
14. A device according to claim 9 wherein said device comprises two pairs of three transducers separated by two inactive sectors.
15. A device according to claim 11 wherein said transducers are successively activated by a control unit.
16. A device according to claim 11 wherein transducers are simultaneously activated by a control unit.
17. A device according to claim 1, wherein the means to generate ultrasound beam fixed on the distal end of the eye ring comprise a plurality of transducers arranged according to a treatment pattern.
18. A device according to claim 17, wherein the means to generate ultrasound beam comprise a housing, said transducers being placed peripherally over the housing according to a treatment pattern.
19. A device according to claim 17, wherein said transducers are placed peripherally over the whole or a part of the housing.
20. A device according to claim 17, wherein said transducers are circumferentially placed over the whole or a part of the circumference of the housing.
21. A device according to claim 17, wherein each transducer is an elongated transducer.
22. A method of treating an ocular pathology by generating high intensity focused ultrasound onto at least one eye’s area, the method comprising at least the following:
positioning onto the eye, a device capable of directing high intensity focused ultrasound onto at least one annular segment,
generating high intensity focused ultrasound energy onto said segment to treat at least one annular segment in the eye.
23. The method according to claim 22 wherein the high intensity focused ultrasound energy is generated onto at least one annular segment corresponding to at least one segment of the ciliary body of the eye to destroy it.
24. The method according to claim 22 wherein the frequency of high intensity focused ultrasound is in a range of about 1 to 20 MHz.
25. The method according to claim 22 wherein the energy generated by each annular transducer is in an ultrasound burst having duration less than 60 seconds.
26. The method according to claim 22 wherein the eye is cooled.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of distributing software with a computer system to a user comprising the acts of:
recording data on a fixed medium in the computer system;
providing for transfer of the computer system to the user; and
controlling access to the data in the computer system by:
in response to receiving a first request for access to the data, contacting a party authorized to grant access to the data;
if the party provides authorization to grant access to the data, recording the authorization in the computer system and granting a first access to the data based on the recorded authorization; and
in response to receiving at least a second request for access to the data, granting a second access to the data based on the authorization recorded in the computer system.
2. The method of distributing software of claim 1 wherein the act of recording data on the fixed medium includes recording software application program instructions on the fixed medium.
3. The method of distributing software of claim 2 wherein recording software application program instructions on the fixed medium includes recording software application program instructions that enable a software application that does not depend on continued access to a network for fully functional operation.
4. The method of distributing software of claim 1 wherein the act of recording data on the fixed medium includes recording data on a hard disk drive.
5. The method of distributing software of claim 1 wherein the act of controlling access to the data includes the computer system automatically executing computer readable instructions to contact a party authorized to grant access to the data.
6. The method of distributing software of claim 5 wherein executing computer readable instructions includes executing instructions to activate a network link.
7. The method of distributing software of claim 5 wherein executing computer readable instructions includes executing instructions to activate access to the Internet.
8. The method of distributing software of claim 1 wherein the act of controlling access to the data includes determining if a user has a sufficient account credit to continue access to the data.
9. The method of distributing software of claim 1 wherein the act of controlling access to the data includes determining if a user should be billed for accessing the data.
10. A software module used in a computer system operable to provide controlled access to a software application being stored on a fixed medium in the computer system and being distributed with the computer system, the software module operating by:
detecting a first use of the software application on the computer system;
in response to detecting the first use, verifying authority to access the software application by:
contacting a party authorized to grant access to the software application; and
if the party provides authorization to grant access to the software application, recording the authorization in the computer system;
granting a first access to the software application based on the recorded authorization;
detecting at least a second use of the software application on the computer system; and
in response to detecting the second use, granting a second access to the software application based on the authorization recorded in the computer system.
11. The software module of claim 10 wherein the software application does not depend on continued access to a network for fully functional operation.
12. The software module of claim 10 wherein the software module and the software application are stored on the computer system during manufacture of the computer system.
13. The software module of claim 10 wherein verifying authority to access the software application verifies authority of a particular user to access the software application.
14. The software module of claim 10 wherein verifying authority to access the software application verifies authority of an accessing computer system to access the software application.
15. The software module of claim 10 wherein verifying authority to access the software application is accomplished through a network connection.
16. The software module of claim 10 wherein verifying authority to access the software application is accomplished through an Internet interface.
17. The software module of claim 10 further comprising:
if authority is verified, then allowing uninterrupted access to the software application; and
if authority is not verified, then interrupting access to the software application.
18. The software module of claim 17 wherein if authority to access the software application is not verified, then the user is presented with an opportunity to qualify for access to the software application.
19. The software module of claim 18 wherein the opportunity to qualify for access to the software application includes generating a request to set up an account.
20. The software module of claim 17 wherein if authority to access the software application is not verified, then the user’s access to the software application is terminated.
21. A computer system operable to provide controlled access to a software application stored on a fixed medium in the computer system and distributed with the computer system comprising:
a processor;
a memory coupled to the processor; and
a software module executable on the processor and the memory, the software module being responsive to a first activation of the software application by:
contacting a party authorized to grant access to the software application; and
if the party provides authorization to grant access to the software application, recording the authorization in the memory and granting a first access to the software application based on the recorded authorization;
the software module being further responsive to at least a second activation of the software application by granting a second access to the software application based on the authorization recorded in the memory.
22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the accessed software application does not depend on continued access to a network for fully functional operation.
23. The computer system of claim 21 wherein verifying authority to access the software application verifies authority of a particular user to access the software application.
24. The computer system of claim 21 wherein verifying authority to access the software application verifies authority of an accessing computer system to access the software application.
25. The computer system of claim 21 wherein verifying authority to access the software application is accomplished through a network connection.
26. The computer system of claim 21 wherein verifying authority to access the software application is accomplished through an Internet interface.
27. The computer system of claim 21 wherein if authority to access the software application is not verified, then the user is presented with an opportunity to qualify for access to the software application.
28. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the opportunity to qualify for access to the software application includes generating a request to set up an account.
29. The computer system of claim 21 wherein if authority to access the software application is not verified, then the user’s access to the software application is terminated.