1460961567-7ff86e60-08d1-4bdf-a6cd-ba0459ceb6c7

1. A system for dissecting a transparent material which comprises:
means for specifying a desired result from a dissection;
means for determining a volume of transparent material to be altered during the dissection;
means for identifying a prototypic dissection path for the dissection;
means for defining a topology for the transparent material;
means for calculating a predicted result of the dissection based on the topology;
means for refining the prototypic dissection path to establish a refined dissection path, wherein the refined dissection path minimizes a difference between the predicted result and the desired result; and
means for dissecting the transparent material along the refined dissection path.
2. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the refined dissection path minimizes HOAs induced during dissection of the transparent material and corrects for pre-existing HOAs in the transparent material.
3. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the refined dissection path bounds the volume of transparent material to be altered and the system further comprises:
means for removing the volume of transparent material to create a recess in the transparent material; and
means for inserting a prosthetic into the recess.
4. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the dissecting means creates incisions in the transparent material by laser induced optical breakdown.
5. A system as recited in claim 1 wherein the transparent material is corneal tissue and the topology is based on predictors including stromal bed thickness, dimensions of the prototypic dissection path, and total corneal pachymetry.
6. A system as recited in claim 5 wherein the predictors are used to define a biomechanical stress distribution and hydration levels in the corneal tissue.
7. A system for dissecting a transparent material which comprises:
means for determining a volume of transparent material to be altered during a dissection;
means for identifying a prototypic dissection path for the dissection;
means for defining a topology for the transparent material;
means for refining the prototypic dissection path to establish a refined dissection path, wherein the refined dissection path compensates for optical aberrations otherwise induced by the topology during the dissection; and
means for dissecting the transparent material along the refined dissection path.
8. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the refined dissection path bounds the volume of transparent material to be altered and the system further comprises:
means for removing the volume of transparent material to create a recess in the transparent material; and
means for inserting a prosthetic into the recess.
9. A system as recited in claim 8 wherein an interface is formed between the prosthetic and the transparent material, and the system further comprises means for reforming the transparent material at the interface for compliance with the determining means.
10. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the system further comprises means for altering the enclosed volume by laser induced optical breakdown.
11. A system as recited in claim 7 wherein the transparent material is corneal tissue and the topology is based on predictors including stromal bed thickness, dimensions of the prototypic dissection path, and total corneal pachymetry.
12. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein the predictors are used to define a biomechanical stress distribution and hydration levels in the corneal tissue.
13. A method for dissecting a transparent material which comprises the steps of:
specifying a desired result from a dissection;
determining a volume of transparent material to be altered during the dissection;
identifying a prototypic dissection path for the dissection;
defining a topology for the transparent material;
calculating a predicted result of the dissection based on the topology;
refining the prototypic dissection path to establish a refined dissection path, wherein the refined dissection path minimizes any difference between the predicted result and the desired result; and
dissecting the transparent material along the refined dissection path.
14. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the refined dissection path bounds the volume of transparent material to be altered and the method further comprises the steps of:
removing the volume of transparent material to create a recess in the transparent material; and
inserting a prosthetic into the recess.
15. A method as recited in claim 14 wherein an interface is formed between the prosthetic and the transparent material, and the method further comprises the step of reforming the transparent material at the interface for compliance with the determining step.
16. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the dissecting step encloses the volume of transparent material, with the method further comprising the step of altering the enclosed volume by laser induced optical breakdown.
17. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the transparent material is corneal tissue and the topology is based on predictors including stromal bed thickness, dimensions of the prototypic dissection path, and total corneal pachymetry.
18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the predictors are used to define a biomechanical stress distribution and hydration levels in the corneal tissue.
19. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the desired result is achieved through a reduction of higher order aberrations in the transparent material.
20. A method as recited in claim 13 wherein the desired result includes improved refractive performance by the transparent material.

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 light source device for scanning-exposure comprising: a semiconductor laser having a substrate that is transparent to a wavelength of a laser beam emitted from an active layer; a condenser lens for converging said laser beam at least in a direction parallel to an active surface of said active layer; and a light flux limiting device for limiting light flux on an exit side of said condenser lens so as to eliminate extraneous light that is radiated from said substrate, wherein said light flux limiting device is located at a depth position Z on an optical axis of said condenser lens, said depth position Z satisfying conditions defined as follows:
Z\u2267Z0, Z0<0 and
P
p

\u2061

(
Z0
)
=
lim

Z
\u2192
\u221e
\u2062

{
P
p

\u2061

(
Z
)
}
wherein Z is assumed to have a positive value on a forward side of said laser beam from a focal point of said laser beam through said condenser lens, Pp(Z) is a value obtained by dividing a width of said laser beam in said parallel direction to said active surface at said depth position Z by a width of said extraneous light in said parallel direction at said depth position Z.
2. A light source device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said light flux limiting device has an opening whose width \u0394 in said parallel direction to said active surface is defined by a relational expression as follows:
\u0394\u2266(Emax\u2212Emin)Emin\xb7(R\u22121)\xb7{dp(Z)+dv(Z)}

wherein Emax is a maximum light volume of said semiconductor laser, Emin represents a light volume at a lasing threshold, R is a light volume rate representative of a ratio between a maximum exposure amount and a minimum exposure amount necessary for gaining sufficient density contrast, dp(Z) represents a width of said extraneous light in said parallel direction at said depth position Z, and dv(Z) represents a width of said extraneous light in a vertical direction to said active surface at said depth position Z.
3. A scanning-exposure apparatus for scanning a photosensitive material with at least a laser beam to record an image on said photosensitive material, said scanning-exposure apparatus comprising:
a light source device for emitting said laser beam, said a light source device comprising a semiconductor laser whose substrate is transparent to a wavelength of said laser beam, a condenser lens for converging said laser beam at least in a direction parallel to an active surface of said active layer, and a light flux limiting device for limiting light flux on an exit side of said condenser lens so as to eliminate extraneous light that is radiated from said substrate, wherein said light flux limiting device is located at a depth position Z on an optical axis of said condenser lens, said depth position Z satisfying conditions defined as follows:
Z\u2267Z0, Z0<0 and
P
p

\u2061

(
Z0
)
=
lim

Z
\u2192
\u221e
\u2062

{
P
p

\u2061

(
Z
)
}
wherein Z is assumed to have a positive value on a forward side of said laser beam from a focal point of said laser beam through said condenser lens, Pp(Z) is a value obtained by dividing a width of said laser beam in said parallel direction to said active surface at said depth position Z by a width of said extraneous light in said parallel direction at said depth position;
a deflector placed on an exit side of said light source device, for deflecting said laser beam; and
a lens system for projecting said deflected laser beam onto said photosensitive material.
4. A scanning-exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said light flux limiting device has an opening whose width \u0394 in said parallel direction to said active surface is defined by a relational expression as follows:
\u0394\u2266(Emax\u2212Emin)Emin\xb7(R\u22121)\xb7{dp(Z)+dv(Z)}

wherein Emax represents a maximum light volume of said semiconductor laser, Emin represents a minimum light volume at a lasing threshold, R is a light volume rate representative of a ratio between a maximum exposure amount and a minimum exposure amount necessary for gaining sufficient density contrast, dp(Z) represents a width of said extraneous light in said parallel direction at said depth position Z, and dv(Z) represents a width of said extraneous light in a vertical direction to said active surface at said depth position Z.
5. A scanning-exposure apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said photosensitive material is a silver salt photosensitive material, and a logarithmic value log(R) of said light volume rate R satisfies a condition: log(R)\u22671.5.
6. A scanning-exposure method for scanning a photosensitive material with at least a laser beam emitted from a light source device using a semiconductor laser whose substrate is transparent to a wavelength of a laser beam emitted from an active layer, a condenser lens for converging said laser beam at least in a direction parallel to an active surface of said active layer, and a light flux limiting device for limiting light flux on an exit side of said condenser lens so as to eliminate extraneous light that is radiated from said substrate, comprising steps of:
locating said light flux limiting device at a depth position Z on an optical axis of said condenser lens, said depth position Z satisfying conditions defined as follows:
Z\u2267Z0, Z0<0 and
P
p

\u2061

(
Z0
)
=
lim

Z
\u2192
\u221e
\u2062

{
P
p

\u2061

(
Z
)
}
wherein Z is assumed to have a positive value on a forward side of said laser beam from a focal point of said laser beam through said condenser lens, Pp(Z) is a value obtained by dividing a width of said laser beam in said parallel direction to said active surface at said depth position Z by a width of said extraneous light in said parallel direction at said depth position; and forming an opening of said light flux limiting device to have a width \u0394 in said parallel direction to said active surface, that is defined by a relational expression as follows:
\u0394\u2266(Emax\u2212Emin)Emin\xb7(R\u22121)\xb7{dp(Z)+dv(Z)}