Surgery – Instruments – Light application
Reexamination Certificate
2001-02-02
2001-10-23
Dvorak, Linda C. M. (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Instruments
Light application
C606S003000, C606S005000, C128S898000, C623S004100, C351S159000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06306127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
Eye color in humans varies widely between ethnic groups and between individuals. Perceived eye color of a normal human is dependent on the presence of several colored pigments in the iris which are coded for by different genes.
Iris color plays and has played a significant social function as an attribute of beauty. In recent years, alteration of some types of iris color has become possible through the use of colored contact lenses. Such colored contact lenses can have a prescriptive optical power, or can be optically neutral such that the lenses serves a cosmetic function only.
There are several disadvantages associated with the use of colored contact lenses for cosmetic purposes. First, the lenses have the same potential complications of use as contact lenses with prescriptive optical powers, including allergic reactions to the lens material and infections from improper handling. Further, contact lenses cannot be tolerated by some potential users due to the discomfort. Additionally, colored contact lenses require a degree of dexterity to insert and remove that is not possessed by all potential users. Further, permanent changes in iris color cannot be achieved through the use of colored contact lenses.
Another method for altering iris color involves the use of colored lens implanted anterior to the iris. Such implants require an invasive procedure to place the lens in position. Because of the potential complication of an invasive procedure and of leaving a foreign body within the eye, the implantation of color lenses has not become a widely adopted procedure.
Therefore, there remains a need for a method to alter iris pigmentation in a human which does not require colored contact lenses or implanted lenses. Additionally, there remains a need for a method to alter iris pigmentation in a human which can permanently alter iris color.
SUMMARY
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for altering iris pigmentation in a human, thereby altering perceived iris color of a first iris from a first iris color to a second iris color. The method comprises preselecting one or more than one laser capable of generating one or more than one laser beam which will selectively remove iris pigment of a first preselected pigment color from the first iris, and then applying the one or more than one laser beam to the first iris of a first iris color to remove iris pigment of the first preselected pigment color. The removal of the iris pigment of the first preselected color causes an alteration in the color of the first iris from the first iris color to the second iris color.
In a preferred embodiment, the second iris color is a different hue than the first iris color. In another preferred embodiment, the second iris color is substantially the same hue as the first iris color but less saturated than the first iris color. In another preferred embodiment, the second iris color is substantially a different hue than the first iris color and less saturated than the first iris color. In yet another preferred embodiment, the hue of the second iris color is a hue that does not naturally occur in a human iris.
In a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises creating an opening in the cornea of the human before applying the one or more than one laser beam, and then applying the one or more than one laser beam through the opening. In another preferred embodiment, the one or more than one laser preselected is a pulse dye laser. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the one or more than one laser beam generated has a wavelength of between about 300 nm and about 900 nm.
In another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises altering iris pigmentation in the human, thereby altering perceived iris color of a second iris from a third iris color to a fourth iris color. The method comprises preselecting one or more than one laser capable of generating one or more than one laser beam which will selectively remove iris pigment of a second preselected pigment color from the second iris and applying the one or more than one laser beam to the second iris of the third iris color to remove iris pigment of the second preselected pigment color. The removal of the iris pigment of the second preselected color causes an alteration in the color of the second iris from the third iris color to the fourth iris color. The second iris color can be substantially same as the fourth iris color or can be substantially different than the fourth iris color.
The method of the present invention can be repeated to alter iris pigmentation further as desired.
DESCRIPTION
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for altering iris pigmentation in a human, and thereby altering perceived iris color from a first iris color to a second iris color. In one embodiment, the method comprises preselecting one or more than one laser capable of generating one or more than one laser beam which will selectively remove iris pigment of a first preselected pigment color. Next, the one or more than one laser beam is applied to an iris of a first iris color to remove iris pigment of the first preselected pigment color. The removal of the iris pigment of the first preselected pigment color causes an alteration in the color of the iris from the first iris color to the second iris color, where the second iris color is a different hue than the first iris color.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for altering the iris pigmentation in the iris of a human to change the color of the iris from a first iris color to a second iris color, where the second iris color is perceived as substantially the same hue as the first iris color but less saturated than the first iris color. The method comprises preselecting one or more than one laser capable of generating one or more than one laser beam, where the one or more than one laser beam will selectively remove iris pigment. The one or more than one laser beam is applied to an iris of the first iris color to remove iris pigment, where the removal of the iris pigment causes an alteration in the color of the iris from the first iris color to the second iris color. The second iris color is perceived as substantially the same hue as the first iris color but less saturated than the first iris color.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for altering iris pigmentation in a human, and thereby altering perceived iris color from a first iris color to a second iris color, where the second iris color is both a different hue and less saturated than the first iris color. In one embodiment, the method comprises preselecting one or more than one laser capable of generating one or more than one laser beam which will selectively remove iris pigment of a first preselected pigment color. Next, the one or more than one laser beam is applied to an iris of a first iris color to remove iris pigment of the first preselected pigment color. The removal of the iris pigment of the first preselected pigment color causes an alteration in the color of the iris from the first iris color to the second iris color.
The method of the present invention can further include creating an opening in the cornea of the human before applying the one or more than one laser beam, and then applying the one or more than one laser beam through the opening.
The use of lasers to remove iris pigmentation is advantageous because specific lasers can be selected which create laser beams which are selectively absorbed by iris pigment of specific colors. This property allows the selection of lasers to selectively destroy iris pigment of specific colors while not destroying iris pigment of other colors. For example, the laser beam generated could be selected to remove yellow or red pigment from the iris only.
In a preferred embodiment, the one or more than one laser selected is a pulse dye lasers because the wavelength of the laser beam is determined by the color of the material through which t
Dvorak Linda C. M.
Farah A.
Farah David A.
Sheldon & Mak
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