Eye Tracking Makes Astigmatism Correction Possible
As eye tracking technology advances, we are beginning to see more complex applications arise. A recent press release announced a new LASIK procedure that uses eye tracking technology to facilitate the delicate laser procedure. Until the development of Advanced Control Eyetracking (ACE) for the Technolas Perfect Vision LASIK platform, patients with astigmatism were ineligible to be candidates for vision correction. An astigmatism is an eye defect that causes blurred vision due to a refractive error in the lens, and this new system finally permits for the correction of this vision impairment.
ACE is revolutionary because it is able to adjust the laser treatment to account for subtle rotations of the eyeball that naturally occur during the procedure. Other systems that use eye tracking are able to make adjustments during the laser treatment to compensate for movements of the eye, but never before has the ability to adjust for eye rotation been possible. Now, for the first time, patients with astigmatism have the option to undergo LASIK surgery without the risk of needing a secondary enhancement procedure.
Small eye rotations occur naturally during the procedure, and the ACE is able to alter the laser pulses accordingly. The eye tracking capability of ACE is twice as fast as other trackers, so it can respond to eye shifts in fewer than 7 milliseconds. It is also able to track changes in the location of the center of the pupil, which is a critical for the proper centering over the pupil for the customized procedure. According to Dr. William Ellis, the Chief Surgeon and Medical Director of Ellis Eye and Laser Medical Center, “This technology is one of a kind.” So far, Ellis Eye and Medical Laser Center is the only practice to offer ACE in the San Francisco Bay area.
This really is an exciting application of eye tracking because it demonstrates the true power of eye tracking technology for the medical industry.
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