iLASIK technology
What is iLASIK?
Standard LASIK involves creating a flap with a mechanical blade. The flap is gently lifted and the laser treatment applied. In iLASIK a separate laser creates the flap rather than a blade. The result is an iLASIK procedure that’s clinically shown to improve your comfort, safety and visual outcome.
These are the steps in the process:
STEP 1: Analyze your eyes and create a custom treatment plan using Wavefront technology
The WaveScan™ technology creates a unique 3-D map of your vision. WaveScan™ technology was originally developed for use in high-powered telescopes to reduce distortions when viewing distant objects in space. This technology has now been applied to laser vision correction, measuring imperfections in the eye with much greater precision and detail than traditional methods— to within hundredths of a diopter. This diagnostic tool compares the behavior of light passing through your eye to the behavior of light as it would pass through an ideal eye with error-free imaging.
During the analysis of your eyes using the WaveScan system, your irises are mapped and stored in the computer that operates the lasers. When your treatment is performed, this map is matched with the treatment plan, insuring each eye receives a unique treatment plan. The result is an in-depth representation of the specific refractive aberrations in your vision. Just like your fingerprint, the WaveScan map created by this technology is completely unique to you.
STEP 2: Create a flap using the Intralase laser instead of a blade
The IntraLase™ Method is the 100% blade-free approach to the iLASIK procedure—a precise computer-guided laser that takes the place of a hand held blade. This process has earned FDA approval and is now approved for military personnel, including NASA astronauts.
STEP 3: Treat the eye with the VISX Excimer laser
We use our own state-of-the-art, FDA approved Excimer laser. Excimer lasers were developed originally for high-precision computer chip etching. The Excimer laser beam works without heat. During the LASIK procedure, the laser is activated in single pulses, each of which removes microscopic amounts of tissue. Guided by your surgeon’s expertise, the laser precisely reshapes the cornea without disturbing the surrounding area of the eye, usually in less than one minute.
The VISX Star S4 laser system has FDA approval to treat hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism. This laser provides a tremendous amount of precision, control and safety in the surgical correction of vision errors. Our laser is vigilantly maintained in peak operating condition by our own laser field service engineer.
3-D Eye Tracker
With 3-D Eye Tracker technology, you don’t have to worry about what might happen if you move your eye during the LASIK procedure. The laser’s infrared cameras actively follow the tiniest motions of your eye, ensuring greater precision and accuracy during your treatment. The tracker follows the movement of your eye and adjusts the laser accordingly. If the movement is too great, the laser automatically stops treatment and resumes exactly where it left off.
Iris Registration
It's normal for the pupil to shift positions from the time your eye is measured to the time your procedure. Iris registration technology centers the treatment correctly, independent of changes in the pupil center from measurement to treatment. Iris registration also aligns your astigmatism correction in the precise orientation.
Advanced Technology
We use extremely advanced technology for your eyes. We employ the latest Intralase technology, the IFS, to create the flap and the latest VISX excimer laser, the Star S4 CustomVue with Iris Recognition, to reshape the cornea. In fact, we're the first vision correction center in Oregon that offers the latest iFS model of IntraLase™ technology. Rest assured that you’ll get an integrated, completely personalized procedure that’s based on advanced vision correction technology—every step of the way.
