Inventors:
Robert S. Herrick - Los Angeles CA
International Classification:
A61B 310, A61B 1736
Abstract:
A method for treating external eye conditions and nasal related physical conditions by closing or partially closing one or more eyelid punctal openings by first testing the efficacy of occlusion by a temporary test stitch to close a punctal canaliculus and observe the effect of such enforced retention within the eye of continuous tears that otherwise drain from the eye through the nasolacrimal duct, and then closing or occluding one or more of the lower and upper punctal canaliculi by applying a laser beam to the puntum in phases of differing intensity and diffusion to shrink the epithelium and other tissue in the area to restrict the canaliculus opening.