Ultrashort Pulse Laser Cutting of Intraocular Lens Polymers

Material processing by ultra-short pulsed laser ablation is an attractive approach for various applications. In this paper we present our studies on cutting of medical polymers used for intraocular lenses (IOL). To achieve best results the ablation characteristics and the ablation thresholds are identified for single and multiple irradiation of the lens material by picosecond pulses. The results are used for quantification of the incubation effect. Furthermore, cutting experiments are carried out and thereby different damage types can be observed. A process window is developed containing the regions of the respective types of damages and backed up by theoretical considerations.