American Academy of Ophthalmology
Clinical data suggest that the solid-state CustomVis Pulzar Z1 excimer laser (Perth, Australia) laser affords similar or superior refractive surgery results as compared with commercially available wavefront-guided lasers, Dr. Tarak Pujara reported at the 2007 annual meeting of the ASCRS.
In contrast to traditional excimer lasers, which ablate at 193 nm, the Pulzar Z1 ablates at a wavelength of 213 nm, which is close to the peak absorption of corneal collagen, and is significantly less absorbed by 0.9% NaCl and BSS. Therefore, fluctuations in corneal hydration are not a significant concern.
The 213-nm wavelength is generated by transmitting a 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser beam through three nonlinear crystals. Because the laser is solid-state, it doesn’t require toxic gases, and the laser start-up time is significantly decreased.
In addition to the increased efficiency of the laser beam, the Pulzar Z1 has a small, 0.6-mm Gaussian-shaped flying spot, a 1-kHz closed loop eye tracker that follows the limbus instead of the pupil, and cyclorotational registration using a combination of iris and limbal blood vessels.
Pulzar Z1 is has not received FDA marketing clearance and is currently not available in the United States.