Allegretto Wave's approach to laser vision correction minimizes problems associated with older generation lasers, such as night vision reduction, glare, and halos.
Due to the remarkable speed of both the eye and the Allegretto Wave procedure, the laser beam needs to be constantly and minutely adjusted to the position of the eye at any given time. Every 4-6 milliseconds, the eye's location is measured and the internal mirrors of the Allegretto Wave are automatically aligned. If, at any time, the eye moves too quickly to be measured or moves out of range, the laser will stop and wait for the eye to move back into position.
Currently, the Allegretto Wave is the fastest vision correction laser available in the United States. At 200 laser bursts per second, it only takes about four seconds of treatment to correct one diopter. Of course, spending less time under the laser means less stress and discomfort for the patient.
One of the most innovative features of the Allegretto Wave is the way it uses wavefront-optimized technology to automatically compensate for the curvature of the cornea. In earlier laser correction systems, the “optical zone,” or area of correction, was centered on the front of the cornea; the result was a flattened circular area that ended with an abrupt edge, causing unwanted side effects like poor night vision, glare, and halos.
Allegretto Wave changes all that. Understanding that the cornea is a sphere, Allegretto Wave uses a proprietary treatment that is adjusted to the patient's individual corneal curvature. The Allegretto Wave sends extra pulses to the peripheral cornea area in order to compensate for the angle of the laser. In this manner, the spherical shape of the cornea is preserved to a degree that older lasers simply could not achieve. This compensation, combined with the incredibly small, 1mm size of the laser, produces a smooth, effective optical zone that produces what can only be described as high performance vision.
At night and in dark conditions, the pupil becomes larger to permit the maximum amount of light to enter the eye. Laser eye correction needs to take this fact into account. If the optical zone is smaller than the size of the pupil at its largest, there is a good chance that the patient will experience poor night vision or problems with glare and halos around bright objects such as oncoming headlights. Allegretto Wave is able to produce the largest available optical zone, virtually eliminating glare and night vision problems associated with older generation lasers.
When it was approved in 2003 as the first new laser in five years, the FDA granted ALLEGRETTO WAVE the widest approval range ever initially given to a new laser for both myopic and hyperopic vision correction. Since then, the results have been astoundingly positive. ALLEGRETTO WAVE has been proven to provide superior clinical results, as shown by the following statistics:
Learn more about the Allegretto Wave
© 2010 Eye Physicians of Northampton. All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: This web site is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.