Efficient and damage-free ultrashort pulsed laser cutting of polymer intraocular lens implants

Ophthalmic intraocular lenses are conventionally machined by diamond tools. A promising alternative approach is contour cutting by ultrashort pulsed laser micromachining. To improve process knowledge, a parametric study of picosecond and femtosecond laser machining of medical grade hydrophilic copolymers and PMMA is carried out. Material removal rates and machining quality with respect to main process parameters are determined. Reasons for chipping and formation of heat affected zones are identified and an optimized process strategy is derived. By choosing a defined pulse overlap, heat accumulation is kept minimal while increasing absorptivity through incubation avoids chipping.