IRVINE, Calif., March 2006 — IntraLase Corp. has announced plans to introduce a newer, faster version of the company's laser used to create a hinged flap in the eye's surface during LASIK eye surgery.

The new 60 kHz laser was scheduled to be unveiled at the March 2006 meeting of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) in San Francisco. An IntraLase company news release says the new platform will reduce the time needed to create a laser flap by half, to about 18 seconds.

In LASIK, a hinged flap in the eye's surface is created by either a bladed instrument (microkeratome) or a laser. The flap then is lifted, and energy from a different (excimer) laser is applied to reshape the eye for vision correction. The flap is replaced on the eye to promote faster healing and comfort.