Adapter for retinal imaging using a hand held computer

• US 10,188,294 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IrisVision Global, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verana Health, Inc.
• Inventors: Myung, David, Polkinhorne, David Nicholas, Arnett, Benjamin Scott, Hulme, Gary B., Kourtis, Iraklis
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, William B
• Application Number:
  US15/186,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20160367135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1208 Multiple lens hand-held instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/145 by video means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components

Abstract

An adapter configured to engage with a hand held computer device to allow a camera on the hand held computer device to take a high quality image of an eye. The adapter allows for high quality imaging of the anterior portion of the eye and the posterior portion of the eye. The adapter can include additional modular components such as an optical pathway enclosure and a beamsplitter module.

Claims

1. An adapter configured to engage with a hand held computer device with a camera having an optical axis comprising:

an anterior adapter portion comprising;

a body, a clamp configured to engage with the hand held computer device at a first location and a second location, a lens holder engaged with a macro lens movable between a first position in the optical axis of the camera and a second position outside of the optical axis of the camera, an adjustable light source with a light axis parallel to a macro lens optical axis, a third engagement surface configured to slidably engage with the hand held computer device at a third location, and a complementary surface of the body configured to reversibly engage with a base section of a posterior portion, wherein the clamp defines an axis and the body of the anterior adapter portion is configured to move along the axis of the clamp; and

the posterior portion comprising;

the base section configured to reversibly engage with the complementary surface of the body of the anterior adapter portion, a telescoping section movable relative to the base section, and a lens holder engaged with a distal end of the telescoping section configured to removably engage with an ophthalmoscopy lens, the base section configured to removably engage with the body of the anterior adapter portion to form an optical axis between the ophthalmoscopy lens and the camera of the hand held computer device.

2. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens holder hinge engaged with the telescoping section of the posterior portion and the lens holder, the lens holder hinge adapted to move the lens holder between a first position in the optical axis of the camera and a second position outside of the optical axis of the camera.

3. The adapter of claim 2, wherein the second position includes the lens holder folded flush with the telescoping section.

4. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the adapter has an open optical pathway between the lens holder and camera.

5. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the third engagement surface has a semi-circular or hook shape configured to slidably engage with the hand held computer device at the third location.

6. The adapter of claim 5, wherein the third engagement surface is adapted to hold a surface of the body of the anterior adapter against a surface of the hand held computer device.

7. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a removable enclosure configured to removably engage with the posterior portion.

8. The adapter of claim 7, wherein the removable enclosure includes a clamping mechanism to engage with the posterior portion.

9. The adapter of claim 7, the removable enclosure further comprising:

a telescoping portion configured to adjust a length of the removable cover.

10. The adapter of claim 7, the removable enclosure further comprising a proximal portion with an opening to accommodate the camera of the hand held computer device and the light source of the anterior adapter portion and a distal section to engage with the lens holder.

11. The adapter of claim 7, wherein the removable enclosure is adapted to encase the optical pathway between the camera and the lens holder.

12. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising an ophthalmoscopy lens engaged with the lens holder, the ophthalmoscopy lens configured for indirect ophthalmoscopy.

13. The adapter of claim 12, wherein the ophthalmoscopy lens is a lens in the range of 10 D to 90 D.

14. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the macro lens has a dominant plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the macro lens, the macro lens having a non-circular cross-sectional profile in the dominant plane.

15. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the adjustable light source is integral with the body of the anterior adapter and powered by a power source within the anterior adapter.

16. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED).

17. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a light diffuser.

18. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a light source control on the anterior adapter portion configured to adjust the properties of the light source.

19. The adapter of claim 17, wherein the light source control comprises a dial.

20. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the clamp includes a first surface configured to engage with the first location of the hand held computer device and a second surface configured to engage with the second location of the hand held computer device.

21. The adapter of claim 20, wherein the first surface and second surface are on opposing sides of the hand held computer device.

22. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

an anterior locking mechanism on the anterior adapter portion configured to position the anterior body relative to the axis of the clamp.

23. The adapter of claim 22, wherein the anterior locking mechanism is adapted to secure a length of the axis of the clamp.

24. The adapter of claim 23, wherein the anterior locking mechanism is configured to secure the first surface of the clamp relative to the second surface of the clamp.

25. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a posterior locking mechanism configured to secure the telescoping section relative to the base section.

26. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a lens holder locking mechanism configured to secure the lens holder relative to an axis of the telescoping section.

27. The adapter of claim 22, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a thumb screw.

28. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery compartment within the body of the anterior adapter portion.

29. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the clamp is spring loaded.

30. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the clamp is configured to apply a compressive force to the first and second location.

31. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a beam splitter module configured to removably engage with the anterior adapter, the beam splitter module when engaged with the anterior adapter configured to direct light from the adjustable light source to be coaxial with the optical axis of the camera.

32. The adapter of claim 31, wherein the beam splitter includes a mirror to reflect light from the adjustable light source to be coaxial with the optical axis of the camera.

33. The adapter of claim 31, the beam splitter module further comprising:

a polarizing light filter in the optical pathway of the adjustable light source when the beam splitter module is engaged with the anterior adapter portion and a polarizing light filter in the optical pathway of the camera when the beam splitter module is engaged with the anterior adapter portion.

34. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a slit beam module configured to removably engage with the anterior adapter that refracts and filters the light emitted by the light source into a rectangular slit shape.

35. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a cobalt blue filter adapted to be positioned over the LED and/or the camera lens when the anterior adapter portion is engaged with the hand held computer device.

36. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the hand held computer device is a smartphone, tablet computer, or mobile imaging device.

37. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the third engagement structure is configured to removably engage with the anterior adapter portion.

38. The adapter of claim 37, the third engagement structure further comprising:

an adjustable engagement mechanism configured to engage with the hand held computer device.

39. The adapter of claim 38, the adjustable engagement mechanism further comprising:

a thumb screw and a hand held computer engagement surface.

40. The adapter of claim 38, the adjustable engagement mechanism further comprising:

a spring, a hand held computer engagement surface, and a release lever.

41. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising:

a light shaping module configured to be removably engaged with the anterior adapter portion to modify the adjustable light source.

42. The adapter of claim 41, wherein the light shaping module includes a plurality of light shaping structures.

43. The adapter of claim 42, wherein the light shaping module comprises:

a first aperture, a second aperture that is larger than the first aperture, a slit lamp, and a blue filter.

44. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the telescoping section has a closed optical pathway.

45. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the base section includes a magnet to engage with the anterior adapter portion.

46. A method of obtaining images of an eye of a patient, the method comprising:

attaching an anterior adapter portion to a hand held computer device having a camera, the anterior adapter comprising;

a body, a clamp configured to engage with the hand held computer device at a first location and a second location, a lens holder engaged with a macro lens movable between a first position in the optical axis of the camera and a second position outside of the optical axis of the camera, an adjustable light source with a light axis parallel to a macro lens optical axis, a third engagement surface configured to slidably engage with the hand held computer device at a third location, and a complementary surface of the body configured to reversibly engage with a base section of a posterior portion, wherein the clamp defines an axis and the body of the anterior adapter portion is configured to move along the axis of the clamp;

adjusting a position of the body of the anterior adapter relative to the axis of the clamp to line up the macro lens optical axis with the optical axis of the camera of the hand held computer device;

obtaining an image of the eye of the patient with the camera of the hand held computer device using the macro lens and the adjustable light source;

engaging a posterior portion to the anterior adapter portion by engaging the base section of the posterior portion with the complementary surface of the body of the anterior adapter portion, the posterior portion comprising;

a telescoping section movable relative to the base section, and a lens holder engaged with a distal end of the telescoping section configured to removably engage with an ophthalmoscopy lens, the base section configured to removably engage with the body of the anterior adapter portion to form an optical axis between the ophthalmoscopy lens and the camera of the hand held computer device; and

obtaining an image of the eye of the patient with the camera of the hand held computer device and the ophthalmoscopy lens.

47. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

locking the position of the body of the anterior adapter after adjusting the position of the body of the anterior adapter relative to the axis of the clamp to line up the macro lens optical axis with the optical axis of the camera of the hand held computer device.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

engaging an ophthalmoscopy lens with the lens holder prior to obtaining the image of the eye of the patient with the camera of the hand held computer device and the ophthalmoscopy lens.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

engaging a removable cover with the posterior portion to encase an optical pathway between the ophthalmoscopy lens and the camera of the hand held computer device.

50. The method of claim 46, further comprising adjusting the adjustable light source of the anterior adapter portion to illuminate the eye of the patient with a desired amount of light.

51. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

engaging a beam splitter module with the anterior adapter, the beam splitter module configured to removably engage with the anterior adapter, the beam splitter module when engaged with the anterior adapter configured to direct light from the adjustable light source to be coaxial with the optical axis of the camera.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

obtaining a direct ophthalmoscopy image of the eye of the patient with the camera of the hand held computer device and the beam splitter module.

53. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

engaging a slit beam module with the anterior adapter, the slit beam module configured to removably engage with the anterior adapter portion.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising:

obtaining an image of the eye of the patient with the slit beam module.

55. The method of claim 46, wherein the hand held computer device is a smartphone, tablet computer, or mobile imaging device.