Ophthalmologic imaging apparatus

• US 10,448,827 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2016
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Okuda, Youki
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, William R
• Application Number:
  US15/575,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20180125361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,372 Days
• Field of Search: 351206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0058 for multiple images
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0075 provided with adjusting devices, e.g. operated by control lever manipulators B25J
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/36 Autofocus systems
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/48 adapted for combination with other photographic or optical apparatus

Abstract

An ophthalmologic imaging apparatus that includes a first optical system, a first driver, and a first focus controller. The first optical system includes a first focus lens and a diopter correction lens, and guides light from a subject'"'"'s eye to a first light receiving element. The first focus lens is movable along the optical axis of a first optical path. The diopter correction lens is insertable into and removable from the first optical path. The first driver moves the first focus lens. The first focus controller executes mutually different focus control of the first driver in a removed state in which the first diopter correction lens is removed from the first optical path and in an inserted state in which the diopter correction lens is inserted into the first optical path.

Claims

1. An ophthalmologic imaging apparatus, comprising:

a first optical system comprising a first focus lens movable along an optical axis of a first optical path and a diopter correction lens insertable into and removable from the first optical path, and configured to guide light from a subject'"'"'s eye to a first light receiving element;

a first driver configured to move the first focus lens;

a first focus controller configured to execute mutually different focus control of the first driver in a removed state in which the diopter correction lens is removed from the first optical path and in an inserted state in which the diopter correction lens is inserted into the first optical path;

a second optical system comprising a second focus lens movable along an optical axis of a second optical path, and configured to guide the light from the subject'"'"'s eye to a second light receiving element or an eyepiece;

a second driver configured to move the second focus lens; and

a second focus controller configured to determine a position of the second focus lens by executing focus control of the second driver and move the second focus lens to a focus position determined,

wherein, in the inserted state, the first focus controller determines a position of the first focus lens based on the position of the second focus lens determined by the second focus controller and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

2. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the second optical system comprises an interference optical system that splits light from a light source into measurement light and reference light, projects the measurement light onto the subject'"'"'s eye, and detects interference light generated from returning light of the measurement light from the subject'"'"'s eye and the reference light by the second light receiving element,

the second focus lens is disposed in an optical path of the measurement light and the returning light, and

the second focus controller determines the position of the second focus lens based on the interference light detected by the interference optical system.

3. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an intensity detector configured to detect intensity of the interference light detected by the interference optical system,

wherein the second focus controller determines the position of the second focus lens to maximize the intensity of the interference light detected by the intensity detector.

4. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage unit configured to prestore first control information in which positions of the second focus lens are associated with positions of the first focus lens,

Wherein, in the inserted state, the first focus controller determines the position of the first focus lens based on the position of the second focus lens determined by the second focus controller and the first control information.

5. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

6. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a storage unit configured to prestore first control information in which positions of the second focus lens are associated with positions of the first focus lens, wherein, in the inserted state, the first focus controller determines the position of the first focus lens based on the position of the second focus lens determined by the second focus controller and the first control information.

7. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a storage unit configured to prestore first control information in which positions of the second focus lens are associated with positions of the first focus lens, wherein, in the inserted state, the first focus controller determines the position of the first focus lens based on the position of the second focus lens determined by the second focus controller and the first control information.

8. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an illumination optical system configured to project an illumination light beam onto the subject'"'"'s eye via a third optical path coupled with the first optical path between the subject'"'"'s eye and the diopter correction lens;

a focus indicator projection optical system configured to project a focus indicator onto the subject'"'"'s eye via the third optical path; and

a third driver configured to move the focus indicator projection optical system along an optical axis of the third optical path,

wherein the first light receiving element receives returning light of the focus indicator from the subject'"'"'s eye that has passed through the first focus lens, and

the first focus controller, in the removed state, determines the position of the first focus lens by controlling the third driver based on a position of an image of the focus indicator acquired by the first light receiving element, and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

9. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

an illumination optical system configured to project an illumination light beam onto the subject'"'"'s eye via a third optical path coupled with the first optical path between the subject'"'"'s eye and the diopter correction lens;

a focus indicator projection optical system configured to project a focus indicator onto the subject'"'"'s eye via the third optical path; and

a third driver configured to move the focus indicator projection optical system along an optical axis of the third optical path,

wherein the first light receiving element receives returning light of the focus indicator from the subject'"'"'s eye that has passed through the first focus lens, and

the first focus controller, in the removed state, determines the position of the first focus lens by controlling the third driver based on a position of an image of the focus indicator acquired by the first light receiving element, and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

10. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

an illumination optical system configured to project an illumination light beam onto the subject'"'"'s eye via a third optical path coupled with the first optical path between the subject'"'"'s eye and the diopter correction lens;

a focus indicator projection optical system configured to project a focus indicator onto the subject'"'"'s eye via the third optical path; and

a third driver configured to move the focus indicator projection optical system along an optical axis of the third optical path,

wherein the first light receiving element receives returning light of the focus indicator from the subject'"'"'s eye that has passed through the first focus lens, and

the first focus controller, in the removed state, determines the position of the first focus lens by controlling the third driver based on a position of an image of the focus indicator acquired by the first light receiving element, and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

11. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

an illumination optical system configured to project an illumination light beam onto the subject'"'"'s eye via a third optical path coupled with the first optical path between the subject'"'"'s eye and the diopter correction lens;

a focus indicator projection optical system configured to project a focus indicator onto the subject'"'"'s eye via the third optical path; and

a third driver configured to move the focus indicator projection optical system along an optical axis of the third optical path,

wherein the first light receiving element receives returning light of the focus indicator from the subject'"'"'s eye that has passed through the first focus lens, and

the first focus controller, in the removed state, determines the position of the first focus lens by controlling the third driver based on a position of an image of the focus indicator acquired by the first light receiving element, and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

12. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

13. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

14. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

15. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

16. An ophthalmologic imaging apparatus, comprising:

a first optical system comprising a first focus lens movable along an optical axis of a first optical path and a diopter correction lens insertable into and removable from the first optical path, and configured to guide light from a subject'"'"'s eye to a first light receiving element;

a first driver configured to move the first focus lens; and

a first focus controller configured to execute mutually different focus control of the first driver in a removed state in which the diopter correction lens is removed from the first optical path and in an inserted state in which the diopter correction lens is inserted into the first optical path;

an illumination optical system configured to project an illumination light beam onto the subject'"'"'s eye via a third optical path coupled with the first optical path between the subject'"'"'s eye and the diopter correction lens;

a focus indicator projection optical system configured to project a focus indicator onto the subject'"'"'s eye via the third optical path; and

a third driver configured to move the focus indicator projection optical system along an optical axis of the third optical path,

wherein the first light receiving element receives returning light of the focus indicator from the subject'"'"'s eye that has passed through the first focus lens, and

the first focus controller, in the removed state, determines the position of the first focus lens by controlling the third driver based on a position of an image of the focus indicator acquired by the first light receiving element, and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined.

17. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to prestore second control information in which a position of the focus indicator projection optical system at which the position of the image of the focus indicator matches a predetermined position is associated with a position of the first focus lens, and correction information for correcting the second control information,

wherein the first focus controller determines the position of the first focus lens based on the second control information and moves the first focus lens to a focus position determined in the removed state, and determines a new position of the first focus lens by correcting the position of the first focus lens stored in the storage unit based on the correction information and moves the first focus lens to the new position in the inserted state.

18. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.

19. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

a correction lens driver configured to move the diopter correction lens;

a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first optical system has become in focus by the first focus lens within a predetermined focusable range in the removed state; and

a diopter correction controller configured to control the correction lens driver to insert the diopter correction lens into the first optical path when the determination unit has determined that the first optical system has not become in focus.