Universal ophthalmic examination device and ophthalmic examination method

• US 20050122475A1
• Filed: 12/03/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMEDOS GmbH
• Original Assignee: IMEDOS GmbH
• Inventors: Kassner, Christine, Vilser, Walthard, Seifert, Bernd-Ullrich
• Granted Patent: US 7,284,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/221
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1241 specially adapted for observation of ocular blood flow, e.g. by fluorescein angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B

Abstract

A universal ophthalmic examination device and an ophthalmic examination method have the object of combining in an inexpensive apparatus in a simple manner the device-related requirements for image generation, measurement and functional imaging for carrying out visual stimulation and highly time-resolved and highly spatially resolved image documentation using continuous illumination and flash mode and the requirements for measurements in the infrared spectral region and visible spectral region with a time regime that can be freely selected to a great extent. The light of at least one light source is modified in a program-oriented manner with respect to its intensity curve and/or time curve with a temporally defined relationship to the adjustments of the at least one light source, of the image recording and of the evaluation for purposes of adaptive matching to an examination task in the illumination beam path by an individual, shared light manipulator and is used as modified light for illumination and for selective stimulation.

Claims

1. A universal ophthalmic examination device comprising, in combination with a central control unit:

at least one primary light source in an illumination beam path directed to an object being examined;

at least one image recording and evaluating unit for documenting and/or for measuring at least partial areas of the object being examined;

electronically switchable elements for beam path switching;

an optical light manipulator which communicates with the central control unit and which being jointly controllable being arranged in the illumination beam path provided for the at least one primary light for program-oriented modification of the intensity curve and/or time curve of the primary light in a temporally defined relationship with the adjustments of the primary illumination and of the image recording and evaluation; and

a secondary light that is generated from the primary light by the modification being provided for illumination and for selective stimulation of the object to be examined.

2. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein the optical light manipulator is an electrooptic component based on a controllably variable transmission.

3. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein the optical light manipulator is fastened to a carrier which can be introduced into the illumination beam path and removed from the illumination beam path.

4. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein a continuously radiating illumination device is provided as the primary light source.

5. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 4, wherein the continuously radiating illumination device comprises at least the visible and infrared spectral range.

6. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 5, wherein the optical light manipulator is an electrooptic component that is based on a controllably variable transmission in the visible spectral range and is transparent in the infrared spectral range, in that separate recording channels are provided for the visible spectral range and infrared spectral range, and in that a switching element for controlling the switching which serves to switch between the recording channels is connected to the central control unit.

7. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein the optical light manipulator is an electrooptic component which is based on a controllably variable reflection.

8. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein an optical sensor is connected to the central control unit for obtaining control signals for the central control unit.

9. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein a second primary light source is constructed as a flash illumination device.

10. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 9, wherein light radiated by the flash illumination device is directed in part to an optical sensor for detecting the starting edge of a flash and for forming a switching signal for purposes of adaptive control.

11. The ophthalmic examination device according to claim 1, wherein a flash illumination device is provided as primary light source.

13. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 11, wherein, for purposes of adaptive matching, feedback to the computer control is produced from signals that are derived from the examination results or formed as sensor signals in order to optimize the control of the intensity curve and/or time curve and the control of the at least one light source and of the image recording and evaluation in a result-oriented manner.

12. An ophthalmic examination method including the steps of:

illuminating an object to be examined and selectively stimulating it by an illumination beam path for recording images with light of at least one light source;

deriving examination results by recording images of the object to be examined and evaluating the images obtained by the image recording; and

modifying the light of the at least one light source in a program-oriented manner with respect to its intensity curve and/or time curve with a temporally defined relationship to the adjustments of the at least one light source, of the image recording and of the evaluation for adaptive matching to an examination task in the illumination beam path and using such modified light for illumination and for selective stimulation.

14. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein the light of a continuously radiating light source is initially reduced in intensity and is stepped up to a higher intensity at a desired time so as to be synchronized with the image recording.

15. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein the continuously radiating light source is increased in output while the intensity of the light is reduced for retaining a constant illumination strength for the object under examination, and in that the intensity of the light is increased in a flash-generating manner when reaching an output of the light source that is necessary for high-quality image recordings.

16. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein a control of the image sequence and/or of the change in quality of the image content is carried out by the modification of the intensity curve and/or time curve.

17. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein a flash-generating control of the light intensity is carried out at selected times when recording images with illumination by the continuously radiating light source.

18. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 17, wherein the image recordings are carried out with continuous light in the infrared spectral region while the flash generation is carried out in the visible spectral region.

19. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 18, wherein the image recordings with continuous illumination and with flash-generated illumination are carried out in the same image recording channel.

20. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 18, wherein the image recordings with continuous illumination and with flash-generated illumination are carried out in separate image recording channels.

21. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein flickering light is generated from the light of the continuously radiating light source by interruption of light, wherein the bright phases are used for carrying out measurements.

22. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 12, wherein at least a portion from a flash of a flash illumination device serving as light source is cut out with respect to time by modifying the time curve.

23. The ophthalmic examination method according to claim 22, wherein images with time-resolved content are produced by synchronization of the flash times of the cut out flash portions for image recording.