Eye-safe near infra-red imaging illumination method and system
First Claim
1. A method for eye-safe near infra-red (NIR) optical imaging illumination comprisingimaging an eye of an intended subject with visible or NIR light at an unconditionally eye-safe illumination;
- determining from said imaging a substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination that can be applied to said eye; and
illuminating said eye with at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse having a pulse intensity and duration selected to provide said substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination at said eye.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for eye-safe near infra-red (NIR) optical imaging illumination. An eye of an intended subject are imaged with visible light or NIR light at an unconditionally eye-safe illumination level and the maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination that can be applied to the eye is determined from the captured images. The eye of the intended subject can then be illuminated with at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse having a pulse intensity and duration selected to provide the substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination intensity at the eye. NIR light pulse illumination can be inhibited in response to detection of other subjects either within the vicinity of a volume extending between an NIR illuminator illuminating the eye and the intended subject. The likelihood that an intended subject has been recently illuminated can also be determined and statistical measures can be used to avoid re-illuminating subject unnecessarily.
65 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for eye-safe near infra-red (NIR) optical imaging illumination comprising
imaging an eye of an intended subject with visible or NIR light at an unconditionally eye-safe illumination; -
determining from said imaging a substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination that can be applied to said eye; and illuminating said eye with at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse having a pulse intensity and duration selected to provide said substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination at said eye. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for eye-safe near infra-red (NIR) optical imaging illumination comprising
illuminating an eye of an intended subject with visible light or NIR light at an unconditionally eye-safe illumination level; -
capturing images of said eye illuminated with said visible or NIR light determining from said captured images the maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination that can be applied to said eye; illuminating said eye of said intended subject with at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse, said at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse having a pulse intensity and duration selected to provide said substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination intensity at said eye; detecting another subject who may have an eye at risk, either within a volume extending between said NIR illuminator and said intended subject or moving in a manner such that said eye of said another subject may come within said volume during said illumination of said eye of said intended subject with said at least one NIR pulse, and avoiding illuminating said eye of said intended subject with said at least one NIR pulse in response to detecting the potential for harm to an eye of the another subject. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An eye safe NIR optical imaging illumination system comprising
at least one camera for capturing images of an eye of an intended subject illuminated with visible or NIR light at an unconditionally eye-safe illumination level; -
an NIR illuminator for illuminating said eye of said intended subject; and a controller operably coupled to said camera and said NIR illuminator, wherein said controller is adapted and arranged to determine from said captured images of said eye of said intended subject the maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination that can be applied to said eye; and operate said NIR illuminator to illuminate said eye of said intended subject with at least one substantially maximal NIR light pulse having a pulse duration and intensity selected to provide said substantially maximum permissible eye-safe NIR illumination at said eye. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification