Ophthalmic ultrasonic measurement apparatus, and an ophthalmic measurement method

• US 20090033869A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Hiramatsu, Hiroyuki, Ban, Yukinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1005 for measuring distances inside the eye, e.g. thickness of the cornea A61B3/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/10 Eye inspection

Abstract

An ophthalmic ultrasonic measurement apparatus capable of narrowing differences in measurement results obtained by the apparatus which are made because of differences among examiners who operate the apparatus comprises an ultrasonic probe arranged to be brought into contact with a cornea of an examinee'"'"'s eye, a calculation unit arranged to obtain a measured value of a length from the cornea to a given section inside the eye based on an echo from the eye by an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from the probe, and a memory arranged to store information on examiners and adjustment information for narrowing differences in measured values of the length which are made because of differences among the examiners while the adjustment information is associated with the examiners'"'"' information, wherein the calculation unit corrects the obtained measured value using the stored adjustment information.

Claims

1. An ophthalmic ultrasonic measurement apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic probe arranged to be brought into contact with a cornea of an examinee'"'"'s eye;

a calculation unit arranged to obtain a measured value of a length from the cornea to a given section inside the eye based on an echo from the eye by an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from the probe; and

a memory arranged to store information on examiners and adjustment information for narrowing differences in measured values of the length which are made because of differences among the examiners while the adjustment information is associated with the examiners'"'"' information,

wherein the calculation unit corrects the obtained measured value using the stored adjustment information.

2. An ophthalmic measurement method for correcting a measured value of a length from a cornea of an examinee'"'"'s eye to a given section inside the eye which is measured using an ultrasonic probe, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information on examiners and adjustment information for narrowing differences in measured values of the length which are made because of differences among the examiners while the adjustment information is associated with the examiners'"'"' information;

inputting a measured value of the length; and

correcting the inputted measured value using the stored adjustment information.

3. The ophthalmic measurement method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining measured values of the length which correspond to a plurality of various pushing forces of the probe;

comparing the plurality of obtained various measured values with a reference value of the length;

obtaining each of correlations between the pushing forces corresponding to the measured values and deviations of the measured values from the reference value every time the pushing force is varied; and

obtaining the adjustment information based on the obtained correlations.

4. The ophthalmic measurement method according to claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining measured values of the length which correspond to a plurality of various pushing forces of the probe;

obtaining, using the plurality of obtained various measured values as a plurality of various reference values of the length, each of correlations between the reference values and the pushing forces corresponding to the reference values every time the pushing force is varied; and

obtaining the adjustment information based on the obtained correlations.

5. An ophthalmic measurement method for measuring a length from a cornea of an examinee'"'"'s eye to a given section inside the eye by bringing an ultrasonic probe into contact with the cornea, and correcting a measured value of the length, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a measured value of the length from the cornea to the given section inside the eye based on an echo from the eye by an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from the probe;

storing information on examiners and adjustment information for narrowing differences in measured values of the length which are made because of differences among the examiners while the adjustment information is associated with the examiners'"'"' information; and

correcting the obtained measured value using the stored adjustment information.

6. The ophthalmic measurement method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining measured values of the length which correspond to a plurality of various pushing forces of the probe;

comparing the plurality of obtained various measured values with a reference value of the length;

obtaining each of correlations between the pushing forces corresponding to the measured values and deviations of the measured values from the reference value every time the pushing force is varied; and

obtaining the adjustment information based on the obtained correlations.

7. The ophthalmic measurement method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining measured values of the length which correspond to a plurality of various pushing forces of the probe;

obtaining, using the plurality of obtained various measured values as a plurality of various reference values of the length, each of correlations between the reference values and the pushing forces corresponding to the reference values every time the pushing force is varied; and

obtaining the adjustment information based on the obtained correlations.