Ocular Imaging System

• US 20100026957A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: Doheny Eye Institute, University of Southern California
• Inventors: Tanguay, Armand R. JR., Humayun, Mark S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,210,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/221
• 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

Abstract

An imaging system for examining the interior structure of the eye at high-resolution under ambient light without the need for chemical dilation of the pupil.

Claims

1. A system for imaging an eye, comprising a high-sensitivity, high-resolution image sensor array.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array has a sensitivity of at least about 0.1 lux.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor array has a sensitivity of at least about 0.01 lux.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the sensor array has a sensitivity of at least about 0.001 lux.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array is selected from the group consisting of CCD and CMOS devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor array comprises a material selected from the group consisting of silicon and silicon-germanium.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising imaging optics disposed between the eye and the sensor array and adapted to form an image of the eye on the sensor array.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the imaging optics include at least one element selected from the group consisting of a refractive lens, a gradient index lens, a diffractive lens, a diffractive optical element, and a variable focal length lens.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one fixed or tunable color filter disposed between the sensor array and the eye for filtering the light, having a wavelength, that impinges on the sensor array.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the tunable color filter is tuned by at least one voltage impressed upon the filter by a filter control circuit that controls the wavelength transmission profile of light passed by the filter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wavelength transmission profile of the filter changes over time.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein signals obtained from the sensor array at two or more wavelength transmission profiles are recombined by an image processing circuit to yield an image.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the image processing circuit recombines signals to yield an image with veridical color.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display capable of displaying the image with veridical color yielded from the image processing circuit.

15. A method of imaging an eye, comprising the step of using the system of claim 1 to form the image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the imaging is performed at an ambient light level below about 500 lux.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the imaging is performed at an ambient light level below about 200 lux.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the imaging is performed at an ambient light level below about 100 lux.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the imaging is performed at an ambient light level below about 50 lux.

20. A method of diagnosing the health of an eye, comprising the step of using the system of claim 1 to form an image of the eye.