HEADS-UP VISION ANALYZER

• US 20120287398A1
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Foley, James, Baker, Christopher, Buehren, Tobias
• Granted Patent: US 9,895,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/103 for determining refraction, e.g. refractometers, skiascopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning

Abstract

A binocular vision analyzer apparatus is used for determining a prescription of visual aids for the eyes of an individual. The apparatus includes first and second targets respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes of the individual and at least one illuminator unit for illuminating the targets. An optical system is configured to present respective virtual images of the first and second targets so as to be viewable by the respective first and second eyes. At least one beam splitter disposed in front of the first and second eyes directs the virtual images toward the respective eyes. The apparatus also includes first and second spherical correction devices and first and second cylindrical correction devices that respectively correspond to the first and second eyes.

Claims

1. A binocular vision analyzer apparatus for determining a prescription of visual aids for first and second eyes of an individual, the binocular vision analyzer apparatus comprising:

first and second targets respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes of the individual;

at least one illuminator unit configured to illuminate the first and second targets;

an optical system configured to present a first virtual image of the first target so as to be viewable by the first eye and a second virtual image of the second target so as to be viewable by the second eye;

at least one beam splitter configured to be disposed in front of the first and second eyes so as to direct the first and second virtual images toward the respective first and second eyes;

first and second spherical correction devices respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes; and

first and second cylindrical correction devices respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes.

2. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one position monitoring device configured to measure a position and movement of at least the first eye.

3. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein the position monitoring device includes a camera focused on a portion of at least the first eye.

4. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1 further comprising a positioning mechanism configured to position at least one of the individual'"'"'s head and components of the apparatus.

5. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 2 further comprising a positioning mechanism configured to position at least one of the individual'"'"'s head and components of the apparatus so as to accommodate monitored changes in a position of the first eye.

6. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 5, further comprising a computing device configured to provide a measure of a pupillary distance based on a required change in position performed by the positioning mechanism to center at least one of the pupils.

7. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second spherical correction devices each include at least one of a Badal optometer, a free-form lens, a liquid lens and a holographic lens.

8. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein at least one of the spherical correction device and cylindrical correction device is configured to provide continuous dioptric correction.

9. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a computing device configured to provide a measurement of spherical correction for each of the first and second eyes of the individual based on a selected setting of the respective first and second spherical corrections devices.

10. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second cylindrical correction devices includes at least one of a Stokes Cell, a free form lens, a liquid lens and a holographic lens.

11. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a computing device configured to provide a measurement of cylindrical correction for each of the first and second eyes of the individual based on a selected setting of the respective first and second cylindrical corrections devices.

12. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising first and second glare modules respectively disposed in front of the first and second targets and configured to provide light nominally around the respective target.

13. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising at least one angular positioning mechanism configured to move components of the optical system so as to provide angular movement of the first virtual image about horizontal and vertical axes with respect to the second virtual image so as to provide horizontal and vertical vergence control.

14. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one angular positioning mechanism providing movement of the first virtual image about horizontal and vertical axes with respect to the second virtual image includes at least one of a positioning goniometer and a pivot.

15. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 5, further comprising at least one adaptive optics unit configured to simulate a vision correction aid for subjective feedback.

16. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a computing device including a memory configured to store patient settings of at least one variable corresponding to at least one of the first and second eyes from the list of:

eye position in three axes, pupillary distance, spherical correction, cylinder correction, vergence setting, target setting and adaptive optics setting.

17. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second targets are disposed in respective first and second target units, each target unit including a plurality of additional targets, and each target unit including one of a rotating wheel of targets, a linear strip of targets, a rectangle of targets and an electronic screen configured to provide a plurality of targets.

18. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 17, wherein each of the first and second target units include two targets configured to measure cylindrical correction of the respective eye, the two targets being disposed at 45 degrees to each other and thereby configured for measuring C+ and Cx values based on the cylinder and axis.

19. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a screen configured to be positioned in front of the user and provide an effect of the first and second virtual images being disposed at a distance defined by the position of the two virtual targets, irrespective of a distance to the screen

20. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising first and second sensor units configured to measure at least sphere and cylinder, the first and second sensor units each comprising at least one of a wavefront sensor unit and an auto-refractor sensor unit, each of the first and second sensor units being disposed opposite the respective spherical and cylindrical correction devices with respect to the respective first and second eyes such that light from the respective eyes entering the respective sensor unit has passed through the respective spherical and cylindrical correction devices.

21. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured as a table-top device.

22. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one beam splitter includes a chamfer having an angle configured to be substantially aligned with a line extending radially outward from the first eye.

23. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the apparatus is head-mounted.

24. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a vergence assistance target for assisting the individual with fusing the first and second virtual images for near testing, the vergence assistance target including at least one of a hologram and a measuring rail configured to provide a target at variable distances.

25. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 24, wherein the hologram includes features disposed at different distances.

26. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a control operable by the individual and configured to adjust at least one of the spherical correction device, cylindrical correction device and vertical and horizontal vergence devices.

27. The binocular vision analyzer apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising a computing device including a memory configured to receive data imported from at least one of a separate vision analyzer, auto-refractor, wavefront refractor and lens analyzer.

28. A method for determining a prescription of visual aids for first and second eyes of an individual, the method comprising:

providing first and second targets respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes of the individual;

illuminating the first and second targets using at least one illumination device;

presenting a first virtual image of the first target so as to be viewable by the first eye and a second virtual image of the second target so as to be viewable by the second eye using an optical system;

disposing at least one beam splitter in front of the first and second eyes and directing the first and second virtual images toward the respective first and second eyes using the at least one beam splitter;

selecting a spherical correction for each of the first and second eyes using respective first and second spherical correction devices;

selecting a cylindrical correction for each of the first and second eyes using respective first and second cylindrical correction devices; and

determining the prescription of visual aids for the first and second eyes based respectively on the selected spherical correction and cylindrical correction for the first and second eyes.

29. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising monitoring a position and movement of at least the first eye using at least one position monitoring device.

30. The method recited in claim 29, wherein the position monitoring device includes a camera focused on a portion of at least the first eye.

31. The method recited in claim 29, further comprising positioning at least one of the individual'"'"'s head and components of the apparatus using a positioning device so as to accommodate monitored changes in a position of at least the first eye.

32. The method recited in claim 31, further providing a measurement of the pupillary distance based on a required change in position performed by the positioning mechanism to align the pupil of at least one eye.

33. The method recited in claim 28, wherein the first and second spherical correction devices each include at least one of a Badal optometer, a free-form lens, a liquid lens and a holographic lens.

34. The method recited in claim 28, wherein at least one of the spherical correction device and cylindrical correction device is configured to provide continuous dioptric correction.

35. The method recited in claim 28, wherein each of the first and second cylindrical correction devices includes at least one of a Stokes Cell, a free form lens, a liquid lens and a holographic lens.

36. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising disposing first and second glare modules in front of the first and second targets so as to provide light around the respective targets.

37. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising moving components of the optical system using an angular positioning mechanism so as to provide angular movement of the first virtual image about horizontal and vertical axes with respect to the second virtual image so as to provide horizontal and vertical vergence control.

38. The method recited in claim 37, wherein the angular positioning mechanism providing movement of the first virtual image about horizontal and vertical axes with respect to the second virtual image includes at least one of a positioning goniometer and a pivot.

39. The method recited in claim 31, further comprising providing at least one adaptive optics unit so as to simulate a vision correction aid for subjective feedback.

40. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising storing, in a computing device including a memory, patient settings of at least one variable corresponding to at least one of the first and second eyes from the list of:

eye position in three axes, pupillary distance, spherical correction, cylinder correction, vergence setting, target setting, target brightness and adaptive optics setting.

41. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising presenting third and fourth targets respectively corresponding to the first and second eyes, wherein each of the first and third targets and second and fourth targets form a pair of targets configured to measure cylindrical correction of the respective eye, the respective targets in each pair being disposed at 45 degrees to each other and configured for measuring C+ and Cx values as a basis for calculating cylinder and axis.

42. The method recited in claim 41, further comprising supplying supplemental cylinder in a direction of the C+ and Cx targets so as to aid the individual in target focusing.

43. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising measuring sphere and cylinder corresponding to each of the first and second eyes using respective first and second sensor units, the first and second sensor units each comprising at least one of a wavefront sensor unit and an auto-refractor sensor unit, each of the first and second sensor units being disposed opposite the respective spherical and cylindrical correction devices with respect to the respective first and second eyes such that light from the respective eyes entering the respective sensor unit has passed through at least one of the respective spherical and cylindrical correction devices.

44. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising providing a vergence assistance target for assisting the individual with fusing the first and second virtual images for near testing.

45. The method recited in claim 43, wherein the vergence assistance target includes at least one of a hologram and a measuring rail configured to provide a target at variable distances.

46. The method recited in claim 44, wherein the hologram includes features disposed at different distances.

47. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising providing a control to the individual and directing the individual to adjust at least one of the spherical correction device, cylindrical correction device and vergence correcting device using the control.

48. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising providing the apparatus with a computing device and receiving data imported from at least one of a separate vision analyzer, auto-refractor, wavefront refractor and lens analyzer.

49. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising storing refraction values from at least one of a present, previous and alternative refraction in a data base, and presenting the stored refraction values to the individual for a comparison.

50. The method recited in claim 28, further comprising directing the individual to wear spectacles during the method.