SELF OPERATABLE OPHTHALMIC DEVICE

• US 20170325675A1
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hangzhou Aimu-Meditec Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Miraco Light Incorporated
• Inventors: LIU, QINGDI, CAI, Ming
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0033 characterised by user input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0041 characterised by display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/024 for determining the visual field, e.g. perimeter types
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/18 Arrangement of plural eye-testing or -examining apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a system for a patient to obtain quality eye tests results without other people'"'"'s assistance. The system includes a wearable, head-mounted, ophthalmic device. With a head mounted structure, the patient'"'"'s head position remains still relative to the ophthalmic device. One or more “iris” cameras and a display screen are used to help align the patient'"'"'s eye on ocular lenses for optimal eye test results. The system includes a patient interface module that allows the patient to operate the device. Accessory features such as a microphone and earphones are used to communicate with a close by stander during and after the eye exam. Another key feature is a cloud service connection used to store test results for remote access by the patient or other authorized persons.

Claims

1. A wearable ophthalmic apparatus for a patient to conduct self-operable eye test, said wearable ophthalmic apparatus comprising a head-mounted structure and an interface device for the patient to control the eye test on his/her own, wherein said head-mounted structure comprises a pair of ocular lens, a pair of off-axis cameras, a pair of infrared illumination LEDs, each of said off-axis cameras and each of said LEDs being fixed close to one of said ocular lenses, a display screen fixed to an inner side of said head-mounted structure, wherein said off-axis cameras capture patient'"'"'s pupil/iris images for automatically aligning the patient'"'"'s eye to said head-mounted structure'"'"'s optical axis.

2. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises two divided portions, one dedicated for the patient'"'"'s right eye and another dedicated for the patient'"'"'s left eye.

3. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface device is a hand-held push button operably coupled to said head-mounted structure wirelessly or via a cable.

4. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said interface device is an assembly of one or more sensors that collect the patient'"'"'s various responses.

5. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said off-axis cameras can be an assembly of cameras, and each of said illumination LEDs can be an assembly of LEDs.

6. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein visual field analysis is conducted when test stimuli are presented on said display screen and the patient responses are collected from said hand-held device, allowing the patient'"'"'s non-testing eye remains open and optionally fixated to a fixation target.

7. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pair of on-axis cameras, a beam splitter placed between said ocular lenses and said display screen, wherein said pair of on-axis cameras are fixed to another side of said beam splitter so that each of said on-axis cameras being aligned to one of said ocular lenses and focused on patient'"'"'s pupil/iris, wherein patient eye alignment can be performed with said on-axis cameras.

8. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient'"'"'s gaze is determined by analyzing the images captured by said off-axis cameras or said on-axis cameras, and used for presenting the stimuli with improved accuracy during visual field analysis.

9. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein said on-axis cameras can be switched to a retina mode with additional focusing and illumination optics for taking fundus images.

10. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fundus images can be taken with said on-axis cameras simultaneously for both patient eyes.

11. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient'"'"'s gaze is determined by analyzing the images captured by said off-axis cameras or said on-axis cameras, and used for stitching the fundus images.

12. A wearable ophthalmic apparatus for a patient to conduct self-operable eye test, comprising a head-mounted structure, an image processing device and an interface device for the patient to control the eye test on his/her own, wherein said head-mounted structure comprises a pair of ocular lenses, a pair of off-axis cameras being fixed adjacent to said ocular lenses, a pair of infrared illumination LEDs, each of said LEDs being fixed under one of said ocular lenses, a pair of laser deliver modules, a display screen fixed to an inner side of said head-mounted structure, and a beam splitter coupled between said ocular lenses and said display screen, wherein said pair of laser deliver modules is coupled to said beam splitter'"'"'s other surface, each of said laser delivery modules being aligned to one of said ocular lenses, and wherein said off-axis cameras capture patient'"'"'s pupil/iris images for aligning the patient'"'"'s eye to the optical axis of the head-mounted structure automatically.

13. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said laser delivery modules comprises scanning and focusing optics that direct light beams to a target area on the patient'"'"'s retina or cornea.

14. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein each of said off-axis cameras can be an assembly of cameras, and each of said illumination LEDs can be an assembly of LEDs.

15. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said display screen is comprises two separate screens, one dedicated for the patient'"'"'s right eye and another dedicated for the patient'"'"'s left eye.

16. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said interface device is a hand-held push button operably coupled to said laser delivery modules and said head mounted structure wirelessly or via a cable.

17. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said interface device is an assembly of sensors that collect the patient'"'"'s various responses.

18. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said image processing device is operably coupled to said head-mounted structure through one or more optical cables and one or more electrical cables.

19. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein said image processing device comprises either confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) or optical coherence tomography (OCT).

20. The wearable ophthalmic apparatus of claim 12, wherein the patient'"'"'s gaze is determined by analyzing the images captured by said off-axis cameras, and used for removing motion artifacts in said SLO and OCT images.