Smart Phone Based Virtual Visual Charts for Measuring Visual Acuity

• US 20190125179A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 05/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EyeQue, Inc.
• Original Assignee: EyeQue, Inc.
• Inventors: Xu, Ying, Wang, Yue, Serri, John
• Granted Patent: US 11,432,718 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0285 Phoropters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/103 for determining refraction, e.g. refractometers, skiascopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/18 Arrangement of plural eye-testing or -examining apparatus

Abstract

A system for replicating a standardized visual acuity test, such as the 20′ Snellen test may comprise a binocular viewer attached to a smartphone. A binocular viewer may comprise a housing comprising a pair tube covers having voids allowing for viewing through a pair of lens tubes with each lens tube in visual communication with a second lens a first lens an aperture and a front cover. The optical systems use an artful combination of front and back lens surfaces, demagnification and other systems to faithfully replicate the sight lines perceived by a user of a traditional 20′ test. The system also allows for the incorporation of other tests conducted with both eyes including Color Sensitivity and Contrast, furthermore by placing a deformable, tunable lens between the second lens and the eye the device serves as an ophthalmic refractometer, allowing a Spherical Equivalent refraction estimate for each eye.

Claims

1. A system for replicating the sight lines of a traditional vision acuity test, the system comprising:

a) a housing (200);

b) the housing containing a pair of lens tubes (250)

c) each lens tube in visual communication with a second lens (360), the second lens comprising a spherical convex lens;

d) a first lens (320) in visual communication with the second lens, the first lens comprising a front surface (325) comprising an aspherical surface and the first lens comprising a back surface (330) comprising a concave surface;

e) a front cover (260) configured to accommodate a screen (405) of an electronic device such that the screen of the electronic device is in visual communication with the front surface of the first lens.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first lens provides a demagnification power to generate a virtual image that is smaller than an image displayed upon the screen of the electronic device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the second lens provides a magnifying optical power.

4. They system of claim 1 further comprising an aperture piece (255) disposed between the first lens and the front cover.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising a gear cover (257) disposed upon distal ends of the lens tubes.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising PD (254) gearing in geared attachment to the two lens tubes, the PD gearing allowing the lens tubes to be adjusted to match a user'"'"'s pupillary distance.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising the addition of an deformable adjustable lens (800) disposed between the second lens and the user'"'"'s eye to form a phoropter device, allowing estimates of the user'"'"'s refractive error in each eye.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a pinion gear (253) in geared attachment to the PD gearing with the pinion gear in attachment to a PD knob (242)

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a face insert (222) disposed to a proximal side of the housing.

11. The method of claim 9 further including the step of using an aperture piece (255) to constrict the image presented upon the display screen as perceived by the first lens.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of moving the pair of lens tubes to comport with the PD of an end user.

14. The method of claim 9 further including the step of using a deformable adjustable lens system (800) to form a phoropter device, allowing estimates of the user'"'"'s refractive error in each eye, the deformable adjustable lens system disposed between a user'"'"'s eye and the second lens.

10. A method for adjusting sight lines from an image produced by screen such that the adjusted sightlines replicate the sightlines perceived by an optical system viewing a physical eye chart, the method comprising the steps of:

a) using a first lens (320) in visual communication with an image presented upon a display screen (405) wherein the first lens demagnifies the image presented upon the screen;

wherein the first lens uses an aspherical surface that is proximal to the display screen and wherein the first lens uses a concave surface that is distal to the display screen;

b) using a second lens (360) in visual communication with the first lens wherein the second lens magnifies the demagnified image sent by the first lens;

c) presenting the demagnified image from the second lens to an end user.

12. The method of claim 10 further including the step of using a pair of lens tubes (250) to keep a first set of first and second lenses and a second set of first and second lenses in alignment.