Fundus camera for diagnostic fundus photographing

• US 6,404,985 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/542,911
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 396/18, 351/206-208
• US Class Current: 396/18
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning

Abstract

A fundus camera includes a main unit equipped with an illuminating optical system for illuminating the fundus of an eye to be inspected and a photographing optical system for photographing the fundus, an observation optical system for determining whether or not the distance between the main unit and the eye is equal to a proper working distance, an alignment index projecting system, and a driving mechanism for moving a light guide along an optical axis to change a working distance in the case of photographing the central part of the fundus and in the case of photographing a peripheral part of the fundus.

Claims

1. A fundus camera comprising:

a main unit equipped with an illuminating system for illuminating a fundus of an eye to be inspected and a photographing system for photographing the fundus;

a working distance detecting means for detecting whether a distance between the eye and the main unit is equal to a proper working distance or not; and

a working distance changing means for changing the proper working distance depending on whether photographed part is a central part of the fundus or a peripheral part of the fundus.

2. The fundus camera according to claim 1, further comprising a fixation mark projecting system for projecting a fixation mark to guide a visual line of the eye at a position corresponding to a part to be photographed when photographing the peripheral part of the fundus, wherein the working distance changing means changes the proper working distance according to change of the position where the fixation mark is projected.

3. The fundus camera according to claim 1, wherein the working distance detecting means projects alignment index on the eye and detects whether a proper working distance is secured on the basis of a reflected light, and the working distance changing means changes the proper working distance by shifting a position of the index the along an optical axis of the photographing optical system.

4. The fundus camera according to claim 3, further comprising a fixation mark projecting system for projecting a fixation mark to guide a visual line of the eye at a position corresponding to a part to be photographed when photographing the peripheral part of the fundus, wherein the working distance changing means changes the proper working distance according to change of the position where the fixation mark is projected.