Ophthalmic diagnostic instrument

• US 7,425,067 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2004
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA
• Original Assignee: Ophthonix Incorporated
• Inventors: Mills, Gary D., Sandler, David G., Foote, William G., Lai, Shui T., Dreher, Andreas W., Warden, Laurence
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US10/971,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20050225725A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/212, 351/246, 351/247, 351/210
• US Class Current: 351/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0075 provided with adjusting devices, e.g. operated by control lever manipulators B25J
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis

Abstract

Diagnostic instruments, systems and methods for performing measurements on eyes are disclosed. In one embodiment of the instrument, a left ocular is disposed in a portion of a left visual path for the left eye, the left ocular positioned to permit the left eye to view a target, a right ocular is disposed in a portion of a right visual path for the right eye, the right ocular positioned to permit the right eye to view a target. The instrument can also include a wavefront sensor disposed on a translation stage, the wavefront sensor having an optical path to an imaging sensor, the translation stage being movable to position the optical path of the wavefront sensor in alignment with the portion of the left visual path in a first state and in alignment with the portion of the right visual path in a second state. One or more light sources are optionally provided for propagating light along a least part of the left and right visual paths to illuminate the left and right eyes.

Claims

1. A wavefront sensor system, comprising:

a modulation element having a two-dimensional sinusoidal pattern positioned in a path of light to be analyzed;

a sensor system having a detector positioned to receive at least a portion of light passing through said modulation element, the detector being substantially located in a diffraction self-imaging plane relative to the modulation element and wherein said sensor system is capable of outputting a signal based on the light received by the detector; and

a stage system configured to position the sensor system to receive light traveling through a first optical path in a first mode and to receive light traveling through a second optical path in a second mode.

2. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, wherein the light to be analyzed is light reflected off a retina of a patient'"'"'s eye, and wherein the first mode of the staging system receives light from a first eye of a patient and the second mode of the staging system receives light from the patient'"'"'s other eye.

3. A wavefront sensor system, comprising:

a modulation element having a two-dimensional checkerboard pattern positioned in a path of light to be analyzed;

a sensor system having a detector positioned to receive at least a portion of light passing through said modulation element, the detector being substantially located in a diffraction self-imaging plane relative to the modulation element and wherein said sensor system is capable of outputting a signal based on the light received by the detector; and

a stage system configured to position the sensor system to receive light traveling through a first optical path in a first mode and to receive light traveling through a second optical path in a second mode.

4. The wavefront sensor of claim 3, wherein the light to be analyzed is light reflected off a retina of a patient'"'"'s eye, and wherein the first mode of the staging system receives light from a first eye of a patient and the second mode of the staging system receives light from the patient'"'"'s other eye.

5. A method of determining aberrations in one or more reflective or internally reflective object systems, comprising:

providing a stage system to move a sensor system between a first mode and a second mode;

while in the first mode, passing light reflected from a first object system though a modulation element having a two-dimensional sinusoidal pattern so as to produce a first near field diffraction pattern at a Talbot plane;

while in a second mode, passing light reflected from a second object system though the modulation element so as to produce a second near field diffraction pattern at the Talbot plane;

detecting signals of the first and second near field diffraction patterns at the Talbot plane; and

using said detected signals to output a first measure of an aberration in the first object system and a second measure of an aberration in the second object system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first object system comprises a first eye of a patient and the second object system comprises the patients other eye.

7. A method of determining aberrations in one or more reflective or internally reflective object systems, comprising:

providing a stage system to move a sensor system between a first mode and a second mode;

while in the first mode, passing light reflected from a first object system though a modulation element having a two-dimensional checkerboard pattern to produce a first near field diffraction pattern at a Talbot plane;

while in a second mode, passing light reflected from a second object system though the modulation element so as to produce a second near field diffraction pattern at the Talbot plane;

detecting signals of the first and second near field diffraction patterns at the Talbot plane; and

using said detected signals to output a first measure of an aberration in the first object system and a second measure of an aberration in the second object system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first object system comprises a first eye of a patient and the second object system comprises the patients other eye.