Apparatus and method for operating a real time large diopter range sequential wavefront sensor

• US 9,585,553 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clarity Medical Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Clarity Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Yan, Chew, Bradford, Shea, William
• Primary Examiner(s): MAI, HUY KIM
• Application Number:
  US14/796,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20160038024A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/210, 351/212, 351/246
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1015 for wavefront analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1035 for measuring astigmatism testing astigmatism A61B3/036
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/132 in binocular arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/152 for aligning
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2009/00848 based on wavefront
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0414 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or plane beam-splitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0437 using masks, aperture plates, spatial light modulators, spatial filters, e.g. reflective filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/064 Use of other elements for scan, e.g. mirror, fixed grating
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 9/00 Measuring optical phase difference devices or arrangements for controlling the phase of light beams G02F1/01; Determining degree of coherence; Measuring optical wavelength spectrometry G01J3/00

Abstract

A wavefront sensor includes a light source configured to illuminate a subject eye, a detector, a first beam deflecting element configured to intercept a wavefront beam returned from a subject eye when the subject eye is illuminated by the light source and configured to direct a portion of the wavefront from the subject eye through an aperture toward the detector and a controller, coupled to the light source and the beam deflecting element, configured to control the beam deflecting element to deflect and project different portions of an annular ring portion of the wavefront from the subject eye through the aperture and further configured to pulse the light source at a firing rate to sample selected portions of the annular ring at the detector.

Claims

1. A wavefront sensor comprising:

a light source configured to illuminate a subject eye;

a detector to output wavefront information;

an image sensor configured to output an image of the subject eye;

a computer, coupled to the light source, the image sensor, and the detector, with the computer configured to analyze the image or wavefront information to detect a presence of an unintended object in a wavefront relay path or a moving away of the subject eye from a desired position or range that reduce confidence in wavefront measurements of the subject eye.

2. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, wherein the unintended object in the wavefront relay path comprises optical bubbles, an optically opaque cataract, or fractured lens material in the subject eye.

3. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, with the computer further configured to abandon wavefront measurement results when confidence is reduced.

4. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, with the computer further configured to turn off the light source when confidence is reduced.

5. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a low optical coherence interferometer (LOCI) that outputs ophthalmic information, with the computer further configured to process the ophthalmic information to detect the moving away of the subject eye from the desired position or range that reduces confidence in wavefront measurements of the subject eye.

6. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

an optical coherence tomographer (OCT) that outputs ophthalmic information, with the computer further configured to process the ophthalmic information to detect the moving away of the subject eye from the desired position or range that reduces confidence in wavefront measurements of the subject eye.

7. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, with the computer further configured to perform pattern recognition to detect factors that reduce confidence.

8. The wavefront sensor of claim 1, with the computer further configured to output a warning when confidence is reduced.