Ophthalmologic apparatus for measuring position of measuring portion inside eye

• US 9,999,349 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tomey Corporation
• Original Assignee: Tomey Corporation
• Inventors: Kato, Chihiro, Ohmori, Tsutomu, Nozawa, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): WILKES, ZACHARY W
• Application Number:
  US14/802,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20150320309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 351206, 351221, 351208
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1005 for measuring distances inside the eye, e.g. thickness of the cornea A61B3/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1173 for examining the eye lens
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02004 using frequency scans
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02062 Active error reduction, i.e. varying with time
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02064 by particular adjustment of coherence gate, i.e. adjusting position of zero path difference in low coherence interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02068 Auto-alignment of optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence

Abstract

An ophthalmologic apparatus comprises a light source 12, an optical measurement system 13 that radiates first light from the light source to inside an eye to be examined and guides first reflected light from the eye, an optical reference system (24, 22) that radiates second light from the light source to a reference surface and guides second reflected light from the reference surface, a photo detector 26 that detects interfering light between the first reflected light from the optical measurement system and the second reflected light from the optical reference system, and a processor that determines a position of a measuring portion of the inside of the eye based on the detected interfering light. The optical measurement system comprises an incident angle changing member 46 that changes an incident angle of the first light radiated to the eye within a predetermined angular range relative to an axis of vision of the eye.

Claims

1. An ophthalmologic apparatus comprising:

a light source;

an optical measurement system configured to radiate first light from the light source to inside an eye to be examined and guides first reflected light from the eye;

an optical reference system configured to radiate second light from the light source to a reference surface and guides second reflected light from the reference surface;

a photo detector configured to perform a measurement operation to detect interfering light between the first reflected light from the optical measurement system and the second reflected light from the optical reference system; and

a processor that determines a first position of a first measuring portion inside the eye based on the detected interfering light and a second position of a second measuring portion inside the eye based on the detected interfering light, the processor further determining an axial length from the first position to the second position,

wherein the optical measurement system comprises a focal point adjustment mechanism configured to change a focal point of the first light in its focal aim direction and a match point adjustment mechanism configured to change an optical path length between the light source and the eye in order to change a match point in which the optical path length between the light source and the eye matches an optical path length between the light source and the reference surface,

the processor is further configured to conduct the measurement operation by changing both the match point and the focal point of the first light in its optical axis direction during the measurement operation such that the focal point of the first light is matched with each of a front or rear surface of a cornea of the eye, a front or rear surface of a crystalline lens of the eye, and a surface of a retina of the eye during the measurement operation,

the processor is further configured to determine the first position of the first measuring portion during the measurement operation based on the first detected interfering light obtained when a wavelength of emitted light from the light source is swept in a first state where the focal point and the match point are matched with the first position,

the processor is further configured to determine the second position of the second measuring portion during the measurement operation based on the second detected interfering light obtained when a wavelength of the emitted light from the light source is swept in a second state where the focal point and the match point are matched with the second position,

the light source is a wavelength sweep type and configured to enable a measurement of an axial length of the eye, which is a distance from a cornea of the eye to a retina of the eye, in a state where the focal point and the match point are matched with a front surface of the cornea of the eye,

the first position of the first measuring portion is one of;

a front or rear surface of the cornea of the eye;

a front or rear surface of a crystalline lens of the eye; and

a surface of the retina of the eye, and

the second position of the second measuring portion is one of;

the front or rear surface of the cornea of the eye;

the front or rear surface of the crystalline lens of the eye; and

the surface of the retina of the eye, and different from the first position.

2. The ophthalmologic apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the first position of the first measuring portion is the front or rear surface of the cornea of the eye,

the second position of the second measuring portion is the surface of the retina of the eye, and

the processor determines the axial length of the eye.

3. The ophthalmologic apparatus as in claim 1, wherein

the optical measurement system comprises an incident angle changing member configured to change an incident angle of the first light radiated to the eye within a predetermined angular range relative to an axis of vision of the eye,

the incident angle changing member is configured to scan the incident angle within the predetermined angular range during a measurement,

the photo detector is configured to detect interfering light of each scan angle and outputs an interference signal of each scan angle to the processor,

the interference signal of each scan angle includes a first signal component and a second signal component, the first signal component being created by the first reflected light and reflected light from the first position of the first measuring portion, and the second signal component being created by the second reflected light and reflected light from the second position of the second measuring portion,

the first position of the first measuring portion is one of a front or rear surface of a cornea of the eye, and a front or rear surface of a crystalline lens of the eye, and

the processor is configured to determine the first position of the first measuring portion based on only the first signal component of the interference signal with respect to an angular range with increased intensity of the interference signal which is higher than a predetermined intensity.

4. The ophthalmologic apparatus as in claim 3, wherein

the processor is further configured to determine the second position of the second measuring portion based on the second signal component of the interference signal of all of the scan angles within the predetermined angular range.

5. An ophthalmologic apparatus comprising:

a light source;

an optical measurement system configured to radiate first light from the light source to inside an eye to be examined and guides first reflected light from the eye;

an optical reference system configured to radiate second light from the light source to a reference surface and guides second reflected light from the reference surface;

a photo detector configured to detect interfering light between the first reflected light from the optical measurement system and the second reflected light from the optical reference system; and

a processor that determines a first position of a first measuring portion inside the eye based on the detected interfering light and a second position of a second measuring portion inside the eye based on the detected interfering light, the processor further determining an axial length from the first position to the second position,

wherein the optical measurement system comprises a focal point adjustment mechanism configured to change a focal point of the first light in its focal aim direction and a match point adjustment mechanism configured to change an optical path length between the light source and the eye in order to change a match point in which the optical path length between the light source and the eye matches an optical path length between the light source and the reference surface,

the processor is further configured to conduct the measurement by changing both the match point and the focal point of the first light in its optical axis direction during the measurement such that the focal point of the first light is matched with each of a front or rear surface of a cornea of the eye, a front or rear surface of a crystalline lens of the eye, and a surface of a retina of the eye during the measurement,

the processor is further configured to determine the first position of the first measuring portion based on the first detected interfering light obtained when a wavelength of emitted light from the light source is swept in a first state where the focal point and the match point are matched with the first position,

the processor is further configured to determine the second position of the second measuring portion based on the second detected interfering light obtained when a wavelength of the emitted light from the light source is swept in a second state where the focal point and the match point are matched with the second position,

the light source is a wavelength sweep type and configured to enable a measurement of an axial length of the eye, which is a distance from a cornea of the eye to a retina of the eye, in a state where the focal point and the match point are matched with a front surface of the cornea of the eye,

the first position of the first measuring portion is one of;

a front or rear surface of the cornea of the eye;

a front or rear surface of a crystalline lens of the eye; and

a surface of the retina of the eye, and

the second position of the second measuring portion is one of;

the front or rear surface of the cornea of the eye;

the front or rear surface of the crystalline lens of the eye; and

the surface of the retina of the eye, and different from the first position

wherein the processor is configured to determine the first position of the first measuring portion based on only a first signal component of an interference signal with respect to an angular range with increased intensity of the interference signal which is higher than a predetermined intensity.