System for observing cornea for transplantation

• US 8,408,705 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konan Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Konan Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Ihara, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US12/925,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20110102743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 351205-206, 351/210, 351/221, 351245-247
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0095 Packages or dispensers for prostheses or other implants for intraocular lenses A61F2/1691; for dental surgery A61C19/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/142 Cornea, e.g. artificial corneae, keratoprostheses or corneal implants for repair of defective corneal tissue
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0012 Surgical microscopes counterbalanced structures for surgical microscopes G02B7/001

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system for observing a cornea for transplantation which includes: an illumination means for illuminating the cornea for transplantation contained in a container; an entire-view imaging means for imaging the substantial entirety of the interior of the container; a position adjusting means for adjusting the position and angle of the cornea for transplantation; a magnified-view imaging means for imaging a magnified view of the cornea for transplantation illuminated by the illumination means; an image display means for displaying each image taken by the entire-view imaging means and the magnified-view imaging means; and an image control means for controlling each image.

Claims

1. A system for observing a cornea for transplantation comprising:

an illumination means fur illuminating the cornea for transplantation contained in a container, wherein reflected light of an illuminated region is scattered by the illumination means,

an entire-view imaging means for imaging the substantial entirety of the interior of the container,

a position adjusting means for adjusting the position and angle of the cornea for transplantation,

a magnified-view imaging means for imaging a magnified view of the cornea for transplantation illuminated by the illumination means using a specular reflection method,

an image display means for concurrently displaying each image taken by the entire-view imaging means and the magnified-view imaging means as live images, and

an image control means for controlling each image.

2. The system for observing a cornea for transplantation according to claim 1 comprising an image analysis means for analyzing the image taken by the magnified-view imaging means.

3. The system for observing a cornea for transplantation according to claim 1 further comprising a temperature measuring means for measuring a temperature of at least one of the container and the cornea for transplantation contained in the container.

4. The system for observing a cornea for transplantation according to claim 1, wherein the entire-view imaging means comprises a first camera that captures a first field of view in an ongoing manner, and the magnified-view imaging means comprises a second camera distinct from the first camera and that captures a magnified field of view in an ongoing manner, and wherein the image display means concurrently display first imaging captured by the first camera and second imaging captured by the second camera, and wherein the position adjusting means is enabled to adjust the position and angle of the cornea causing a change in the second imaging while the first imaging and second imaging are concurrently displayed, so that the magnified field of view of the cornea may be obtained.

5. The system for observing a cornea for transplantation according to claim 1, wherein the entire-view imaging means images the substantial entirety of the interior of the container to obtain first imaging, while the magnified-view imaging means concurrently images the magnified view of the cornea to obtain second imaging, wherein the second imaging may be varied by the position adjusting means in response to the image control means so that the magnified-view imaging means obtains a magnified view of the cornea.