# US 10,371,949 B2 · Methods and systems for performing confocal microscopy

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- Number: US 10,371,949 B2
- Document ID: US10371949B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/269,666
- Filed: 2016-09-19
- Published: 2017-01-12
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2015-03-16
- Assignees: Magic Leap, Inc.
- Applicants: Magic Leap, Inc.
- Inventors: Nicole Elizabeth Samec; John Graham Macnamara; Christopher M. Harrises; Brian T. Schowengerdt; Rony Abovitz; Mark Baerenrodt
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371949B2

## CPC

- G02B 27/0172: {characterised by optical features}
- A61B 3/0008: {provided with illuminating means (A61B3/117, A61B3/14 take precedence)}
- A61B 3/0025: {characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models}
- A61B 3/005: {Constructional features of the display}
- A61B 3/022: {for testing contrast sensitivity}
- A61B 3/024: for determining the visual field, e.g. perimeter types
- A61B 3/028: for testing visual acuity; for determination of refraction, e.g. phoropters
- A61B 3/032: Devices for presenting test symbols or characters, e.g. test chart projectors (A61B3/036 takes precedence)
- A61B 3/063: {for testing light sensitivity, i.e. adaptation}
- A61B 3/066: {for testing colour vision}
- A61B 3/08: for testing binocular or stereoscopic vision, e.g. strabismus
- A61B 3/085: {for testing strabismus}
- A61B 3/10: Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
- A61B 3/1005: {for measuring distances inside the eye, e.g. thickness of the cornea (A61B3/11 takes precedence)}
- A61B 3/1015: {for wavefront analysis}
- A61B 3/102: {for optical coherence tomography [OCT]}
- A61B 3/1035: {for measuring astigmatism (testing astigmatism A61B3/036)}
- A61B 3/113: for determining or recording eye movement
- A61B 3/12: for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence)
- A61B 3/1216: {for diagnostics of the iris}
- A61B 3/1241: {specially adapted for observation of ocular blood flow, e.g. by fluorescein angiography}
- A61B 3/13: Ophthalmic microscopes
- A61B 3/14: Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography
- A61B 3/165: {Non-contacting tonometers}
- A61B 5/0059: {using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence (photoacoustic A61B5/0093; optical measurement of heart rate A61B5/02416; optical measurement of blood flow A61B5/0261; optical measurement of analytes A61B5/1455)}
- A61B 5/14532: {for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement}
- A61B 5/1455: using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
- A61B 5/14555: {specially adapted for the eye fundus}
- A61B 5/361: Detecting fibrillation
- A61B 5/398: Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
- A61B 5/6803: {Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles}
- A61B 8/10: Eye inspection
- A61B 8/461: {Displaying means of special interest}
- A61F 9/0026: {Ophthalmic product dispenser attachments to facilitate positioning near the eye}
- A61M 21/02: for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia (for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021)
- A61N 5/0618: {Psychological treatment}
- G02B 21/0032: {Optical details of illumination, e.g. light-sources, pinholes, beam splitters, slits, fibers (G02B21/0036 - G02B21/008; means for illumination of specimens in general G02B21/06)}
- G02B 27/0093: {with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking}
- G02B 27/0179: {Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed}
- G06T 19/006: {Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00)}
- G16H 20/17: delivered via infusion or injection
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
- A61B 3/0285: {Phoropters}
- A61B 3/036: for testing astigmatism
- A61B 5/0066: {Optical coherence imaging}
- A61B 5/0077: {Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens}
- A61B 5/01: Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20)
- A61B 2562/0204: Acoustic sensors
- A61B 2562/0219: Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
- A61B 2562/0247: Pressure sensors
- A61F 2007/0004: {Eyes or part of the face surrounding the eyes}
- A61F 2007/004: {Hip}
- A61F 2009/00863: {Retina}
- A61H 2201/165: Wearable interfaces
- A61M 2021/0022: {by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations}
- A61M 2021/0027: {by the hearing sense}
- A61M 2021/0066: {with heating or cooling}
- A61M 2205/3375: Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
- A61M 2205/507: Head Mounted Displays [HMD]
- A61N 2005/0648: {the light being directed to the eyes}
- G02B 2027/0138: {comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera}
- G02B 2027/014: {comprising information/image processing systems}
- G02B 2027/0185: {Displaying image at variable distance}
- G02C 7/027: {considering wearer's parameters}
- G02C 7/081: {Ophthalmic lenses with variable focal length}
- G06T 2207/10024: Color image
- G06T 2207/10148: Varying focus
- G06T 2207/10152: Varying illumination
- G06T 2207/30041: Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N)
- G02C: SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES (trial frames for testing the eyes A61B3/04; goggles or eyeshields not having the same features as spectacles A61F9/00)

## Abstract

Configurations are disclosed for a health system to be used in various healthcare applications, e.g., for patient diagnostics, monitoring, and/or therapy. The health system may comprise a light generation module to transmit light or an image to a user, one or more sensors to detect a physiological parameter of the user's body, including their eyes, and processing circuitry to analyze an input received in response to the presented images to determine one or more health conditions or defects.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A wearable augmented reality device comprising:
an augmented reality head-mounted display configured to pass light from the world into an eye of a wearer wearing the wearable augmented reality display, wherein the display comprises:
a waveguide stack comprising a plurality of waveguides, wherein each waveguide of the plurality of waveguides has an associated diffractive out-coupling optical element,
wherein the plurality of waveguides are configured to output, via the respective associated diffractive out-coupling optical elements, image light with different amounts of wavefront divergence corresponding to a plurality of depth planes, wherein one or more waveguides of the plurality of waveguides are configured to output the image light with a different amount of wavefront divergence than one or more other waveguides of the plurality of waveguides,
wherein the image light provides images to the eye of the wearer;
a confocal microscope, the confocal microscope comprising:
a light source comprising an aperture configured to form a point light source; and
an imaging system to image the eye,
wherein the light source is configured to project light beams to the eye, the light beams having temporally varying wavelengths.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the wavelengths include visible wavelengths.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the wavelengths include infrared wavelengths.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, where the confocal microscope is configured to vary the angle at which the light beams are projected onto the eye based on a portion of an eye space to be imaged.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising a fluid delivery system configured to deliver a fluorescent dye to the eye.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the confocal microscope comprises at least one pinhole aperture configured to pass light reflected from the eye.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the confocal microscope comprises at least one imaging optical element with optical power to focus light reflected from the eye.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The device of claim 7, wherein the pinhole aperture is disposed in an optical path between the at least one imaging optical element and the imaging system.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The device claim 7, wherein the pinhole aperture is positioned between the light source and the at least one imaging optical element, such that out of focus light reflected from the eye is suppressed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the pinhole aperture is positioned between the light source and the imaging system, such that out of focus light reflected from the eye is suppressed.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the imaging system comprises an optical detector.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the confocal microscope comprises a fiber scanning device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the fiber scanning device comprises a light source and is configured to project the light beams.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein the fiber scanning device comprises the imaging system and is configured to receive light reflected from the eye.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The device of claim 14, wherein the fiber scanning device include includes an optical detector.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the light source comprises an adaptable optics element configured to output the light beams.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The device of claim 16, wherein the adaptable optics element comprises a variable focus element.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the light source is a scanning laser ophthalmoscope comprising a laser.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The device claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to visualize in real time an image projected onto a retina of the eye.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the light source provides the image light to the plurality of waveguides.