Methods for analyzing the eye

A method of analyzing an eye of a patient which has been illuminated with a slit-lamp microscope, the slit-lamp microscope including an illumination system and an observation system, the illumination system including a light source and a slit forming device which provides a line of light to illuminate the eye and the observation system including an imaging system including a camera configured to receive imaging rays produced by reflection of the line of light from the eye, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of images of the eye imaged by the camera while the eye was illuminated with the line of light, each of the stored images having one or more associated slit-lamp microscope characteristics;
• providing a first image based on the stored plurality of images, the first image having the line of light focused on a first portion of the eye;
• receiving an image request altering a relationship between the line of light and the eye;
• and
• providing a second image based on the stored plurality of images and the requested altered relationship between the line of light and the eye, wherein the second image is provided by searching the plurality of stored images to determine an image having an associated slit-lamp microscope characteristic that is closest to a desired slit-lamp microscope characteristic.