Non-contact wide angle retina viewing system
AssigneeAlcon Inc.
InventorAshok Burton Tripathi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A retina viewing system and method of using the same includes an ophthalmic microscope, a disposable lens attachment, and an electronic control unit (ECU). The microscope has an optical head and a set of internal focusing lenses, the latter providing the microscope with a variable working distance or focal length. The disposable lens attachment includes a resilient body with a proximal end connected to the optical head and a distal end connected to a high-power/high-diopter distal lens. The ECU executes instructions for viewing a retina or other intraocular anatomy of a patient eye. Execution of the instructions causes the ECU to automatically adjust the variable working distance or focal length of the microscope when viewing an image of the retina through the distal lens.
Claims20
A retina viewing system comprising:
- an ophthalmic microscope having an optical head and a set of internal focusing lenses, the set of internal focusing lenses providing the ophthalmic microscope with a variable working distance or focal length;
- a disposable lens attachment having a resilient body and a high-power/high-diopter distal lens, wherein a proximal end of the disposable lens attachment is connected to the optical head, and a distal end of the disposable lens attachment is connected to the distal lens;
- and
- an electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the ophthalmic microscope and programmed to execute instructions for viewing a retina of a patient eye, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor of the ECU causes the ECU to focus the internal focusing lenses, autonomously or in response to input signals from a clinician input device, to thereby adjust the variable working distance or focal length of the ophthalmic microscope when viewing an image of the retina through the distal lens.
A method for controlling a retina viewing system during an ophthalmic procedure on a patient eye, the method comprising:
- in response to receiving an initiation signal by an electronic control unit (ECU), automatically verifying a connection of a proximal end of a disposable lens attachment to an optical head of an ophthalmic microscope, wherein the ophthalmic microscope includes a set of internal focusing lenses providing the ophthalmic microscope with a variable working distance or focal length, and wherein a distal end of the disposable lens attachment is connected to a high-power/high-diopter distal lens;
- and
- in response to verifying the connection of the proximal end, automatically adjusting the variable working distance or focal length of the ophthalmic microscope via the ECU, autonomously or in response to input signals from a clinician input device, to thereby view an image of a retina of the patient eye through the distal lens using the ophthalmic microscope.
A disposable lens attachment for use with a retina viewing system having an ophthalmic microscope with an optical head, the disposable lens attachment comprising:
- a high-power distal lens having refractive power of 70 diopters to 110 diopters;
- and
- a conical resilient body having a proximal end configured to connect to the optical head of the ophthalmic microscope, and a distal end connected to the distal lens, wherein the conical resilient body is constructed of a resilient material configured to collapse away from the patient eye in the event of contact therewith.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.