# US 4,398,812 A · Apparatus and method for measuring the anterior chamber diameter of the eye > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,398,812 A - Document ID: US4398812A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/160,911 - Filed: 1980-06-18 - Granted: 1983-08-16 - Earliest claimed: 1980-06-18 - Inventors: Charles D. Kelman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4398812A ## CPC - A61B 3/117: for examining the anterior chamber or the anterior chamber angle, e.g. gonioscopes - A61B 3/1005: {for measuring distances inside the eye, e.g. thickness of the cornea (A61B3/11 takes precedence)} - G01B 11/08: for measuring diameters - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS ## Abstract An apparatus and method for measuring the anterior chamber diameter of the eye is disclosed in which a device illuminates the opposite end points of the annular groove. A gauging device cooperates with the illuminating device so as to provide to the viewer through a goneal assembly, a recognizable signal corresponding to a measure of the distance between the end points for gauging the distance. ## Claims ### Claim 1 In an ocular apparatus having a goneal assembly positionable proximate to the anterior surface of the cornea for viewing the presence of light, at first and second opposite end points of a diameter of the annular groove, said goneal assembly having a goneal housing and a longitudinal axis approximately coinciding with the optic axis when said assembly is in an operable position, said optic axis passing approximately through the midpoint of said diameter, said annular groove being formed by the anterior surface of the iris and the posterior surface of the cornea, the annular groove being bounded by a light-impervious ciliary body outwardly of the groove with respect to the optical axis of the eye, the improvement comprising: light means cooperative with said goneal assembly for directing light toward the eye; flange means including first and second flange portions extending laterally from said goneal housing so as to be anterior and proximate to the corneal surface of the eye and at first and second opposte sides of said optic axis, respectively, when said goneal assembly is in an operable position; and color means cooperating with said flange means for transmitting light beams onto the surface of the eye in the form of a first and second series of lines of light at opposite sides of the optic axis, each line of light being of a different color than and adjacent to other lines of light in the same series, said lines of light being spaced at predetermined distances from one another and adapted to illuminate said first and second end points with first and second colored lines of light from said first and second series, respectively, when the light is directed through said color means in regions corresponding to the annular groove and in regions corresponding to said light-impervious ciliary body, the colors of said first and second lines illuminating said first and second end points being visible through said goneal assembly whereby said anterior chamber diameter is determinable from the color of said first and second colored lines and corresponds to the predetermined distance therebetween. ### Claim 2 (depends on 17) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 17, the anterior chamber diameter of human eyes having a dimensional range with a predetermined maximum and minimum dimension, wherein said first series is a mirror image of said second series with respect to said optic axis, each series having an innermost line and an outermost line with respect to said optic axis, the perpendicular distance measured along a diameter passing through said optic axis between said innermost line of said first and second series being less than or equal to said minimum dimension, the perpendicular distance measured along a diameter passing through said optic axis between said outermost line of said first and second series being greater than or equal to said upper dimension. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said first and second series have an identical sequence of line colors from innermost line to outermost line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) In an occular apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surfaces of said first and second flange portions are complementary to the respective surfaces of the eye proximate thereto. ### Claim 5 (depends on 20) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 20 wherein each line of light is in the shape of an arc of a circle, said circle having a common origin, approximately coinciding with the optic axis. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said first and second series are mirror images of one another with respect to said optic axis. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said lines of light are parallel to one another. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said color means includes a first and second sequence of parallel slits extending through said first and second flange portions, respectively, each slit being properly positioned so as to form a corresponding line of light in said first and second series of lines of light on the surface of the eye when light beams are transmitted from a light source therethrough. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) In an ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein said coloring means includes a filter occupying each of said slits for imparting color to said light beams passing through said slits. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said color means includes a plurality of like holes in said first and second flange portions, a plurality of optic fiber bundles, each bundle having two ends, a receiving end positionable proximate to a light source and in light receiving relationship therewith and a transmitting end extending toward said flange portions for transmitting light as light beams and connecting means for connecting each of said bundles to a corresponding hole in said flange portions so that said optic fiber bundles transmit said light beams through said holes onto the corneal surface of the eye, said light beams transmitted through said holes forming said first and second series of colored lines on said corneal surface of the eye when said goneal assembly is in an operable position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) An ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coloring means includes means within each hole for imparting color to the light beams transmitted from the transmitting end of said optic fiber bundle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) An ocular apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said coloring means includes a means for imparting a color to the light received by said receiving end of said optic fiber bundles. ### Claim 13 In an ocular apparatus having a goneal means positionable proximate to the anterior surface of the cornea for viewing the presence of light at first and second opposite end points of a diameter of the annular groove formed by the anterior surface of the iris and the posterior surface of the cornea and bounded by a light-impervious ciliary body outwardly of the groove with respect to the optic axis of the eye, said goneal means having a longitudinal axis approximately coinciding with said optic axis when said goneal means is in an operable position, said optic axis passing approximately through the midpoint of said diameter, the improvement comprising: light means for directing light toward the eye; and means cooperating with said light means for transmitting light beams onto the surface of the eye in the form of a first and second series of lines of light at opposite sides of said optic axis, each line of light being adjacent to other lines of light in the same series, said lines of light being spaced at predetermined distances from one another and adapted to illuminate said first and second end points with first and second lines of light from said first and second series, respectively, when the light is directed through said means to regions corresponding to the annular groove and to regions corresponding to said light-impervious ciliary body, said first and second lines illuminating said first and second end points being visible through said goneal means whereby said anterior chamber diameter is determinable from the positions of said first and second lines and corresponds to the predetermined distance therebetween. ### Claim 14 In an ocular apparatus having a goneal assembly positionable proximate to the anterior surface of the cornea for viewing the presence of light at first and second opposite end points of a diameter of the annular groove formed by the anterior surface of the iris and the posterior surface of the cornea and bounded by a light-impervious ciliary body outwardly of the groove with respect to the optic axis of the eye, said goneal assembly having a longitudinal axis approximately coinciding with said optic axis when said assembly is in an operable position, said optic axis passing approximately through the midpoint of said diameter, the improvement comprising: light means cooperative with said goneal assembly for directing light toward the eye; and color means cooperating with said light means for transmitting light beams onto the surface of the eye in the form of a first and second series of lines of light at opposite sides of said optic axis, each line of light being of a different color than and adjacent to other lines of light in the same series, said lines of light being spaced at predetermined distances from one another and adapted to illuminate said first and second end points with first and second colored lines of light from said first and second series, respectively, when the light is directed through said color means to regions corresponding to the annular groove and to regions corresponding to said light-impervious ciliary body, the colors of said first and second lines illuminating said first and second end points being visible through said goneal assembly whereby said anterior chamber diameter is determinable from the color of said first and second colored lines and corresponds to the predetermined distance therebetween.