# US 5,706,072 A · Ophthalmic measuring apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,706,072 A - Document ID: US5706072A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/595,827 - Filed: 1996-02-02 - Granted: 1998-01-06 - Earliest claimed: 1995-02-02 - Assignees: Nidek Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Masunori Kawamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706072A ## CPC - A61B 3/1173: {for examining the eye lens} - A61B 3/152: {for aligning} - A61B 5/1103: {Detecting muscular movement of the eye, e.g. eyelid movement} - A61F 9/008: using laser - A61B 5/6821: {Eye} - A61B 2017/00725: {Calibration or performance testing} - A61B 2562/0233: Special features of optical sensors or probes classified in A61B5/00 - A61F 2009/00855: {Calibration of the laser system} - A61F 2009/00872: {Cornea} - 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) ## Abstract An ophthalmic measuring apparatus is provided for automatically detecting blinking and insufficient fixation of an eye under examination, and the light reflected from the cornea, as well as for automatically correcting the variation of sensitivity of the apparatus without using any special calibration devices, in order to obtain highly reliable measurements. The apparatus comprising a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam to the crystalline lens of the eye and a scattered light detecting optical system for detecting light scattered by the protein molecules within the crystalline lens through a light-receiving optical system into a photoelectric transducer in order to measure the crystalline lens on the basis of the output signals of the photoelectric transducer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ophthalmic measuring apparatus comprising: a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source to the crystalline lens of an eye; a scattered light detecting optical system including a photoelectric transducer for detecting light scattered by molecules in the crystalline lens from the laser beam; an abnormal measurement detecting optical system for detecting the abnormality of measurement; a determining means for determining the existence or absence of the abnormality of measurement on the basis of the results of detection provided by said abnormal measurement detecting optical system; a detecting means for detecting one of the change in the output from said laser beam source and the sensitivity of said photoelectric transducer; and an arithmetic means for correcting the results of the measurement in accordance with the results of the detection from said detecting means. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the abnormal measurement detecting optical system is in common with said scattered light detecting optical system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means comprises: an extracting means for extracting the variation of the light intensity detected by said abnormal measurement detecting optical system; a storing means for storing the variation of the light intensity extracted by said extracting means; and a comparing means for comparing the light intensity stored in said storing means with a predetermined reference of the light intensity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined reference of the light intensity which is used in the comparing means comprises preselected threshold values for its upper limit and lower limit. ### Claim 5 An ophthalmic measuring apparatus comprising: a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source to the crystalline lens of an eye; a scattered light detecting optical system including a photoelectric transducer for detecting light scattered by molecules in the crystalline lens from said laser beam; an abnormal measurement detecting optical system for detecting the abnormality of measurement; a determining means for determining the existence or absence of the abnormality of measurement on the basis of the results of detection provided by said abnormal measurement detecting optical system; a guide optical system for directly guiding the laser beam emitted from said laser beam source to the surface of the photoreceptor of said photoelectric transducer; a selecting means for selecting the laser beam incident onto said photoelectric transducer among the one through said guide optical system or the one through said scattered light detecting optical system; and an arithmetic means for detecting the amount of the incident light through said guide optical system to said photoelectric transducer to correct the measured value on the basis of the detected amount. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the abnormal measurement detecting optical system is in common with said scattered light detecting optical system. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said determining means comprises: an extracting means for extracting the variation of the light intensity detected by said abnormal measurement detecting optical system; a storing means for storing the variation of the light intensity extracted by said extracting means; and a comparing means for comparing the light intensity stored in said storing means with a predetermined reference of the light intensity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said predetermined reference of the light intensity which is used in the comparing means comprises preselected threshold values for its upper limit and lower limit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said guide optical system comprises a diffuser and optical fibers to introduce a diffused laser beam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said selecting means is provided with a first shutter along with the optical path of said scattered light detecting optical system, and further comprises a control means which closes said first shutter for correction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said selecting means is provided with a first shutter along with the optical path of said scattered light detecting optical system, and a second shutter along with the optical path of said guide optical system, and further comprises a control means which controls the motion of said first and second shutters. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said selecting means is controlled such that the laser beam through the guide optical system is incident onto said photoelectric transducer at least once per measurement. ### Claim 13 An ophthalmic measuring apparatus for detecting the eye under an examination comprising: a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source to an eye; a scattered light detecting optical system for detecting light scattered by molecules in the eye composition from said laser beam; a determining means for determining the existence or absence of the abnormality of measurement on the basis of the results of the detection provided by said scattered light detecting optical system; and a notifying means for reporting the results of the determination by said determining means. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said laser beam projecting optical system converges the laser beam within the crystalline lens of the eye. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said determining means comprises: an extracting means for extracting the variation of the light intensity detected by said abnormal measurement detecting optical system; a storing means for storing the variation of the light intensity extracted by said extracting means; and a comparing means for comparing the light intensity stored in said storing means with a predetermined reference of the light intensity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said predetermined reference of the light intensity which is used in the comparing means comprises preselected threshold values for its upper limit and lower limit. ### Claim 17 An ophthalmic measuring apparatus comprising a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source to the eyeball of an eye, and a scattered light detecting optical system including a photoelectric transducer for detecting light scattered by molecules in the crystalline lens from said laser beam, for measuring the characteristics of the tissue of the crystalline lens in accordance with the light intensity detected by said photoelectric transducer, said apparatus comprising: a detecting means for detecting either one of the variation in the output of said laser beam source and the sensitivity of said photoelectric transducer; and an arithmetic means for correcting the results of measurement in accordance with the results of the detection from said detecting means. ### Claim 18 An ophthalmic measuring apparatus comprising a laser beam projecting optical system for emitting and converging a laser beam emitted from a laser beam source to the eyeball of an eye, and a scattered light detecting optical system including a photoelectric transducer for detecting light scattered by molecules in the crystalline lens from said laser beam, for measuring the characteristics of the tissue of the crystalline lens in accordance with the light intensity detected by said photoelectric transducer, said apparatus comprising: a guide optical system for directly guiding the laser beam emitted from said laser beam source to the surface of the photoreceptor of said photoelectric transducer; a selecting means for selecting the laser beam incident into said photoelectric transducer among the one through said guide optical system or the one through said scattered light detecting optical system; and an arithmetic means for detecting the amount of the incident light through said guide optical system to said photoelectric transducer to correct for the measured value on the basis of the detected amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said guide optical system comprises a diffuser and optical fibers to introduce a diffused laser beam. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said selecting means is provided with a first shutter along with the optical path of said scattered light detecting optical system, and further comprises a control means which closes said first shutter for correction. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said selecting means is provided with a first shutter along with the optical path of said scattered light detecting optical system, and a second shutter along with the optical path of said guide optical system, respectively, and further comprises a control means which controls the motion of said first and second shutters. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) An ophthalmic measuring apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said selecting means is controlled such that the laser beam through the guide optical system is incident to said photoelectric transducer at least once per measurement.