Modular adaptive optical subsystem for integration with a fundus camera body and CCD camera unit and improved fundus camera employing same

An adaptive optical module for use with (i) a fundus camera body capable of directing light produced from a first light source into a human eye having a lens and a retina, and collecting and collimating retinal reflections of said light off said retina, and (ii) an image capture subsystem for capturing images of said human eye, said adaptive optical module comprising:

• a wavefront sensor, a controller and a phase-compensating optical element, wherein the wavefront sensor measures phase aberrations in said retinal reflections and operates in a closed-loop fashion with said controller to control said phase-compensating optical element to compensate for such phase aberrations and produce phase-compensated retinal reflections for output to said image capture subsystem;
• and
• a computing apparatus, operably coupled to an imaging device associated with said wavefront sensor, for executing a graphical user interface program for performing alignment operations associated with said wavefront sensor;
• wherein said wavefront sensor, said controller, and said phase-compensating optical element are packaged in a modular housing separate and distinct from said fundus camera body and said image capture subsystem, and wherein said adaptive optical module interfaces to said fundus camera body and said image capture subsystem via detachable connectors;
• and
• wherein said wavefront sensor comprises a lenslet array and said imaging device, wherein said lenslet array spatially samples distorted wavefronts in said retinal reflections and focuses samples of distorted wavefronts to form a test spot pattern, and wherein said imaging device captures said test spot pattern, and wherein phase aberrations in said distorted wavefronts are measured by characterizing the movement of spots in said test spot pattern.

A fundus camera comprising:

• an optical subsystem for directing light produced from a first light source into a human eye having lens and a retina and collecting and collimating retinal reflections of said light off said retina;
• an adaptive optical subsystem including a wavefront sensor, a controller, and a phase-compensating optical element, wherein said wavefront sensor includes a lenslet array and an imaging device and measures phase aberrations in said retinal reflections and operates in a closed-loop fashion with said controller to control said phase-compensating optical element to compensate for such phase aberrations and produce phase-compensated retinal reflections that are directed to an image capture subsystem;
• wherein said optical subsystem, said adaptive optical subsystem and said image capture subsystem are packaged in separate and distinct modular housings that interface via detachable connectors;
• and
• wherein said wavefront sensor further comprises a relay lens operably coupled between said lenslet array and said imaging device, and said relay lens and said imaging device are mounted on a moveable stage that translates linearly along the optical axis of said relay lens and said imaging device.

A fundus camera comprising;

• an optical subsystem capable of directing light produced from a first light source into a human eye having a lens and a retina and collecting and collimating retinal reflections of said light off said retina;
• an adaptive optical subsystem comprising a wavefront sensor, a controller, and a phase-compensating optical element, wherein said wavefront sensor measures phase aberrations in said retinal reflections and operates in a closed-loop fashion with said controller to control said phase-compensating optical element to compensate for such phase aberrations and produce phase-compensated retinal reflections that are directed to an image capture subsystem;
• and
• a computing apparatus, operably coupled to an imaging device associated with said wavefront sensor, executing a graphical user interface program for performing alignment operations associated with said wavefront sensor;
• and
• wherein said optical subsystem, said adaptive optical subsystem and said image capture subsystem are packaged in separate and distinct modular housings that interface via detachable connectors;
• and
• wherein said wavefront sensor comprises a lenslet array and said imaging device, wherein said lenslet array spatially samples distorted wavefronts in said retinal reflections and focuses samples of the distorted wavefronts to form a test spot pattern, and wherein said imaging device captures said test spot pattern, and wherein phase aberrations in said distorted wavefronts are measured by characterizing the movement of spots in said test spot pattern.

A fundus camera configured as a hand-held binocular instrument having two channels, for capturing images of a pair of human eyes, each said human eye having a lens and a retina, said fundus camera comprising:

• a hand-supportable housing;
• and
• two channels embodied within said hand-supportable housing, wherein each said channel has a separate optical subsystem and a seperate adaptive optical subsystem;
• wherein each said optical subsystem directs light produced from a first light source into one of the human eyes and collects and collimates retinal reflections of said light off said retina;
• wherein said adaptive optical subsystem includes a wavefront sensor, a controller, and a phase-compensating optical element,
• wherein said wavefront sensor measures phase aberrations in said retinal reflections and operates in a closed-loop fashion with said controller to control said phase-compensating optical element to compensate for such phase aberrations and produce phase-compensated retinal reflections that are directed to an image capture subsystem, and
• wherein said optical subsystem, said adaptive optical subsystem and said image capture subsystem are packaged in separate and distinct modular housings that interface via detachable connectors.