Cataract imaging apparatus
AssigneeVisual Pathways, Inc.
InventorsTom N. Cornsweet, Paul Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is disclosed for quantifying the extent a cataract impairs vision in an eye having a pupil, an ocular lens, and a retina. The method includes illuminating a localized region of the retina such that light is reflected from the localized region and is transmitted through the ocular lens. A portion of the reflected light is scattered by the cataract associated with the ocular lens. Light reflected from the localized region of the retina is collected, and the amount of scatter is measured so as to quantify the extent the scatter impairs vision of the eye.
Claims22
Apparatus for quantifying the extent a cataract impairs vision in an eye having a pupil, an ocular lens containing the cataract, and a retina, said apparatus comprising:
- a) means for illuminating a localized region of the retina such that light is reflected from the localized region and is transmitted through the ocular lens, a portion of the reflected light being scattered by the cataract contained within the ocular lens;
- b) means for collecting a focused image of the ocular lens from the light reflected from the localized region of the retina;
- and
- c) means for measuring the amount of scatter in the image of the ocular lens to quantify the extent the scatter impairs vision of the eye.
Apparatus for quantifying the extent a cataract impairs vision in an eye having a pupil, an ocular lens containing the cataract, and a retina, said apparatus comprising:
- a) means for illuminating a localized region of the retina such that light is reflected from the localized region and is transmitted through the ocular lens, a portion of the reflected light being scattered by the cataract contained within the ocular lens;
- b) means for collecting a focused image of the ocular lens from the light reflected from the localized region of the retina;
- c) means for measuring the amount of scatter in the image of the ocular lens to quantify the extent the scatter impairs vision of the eye;
- d) means for directing the collected light onto a light sensitive detector having an output indicative of the light intensity incident thereon;
- e) means for computing a figure of merit based on the output from said light-sensitive detector to assess the extent the cataract impairs vision;
- f) means for forming an optical image of the cataract on said light sensitive detector;
- g) an electronic display;
- h) means for displaying the optical image of the eye on said electronic display using the output from said light-sensitive detector;
- and
- i) means for summing the relative amount of scatter for different portions of the electronic image.
An apparatus for imaging a cataract in an eye having a cornea, an ocular lens, and a retina, said apparatus comprising:
- a) means for holding an assembly comprising a light source, imaging optics, and an optical detector array in place by hand a distance from the eye;
- b) means for illuminating a localized region of the retina with light from said light source such that at least a portion of the light is reflected from the localized region of the retina through the ocular lens;
- c) means for collecting a focused image of the ocular lens from the light reflected from the localized region of the retina with an optical element;
- d) means for forming an optical image of the cataract on said optical detector array with imaging optics to produce an electronic image of the cataract;
- e) a display;
- and
- f) means for displaying the electronic image of the cataract on said display.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.