Compact ocular fundus camera

A method, of observing a fundus of an eye in a patient, comprising:

• providing a compact fundus camera, the fundus camera comprising:
• a camera housing;
• a contact member, located at a distal end of the camera, configured to contact at least a portion of a cornea of the eye, and wherein the contact member is substantially transparent to light;
• an image detector module, located proximal the contact member, configured to acquire an image of at least a portion of the fundus of the eye and to output image data;
• an imaging lens, located between the contact member and image detector module, that substantially focuses an image of the fundus on the image detector module;
• wherein the image detector module and the imaging lens are coupled to the camera housing;
• and
• wherein at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens is moveable substantially along an optical axis of the camera;
• contacting the cornea of the eye with the contact member;
• moving the at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens along the optical axis of the camera from a first position to a second position;
• directing the image detector module to acquire a plurality of images of the fundus while the contact member is in contact with the cornea of the eye, while the at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens is moved, and when the at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens is at predetermined locations between the first position and second position wherein the predetermined locations are independent of information acquired from the eye being imaged;
• and
• outputting the plurality of images to at least one image data file.

A method, of observing a fundus of an eye in a patient, comprising:

• providing a compact fundus camera, the fundus camera comprising:
• a camera housing having proximal and distal ends;
• a contact member, positioned at or distal to a distal end of the camera housing, a portion of the contact member being configured to contact at least a portion of a cornea of the eye, and wherein the contact member is substantially transmissive of light;
• an image detector module, located proximally with respect to the contact member, the image detector module being configured to acquire an image of at least a portion of the fundus of the eye and to output data indicative of the image;
• and
• an imaging lens, positioned between the contact member and the image detector module, the image lens directing the image to the image detector module;
• wherein the image detector module and the imaging lens are coupled to the camera housing;
• and
• by moving at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens from a first point to a second point, relative to the contact member, along an optical axis of the camera, acquiring a plurality of images of the fundus as the at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens is moved along the optical axis from the first point to the second point, each of the plurality of images corresponding to a different predetermined location along the optical axis, wherein the predetermined locations are independent of information acquired from the eye being imaged;
• and
• selecting from the plurality of images a selection image having an optimal focus relative to the others of the plurality of images and outputting the selection image to at least one image data file.

A compact ocular fundus camera system, for imaging at least a portion of a fundus of an eye, comprising:

• a camera comprising:
• a camera housing having proximal and distal ends;
• a contact member, positioned at or distal to a distal end of the camera housing, a portion of the contact member being configured to contact at least a portion of a cornea of the eye, and wherein the contact member is substantially transmissive of light;
• an image detector module, located proximally with respect to the contact member, the image detector module being configured to acquire an image of at least a portion of the fundus and to output data indicative of the image;
• an imaging lens, positioned between the contact member and the image detector module, the image lens directing the image to the image detector module, wherein the image detector module and the imaging lens are coupled to the camera housing and at least one of the image detector module and the imaging lens is movable substantially along an optical axis of the camera;
• and
• a plurality of physical triggers within the camera housing and disposed along a length of the camera housing, wherein each of the plurality of physical triggers corresponds to a different predetermined location along the optical axis and each of the plurality of physical triggers is configured to trigger the image detector module to acquire one of the plurality of images when one of the image detector module and imaging lens passes the corresponding predetermined location.