Imaging unit for ophthalmological devices, in particular, for fundus cameras and method for the use thereof

An imaging unit for opthalmological devices, including fundus cameras, comprising:

• a device for generating and imaging any known, stripe pattern or line pattern on the retina of an eye to be examined;
• a camera for recording the stripe pattern or line pattern on the retina;
• and
• an evaluating unit for determining the distances on the retina;
• wherein said imaging unit is constructed in such a way that the stripe pattern or line pattern to be imaged is coupled into the beam path between the opthalmological device and the eye to be examined;
• and
• wherein the device for generating and imaging any known, stripe pattern or line pattern is constructed in such a way that the illumination of the retina can be varied so that recordings of the retina with a stripe pattern or line pattern can be realized by one or more cameras with different illumination of the retina and can be combined by the evaluating unit to form a total recording for determining the distances on the retina.

A method for use with the imaging unit for opthalmological devices, comprising the steps of:

• generating any known, stripe pattern or line pattern by a device and imaging said pattern on the retina of an eye to be examined;
• recording the image of said stripe pattern or line pattern on the retina recorded by a camera;
• determining distances on the retina therefrom by an evaluating unit;
• and
• constructing the imaging unit in such a way that the stripe pattern or line pattern to be imaged is coupled into the beam path between the opthalmological device and the eye to be examined;
• wherein plane-parallel glass plates of different thicknesses are arranged in the beam path of a multiple-beam interferometer at defined tilting angles for varying the stripe pattern or line pattern to be imaged.

A method for use with the imaging unit for opthalmological devices, comprising the steps of:

• generating any known, stripe pattern or line pattern by a device and imaging said pattern on the retina of an eye to be examined;
• recording the image of said stripe pattern or line pattern on the retina recorded by a camera;
• determining distances on the retina therefrom by an evaluating unit;
• and
• constructing the imaging unit in such a way that the stripe pattern or line pattern to be imaged is coupled into the beam path between the opthalmological device and the eye to be examined;
• wherein the device for generating and imaging any known, stripe pattern or line pattern is constructed in such a way that the illumination of the retina can be varied so that a first recording of the retina with a stripe pattern or line pattern is realized by a first camera with little or no illumination of the retina and a second recording of the retina with a stripe pattern or line pattern is realized by a first camera or a second camera with intensive illumination of the retina, and the first recording and second recording are combined to form a total recording by the evaluating unit for determining the distances on the retina.