Fundus photo-stimulation system and method
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
InventorsPaul D. Smith, Francisco de Monasterio, Edward Wellner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An eye examination device has a fundus observation system and an optical stimulation system. The optical stimulation system has an optical targeting subsystem and an optical stimulation subsystem, wherein the optical stimulation system is structured to be used to provide light stimulation to a portion of a fundus of an eye targeted by the optical targeting subsystem in conjunction with observations made with the fundus observation system.
Claims28
An optical device for use with an eye observation system, said eye observation system having an observation optical path, said optical device comprising:
- a targeting light source arranged at a first position to transmit targeting light along an illumination optical path;
- a stimulating light source arranged at a second position to transmit stimulating light along said illumination optical path;
- and
- an aperture arranged at a position along said illumination optical path such that selected portions of the targeting light and the stimulating light pass therethrough to illuminate a targeted portion of a fundus of an eye, the aperture configured to be adjustable in both lateral position and size to thereby adjust and select the targeted portion of the fundus such that the targeting light and stimulating light illuminate the same targeted portion of the fundus,
- wherein said optical device is structured to be used to stimulate with stimulating light the targeted portion of the fundus of the eye while under observation with said eye observation system.
An eye examination device, comprising:
- a fundus observation system;
- and
- an optical stimulation system comprising an optical targeting subsystem and an optical stimulation subsystem,
- wherein said optical targeting subsystem is structured to be used to provide targeting light along an illumination optical path to a target portion of a fundus of an eye,
- wherein said optical stimulation system is structured to be used to provide stimulating light along the illumination optical path to the target portion of the fundus of the eye targeted by said optical targeting subsystem in conjunction with observations made with said fundus observation system,
- wherein said optical stimulation system further comprises an aperture arranged at a position along said illumination optical path, said aperture being constructed and arranged to allow selected portions of targeting and stimulating light to pass therethrough to illuminate the targeted portion of the fundus of the eye said aperture further being configured to be adjustable in both lateral position and size,
- and wherein the optical stimulation system is configured such that co-linear beams of targeting light and the stimulating light enter the eye within an annular entry point of illumination from the fundus observation system.
A method of examining a subject's eye, comprising:
- illuminating a localized region of said subject's eye with targeting light, the targeting light being provided along an illumination optical path, wherein an aperture is positioned along said illumination optical path;
- observing said localized region of said subject's eye when it is illuminated with targeting light;
- adjusting the aperture so as to adjust at least one of a position and a size of said targeting light based on said observing said localized region of said subject's eye when it is illuminated with targeting light, thereby illuminating a select target portion of the fundus of the eye;
- illuminating said localized region of said subject's eye with stimulating light, the stimulating light being provided along said illumination optical path, wherein selected portions of the stimulating light pass through the aperture to thereby illuminate the select target portion of the fundus of the eye with stimulating light;
- and
- observing a response of said subject's eye to said illuminating said localized region of said subject's eye with stimulating light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.