Meibomian gland illuminating and imaging
AssigneeTearScience, Inc.
InventorsBenjamin T. Gravely, Stephen M. Grenon, Timothy R. Willis, John M. Jans, Donald R. Korb
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus for imaging a portion of a mammalian eyelid has an eye contact lenspiece configured to direct the light through an eyelid from posterior to anterior surface to thereby trans-illuminate the eyelid, when the light source illuminates the contact lens. An imaging device receives an image of the eyelid as it is trans-illuminated. Other methods and apparatus are presented in various embodiments, hence this abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
Claims51
A method of near infrared (NIR) imaging of a meibomian gland, comprising:
- illuminating the meibomian gland with NIR radiation using an NIR light source;
- focusing an NIR camera on a region of an eyelid containing the meibomian gland;
- making a first NIR image of the meibomian gland;
- applying a pressure suitable for simulating blinking pressure on the meibomian gland;
- optionally refocusing the NIR camera on the region of the eyelid containing the meibomian gland;
- and
- making a second NIR image of the meibomian gland while the pressure is being applied,
- wherein at least one of making the first NIR image and making the second NIR image comprises imaging at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of the meibomian gland below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
A method of imaging a mammalian meibomian gland or other section of an eyelid, comprising:
- shining a near infrared (NIR) light on the eyelid in order to trans-illuminate at least a portion of the eyelid with NIR illumination;
- and
- from an outer surface of the eyelid, imaging the trans-illuminated portion of the eyelid using NIR microscopic imaging,
- wherein imaging the trans-illuminated portion of the eyelid comprises imaging at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of the meibomian gland below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
A method of imaging a mammalian patient's meibomian gland or other section of a closed eyelid of an eye, comprising:
- placing a contact light source in contact with the closed eyelid;
- illuminating the contact light source such that light emitting from the contact light source through the closed eyelid from a posterior surface of the eyelid trans-illuminates a portion of the closed eyelid;
- and
- from an outer surface of the closed eyelid, imaging the trans-illuminated portion of the closed eyelid,
- wherein imaging the trans-illuminated portion of the closed eyelid comprises imaging at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of the meibomian gland below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
An apparatus for imaging a portion of a mammalian eyelid, comprising in combination:
- a light source suitable for directing near infrared (NIR) light to a portion of the eyelid to illuminate a portion of the eyelid;
- a microscopic optical receiver suitable for receiving light reflected from the eyelid and producing an output signal depicting an NIR image of the eyelid, the microscopic optical receiver receiving light reflected from an outer surface of the eyelid;
- and
- an image processor, receiving the output signal, that captures the NIR image from the microscopic optical receiver,
- wherein the NIR image captured by the image processor comprises an image of at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of a meibomian gland in the eyelid below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
An apparatus for imaging a portion of a mammalian eyelid, comprising in combination:
- an eye contact lenspiece configured to direct light from a light source through an eyelid from posterior to anterior surface to thereby trans-illuminate the eyelid, wherein light from the light source illuminates the eye contact lenspiece;
- and
- an imaging device that captures an image of the eyelid as it is trans-illuminated,
- wherein the NIR image captured by the imaging device comprises an image of at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of a meibomian gland in the eyelid below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
An apparatus for imaging a portion of a mammalian eyelid, comprising in combination:
- a light source configured to direct near infrared (NIR) light through an eyelid to thereby trans-illuminate the eyelid;
- a NIR microscopic camera that records an image of the eyelid as it is trans-illuminated;
- means for automatically positioning the light source at a plurality of locations adjacent the eyelid and record a plurality of images at each of said plurality of locations using the NIR microscopic camera;
- and
- a processor that averages the plurality of images to produce a resultant image,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of the recorded images comprises an image of at least a portion of a meibomian gland channel of a meibomian gland in the eyelid below a meibomian gland orifice of the meibomian gland to allow visualization of a flow or lack of flow of secretory material from within the meibomian gland channel and through the meibomian gland channel toward the meibomian gland orifice.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.