US 8,265,735 B2Granted

Apparatus and method for imaging anterior eye part by optical coherence tomography

AssigneeTomey Corporation

InventorsChihiro Kato, Keiichiro Okamoto, Kenichi Hayashi, Hiromu Watanabe

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Abstract

An optical coherence tomography (OCT) anterior eye part imaging apparatus includes a tomographic image obtaining unit obtaining a tomographic image of an anterior eye part of subject's eye in a depth direction by optical coherence tomography, an imaging unit imaging a frontal image of subject's eye, a display unit displaying the image of subject's eye, a corneal apex location detecting unit detecting a location of subject's eye, an alignment unit moving an apparatus body relative to the holder so that the location of corneal apex corresponds with a predetermined image obtaining location, a designating unit designating an area or a location where the tomographic image is obtained on subject's frontal image displayed on the display unit, and a scan line setting unit setting a scan line in the tomographic image obtaining unit on a straight line passing the corneal apex according to the designated area or location.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An optical anterior eye part imaging apparatus for ophthalmic examination, comprising:

a holder;
an apparatus body mounted on the holder;
a tomographic image obtaining unit that is provided on the apparatus body and is configured to obtain a tomographic image of subject's anterior eye part in a depth direction by optical coherence tomography, the tomographic image being taken along a scan line;
an imaging unit that is provided on the apparatus body and is configured to image a frontal image of the subject's eye;
a display unit that is configured to display the image of the subject's eye obtained by the imaging unit;
a corneal apex location detecting unit that is configured to detect a location of a corneal apex of the subject's eye;
an alignment unit that is configured to move the apparatus body relative to the holder so that the location of the corneal apex corresponds with a predetermined image obtaining location;
a designating unit that is configured to designate an area or a location whose tomographic image is to be obtained on the subject's frontal image displayed on the display unit;
and
a scan line setting unit that is configured to set a scan line in the tomographic image obtaining unit on a straight line passing the corneal apex according to the area or location designated by the designating unit.

7 more elements

A method of obtaining a tomographic image of an anterior eye part of subject's eye for ophthalmic examination by the use of an anterior eye part imaging apparatus, said apparatus including a holder, an apparatus body mounted on the holder, a tomographic image obtaining unit that is provided on the apparatus body and is configured to obtain a tomographic image of subject's anterior eye part in a depth direction by optical coherence tomography, the tomographic image being taken along a scan line;

an imaging unit that is provided on the apparatus body and is configured to image a frontal image of the subject's eye;
a display unit that is configured to display the image of the subject's eye obtained by the imaging unit;
a corneal apex location detecting unit that is configured to detect a location of a corneal apex of the subject's eye;
and an alignment unit that is configured to move the apparatus body relative to the holder so that the location of the corneal apex corresponds with a predetermined image obtaining location, the method comprising:
receiving input designating an area or a location whose tomographic image is to be obtained while the subject's frontal image is displayed on the display unit;
setting, in an automatic manner, a scan line in the tomographic image obtaining unit on a straight line passing the corneal apex according to the area or location designated by the input;
and
obtaining a tomographic image by the tomographic image obtaining unit based on the scan line set in the scan line setting step.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.