Patent · US Expired

Ophthalmic diagnostic method and apparatus

US4938584A · kind A · utility

64Cited by
2References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 9, 1989
Grant dateJul 3, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 9, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B3/1005
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An ophthalmic diagnostic method and apparatus measures the distance between the corneal surface and the fundus of an eye being examined by projecting a beam of coherent light at the eye and varying the wavelength of the coherent light while observing differences between the optical paths of two light waves reflected by the cornea and the eye fundus. The differences are based on the length of the optical axis of the eye and observed as a phase difference between the two light waves. The length of the optical axis of the eye being examined can be measured from the amount of change in the measured phase difference corresponding to the variation in wavelength, enabling the length of the optical axis of the eye to be measured without mechanical control.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.