Confocal scanning ophthalmoscope

US5071246A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Stiftung · DE

Inventors

• Erich Blaha · Oberkochen, DE
• Gerhard Gaida · Aalen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 25, 1990
• Grant date: Dec 10, 1991
• Expiry date: Oct 25, 2010

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B3/1225
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention is directed to a confocal scanning ophthalmoscope defining an illuminating beam path and a viewing beam path with these paths having respective portions extending along a common path segment. The ophthalmoscope has a light-deflecting device mounted in a first apparatus part and in the common path segment for scanning the ocular fundus point-by-point. A first flexible light-wave conductor conducts light transmitted by a real light source to a point light source. The ophthalmoscope has a pinhole diaphragm which is mounted in the viewing beam path and in a plane conjugated to the point light source. A detector of the ophthalmoscope measures the light transmitted through the pinhole diaphragm and a second flexible light-wave conductor conducts this light to the detector. The detector is mounted in a second apparatus part separate from the first apparatus part so as to permit movement of the parts relative to each other.