Afocal position detection system and ophthalmic instrument employing said system
US6749302B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 6, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 15, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 11, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B3/1208
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fast position detection system and related method for an ophthalmic instrument utilize stored geometrical relationships determined by multiple regression during instrument calibration to compute X-Y-Z alignment status of the instrument relative to a patient's eye based on local x-y position information from a pair of lateral detectors receiving corneally reflected light from a corresponding pair of lateral light sources. In a preferred embodiment, the lateral detectors are quad-cell detectors. A heads-up display image is preferably provided along an optical axis of the instrument for supplying instructive cues to an operator for moving the instrument to achieve alignment, whereby the operator sees both a macro-image of the patient's eye and the display image. The speed of the position detection system makes it particularly suitable for use in hand-held ophthalmic instruments.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.