Tear film measurement
US8192026B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 11, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jun 5, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 31, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61B3/101
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The disclosure comprises a method for measuring the relative thickness of the lipid layer component of the precorneal tear film on the surface of an eye after distribution of the lipid layer subsequent to blinking. Light is directed to the lipid layer of a patient's eye with an illuminator. The illuminator is a broad spectrum light source covering the visible region and is a lambertion light emitter such that the light source is specularly reflected from the lipid layer and undergoes constructive and destructive interference in the lipid layer. The specularly reflected light is collected and focused using a collector such that the interference patterns on the tear film lipid layer are observable. The collector also produces an output signal representative of the specularly reflected light suitable for further analysis, such as projection on to a high resolution video monitor or analysis by or storage in a computer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.