Abstract: A device for examining/treating an eye has a base body and an attachment body, which can be combined and applied to the eye. A gel-type liquid is introduced between the two bodies so that the indices can be matched. The interior of the attachment body is provided with a large number of protuberances, ensuring a minimum distance is maintained between the two bodies, allowing air or excess liquid to escape between the two bodies to escape. Only the attachment body, a disposable item producible from cheap materials, needs to be sterilized and a single sterilization is integrated into the production process. The base only needs to be disinfected. This division of the device also allows a large number of base bodies with different configurations to be used with one single attachment body or a large number of attachment bodies with different configurations to be used with one single base body.

Abstract: A device for examining for the eyeground of a patient's eye (1) has a head holder (3) for fixing the patient's head and a slit lamp unit (19 or 22). Provided on the head holder is a laterally movable lens carriage (9), in the shaft guide (10) of which a lens holder (11) can be introduced with its shaft (27) from above. For positioning the lens (12) in front of the eye (1), the lens holder is coupled in terms of movement to the microscope by means of an adapter (25) and a guide plate (24). The lens carriage, the lens holder and the adapter or the guide plate are in this case formed in such a way that the lens holder can be spatially fixed and uncoupled from the microscope with few manipulations, which makes it possible for an image of the eyeground to be formed the microscope in an optimum way.

Abstract: An optical arrangement of the Michelson interferometer type having a measuring arm for measuring optical properties of at least two mutually spaced regions in an optically transparent and/or diffusive object. A reference arm has a path length variation unit which generates a periodic change in path length for the radiation in the reference arm. Arranged in the measuring arm upstream of the object is a detour unit. The detour unit imparts a detour which is larger than at least one second measuring beam into at least one measuring beam. The detour unit selects a detour to be equal to a distance between regions to be measured in the object. Using the optical arrangement the object is irradiated with the aid of a number of measuring beams corresponding to the number of regions. In each case two measuring beams have an optical path difference which corresponds to a geometrical distance between two regions.

Abstract: The inventive slit-lamp unit comprises a table (1), a cross-slide (2) which can be displaced with the aid of a guide lever (8), a head holder (3), a microscope (5) which can be rotated about an axis of rotation (9), and an illuminating means (10) fastened on a holder (11). The holder (11) comprises a base (11.1), likewise rotatable about the axis of rotation (9), and a carrier (11.2) which can be displaced relative to the base (11.1) by means of a rail (13) in the direction of the eye (7) or away from the latter. The illuminating means (10) are fastened on the carrier (11.2) and comprise a lens (19), a prism (18), an image recording device (14) and a light source (17). The prism (18) serves the purpose both of deflecting onto the eye (7) an illuminating beam generated by the light source (17), and of deflecting onto the image recording device (14) a viewing beam emerging from the eye (7), the said image recording device being connected to a computer monitor (16.2) in order to display the images thus recorded.

Abstract: In a method for photoablation on the cornea with a laser beam with the aid of which a multiplicity of consecutive partial ablation operations are undertaken, the thickness of the cornea is determined with the aid of a measuring device co-operating with a Michelson interferometer before and after each partial ablation operation. By using the thickness values determined, the measuring device guides the laser beam, with intensity values appropriately adjusted by it, over the cornea in a controlled fashion so as not to undershoot a prescribed cornea thickness while complying with a prescribed cornea profile. The measuring device operates with a Michelson interferometer with a center wavelength of the measuring beam source in the region of 1,310 nm, and a monomode fiber for this wavelength in the reference arm such that the optical path length in air in the measuring arm can be acceptably compensated.

Abstract: The ophthalmological apparatus, in particular a slit lamp apparatus, has an observation unit and an illumination unit, which emits a light beam for eye observation and/or treatment purposes, the areal cross-sectional dimension of which beam can be adjusted by means of an adjustable diaphragm. The diaphragm is designed as a planar light modulator (50) which can be adjusted by a non-mechanical adjusting means and whose local optical properties can be changed and can be changed back again. A radiation impinging on the planar light modulator (50) has impressed on it by the latter a predetermined geometrical cross-sectional dimension or a predetermined areal intensity distribution as image information. This different intensity distribution has the same effect on or in the eye as the mechanical diaphragms used heretofore. A raster-free generation of image elements is achieved whenever a corresponding image is “written” or “impressed” optically e.g.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system for the stereoscopic examination of a patient's eye using a slit-lamp microscope (3), wherein the patient's eye (1) is illuminated by a light strip of a predetermined cross section which is emitted by a light source (5). The light source (5) is arranged on the vertical arm (20) of a support (7) and the eye (1) to be examined is placed in an essentially horizontal plane on one side of said support. The stereo-microscope (3) is essentially placed on a plane which is located on the side opposite to the first side of the support (7). The vertical arm (20) of the support (7) is made in the shape of a column having a narrow cross section so as to minimize the optical obstruction between the stereo-microscope (3) and the patient's eye. Using at least one beam (30b) from the stereo-microscope (3), a partial ray is stopped down and the image information of said ray is directed to a reception unit (44) located in said stereo-microscope (3).

Abstract: The apparatus for measuring the thickness of transparent objects (1) has a radiation source (3) of short coherence length and a Michelson interferometer (5), wherein the object (1) to be measured can be arranged in its measuring arm (11), and path length variation element (15), which has an optical path length that changes periodically due to its own rotation, is arranged in the reference arm (13). The cross-sectional surface (34) of the element (15) wherein the reference beam comes to rest has at least four corners so that the reference radiation path in the element (15) has at least two reflections on the inner surfaces of the element. The reference beam (41e) coming out of the element (15) is reflected back by means of a fixed reflector (30) into the element (15), preferably into itself.

Abstract: A the device for carrying out keratometric measurements has a beam splitter (9) which can be pivoted about a pivot axis (37) in a defined way. The beam splitter (9) serves for dividing and simultaneously for recombining the partial beams. The pivot axis (37) of the beam splitter (9) extends perpendicularly to the optical axis (o) of the beam (5a) reflected by the curve region (K) to be measured of the cornea of the living eye (A), as well as perpendicularly to the connection line of the test objects (B, Q). By pivoting the beam-splitter cube (9) the image height imaging (h') of the reflection points (Y,Z) can be doubled and shifted relative to one another in a defined way according to the selected pivot angle (.alpha.). The device has a compact construction and permits simple and exact operation.

Abstract: The video attachment is an apparatus to be mounted laterally on a microscope and which is independent of the optic of the microscope. The apparatus comprises an imaging lens system and a video camera. The light beam path in the apparatus is deflected in such a manner that the video camera does not impede the use of the microscope. The video attachment is preferably used with a microscope of a slit lamp for the diagnosis of the eye.

Abstract: In the housing of the tonometer is disposed a forehead support capable to be displaced against the force of a spring and which can be locked rigidly in the housing in a determined position by a locking tooth which engages in an indentation. By means of a linear motor, a measuring body can be displaced toward the eye in order to measure in the known way the intracocular pressure. The result of the measurement is stored and indicated on a display. Due to the stable support of the tonometer by means of the forehead support and a full automatic control of the measuring process, the tonometer can serve for self tonometering, that is the person experimented upon, resp. the patient can proceed to the measure of its own intraocular pressure without any help from the outside. For this reason, the measurement can take place without important expenses, relatively often and at any times which guarantees a reliable diagnosis.

Abstract: The housing (10), which is inserted between the magnification selector (7) and the ocular tube (8) of a microscope, accommodates a pivotable mirror (22) which is normally placed outside the beam path of the microscope, but which by actuating a lever (17) can be pivoted into the beam path in order to deliver the latter through a photo cone (13) to a camera (14). By actuating the lever (17), the camera (14) is released after the required chronological delay in order to take a picture of the object, e.g. an eye (4). A diaphragm arrangement, which can be brought into the preselected position for the exposure as well by actuation of the lever (17), is disposed at the entry of the housing (10), i.e. directly adjacent the magnification selector (7). Due to the full availability of the light and the advantageous position and adjustability of the diaphragm, optimum conditions exist both for observation and for photographical exposures.

Abstract: A spring is continuously acting on an upper part adjustable in the height by a spindle for compensating the weight of the vertical adjustable parts. An additional compensating spring acts over a piston on the upper part. By means of a screw which can be screwed in a threaded hole, the piston can be coupled with the base which is not displaceable in the height so that the effect of the additional spring is cut off. Many compensating springs can be provided which, at choice, can be rendered effective or ineffective in order to compensate for different weights.

Abstract: A coupling mirror (13) for coupling in a laser beam (14) is located in the optical axis of a slit illumination (4,7). A pair of prisms (11) is provided between this coupling mirror 913) and the tube objective (9) of the illumination tube (1), this pair of prisms spliting the light beam of the slit illumination up into two partial beams (12) situated at the side of the coupling mirror (13). As well the slit illumination as the laser beam are focused in a place (16) in the eye by a front objective (15). This design allows the use of a conventional illumination tube which may be rotated together with the slit diaphragm (7) in order to change the direction of the slit image in the eye. For all angular positions of the slit diaphragm a good brightness of the slit illumination is hereby achieved.

Abstract: Behind of the front objective, in the region of both parallel axes of the beams of rays of the microscope is disposed a slewable optical prismatic body with two plane parallel front faces and two opposite inclined, parallel refractive pairs of faces. In a basis position of this prismatic body, the path of the axes of the beams of rays remains uninfluenced by the plane parallel front faces of the optical prismatic body. In a position of the optical body pivoted by 90.degree., the beams of rays pass through the inclined refractive faces and they experience a transverse displacement. In accordance with the position of the prismatic body one may obtain therefore a greater or smaller stereoscopic angle .alpha.. This leads to significantly improved viewing possibilities, more particularly for eye examination.