Patents Examined by P. M. Dzierzynski
  • Patent number: 4863260
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for accurately quantifying the instantaneous radius curvature of a large plurality of points on the corneal surface is disclosed. A video image of the corneal surface accurately positioned at a predetermined point on the optic axis of measurement is obtained. The predetermined point is defined by intersecting low power laser beams. The video image is radially scanned from an original position at point defined by the intersection of the visual axis with corneal surface. Accurate measurements of the two-dimensional image radii of a plurality of illuminated mires reflective upon the corneal surface are made and corrected for camera distortions, quantization error and the different magnification occurring for different size corneas. The instrumentation is calibrated by using a plurality of mirror-like spheres of precisely known spherical radii.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Assignee: Computed Anatomy Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Gersten, Richard J. Mammone, Joseph L. Zelvin
  • Patent number: 4863259
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided in which an REM sleep state is accurately identified by detecting and counting a selectable number of eye movements within a selectable time interval. A body movement sensor is used to prevent false indications of REM sleep by inhibiting such indication upon sensing of body movement. An eye movement sensor which uses IR light transmission across an eye is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 5, 1989
    Inventors: Michael B. Schneider, Stephen R. Lloyd
  • Patent number: 4861151
    Abstract: The inner sides of left and right lens rims constituting the main body of a frame for multifocal spectacles are provided with respective guide portions extending downwardly from a bridge connecting the rims together. Left and right nose-pads of a nose-pad member are secured in the guide portions under tension using left and right resilient pieces configured to gradually curve away from each other. This makes it possible to move the nose-pads up and down smoothly and reliably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Inventor: Tohru Negishi
  • Patent number: 4861155
    Abstract: Method and apparatus for measuring corneal curvature through mechanical measurement of longitudinal probe positioning in contacting the surface of the subject's cornea at predetermined radial and angular positions relative to the central apex of the eye. Electrical sensing of the cornea surface by contact with a conductive probe is employed to generate an audible signal with accurate encoder means for registration of probe axial position. Both manually actuated and automatic embodiments are disclosed each involving apparatus mounted on a solid base including a head rest for the patient and an objective for eye fixation during the examination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 29, 1989
    Inventor: Max Downey
  • Patent number: 4859052
    Abstract: A portable screen assembly for use in combination with a series of visual acuity testing cards to test the visual acuity of an infant or otherwise functionally young (handicapped) person requiring to be held by another person comprises a three-panel screen wherein two side panels are hingedly connected to a main panel in such manner that they can be moved from folded positions overlying the back face of the main panel to positions wherein each defines a predetermined obtuse angle with the front side of the panel. A removable and collapsible brace connects the upper free corners of the side panels to hold the screen assembly in its erected position, and this brace cooperates with the main panel and a bracket of rod material to support a shield which blocks the line of view between the person holding the person under test and an opening in the main panel where successive acuity testing cards are presented to the person under test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Vistech Consultants, Inc.
    Inventors: Diana R. McFarland, Robert P. Ginsburg, Arthur P. Ginsburg
  • Patent number: 4859048
    Abstract: Disclosed is a cylindrical lens for use in a pair of sunglasses, comprising a unitary pane of transparent material curved about an axis and having a substantially constant radius such that the lens defines a portion of the wall of a cylinder. The arc length measured from a first distal end along the lens to a second distal end is within the range of about 51/2 to about 7 inches so that the lens covers both eyes of the wearer and effectively shields the eyes from peripheral as well as direct bright light. The lens may have either a uniform thickness throughout, or may taper from a greater thickness in a region centered about the midpoint, generally above the nose of a wearer, to a lesser thickness near the peripheral ends of the lens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Oakley, Inc.
    Inventor: James H. Jannard
  • Patent number: 4854691
    Abstract: A laser beam scanning type eye fundus camera has a laser beam generator for generating a laser beam; an illuminating system for illuminating the fundus of an eye to be tested by scanning the laser beam generated by the laser beam generator on the eye fundus; a first and a second light receiving portions for receiving a reflecting light of the laser beam reflected by the eye fundus; a first light receiving system for guiding the reflecting light of the laser beam reflected by the eye fundus to the first light receiving portion; a second light receiving system for guiding a fluorescence excited at the eye fundus by the laser beam; and an electronic circuit for forming an eye fundus image on a monitor TV according to an output signal coming from the first and second light receiving portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Akihiko Sekine, Shinji Wada, Takashi Yokokura, Kazuo Nunokawa, Masayuki Hideshima
  • Patent number: 4854693
    Abstract: An apparatus operates in an observation mode for determining a specific spot within the eye of a patient and operates in a measurement mode for measuring protein particles contained within the specific spot. The eye is illuminated with a slit light to determine a specific spot. A laser light is irradiated onto the determined specific spot. A scattered light scattered by protein particles is detected by a detector to measure the protein particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Kowa Company Ltd.
    Inventors: Tadashi Ichihashi, Koichiro Kakizawa, Masunori Kawamura
  • Patent number: 4854692
    Abstract: Disclosed is an ophthalmic examination apparatus in which a laser beam is deflected at an eye fundus under examination to scan the eye fundus two-dimensionally, and light reflected back from the eye fundus is detected for photoelectric conversion to obtain information about the eye fundus. The apparatus includes a first optical deflector for deflecting the laser beam to scan the eye fundus in one direction and a second optical deflector for deflecting the laser beam to scan the eye fundus in a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction of the first optical deflector. A detection slit is provided which extends perpendicularly to the scanning direction of the second optical deflector and which is disposed at a position optically conjugate with the eye fundus. The reflected light is deflected in a direction parallel to the detection slit, but stationary in a direction that is perpendicular to the slit. The slit serves to remove unrequired scattered light from the optical system for examining the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1989
    Assignee: Kowa Company Ltd.
    Inventor: Kouji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 4852987
    Abstract: The invention is directed to an apparatus for making in vivo measurements of eye lens cloudiness such as caused by cataracta nuclearis. The lens of the human eye has an inherent fluorescence which corresponds to the cloudiness. The apparatus of the invention includes a projecting device for projecting a slit image onto the eye lens with a monochromatic excitation beam having a wavelength lying in the range of 350 nm-500 nm. The light beam excites the fluorescence in the eye lens to produce a fluorescence light. A measuring device measures the fluorescence light in the wavelength range of 380 nm to 650 nm. A signal processing unit analyzes the fluorescence spectrum to determine the wavelength corresponding to a maximum intensity of the fluorescence spectrum. The signal processing unit includes a memory having a scale of values for eye lens cloudiness and stores an empirically determined table of values of the measured parameters corresponding to the scale values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1987
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Inventor: Wolfgang Lohmann
  • Patent number: 4852988
    Abstract: A head-mounted, eye-movement, measurement system is provided with an optically flat glass laminated visor through which the observer views the external scene. Mounted so as to be vertically spaced from one side of the eye's optic axis is an eye tracker module for recording the observer's eye-movement relative to the head, principally by measuring the position of the pupil and corneal reflex, by reflecting near infrared light to and from the observer's eye vis-a-vis the front surface of the visor. Mounted so as to be vertically spaced on the opposite side of the eye's optic axis is a field-of-view camera which records the external scene viewed by the observer by reflecting external scene light from the back side of the visor. The distances and angular relationship of the visor, camera and eye are controlled to eliminate parallax from the field-of-view camera while also providing a stable arrangement permitting wide-angle scene viewing and accurate recordal of eye movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 1, 1989
    Assignee: Applied Science Laboratories
    Inventors: Jose Velez, Joshua D. Borah
  • Patent number: 4850691
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are disclosed for determining pupillary response parameters, such as latency, time of acceleration of constriction, and speed of constriction. In a form of the disclosed method a signal is derived which is representative of measured pupil size as a function of time after a visible light stimulus. The signal is modified to remove therefrom artifacts due to eye movement. Pupillary response parameters can be obtained from the modified signal. In a preferred embodiment, the modifying of the signal includes fitting curves to different portions of the signal, correcting at least one of the fitted curves, and deriving the modified signal from the curves, as corrected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 1987
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: University of Illinois
    Inventors: Chester S. Gardner, Kirk S. Schroeder, Richard Kast
  • Patent number: 4850690
    Abstract: An eyeglass testing device is provided with independent side-to-side positioning of left and right lenses and independent side-to-side and front-to-back positioning of a separate set of front left and right test lenses on a platform attached with universal adjustment to a head harness and worn by a patient while being tested for vision assistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Inventors: William S. Parker, James C. Bradford
  • Patent number: 4848889
    Abstract: A pair of frames for eyeglasses is made from transparent plastics material and includes an elongated passage therein. An elongated, flexible colored member having sides of different colors is located in the passage in one of several axially rotational positions and is held in this position to prevent accidental rotation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Satex Oil Corporation (Pty) Ltd.
    Inventor: Gordon K. Shaw
  • Patent number: 4848892
    Abstract: An adjustable temple for spectacle frames wherein the temple includes an inner element which includes a body portion slideable within an outer element and which inner element also includes an outer head portion which extends through an elongated opening in the outer element with such head being selectively engageable with notches formed in the exterior of the outer element and wherein a slideable locking sleeve may be adjustably positioned over the two elements of the adjustable temple so as to retain the two elements in a selectively adjusted position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Internationale de Lunetterie S.A.
    Inventor: Robert Sonthonnax
  • Patent number: 4848895
    Abstract: There is disclosed an automatic eye refractive power measuring apparatus for automatically measuring refractive power of an eye under test by means of objective measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 1986
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1989
    Assignee: Tokyo Kogaku Kikai Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Kato, Kiwami Horiguchi, Shinji Wada, Ikuo Kitao
  • Patent number: 4842401
    Abstract: An eye examination process includes instilling a neutral pH sulforhodamine B fluorescent dye which is excitable by green light and which fluoresces with orange light in the eye of a patient. The eye is then illuminated with green light and the eye is observed, preferably through a biomicroscope, through a filter which will pass orange light and which will not transmit the wavelength of the illuminating light. This process allows observation of both the eye's tear film and devitalized epithelial cells in the eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Jr. University
    Inventor: David Maurice
  • Patent number: 4842384
    Abstract: A catadioptric optical imaging system comprises a dioptric assembly (20) and a catoptric asembly (21), which are positioned with respect to each other to form an imaging system of long focal length. The dioptric assembly (20) comprises two confocal paraboloidal mirrors (22, 23) arranged to form a telescope of the Mersenne type. The catoptric assembly (21) comprises lens elements arranged in two groups, viz., a field group (25) and a relay group (26), which are coaxially disposed with respect to the dioptric assembly (20). Only two different optical materials, viz., calcium fluoride crystal and Hoya LAC7 glass, are used in making the lens elements of the dioptric assembly (20). The dioptric assembly (20) is color-corrected at five wavelengths and has only negligible secondary and higher-order spectra in a wavelength band extending from the ultraviolet region to the near infrared region of the optical spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 27, 1989
    Assignee: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Romeo I. Mercado
  • Patent number: 4840476
    Abstract: Reading glasses are specially constructed to permit them to assume a compact storage condition when not in use. Lightweight half lenses are pivoted to the lower ends of an arched nose bridge which functions as a spring to provide the sole force necessary to maintain the eyeglasses on the nose. The lenses may pivot about pivot pins on the nose bridge through pivot arcs of 90.degree. between the wearing and storage positions. The lenses occupy a common plane in all positions. Notches in the lens edges receive the legs of the nose piece to provide a detent for retaining the lenses in the wearing position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: John Gareis
    Inventor: Craig E. Rooney
  • Patent number: 4840468
    Abstract: The disclosed zoom lens has at least three components and three components are made movable for zooming to different object distances by axially moving two of said components as a unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 1988
    Date of Patent: June 20, 1989
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsunefumi Tanaka