Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of a corneal profile of an eye. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a corneal diagnostic instrument including: (a) a Placido ring illuminator disposed to project radiation onto a cornea to generate a Placido ring image; (b) multiple slit lamp projectors disposed to project slit light beam images onto the cornea to generate slit light beam images; (c) a camera system optically disposed to detect the Placido ring image and the slit light beam images; and (d) a controller, coupled to the slit lamp projectors, the Placido ring illuminator, and the camera system, to cause the slit light beam images and the Placido ring image to be generated and detected in a predetermined sequence, wherein the controller is responsive to the detected Placido ring image and the detected slit light beam images to determine a corneal thickness profile.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of aberration of an eye. One or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement wherein Hartmann-Shack spots have reduced speckle; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement of an eye having a large diopter power variation over different zones of the eye; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement with accommodation control; one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein radiation reflected by a cornea and radiation scattered by intra-ocular elements are blocked; and one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein a hazy background produced by radiation multiply scattered within an eye is reduced.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light source onto a first side of the projection screen; (c) a background projection system that projects a background light onto the first side of the projection screen; and (d) a magnifier lens system disposed on a second side of the projection screen that directs light transmitted through the projection screen to a predetermined location.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of a corneal profile of an eye. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a corneal diagnostic instrument including: (a) a Placido ring illuminator disposed to project radiation onto a cornea to generate a Placido ring image; (b) multiple slit lamp projectors disposed to project slit light beam images onto the cornea to generate slit light beam images; (c) a camera system optically disposed to detect the Placido ring image and the slit light beam images; and (d) a controller, coupled to the slit lamp projectors, the Placido ring illuminator, and the camera system, to cause the slit light beam images and the Placido ring image to be generated and detected in a predetermined sequence, wherein the controller is responsive to the detected Placido ring image and the detected slit light beam images to determine a corneal thickness profile.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for measurement of aberration of an eye. One or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement wherein Hartmann-Shack spots have reduced speckle; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement of an eye having a large diopter power variation over different zones of the eye; one or more embodiments provide an aberration measurement instrument that enables measurement with accommodation control; one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein radiation reflected by a cornea and radiation scattered by intra-ocular elements are blocked; and one or more embodiment provide an aberration measurement instrument wherein a hazy background produced by radiation multiply scattered within an eye is reduced.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light stimulus onto a first side of the projection screen; (c) a background projection system that projects a background light onto the first side of the projection screen; and (d) a lens system disposed on a second side of the projection screen that directs light transmitted through the projection screen to a predetermined location.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light source onto a first side of the projection screen; (c) a background projection system that projects a background light onto the first side of the projection screen; and (d) a magnifier lens system disposed on a second side of the projection screen that directs light transmitted through the projection screen to a predetermined location.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a projection screen; (b) a stimulus projection system that projects a light stimulus onto a first side of the projection screen; and (c) a background projection system that projects background light onto the first side of the projection screen; wherein the stimulus projection system includes: (i) a first rotatable disk having an aperture; (ii) a second rotatable disk disposed in the aperture; and (iii) a stimulus radiation projector that includes a stimulus radiation source and a radiation projection lens system that are configured to project the stimulus from the second disk onto the first side of the projection screen.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an optical delay line that comprises a plurality of optical elements in optical communication with each other, wherein: (a) at least one of the plurality of optical elements is capable of spatially dispersing a spectrum of an optical signal to provide a spatially dispersed optical signal; (b) at least one of the plurality of optical elements is adjustable to affect one or more of a phase delay and a group delay of an optical signal; and (c) at least one of the plurality of optical elements compensates for polarization introduced into the optical signal by others of the optical elements.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a high intensity light source; (b) an optical fiber; (c) scanning optics, wherein light output from the light source is directed by the optical fiber to impinge upon the scanning optics, and the scanning optics directs the light to form a stimulus at various field positions; and (d) a video display system to output one or more light patterns. Another embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a video display system to output one or more types of light patterns; (b) a background illumination display system; and (c) viewing optics to magnify the field of view of the video display system and the background illumination display system.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an optical path length scanner which includes: (a) a set of prisms mounted evenly along a movable carrier; and (b) a mechanism that drives the movable carrier to move.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide method and apparatus for measuring a wavefront of a beam of radiation. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is an apparatus for measuring a wavefront of a beam of radiation at a first plane which includes: (a) relay optics adapted to relay the wavefront from the first plane to a second plane; (b) a moving boundary locus apparatus disposed between the first and second planes; (c) a two-dimensional photodetector array comprising—at least 4×4 photodetector elements disposed in the second plane, wherein each photodetector element produces a time varying signal in response to movement of a portion of the moving boundary locus apparatus; (d) a synchronizer adapted to synchronize each of the time varying signals with a position of the portion of the moving boundary locus apparatus; and (e) an analyzer, responsive to synchronized time varying signals output from the synchronizer, to measure the wavefront of the beam.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a high intensity light source; (b) an optical fiber; (c) scanning optics, wherein light output from the light source is directed by the optical fiber to impinge upon the scanning optics, and the scanning optics directs the light to form a stimulus at various field positions; and (d) a video display system to output one or more light patterns. Another embodiment of the present invention is a visual field tester that includes: (a) a video display system to output one or more types of light patterns; (b) a background illumination display system; and (c) viewing optics to magnify the field of view of the video display system and the background illumination display system.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) application apparatus that performs an OCT application on an object. The OCT application apparatus includes: (a) an OCT scanning apparatus which outputs a beam of OCT scanning radiation; (b) an active tracking system that generates and projects a beam of tracking radiation onto a region including a reference tracking feature, which active tracking system includes a tracking optical system that is disposed to intercept the beam of tracking radiation and the beam of OCT scanning radiation; and (c) wherein the active tracking system analyzes tracking radiation reflected from the region to detect movement of the object, and to generate a tracking signal which directs the tracking optical system to follow the movement of the object. In one embodiment of the present invention, the OCT application comprises forming an OCT scan image of the object, for example and without limitation, a retina of an eye.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide method and apparatus for diagnosing and monitoring eye disease such as, for example, glaucoma. In particular, embodiments of the present invention analyze OCT scans of a retina to determine one or more of the following measures for diagnosing and monitoring glaucomatous retinal nerve fiber layer (“NFL”) change: an NFL thickness; a ratio of NFL thickness in a vertical quadrant (superior and inferior quadrants in an OCT scan are combined in a vertical average) and a horizontal quadrant (nasal and temporal quadrants in the OCT scan are combined in a horizontal average); and an NFL signal ratio (“NSR”) of a sum of signal strengths in a predetermined portion of the NFL and a sum of signal strengths in a predetermined region below a retina-pigment epithelium (“RPE”) interface.

Abstract: A visual field tester which measures the visual field of a patient's eye, which visual field tester includes: (a) an optical radiation source having an entrance pupil plane, which optical radiation source outputs one or more spots of optical radiation; and (b) an optical relay system which relays a point in the entrance pupil plane or a point conjugate to the point in the entrance pupil plane to the patient's eye with a one-to-one magnification, wherein the optical relay system comprises a beamsplitter disposed at an angle with respect to a retroreflector array.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are method and apparatus for simply and economically providing efficient scanning in an optical coherence tomography ("OCT") apparatus.

Abstract: Ophthalmologic surgical microscope which is combined internally with an optical coherence tomography ("OCT") apparatus wherein auto-focusing is provided by driving a motorized internal focusing lens of the ophthalmologic surgical microscope with a signal output from the OCT apparatus. An embodiment of the inventive ophthalmologic surgical microscope includes: (a) an optical coherence tomography ("OCT") apparatus; (b) a beamcombiner for internally coupling output from the OCT apparatus into the ophthalmologic surgical microscope; and (c) a motor for moving an internal focusing lens of the ophthalmologic surgical microscope in response to a signal from the OCT apparatus, whereby the ophthalmologic surgical microscope is auto-focused.

Abstract: Apparatus for illuminating the fundus of an eye with a scanned sample beam of radiation, the scanned sample beam emerging from a beam scanner which is exposed to a sample beam, which apparatus is for use in optical coherence tomography. An embodiment of the apparatus includes: (a) scanner lens and a beamsplitter for transferring radiation from the scanned sample beam, including chief rays of the sample beam which emerge from a point of final deflection of the beam scanner, and (b) a lens for focusing the transferred radiation so that the scanned sample beam is focused onto the fundus by the eye. In accordance with the invention the scanner lens is fixed with respect to the beam scanner so that the point of final deflection is located substantially in the back focal plane of the scanner lens and the scanner lens is movable.

Abstract: Apparatus for illuminating the fundus of an eye with a scanned sample beam of radiation. An embodiment of the present invention is an optical system which includes three, separated radiation path systems--a tilted illumination path system, a decentered observation path system, and an optical path system--which are combined by a beamsplitter into an ocular lens. In accordance with the present invention, an illuminating path provided by the illumination path system and an optical beam path provided by the optical beam path system are obliquely oriented with respect to the optical axis of the ocular lens.