Patent ID: 6361167
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: A61B,A61F

Abstract:
A digital eye camera for acquiring digital images of a retinal region of an eye, defining a retina, a cornea and a lens, and digital images of a corneal region of the eye, said digital eye camera comprising:a mounting frame for mounting camera optical elements, said elements comprising: 1) a first combination of optical elements for making said retinal digital images, and 2) a second combination of optical elements for making said corneal digital images, a portion of said first combination of elements and said second combination of elements being shared elements, said shared elements comprising: 1) a first objective element of an objective lens combination, 2) a digital image sensor, 3) at least one eyepiece for viewing either the retina or the cornea, and said first combination of elements comprising: 1) a first changeable element of said objective lens system for focusing, in combination with said first objective element, portions or all of said retinal region at or approximately at a common image plane, 2) a retinal illuminating light source, 3) an aperture within said frame and positioned within said first combination to form an effective retinal aperture located at or approximately at the lens of the eye defining an effective retinal aperture positon, 4) an infrared camera for determining eye position, and 5) an aperture adjustment mechanism for adjusting the effective retinal aperture based on position signals from said infrared camera: said second combination comprising: a second changeable element of said objective lens system for focusing, in combination with said first objective element, portions or all of said cornea region at or approximately at a common image plane; wherein digital images of both the retinal region and the cornea region of the eye may be obtained with said camera.