Patent ID: 6699198
Filing Date: 2004-03-02
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An ocular blood-flow meter comprising:an optical system configured and positioned to apply measuring light to a blood vessel of a subject eye, and to receive light scattered by the blood vessel of the subject eye; a mechanism configured and positioned to change the direction in which the measuring light is applied to the blood vessel or the direction in which the scattered light is received by at least a portion of said optical system so as to enable a plurality of measurements of the blood flow in the blood vessel using measuring light applied to the blood vessel in different directions or using scattered light received by at least a portion of said optical system in different directions; a device configured and positioned to receive the scattered light from said optical system, wherein said device outputs a received-light signal containing information on blood flow in the blood vessel in response to receiving the scattered light from said optical system; a controller connected to said device to receive the received-light signal and configured to perform the plurality of measurements of the blood flow in the blood vessel using the received-light signal generated from measuring light being applied to the blood vessel in different directions and scattered by the blood vessel or generated from the scattered light received by at least a portion of said optical system in different directions, wherein said controller is also configured to perform a re-measurement operation to re-measure the blood flow in the blood vessel using a received-light signal generated from measuring light being applied to the blood vessel or generated from the scattered light received by at least a portion of said optical system in a desired direction in response to an instruction by an operator to perform a re-measurement operation in the desired direction; and an input device, wherein said input device is electrically coupled to said controller, wherein said input device is configured to enable an operator to select a re-measurement operation to re-measure the blood flow in the blood vessel using a received-light signal generated from measuring light being applied to the blood vessel in a desired direction and then scattered by the blood vessel or generated from the scattered light received by at least a portion of said optical system in a desired direction, wherein said input device also is configured to instruct said controller to perform the selected re-measurement operation selected by the operator.