Patent Description:
A stationary eye examination device is used by being placed on an eye examination table (hereinafter, simply referred to as a table). At the time of examination, it is necessary to match the height of an examination axis (such as an imaging optical axis and a measurement optical axis) of the eye examination device and a subject eye. Therefore, after adjusting the height of the table in accordance with the sitting height of the examination subject, the height of the eye examination device is adjusted.

As an example, <CIT> discloses a technique for repeating a setting of the height of a table or the like in a past examination stored in association with identification data of an examination subject in a case of performing a new examination.

<CIT> discloses an eye examination system control program for controlling an eye examination system, wherein the eye examination system comprises at least first and second separate eye examination units, wherein each eye examination unit separately comprises an eye examination device, and wherein the eye examination system control program when executed by a control computer in the eye examination system causes execution of: an acquisition step of acquiring height information indicating a height of the examination axis in a case where the first eye examination unit of the eye examination units measures a subject eye, and a height adjustment step of controlling the height adjuster in the second eye examination unit of the eye examination units, based on the height information and a difference in eye level of the eye examination devices between the first eye examination unit and the second eye examination unit to adjust a height of the examination axis in the second eye examination unit. This document discloses also a table on which the eye examination device is placed, and a height adjuster for adjusting a height of at least one of the eye examination device and the table to match heights of a subject eye and an examination axis of the eye examination device.

By the way, there are various types of stationary eye examination devices depending on an application thereof, and a plurality of types of eye examination devices are adopted in one facility. Since there are common elements such as a base and a face support portion among different models, attempts are being made to unify (commonize) configurations such as shape and dimensions between models.

However, since a size and weight of an optical system or the like, which are necessary for examination, are widely different between models, it is difficult to unify the size and the weight for each model. As a result, it was not practical to completely unify eye level, which is the height from a bottom surface of an eye examination device to an examination axis, among the different models.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide an eye examination system control program in which a load for height adjustment is further reduced.

According to the invention, there is provided an eye examination system control program comprising the features of claim <NUM>.

According to the present disclosure, the load for height adjustment is further reduced.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in the present disclosure will be described. An eye examination system control program according to the embodiment is used for adjusting a height of an eye examination unit included in an eye examination system. The eye examination system control program is processing of reflecting a result of a height adjustment of a first eye examination unit, which is used first, on a second eye examination unit, in a case where the two examination units (the first eye examination unit and the second eye examination unit) examine the same examination subject (subject eye).

In the present embodiment, the eye examination system includes at least two separate eye examination units. Each eye examination unit includes an eye examination device, a table (eye examination table), and a height adjuster. The eye examination device may be a stationary device. The eye examination device included in the eye examination unit is placed on the table. Further, the height adjuster is used to match heights of the subject eye and an examination axis of the eye examination device. Specifically, the height adjuster adjusts the height of at least one of the eye examination device and the table. The height adjuster may be provided on each of the eye examination device and the table. In the following description, in particular, the height adjuster provided in the eye examination device is referred to as a device-side height adjuster, and the height adjuster provided in the table is referred to as a table-side height adjuster.

The eye examination system may also have a control computer. This control computer may be integrated with the eye examination device or the like, or may be a separate body. The eye examination system control program causes the eye examination system to perform at least an acquisition step and a height adjustment step by being executed by the control computer in the eye examination system.

In the acquisition step, height information indicating the height of the examination axis in a case where the first eye examination unit measures the subject eye is acquired.

In the height adjustment step, the height adjuster in the second eye examination unit is controlled based on the height information and a difference in eye level of the eye examination device between the first eye examination unit and the second eye examination unit. As a result, a height of an examination axis in the second eye examination unit is adjusted. At this time, the table-side height adjuster included in the second eye examination unit may be controlled based on the height information and the difference in eye level.

The eye level in the present embodiment is the height from the bottom surface of the eye examination device to the examination axis. The eye level is a fixed value. For example, in a device in which the height from the bottom surface to the examination axis can be adjusted by providing the device-side height adjuster, the eye level indicates a reference position in an adjustment range.

As described above, in the present embodiment, in the height adjustment in the second eye examination unit, in addition to the height information, the difference in eye level of the eye examination device between the first eye examination unit and the second eye examination unit are considered. Therefore, in the present embodiment, even in a case where the eye levels of the eye examination devices of the two eye examination units are different, the result of the height adjustment in the first eye examination unit can be preferably used in the height adjustment in the second eye examination unit. That is, even in a case where the same device did not perform the examination in the past, the height can be automatically adjusted, and the process becomes easy to smoothly proceed to the examination.

Further, for example, the height of the table in the examination unit (at least the table in the second eye examination unit) may be manually adjusted. In this case, the table may have a sensor (detector) for detecting the height of the table. In the height adjustment step, the height of the examination axis of the eye examination device may be adjusted by controlling the eye examination device of the second eye examination unit based on the difference in eye level, the height information, and a detection result of the sensor.

Since the height of the examination axis is adjusted on the device side in consideration of the result of manual height adjustment of the table, even in a case where the table is configured to adjust the height independently of the device in the second eye examination unit, the height of the examination axis can be adjusted appropriately.

Further, in the present embodiment, each eye examination unit may further include a chair. In the height adjustment step, the height adjuster of the second eye examination unit may be controlled based on the difference in eye level between the two eye examination units, the difference in height of the chair between the two eye examination units, and the height information. As a result, even in a case where there is a difference in height of the chair between the two eye examination units, the height adjustment in the second eye examination unit can be preferably performed. The height of the chair may be a known value. Further, the chair whose height can be adjusted may have a sensor for detecting the height of the chair, and the value detected from the sensor may be used as the height of the chair in the height adjustment step.

Further, the chair may be provided with a drive portion that changes the height of the chair. The height adjuster of the eye examination system may adjust the height by driving the drive portion of the chair.

In the present invention, the eye examination device of each eye examination unit includes a jaw rest. In the acquisition step, the jaw rest height information indicating a height of a jaw rest of the first eye examination unit is acquired. In the height adjustment step, based on the jaw rest height information, a height of the jaw rest of the second eye examination unit is adjusted. At this time, the jaw rest of the second eye examination unit may be controlled so that a distance from the eye level to an upper surface of the jaw rest matches between the two eye examination units.

Next, an example will be described based on the drawings.

<FIG> shows a schematic configuration of an eye examination system in an example. In the eye examination system according to the example, a plurality of eye examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,. , and a network storage <NUM> are connected through a network.

Each of the eye examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,. includes at least an eye examination device and a table (eye examination table). In the eye examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,. , some eye examination units having different eye levels of the eye examination devices are mixed. The modality of the eye examination device may be different among the eye examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,.

The network storage <NUM> may store information used for examination performed by each eye examination unit <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,. For example, in the present example, information indicating results of height adjustment in each of the examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>,. is stored in association with identification information of each examination subject. Further, information indicating an eye level of the eye examination device in each of the examination units <NUM>, <NUM>, and <NUM> may be stored in the network storage <NUM>. Further, in addition, past test results for each examination subject may be stored in the network storage <NUM>.

Next, detailed configurations of the eye examination units will be described with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>.

<FIG> shows a first eye examination unit <NUM>, and <FIG> shows a second eye examination unit <NUM>. Here, as an example, in the present example, a plurality of eye examination devices in each eye examination unit are classified into a first group and a second group based on a size and weight of an optical system and the like necessary for examinations. An eye examination device <NUM> of the first eye examination unit <NUM> illustrates a device of the first group, and an eye examination device <NUM> of the second eye examination unit <NUM> illustrates an eye examination device of the second group. A shape of a jaw rest, an eye level, and the like are unified among models classified into the same group, and are different between the first group and the second group. The first group is a device that can be relatively miniaturized. On the other hand, the second group is a relatively large device. For example, anterior eye segment examination devices (an objective eye refractive power measurement apparatus, a corneal endothelial cell imaging device, a tonometer, and the like) are classified into the first group, and fundus examination devices (an optical interference tomography, a fundus photography device, and the like) may be classified into the second group.

An axis indicated by a reference numeral L is an examination axis (an imaging optical axis, a measurement optical axis, or the like) in each of the eye examination units <NUM> and <NUM>. For convenience of explanation, it is assumed that tables <NUM> included in the eye examination units <NUM> and <NUM> have the same configuration.

The first eye examination unit <NUM> has the eye examination device <NUM> and the table <NUM>.

The eye examination device <NUM> includes an optical portion <NUM>, a base <NUM>, a face support portion <NUM>, a drive portion <NUM>, and a control portion <NUM>. In the present example, the optical portion <NUM> includes a main optical system for examining a subject eye of an examination subject. The drive portion <NUM> three-dimensionally moves the optical portion <NUM>. A vertical movement of the optical portion <NUM> by the drive portion <NUM> is used, for example, to match heights of the subject eye and the examination axis L. More specifically, the vertical movement may be used for fine adjustment.

Further, the face support portion <NUM> is provided with a jaw rest <NUM> that supports a jaw of the examination subject. A height of the jaw rest <NUM> is adjustable. In the present example, the jaw rest <NUM> is moved in a vertical direction by driving a jaw rest drive portion (not shown). The height of the jaw rest <NUM> is adjusted in accordance with a distance from the subject eye to the jaw.

The control portion <NUM> controls each portion of the eye examination device <NUM>. In the present example, the table <NUM> that supports the eye examination device <NUM> is also controlled based on the instruction from the control portion <NUM>. In the present example, the control portion <NUM> executes the eye examination system control program, so that each processing shown in the flowchart of <FIG> is executed.

In the present example, the table <NUM> includes a top plate <NUM>, a leg <NUM>, a control portion <NUM>, and a drive portion <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, a height of the top plate <NUM> is changed by the expansion and contraction of the leg <NUM> with the eye examination device <NUM> placed on the top plate <NUM>. In the present example, the height of the top plate <NUM> is the height of the table <NUM>.

The second eye examination unit <NUM> has the eye examination device <NUM> and the table <NUM>. In the present example, an eye level of the eye examination device <NUM> in the second eye examination unit <NUM> is higher than an eye level of the eye examination device <NUM> in the first eye examination unit <NUM>. The eye examination device <NUM> of the second eye examination unit <NUM> includes an optical portion <NUM>, a base <NUM>, a face support portion <NUM>, a drive portion <NUM>, and a control portion <NUM>. For the detailed explanation of each portion, the description of each portion in the eye examination device <NUM> is incorporated, and the details are not repeated. The reference numeral <NUM> in the face support portion <NUM> is a jaw rest that can be driven in the vertical direction.

Here, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the height of the examination axis L of the eye examination device <NUM> in the first eye examination unit <NUM> is represented by HE1, and the height of the table <NUM> is represented by HT1. Further, the height of the examination axis L of the eye examination device <NUM> in the second eye examination unit <NUM> is represented by HE2, and the height of the table <NUM> is represented by HT2. Further, the height of the chair is represented by HC, and the height from the chair to the subject eye is represented by SH. In the present example, the height of the chair is assumed to be constant for convenience of explanation.

In the first eye examination unit <NUM>, by driving and controlling the drive portions <NUM> and <NUM> so that SH + HC = HE1 + HT1, the height of the examination axis L is adjusted to an appropriate position with respect to the subject eye. Similarly, in the second eye examination unit <NUM>, by driving and controlling the drive portions <NUM> and <NUM> so that SH + HC = HE2 + HT2, the height of the examination axis L is adjusted to an appropriate position with respect to the subject eye. However, as described above, the eye level of the eye examination device <NUM> in the second eye examination unit <NUM> is higher than the eye level of the eye examination device <NUM> in the first eye examination unit <NUM>. Therefore, in a case where each of the eye examination units <NUM> and <NUM> examines the same examination subject, the height from the bottom surface of each of the eye examination devices <NUM> and <NUM> to the examination axis L and the height of the table <NUM> may be different between the eye examination units.

As described above, according to the present example, the result of the height adjustment based on the past examination can be used for the height adjustment in the current examination even between the devices having different eye levels. That is, even in a case where the same device did not perform the examination in the past, the height can be automatically adjusted, and the process becomes easy to smoothly proceed to the examination.

Next, the operation of the eye examination unit will be described with reference to the flowchart of <FIG>. The flowchart of <FIG> shows the flow of the eye examination system control program in the example.

First, the information about the examination subject is input to the eye examination system (S1). At this time, information for specifying the examination subject (for example, identification information about the examination subject) may be input. In the present example, the information of the examination subject is input to the eye examination device included in the eye examination system.

Next, it is determined whether or not the height information based on the past examination corresponding to the examination subject to which the information is input is present in the eye examination device or the network storage (S2). The height information indicates the height of the examination axis in a case where the examination was performed by the eye examination system in the past. At this time, the height information may be based on the past examination in the eye examination unit used currently, or may be based on the past examination in another eye examination unit. The height information based on the past examination specifies the height of each of the eye examination device and the table in the eye examination unit used for the examination.

If there is no height information based on past examinations, manual height adjustment is required of an examiner (S3). At that time, a message that manual adjustment is necessary may be displayed, or may be announced by voice or the like. Further, in this case, the heights of the eye examination device and the table are manually adjusted in accordance with the position of the subject eye through an operation portion (not shown).

After adjustment, the examiner instructs the examination subject to place his or her jaw on the jaw rest. Other adjustment processing is performed while the face support portion including the jaw rest supports the examination subject's face (S4). At this time, for example, the jaw rest may be adjusted. Further, for example, alignment adjustment in the horizontal direction between the subject eye and the device may be performed. Further, the optical system built into the optical portion <NUM> may be driven for such focus adjustment. After the adjustment, the examination is executed (S5). Then, a test result is stored in a built-in memory of the eye examination device, the network storage <NUM>, or the like in association with the information for specifying the examination subject. In addition, in the present example, the height information based on the current examination is also stored (S6).

Returning to S2, the description will continue. If the height information based on the past examination is present in the eye examination device or the network storage (S2: Yes), the determination processing of S7 is executed. That is, it is determined whether or not the eye level of the eye examination device in the eye examination unit used in the past examination is the same as the eye level of the eye examination device used currently (S7).

If the eye level of the eye examination device in the eye examination unit used in the past examination is the same as the eye level of the eye examination device used currently, the height information obtained in the past examination can be used as it is in the current examination. That is, in the present example, the height of the examination axis is adjusted so that the HTo and HEo specified from the height information based on the past examination are applied to the table and the eye examination device as they are (S8). After the adjustment, the processing of S4 to S6 is executed.

On the other hand, if the eye level of the eye examination device in the eye examination unit used in the past examination is different from the eye level of the eye examination device used currently (S7: No), the height adjustment is performed using the height information based on the past examination in consideration of the difference in eye level (S9). For example, if the eye level of the eye examination device used currently is a value higher than the eye level of the eye examination device used in the past, the table and the eye examination device may be controlled so that the height of the eye examination device and the height of the table are HT+a and HTo-a (a is the difference in eye level), respectively. After such adjustment, the processing of S4 to S6 is executed.

As described above, according to the present example, the height adjustment in the current examination can be satisfactorily performed, based on the height information obtained in the past examination, regardless of the difference in eye level of the eye examination device between the eye examination unit used in the past examination and the eye examination unit used in the current examination.

Claim 1:
An eye examination system control program for controlling an eye examination system, wherein:
- the eye examination system comprises at least first and second separate eye examination units (<NUM>, <NUM>),
- each eye examination unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) separately comprises (i) an eye examination device (<NUM>, <NUM>), (ii) an eye examination table (<NUM>) on which the respective eye examination device (<NUM>, <NUM>) is placed, and (iii) a height adjuster for adjusting a height of the respective eye examination device (<NUM>, <NUM>) and of the respective table (<NUM>) to match heights of a subject eye and of an examination axis (L) of the respective eye examination device (<NUM>, <NUM>),
- the eye examination device (<NUM>, <NUM>) of each eye examination unit (<NUM>, <NUM>) each comprises a jaw rest (<NUM>), and
- the eye examination system control program - when executed by a control computer in the eye examination system - causes execution of:
- an acquisition step of acquiring height information indicating a height of the examination axis (L) in a case where the first eye examination unit (<NUM>) of the eye examination units (<NUM>, <NUM>) measures a subject eye, and
- a height adjustment step of controlling the height adjuster in the second eye examination unit (<NUM>) of the eye examination units (<NUM>, <NUM>), based on the height information and a difference in eye level of the eye examination devices (<NUM>, <NUM>) between the first eye examination unit (<NUM>) and the second eye examination unit (<NUM>) to adjust a height of the examination axis (L) in the second eye examination unit (<NUM>),
- in the acquisition step, jaw rest height information indicating a height of a jaw rest (<NUM>) of the first eye examination unit (<NUM>) is acquired, and
- in the height adjustment step, based on the jaw rest height information, a height of the jaw rest (<NUM>) of the second eye examination (<NUM>) unit is adjusted.