Patent ID: 7025459

Claim:
Apparatus for imaging the ocular fundus, said apparatus comprising in combination: a) a source of illumination for illuminating at least a section of the ocular fundus of a patient; b) means for directing the illumination along an optical axis to enter the pupil of the patient; c) a video sensor responsive to an image of the pupil reflected from the eye of the patient for depicting the alignment of the optical axis with the pupil of the patient; d) a beam splitter and a lens for directing the reflected image of the ocular fundus toward said video sensor and for creating a reflected image, respectively; e) positioning means for aligning the optical axis in response to the depicted alignment; f) a focusing assembly for focusing the image of the ocular fundus as a function of the image itself; g) a further beam splitter for reflecting the image to said focusing assembly; h) a further video sensor for recording the focused image; and i) the aerial focal plane of said lens being between said further beam splitter and said focusing assembly and said focusing assembly including a) a further lens located at its focal distance from the aerial focal plane, b) an aperture located at the back focal plane of said further lens, c) a yet further lens for providing a further image, and d) said further video sensor being located at the back focal plane of said yet further lens for receiving the image of the ocular fundus section under examination.