Patent Document ID: 10004396
Application ID: 15608308
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for imaging an ocular tear film, comprising: a control system configured to: (a) receive at least one first image containing optical wave interference of specularly reflected light and a background signal from a region of interest of an ocular tear film captured by an imaging device while illuminated by a multi-wavelength light source; (b) receive at least one second image containing the background signal from the region of interest of the ocular tear film captured by the imaging device; and (c) subtract the at least one second image from the at least one first image to generate at least one resulting image containing the optical wave interference of the specularly reflected light from the region of interest of the ocular tear film with the background signal removed or reduced, wherein the control system is further configured to control the multi-wavelength light source to produce the specularly reflected light from at least one first portion of the region of interest of the ocular tear film while the multi-wavelength light source obliquely illuminates at least one second portion of the region of interest of the ocular tear film adjacent to the at least one first portion; and wherein the control system is further configured to control the multi-wavelength light source to produce the specularly reflected light from the at least one second portion of the region of interest of the ocular tear film while the multi-wavelength light source obliquely illuminates the at least one first portion of the region of interest of the ocular tear film adjacent to the at least one second portion.