Binocular multiplexing method and device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9259147-B2
Application number	US-201214366181-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Dec 22, 2011
Publication date	Feb 16, 2016
Grant date	Feb 16, 2016

Abstract

A binocular multiplexing device for a single-channel ophthalmological instrument for objective measurement of at least one vision parameter of a subject, the ophthalmological instrument including elements for generating a single light beam, elements for collecting a measurement beam by reflecting and/or refracting the light beam against the subject's eye and a sensor associated with the single measurement channel. The binocular multiplexing device includes optical separation first elements for receiving an image beam originating from a stimulus target and separating the image beam into a right and left ocular stimulation beam; optical switching elements for switching the single light beam selectively onto a right or left monocular light beam's optical path to form, after reflection and/or refraction by the eye in question, a right, respectively left, ocular measurement beam, and optical combination elements for superimposing the right, respectively left, ocular stimulation beam, and the right, respectively left, monocular light beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) for an ophthalmological instrument ( 110 ) having a single channel for objective measurement of at least one visual parameter of a subject, said ophthalmological instrument comprising means for generating a single illuminating beam ( 15 ), means for collecting a measuring beam ( 55 ) generated by reflection and/or refraction of said illuminating beam from an eye of the subject, and a sensor associated with said single measuring channel, said binocular multiplexing device comprising:
first optical splitting means ( 4 , 25 ) able to receive a stimulating image beam ( 14 ) issued from a stimulus test pattern and intended to stimulate accommodation by the subject, said first optical splitting means ( 4 , 25 ) being able to split said stimulating image beam ( 14 ) into a right ocular stimulating beam ( 14 a ) and a left ocular stimulating beam ( 14 a ) so as to stimulate accommodation by the right eye ( 13 ) and left eye ( 12 ) of the subject simultaneously;
second optical splitting means ( 5 , 140 , 24 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ) able to receive said single illuminating beam ( 15 ) and to split said single illuminating beam ( 15 ) into a right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ) and a left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ), said right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ) and left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ) being intended to illuminate the right eye ( 13 ) and the left eye ( 12 ) of the subject, respectively, in order to form, after reflection and/or refraction from the eye ( 12 , 13 ) in question, a right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ) and a left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ), respectively;
optical switching means ( 5 , 24 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ) able to receive said right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ) and said left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ) and to steer in sequence said right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ) and said left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ) into said single measuring channel, respectively;
first optical combining means ( 7 , 29 ) able to superpose the right ocular stimulating beam ( 14 b ) and the right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ), and first optical means for directing the right ocular stimulating beam ( 14 b ) and the right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ) toward the right eye ( 13 ); and
second optical combining means ( 6 , 28 ) able to superpose the left ocular stimulating beam ( 14 a ) and the left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ), and second optical means for directing the left ocular stimulating beam ( 14 a ) and the left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ) toward the left eye ( 12 ).

2. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , in which said first optical splitting means ( 4 , 25 ) comprise a beam-splitting plate or a beam-splitting cube.

3. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 2 , comprising an electronic processing unit suitable for receiving a signal representative of the switching state of said optical switching means ( 5 , 24 , 43 , 44 , 45 ) and to receive, in sequence, a first measurement representative of said right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ) and a second measurement representative of said left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ), said electronic processing unit being able to combine said signal representative of the switching state and said first and second measurements in order to deliver a multiplexed binocular measurement of at least one vision parameter.

4. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , in which said optical switching means ( 5 , 24 , 43 , 44 , 45 ) comprise a dichroic plate, an orientable mirror ( 24 ), a retractable mirror, an electro-optical modulator, an acousto-optical modulator and/or polarization-selecting means ( 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ).

5. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , in which said second optical splitting means are merged with said optical switching means, or in which said second optical splitting means comprise a beam-splitting plate or a beam-splitting cube.

6. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , in which said first optical combining means comprise a dichroic plate ( 7 , 29 ) able to superpose a right ocular stimulating beam ( 14 b ) in the visible domain and a right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ) in the infrared domain, and/or said second optical combining means comprise a dichroic plate ( 6 , 28 ) able to superpose a left ocular stimulating beam ( 14 a ) in the visible domain and a left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ) in the infrared domain, respectively.

7. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , furthermore comprising an optical port ( 22 , 35 ) for coupling to an ophthalmological instrument ( 110 ) having a single measuring channel, said optical coupling port ( 22 , 35 ) being able to receive a stimulating image beam ( 14 ) issued from a stimulus test pattern, and a single illuminating beam ( 15 ), and to transmit a single measuring beam ( 55 ), and mechanical and/or opto-mechanical means for aligning said ophthalmological instrument ( 110 ) having a single measuring channel and said binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ), said mechanical and/or opto-mechanical aligning means comprising an alignment test pattern ( 48 , 50 ) able to emit an optical aligning beam, and optical means ( 47 , 51 , 52 ) able to superpose said aligning optical beam ( 60 ) and said single measuring beam ( 55 ) in the optical coupling port ( 22 , 35 ).

8. An ophthalmological instrument ( 120 ) for multiplexed binocular measurement of at least one vision parameter of a subject, said ophthalmological instrument comprising a binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) according to claim 7 , and:
ophthalmological means ( 2 ) for measuring at least one vision parameter of a subject, said ophthalmological measuring means being able to generate a single illuminating beam ( 15 ) and to receive and analyze a single measuring beam ( 55 ) generated by reflection and/or refraction of said single illuminating beam from an eye ( 12 , 13 ) of the subject, said single illuminating beam ( 15 ) and said single measuring beam ( 55 ) following reciprocal optical paths between said ophthalmological measuring means ( 2 ) and the eye ( 12 , 13 ) of the subject.

9. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 1 , comprising a right exit pupil ( 37 ), a left exit pupil ( 36 ) and imaging optical means ( 20 , 21 , 23 , 32 , 33 , 34 ), said right exit pupil ( 37 ) being able to receive said right monocular illuminating beam ( 15 b ) and said right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ), and said left exit pupil ( 36 ) being able to receive said left monocular illuminating beam ( 15 a ) and said left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ), respectively, and said imaging optical means ( 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 23 , 32 , 33 , 34 ) being able to form the image of an exit pupil ( 22 , 35 ) of said ophthalmological instrument ( 100 ) having a single measuring channel on said right exit pupil ( 37 ) and/or said left exit pupil ( 36 ).

10. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 9 , comprising secondary illuminating means ( 160 , 161 ) able to emit a secondary illuminating beam ( 170 , 171 ) in the direction of the cornea of each eye ( 12 , 13 ) so as to generate a right ocular measuring beam ( 55 b ) and a left ocular measuring beam ( 55 a ), respectively, in order to provide an analysis of the cornea by keratometry and/or corneal topography.

11. The binocular multiplexing device ( 100 ) as claimed in claim 9 , comprising:
a

Assignees

• Baranton Konogan
• Escalier Guilhem
• Rousseau Benjamin
• Essilor Int

Inventors

• Baranton Konogan
• Escalier Guilhem
• Rousseau Benjamin

Classifications

• A61B3/036

  for testing astigmatism · CPC title

• A61B3/10 Primary

  Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions · CPC title

• A61B3/0091

  Fixation targets for viewing direction · CPC title

• G02B27/141

  using dichroic mirrors · CPC title

• A61B3/103 Primary

  for determining refraction, e.g. refractometers, skiascopes · CPC title