Fundus imaging system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9498126-B2
Application number	US-201514939601-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Nov 22, 2016
Grant date	Nov 22, 2016

Abstract

A fundus imaging system includes: an image sensor array, where the image sensor array includes monochrome photodiodes and global shutter control, an illumination unit with one or more light-emitting diodes that have one or more dies, a computing system including a processor and memory, one or more lenses, one or more reflective mirrors, and a display. In an example method of use, a clinician positions a patient, initiates a focal adjustment, initiates a retinal imaging process, and the same or a different clinician views the image. In some embodiments, the imaging system is configured to analyze the image and identify detected physical attributes in the image relating to the diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-mydriatic fundus imaging system, comprising:
an image sensor array including a two-dimensional monochrome complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor, wherein the image sensor array has a plurality of rows of pixels, and the image sensor array is capable of global reset operations wherein each pixel of the plurality of rows of pixels is exposed substantially simultaneously; and
an illumination unit operatively coupled to the image sensor array, wherein the illumination unit includes a multi-die light emitting diode, and the illumination unit being capable of overdriving the light emitting diode.

2. The non-mydriatic fundus imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor array has a resolution of 1280 by 1024 pixels.

3. The non-mydriatic fundus imaging system of claim 1 , wherein each pixel in the image sensor array is about four microns by about four microns.

4. The non-mydriatic fundus imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the illumination unit is configured to emit monochrome light for 1 millisecond per global shutter operation.

5. The non-mydriatic fundus imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a timing unit operatively coupled to the image sensor array and the illumination unit and configured to simultaneously expose a full frame of pixels of the image sensor array during an exposure period, wherein the illumination unit is configured to overdrive the light emitting diode during the exposure period, and
wherein the non-mydriatic fundus imaging system is used to screen for diabetic retinopathy.

6. The non-mydriatic fundus imaging system of claim 1 , wherein a frame exposure period is less than 2 milliseconds.

7. A method for producing an image of a fundus, comprising:
illuminating a light emitting diode, wherein the light emitting diode is configured to be controlled by an illumination unit and illuminated, and wherein the light emitting diode is a three color multi-die LED, the three colors being red, green and blue;
activating a global shutter of a two-dimensional monochrome complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor array to produce the image of the fundus, the two-dimensional monochrome complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor image sensor array including a plurality of rows of pixels, wherein each pixel of the plurality of rows of pixels is exposed substantially simultaneously during activating the global shutter to obtain the image of the fundus; and
storing an image readout from the plurality of rows of pixels.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light emitting diode is overdriven during illumination.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the illumination unit is configured to cause the light emitting diode to, consecutively, illuminate red only, illuminate green only, and illuminate blue only.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein an image is captured for each pixel different illumination.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising illuminating all three colors simultaneously.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the illumination unit is configured to cause the light emitting diode to illuminate all three colors, to illuminate red only, and to illuminate red and green simultaneously.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein an image is captured for each image different illuminations.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the light emitting diode is overdriven for less than 2 milliseconds.

15. The method of claim 7 , wherein the image sensor array has a resolution of about 1500 by 1152 pixels.

Assignees

• Welch Allyn Inc

Inventors

• Wang Ynjiun Paul

Classifications

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title

• A61B3/0008

  provided with illuminating means (A61B3/117, A61B3/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B3/12 Primary

  for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B3/0025

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title

• A61B3/152

  for aligning · CPC title