Method of and system for examining the human eye with a wavefront sensor-based ophthalmic instrument

Abstract

An improved method for treating the eye includes the step of providing an ophthalmic instrument including an integral wavefront sensor. The wavefront sensor measures phase aberrations in reflections directed thereto to characterize aberrations of the eye. The wavefront sensor may be operably coupled to a display device, which displays a graphical representation of the aberrations of the eye. Such graphical representation may include: two dimensional contour maps that graphically depict contribution of pre-specified terms (such as spherical aberration, astigmatism and coma) for the aberrations of the eye, coefficients corresponding to such pre-specified terms that characterize the aberrations of the eye, or predefined two-dimensional icons that provide a general graphical depiction of such pre-specified terms. Such graphical representations provide the practitioner with valuable information characterizing the high order optical errors of the eye (which is far beyond the diopter information typically provided by current ophthalmic instruments) for use in diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities and disease in the eye. In addition, the wavefront sensor may be part of an adaptive optical subsystem that compensates for the phase aberrations measured therein to provide phase-aligned images of the eye for capture by an image capture subsystem. Such images may be used by practitioner in diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities and disease in the eye. Abstract of the Disclosure An improved method for treating the eye includes the step of providing an ophthalmic instrument including an integral wavefront sensor. The wavefront sensor measures phase aberrations in reflections directed thereto to characterize aberrations of the eye. The wavefront sensor may be operably coupled to a display device, which displays a graphical representation of the aberrations of the eye. Such graphical representation may include: two dimensional contour maps that graphically depict contribution of pre-specified terms (such as spherical aberration, astigmatism and coma) for the aberrations of the eye, coefficients corresponding to such pre-specified terms that characterize the aberrations of the eye, or predefined two-dimensional icons that provide a general graphical depiction of such pre-specified terms. Such graphical representations provide the practitioner with valuable information characterizing the high order optical errors of the eye (which is far beyond the diopter information typically provided by current ophthalmic instruments) for use in diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities and disease in the eye. In addition, the wavefront sensor may be part of an adaptive optical subsystem that compensates for the phase aberrations measured therein to provide phase-aligned images of the eye for capture by an image capture subsystem. Such images may be used by practitioner in diagnosis and treatment of abnormalities and disease in the eye.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for treating the human eye comprising the steps of: 
 providing an ophthalmic instrument having an integral wavefront sensor disposed along the optical axis therein;    aligning the optical axis of the ophthalmic instrument with the eye;    illuminating the eye with light produced from a light source and enabling the wavefront sensor to perform wavefront sensing operations that measures high order aberrations of the eye;    displaying a graphical representation of said high order aberrations of the eye measured by the wavefront sensor; and    treating the eye to correct for said high order aberrations of the eye.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displaying step is performed on a display device integral to the ophthalmic instrument.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said display device comprises a TFT LCD device.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said graphical representation comprises two dimensional contour maps that graphically depict contribution of pre-specified terms for aberrations of the eye.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said graphical representation comprises coefficients corresponding to pre-specified terms that characterize aberrations of the eye.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said pre-specified terms characterize defocus, spherical aberration, coma and astigmatism of said aberrations.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said graphical representation comprises predefined two-dimensional icons that provide a general graphical depiction of said pre-specified terms.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ophthalmic instrument is configured as a desktop instrument.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ophthalmic instrument is configured as a hand-held instrument.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said ophthalmic instrument is configured as a hand-held binocular instrument having two channels, each having a separate wavefront sensor.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of supplying a lens that corrects for said high order aberrations.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of selecting a pre-fabricated lens that corrects for said high order aberrations and supplying the selected pre-fabricated lens to the patient.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of fabricating a custom lens that corrects for said high order aberrations and supplying the custom lens to the patient.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of step of surgically treating the eye to correct for said high order aberrations.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aligning step comprises the step of aligning the optical axis of the instrument to the eye.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the aligning step comprises the step of aligning the eye to the optical axis of the instrument.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of calibrating the wavefront sensor.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said wavefront sensor comprises a relay lens operably coupled between a lenslet array and imaging device, said relay lens and imaging device mounted on a moveable stage that translates linearly along the optical axis of the relay lens and imaging device.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein said lenslet array comprises an array of lenslets each comprising a reference fiducial point that contributes to a reference spot pattern imaged by the relay lens onto the imaging device in a calibration mode.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein a reference null position for calculating movement of a spot in said test spot pattern produced from a given lenslet is derived from location of a spot in said reference spot pattern produced from the given lenslet.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said calibration mode dynamically assigns non-overlapping subapertures of the imaging device to lenslets of the lenslet array for use in tracking movement of spots of the test spot pattern.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein said calibration mode dynamically assigns non-overlapping subaperatures of the imaging device to particular lenslets of the lenslet array for use in tracking movement of spots of the test spot pattern, wherein each particular lenslet corresponds to a single spot in both said reference spot pattern and said test spot pattern.  
     
     
         23 . A method for treating the human eye comprising the steps of: 
 providing an ophthalmic imaging instrument having an integral adaptive optical subsystem disposed along the optical axis therein;    aligning the optical axis of the ophthalmic instrument with the eye;    illuminating the eye with light produced from a light source and enabling the adaptive optical subsystem to perform wavefront sensing and compensation operations; and    concurrently with said wavefront sensing and compensation operations performed by the adaptive optical subsystem, capturing an image of the eye derived from compensation by the adaptive optical subsystem.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said image of the eye comprises a photograph.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said image of the eye is a digital image captured by an image sensor.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of displaying a graphical representation of high order aberrations of the eye measured by the adaptive optical subsystem.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising the step of treating the eye to correct for said high order aberrations of the eye.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the displaying step is performed on a display device integral to the ophthalmic imaging instrument.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein said display device comprises a TFT LCD device.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said graphical representation comprises two dimensional contour maps that graphically depict contribution of pre-specified terms form aberrations of the eye.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said graphical representation comprises coefficients corresponding to pre-specified terms that characterize aberrations of the eye.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said pre-specified terms characterize defocus, spherical aberration, coma and astigmatism of said aberrations.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein said graphical representation comprises predefined two-dimensional icons that provide a general graphical depiction of said pre-specified terms.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said ophthalmic imaging instrument is configured as a desktop instrument.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said ophthalmic imaging instrument is configured as a hand-held instrument.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said ophthalmic instrument is configured as a hand-held binocular instrument having two channels, each having a separate adaptive optical subsystem.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of supplying a lens that corrects for said high order aberrations.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of selecting a pre-fabricated lens that corrects for said high order aberrations and supplying the selected pre-fabricated lens to the patient.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of fabricating a custom lens that corrects for said high order aberrations and supplying the custom lens to the patient.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of treating the eye comprises the step of step of surgically treating the eye to correct for said high order aberrations.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the aligning step comprises the step of aligning the optical axis of the instrument to the eye.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the aligning step comprises the step of aligning the eye to the optical axis of the instrument.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of calibrating a wavefront sensor of the adaptive optical subsystem.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein said wavefront sensor comprises a relay lens operably coupled between a lenslet array and an imaging device, said relay lens and imaging device mounted on a moveable stage that translates linearly along the optical axis of the relay lens and imaging device.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said lenslet array comprises an array of lenslets each comprising a reference fiducial point that contributes to a reference spot pattern imaged by the relay lens onto the imaging device in a calibration mode.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein a reference null position for calculating movement of a spot in said test spot pattern produced from a given lenslet is derived from location of a spot in said reference spot pattern produced from the given lenslet.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said calibration mode dynamically assigns non-overlapping subaperatures of the imaging device to lenslets of the lenslet array for use in tracking movement of spots of the test spot pattern.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said calibration mode dynamically assigns non-overlapping subaperatures of the imaging device to particular lenslets of the lenslet array for use in tracking movement of spots of the test spot pattern, wherein each particular lenslet corresponds to a single spot in both said reference spot pattern and said test spot pattern.