Ophthalmology

Abstract

Apparatus for illuminating the retina of an eye. The apparatus comprising an illumination device, a lens system, wherein the illumination device and the lens system combine to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system. The apparatus further comprising an illumination transfer device, wherein the illumination transfer device has two foci and the apparent point source of the lens system is provided at a first focus point of the illumination transfer device and an eye is accommodated at a second focus point of the illumination transfer device, and wherein the illumination transfer device transfers the incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye to illuminate the retina.

1 . An apparatus for illuminating a retina of an eye, the apparatus comprising:
 an illumination device;   a lens system;   wherein the illumination device and the lens system combine to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system;   an illumination transfer device, wherein the illumination transfer device has a first focus point and a second focus point and the apparent point source of the lens system is provided at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye is accommodated at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device; and   wherein the illumination transfer device transfers the incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye to illuminate the retina.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising an apparent focus point located within the lens system, wherein and the apparent focus point and the apparent point source are coincident. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination device and the lens system are arranged to illuminate an area of the retina. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lens system includes a wide-angle lens having a field of view (FOV) of between approximately 30 degrees and approximately 180 degrees. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination transfer device comprises one of the group consisting of a tilted spherical mirror, an aspherical minor, an elliptical mirror, an ellipsoidal mirror, a pair of parabola minors, a pair of paraboloidal mirrors, and a second lens system comprising two foci. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising an illumination relay device having a first focus point and a second focus point, wherein the first focus point of the illumination relay device is coincident with the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the second focus point of the illumination relay device is coincident with the apparent point source of the illumination device and the lens system; and
 wherein the illumination relay device transfers incident illumination from the apparent point source to the illumination transfer device and the illumination transfer device transfers incident illumination from the illumination relay device into the eye to illuminate the retina.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device each comprise a major axis which major axis lies on a line joining the focus points of the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device, and the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device are arranged such that the major axis of the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device are at least one of substantially parallel and collinear. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the illumination relay device has substantially the same geometry as the illumination transfer device. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a light source comprising one of the group consisting of a laser, a light emitting diode (LED), a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL), a super luminescent diode (SLD), a diode laser, a collimated incandescent lamp, a flash or illumination device, or a digital light processing (DLP) projection device. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the illumination device comprises a two-dimensional scanning device for scanning the retina of the eye with collimated light such that the illumination device and the lens system are arranged to provide a two-dimensional collimated light scan from the apparent point source located within the lens system. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the two-dimensional scanning device comprises at least one of a single scanning element capable of rotating in at least two axes and two separate scanning elements each having a single axis of rotation. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the single scanning element is a microelectromechanical (MEMS) scanning element. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising one or more detectors for detecting the reflected light from the retina. 
     
     
         14 . A method of illuminating a retina of an eye, the method comprising:
 providing an illumination device;   providing a lens system;   using the illumination device and the lens system in combination to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system;   providing an illumination transfer device having a first focus point and a second focus point;   providing the apparent point source at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device; and   using the illumination transfer device to transfer the incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 an apparent focus point is located within the lens system; and   the apparent focus point and the apparent point source are coincident.   
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the illumination device and the lens system are arranged to illuminate an area of the retina. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising:
 providing an illumination relay device having a first focus point and a second focus point; and   wherein the first focus point of the illumination relay device is coincident with the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the second focus point of the illumination relay device is coincident with the apparent point source of the illumination device and the lens system; and   wherein the illumination relay device transfers incident illumination from the apparent point source to the illumination transfer device and the illumination transfer device transfers incident illumination from the illumination relay device into the eye to illuminate the retina.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device each comprise a major axis which major axis lies on a line joining the focus points of the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device and the illumination transfer device and the illumination relay device are arranged such that the major axis of the illumination transfer device and the major axis of the illumination relay device are at least one of substantially parallel and collinear. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the illumination relay device has substantially the same geometry as the illumination transfer device. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 14 , comprising providing one or more detectors to detect reflected light from the retina to form an image of the retina. 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus for imaging a retina of an eye, the apparatus comprising:
 an illumination device;   a lens system;   wherein the illumination device and the lens system combine to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system;   a light detector; and   an illumination transfer device, wherein the illumination transfer device has a first focus point and a second focus point and the apparent point source of the lens system is provided at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye is accommodated at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device; and   wherein the illumination transfer device transfers incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye to illuminate the retina and the light detector detects light reflected from the retina to obtain an image of the retina.   
     
     
         22 . A method of imaging a retina of an eye, the method comprising:
 providing an illumination device;   providing a lens system;   using the illumination device and the lens system in combination to provide incident illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system;   providing a light detector;   providing an illumination transfer device having a first focus point and a second focus point;   providing the apparent point source at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device;   using the illumination transfer device to transfer incident illumination from the apparent point source into the eye; and   using the light detector to detect light reflected from the retina to produce an image of the retina.   
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for treating a retina of an eye with collimated light, the apparatus comprising:
 a collimated light illumination device;   a lens system;   wherein the illumination device and the lens system combine to provide incident collimated light illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system; and   an illumination transfer device, wherein the illumination transfer device has a first focus point and a second focus point and the apparent point source of the lens system is provided at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye is accommodated at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device; and   wherein the illumination transfer device transfers incident collimated light illumination from the apparent point source into the eye.   
     
     
         24 . A method of treating a retina of an eye with collimated light, the method comprising:
 providing a collimated light illumination device;   providing a lens system;   using the illumination device and the lens system in combination to provide incident collimated light illumination from an apparent point source located within the lens system;   providing an illumination transfer device having a first focus point and a second focus point;   providing the apparent point source at the first focus point of the illumination transfer device and the eye at the second focus point of the illumination transfer device; and   using the illumination transfer device to transfer incident collimated light illumination from the apparent point source into the eye.