Eye image and video capture system and associated methods

Abstract

An eye image and video capture system ( 100 ) that includes at least one user interface from which a user may select one of a plurality of regions of an eye to image, each of the plurality of regions preferably having at least one correlated preset value for the light control components of the optics assembly and/or at least one correlated preset value for controlling the camera. A method associated with the eye image and video capture system. A slit lamp data to detection system in which the slit lamp ( 200 ) preferably has a movable component that preferably has a direct relation to desired data. The slit lamp data detection system may be a slit lamp magnification data detection system for detecting magnification data. The slit lamp data detection system may be a slit lamp position data detection system for detecting position data that indicates which eye is being examined.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for imaging the eye of a patient, comprising:
 a system controller providing at least one user interface from which a user may select one of a plurality of regions of an eye to image, each of the plurality of regions having at least one correlated preset value;   an ocular assembly from which the eye of the patent can be observed directly;   a camera assembly from which an image of the eye of the patent can be taken;   an optics assembly positioned between the eye of the patent and the ocular and camera to assemblies to admit light reflected from the eye of a patient therein; and   a first light control component within the optics assembly controllable responsive to an instruction received from the system controller according to at least one of the correlated preset values associated with the selected region of the eye.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further including a second light control component configured to split the admitted light into a camera portion and an ocular portion responsive to a second instruction received from the system controller. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first light control component is a variable aperture having a width adjusted responsive to the instruction, and the second light control component is a beam splitter configured to be rotated responsive to the second instruction. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second light control components are controllable with a respective servo motor according to a pulse width modulation stream. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system controller is configured to issue a third instruction to the optics assembly to wake the camera assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system controller is configured to automatically set a plurality of values responsive to a selected region of the eye, said values taken from a set consisting of a flash value, an aperture value, and an ISO value. 
     
     
         7 . An eye image and video capture system comprising a computing system, an optics controller, an optics assembly having at least one adjustable light control component, a camera, and a flash assembly, said computing system having a system controller having a series of instructions that cause the system to:
 (a) provide at least one user interface from which a user may select one of a plurality of regions of an eye to image, each of said plurality of regions having at least one correlated preset value for the light control components of the optics assembly, each of said plurality of regions having at least one correlated preset value for controlling the camera;   (b) provide at least one user interface from which a user may select to cause to the camera to selectively capture at least one image or capture at least one video;   (c) receive a user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (d) receive a user selection of either causing the camera to capture at least one image or causing the camera to capture at least one video;   (e) transmit at least one optics controller command for adjusting the at least one adjustable light control component of the optics assembly according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (f) transmit at least one camera controller command for controlling the camera according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (g) transmit at least one camera actuating command for controlling the camera according to said user selection of one of said causing the camera to capture at least one image or causing the camera to capture at least one video;   (h) transmit the optics controller commands for adjusting the at least one adjustable light control component according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image via the optics controller to the at least one adjustable light control component, wherein the light control component is a beam splitter for splitting light entering the optics assembly into a first percentage of the light for an ocular portion and a second percentage of the light for the camera.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the beam splitter is rotatably movable by a first servo motor automatically controlled according to the at least the one present value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image. 
     
     
         9 . An eye image and video capture system comprising a computing system, an optics controller, an optics assembly having at least one adjustable light control component, a camera, and a flash assembly, said computing system having a system controller having a series of instructions that cause the system to:
 (a) provide at least one user interface from which a user may select one of a plurality of regions of an eye to image, each of said plurality of regions having at least one correlated preset value for the light control components of the optics assembly, each of said plurality of regions having at least one correlated preset value for controlling the camera;   (b) provide at least one user interface from which a user may select to cause the camera to selectively capture at least one image or capture at least one video;   (c) receive a user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (d) receive a user selection of either causing the camera to capture at least one image or causing the camera to capture at least one video;   (e) transmit at least one optics controller command for adjusting the at least one adjustable light control component of the optics assembly according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (f) transmit at least one camera controller command for controlling the camera according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image;   (g) transmit at least one camera actuating command for controlling the camera according to said user selection of one of said causing the camera to capture at least one image or causing the camera to capture at least one video;   (h) transmit the optics controller commands for adjusting the at least one adjustable light control component according to the at least one preset value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image via the optics controller to the at least one adjustable light control component, wherein the light control component is a variable aperture whose dimension is automatically adjusted according to the at least the one present value correlated with said user selection of one of said plurality of regions of an eye to image.