Apparatus and method configured for determining choroidal topography on region on retina

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (110) and a method (210) configured to determine a choroidal topography (218) on a region (114, 114 ') on a retina (116) of an eye (117) of a person, and to the use of the device (110) for determining an effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on a choroidal topography (218). Herein, the device (110) comprises:-at least two separate displays (122, 122 ') each configured to provide a retinal stimulus (112, 112'), thereby providing two separate retinal stimulus (112, 112 '),-at least two optical delivery elements comprising a first optical delivery element and a second optical delivery element, the at least two optical delivery elements are each configured for projecting at least one of a retinal stimulus (112, 112 ') or a phase map onto a region on a retina of an eye of the person, where the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus; -a measurement device (142) for capturing a choroidal topography (218) on a region (114, 114 ') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) by using reflected light received from the region (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117); -an optical filter (152) configured for separating reflected light received from a region (114, 114 ') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) from a phase map projected onto the region (114, 114') on the retina of the person's eye, the second optical transfer element is further configured to project each of the at least two individual phase maps simultaneously, respectively, onto each of at least two individual regions (134, 134 ') on a retina (116) of a person's eye (117) with a different retinal eccentricity, where the individual regions (134, 134') are located in the at least two individual phase maps. 134 ') includes a peripheral region and a foveal region on a retina (116) of a person's eye (117).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method configured for determining a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye, and to the use of the apparatus for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography. Background Art

[0002] The current treatment for slowing myopia progression involves wearing ophthalmic lenses designed to increase choroidal thickness, thereby preventing the eye from elongating. Contemporary lens designs produce different imaging properties for the fovea and peripheral retina, which plays a key role in myopia progression. The effectiveness of these lens designs is currently being evaluated in long-term clinical studies lasting several years, following the provision of lens prototypes.

[0003] S. Delshad, M.J. Collins, S.A. Read, and S.J. Vincent, The time course of the onset and recovery of axial length changes in response to imposed defocus, Scientific Reports, 2020, 10:8322, provides evidence that the human eye is able to detect the presence and signs of blur and respond within minutes. As is generally known, the human eye is able to respond to the presence of blur by changing its axial length, so that the retina moves toward the defocused image plane. The authors measured the rate of change in axial length in response to myopic and hyperopic defocus stimuli and when the defocus was removed. A rapid increase in axial length of +7±5 μm was observed after approximately 2 minutes of exposure to hyperopic defocus, while a decrease in axial length of -8±9 μm in the case of myopic defocus was slower and only became statistically significant after 40 minutes. Axial length recovered faster toward baseline levels during clear vision after hyperopic than after myopic defocus.

[0004] US2016 / 0270656 A1 discloses a configuration of a health system for use in various healthcare applications (e.g., for patient diagnosis, monitoring, and / or treatment). The health system may include: a light generation module for transmitting light or images to a user; one or more sensors for detecting physiological parameters of the user's body (including their eyes); and processing circuitry for analyzing input received in response to the presented images to determine one or more health conditions or deficiencies.

[0005] WO 2018 / 165697 A1 discloses a method for measuring the impact of an ophthalmic lens design. The method comprises: splitting an optical beam into a wavefront detection path and a wavefront modulation path; implementing the ophthalmic lens design in an adaptive optics device positioned in the wavefront modulation path; and obtaining ophthalmic biometric data in the ophthalmic biometric wavefront detection path to measure the impact of the ophthalmic lens design. Also disclosed are an apparatus and system for measuring the impact of an ophthalmic lens design, as well as a method for assembling the apparatus and system. The ophthalmic biometric device may be an interferometer, and the adaptive optics device may include one or more wavefront shapers.

[0006] WO 2020 / 102734 A1 discloses systems (e.g., improved fundus camera systems) and methods for measuring eye distortion, comprising: projecting an image of a known target pattern having characteristic features onto an area of a retinal plane / surface to provide a distorted retinal image of the target pattern on the area of the retinal surface; recording the distorted retinal image of the target pattern using an image sensor to provide a captured distorted retinal image of the target pattern on the area of the retinal surface; identifying characteristic features of the captured distorted retinal image; and comparing the identified characteristic features of the captured distorted retinal image of the target pattern on the area of the retinal surface with corresponding characteristic features of the known target pattern to provide an eye distortion map on the area of the retinal surface. Systems and methods for measuring retinal shape are also provided.

[0007] US10,945,597B2 discloses an ophthalmic test center system based on optical coherence tomography, the system comprising: an optical coherence tomography instrument comprising an eyepiece for receiving at least one eye of a user or a subject; a light source that outputs light that is directed through the eyepiece into the user's eye or the subject's eye; an interferometer configured to generate optical interference using light reflected from the user's eye / the subject's eye; an optical detector configured to detect the optical interference; and a processing unit coupled to the detector. The ophthalmic test center system can be configured to perform a large number of self-administered functional and / or structural ophthalmic tests and output test data.

[0008] WO 2021 / 005213 A1 discloses a method, apparatus, and computer program for determining a refractive error in a user's eye. The method for determining a refractive error in a user's eye, wherein the user's eye has a choroid, comprises: determining at least one value of a choroidal layer thickness of the user's eye over at least one region of the choroid; and determining a value of a change in the refractive error of the eye based solely on at least two values of the choroidal layer thickness, each of the at least two values being determined at different times for the at least one region of the choroid, wherein the at least one region is selected from a nasal perifoveal region or a nasal parafoveal region.

[0009] US2021 / 0379399 A1 discloses a stimulus configured to treat astigmatism by changing the thickness of the retina, which can be independent of or in combination with a myopia treatment process. In some embodiments, the stimulus pattern is arranged relative to the axis of astigmatism of the eye to reduce the axial growth of the eye relative to the axis of astigmatism. In some embodiments, the device is configured to direct light relative to the axis of astigmatism of the eye to an area of the retina outside the macula. In some embodiments, the intensity is modulated to achieve the effect. The lens (such as a contact lens or a spectacle lens) can be configured to have multiple light sources, such as a projection unit having a light source and focusing optical devices that work together to project a front defocused image or a back defocused image onto the retina at an eccentric position of the fovea.

[0010] US2020 / 081269 A1 discloses a method for measuring the impact of an ophthalmic lens design. The method comprises: splitting an optical beam into a wavefront detection optical path and a wavefront modulation optical path; implementing the ophthalmic lens design in an adaptive optical device positioned in the wavefront modulation optical path; and obtaining ophthalmic biometric data in an ophthalmic biometric wavefront detection optical path to measure the impact of the ophthalmic lens design. Also disclosed are an apparatus and system for measuring the impact of an ophthalmic lens design and a method for assembling the apparatus and system. The ophthalmic biometric device may be an interferometer, and the adaptive optical device may include one or more wavefront shapers.

[0011] WO 2021 / 259982 A1 discloses a device and method for determining the ocular aberration of at least one eye of a user, the device comprising: a wavefront sensing unit, which is designated to measure at least one optical wavefront composed of at least one light beam, wherein the ocular aberration of at least one eye of the user is determined based on the at least one optical wavefront; at least one diffractive element, which is used to generate multiple diffraction orders in two meridian planes in at least one light beam, so that these multiple diffraction orders are spatially separated on the wavefront sensing unit and in at least one eye of the user.

[0012] Problem to be solved

[0013] In particular, with respect to the disclosure of US2020 / 081269 A1, the object of the present invention is to provide a device and method configured for determining a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye, and the use of the device for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography, which at least partially overcome the limitations of the prior art.

[0014] A particular object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method configured for determining short-term temporal changes in the choroid due to an ophthalmic lens design. Furthermore, it is desirable that the apparatus and method can be further configured for reproducing the performance of an ophthalmic lens design for both foveal and peripheral vision, and for determining choroidal topography under short-term (preferably in the range of minutes) retinal stimulation, whereby the short-term results obtained in this manner can be used to predict long-term effects, thereby allowing optimization of ophthalmic lens designs prior to clinical studies. Summary of the Invention

[0015] This problem is solved by a device and a method for determining the choroidal topography of an area on the retina of a human eye, having the features of the independent claims, and by the use of the device for determining the influence of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography. Preferred embodiments, which can be implemented individually or in any combination, are listed in the dependent claims and throughout the following description.

[0016] In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a device configured to determine a choroidal topography of an area on the retina of a human eye. Herein, the device comprises:

[0017] - at least two separate displays, each of the at least two separate displays being configured to provide a retinal stimulus, thereby providing two independent retinal stimuli;

[0018] at least two optical transfer elements, the at least two optical transfer elements comprising a first optical transfer element and a second optical transfer element, the at least two optical transfer elements each being configured to project at least one of a retinal stimulus or a phase map onto an area on a retina of an eye of the person, wherein the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus;

[0019] - a measuring device for capturing a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye by using reflected light received from the area on the retina of the human eye;

[0020] - an optical filter configured to separate reflected light received from an area on the retina of the human eye from a phase image projected onto the area on the retina of the human eye,

[0021] Wherein, the second optical transfer element is further configured to simultaneously project each of the at least two separate phase images onto each of at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye with different retinal eccentricities, wherein these separate areas include a peripheral area and a foveal area on the retina of the human eye.

[0022] As generally used, the term "device" refers to an apparatus having at least two elements that operate in a manner to achieve the intended purpose of the apparatus. Herein, the apparatus is configured for projecting retinal stimulation onto an area on the retina of a person's eye and / or for determining choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a person's eye. To this end, at least two elements of the apparatus may preferably consist of a single device; however, in other embodiments, these elements may be distributed over different locations, wherein at least one communication element (such as at least one of a light beam, a physical optical component, or an electronic component) may be used for communication between the locally separated elements.

[0023] According to the invention, the device may comprise a first module and a second module, as described in more detail below, which communicate with each other in this manner; however, it is also conceivable to use different types of arrangements. As used herein, the term "module" refers to a specific element of the device, as described in more detail below. In this document, the terms "first" and "second" are to be considered as describing specific elements without specifying a sequential or chronological order and without excluding the possibility that other elements of the same type may be present. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the first module may comprise at least two optical transfer elements and at least one digitally addressable light modulation element, while the second module may comprise a measuring device and an optical filter; however, different arrangements may also be feasible.

[0024] As described above, the device includes at least two optical transmission elements configured to project retinal stimulation and / or a phase map onto an area of the retina of a human eye. As generally used, the term "projection" or any grammatical variation thereof refers to the process of displaying a light sheet onto an object, here the retina of a human eye. In addition to the term "human," different terms may be used, such as "subject," "user," "test person," or "spectacle wearer." As generally used, the term "retina" or any grammatical variation thereof refers to the light-sensitive tissue layer in a human eye that is configured to record an image generated by incident light. Herein, the lateral extent of the retina may exceed the thickness of the retina by at least 10 times, preferably 20 times, and particularly preferably 50 times. As further used herein, the term "optical transmission element" refers to an optical element configured to modify at least one property of incident light, wherein the at least one property may be selected from at least one of the propagation direction, bandwidth, wavelength, or color of the light included in the light sheet. Typically, the at least one optical element may be selected from, in particular, a relay lens, a mirror, a cold mirror, a prism, a beam splitter, a rotating beam splitter, or a diffractive element (such as a grating). In contrast to digitally addressable light modulation elements, in particular spatial light modulators as described in more detail below, the optical transfer element as used herein is not configured to change the phase of light.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus may include a first optical transfer element and a second optical transfer element, wherein the second optical transfer element may be further configured to simultaneously project at least two separate phase images, each at different retinal eccentricities, onto at least two separate regions of the retina of the human eye. In this manner, the second optical transfer element is capable of performing simultaneous measurements in both the foveal region and the peripheral region, which is not possible according to known prior art techniques. A third optical transfer element may further be employed when using a single digitally addressable light modulation element as described in detail below.

[0026] For the purpose of generating a phase map, the device may particularly preferably include at least one digitally addressable light modulation element. As used herein, the term "generate" or any grammatical deviation thereof refers to the process of producing a phase map. As commonly used, the term "map" refers to a two-dimensional representation of an object. Thus, the term "phase map" refers to a two-dimensional representation of local values of the phase describing at least one property of the light sheet, wherein the at least one property may in particular be selected from at least one of the intensity, polarization or color of the light comprised by the light sheet. As used herein, the term "light" refers to electromagnetic radiation selected from at least one of visible light or infrared (IR) light. As commonly used, the term "visible light" refers to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength of 380 nm to 780 nm, while the terms "infrared light" and "IR light" refer to electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength above 780 nm to about 1000 μm, wherein near-IR light with a wavelength above 780 nm to about 1.5 μm may be particularly preferred.

[0027] As further used herein, the term "digitally addressable light modulation element" refers to an optical device having a plurality of individually controllable optical elements, designed to modulate an incident light beam. The digitally addressable light modulation element can be specifically configured to generate at least one phase map that modifies at least one image characteristic of each of the retinal stimuli. Preferably, the digitally addressable light modulation element can be selected from a spatial light modulator or a digital micromirror device. As commonly used, the term "spatial light modulator" or "SLM" refers to an optical device configured to electronically and / or optically imprint an intensity or phase pattern onto an incident light beam. Furthermore, the term "digital micromirror device" or "DMD" refers to an optical device configured to modulate a digital image onto a light beam. For this purpose, a digital micromirror device comprises a plurality of tilted micromirrors having edge lengths in the micrometer range and arranged in a matrix, each micromirror being individually addressable using an electrostatic field. In this manner, an incident light beam can be divided into individual pixels and subsequently reflected pixel by pixel. However, the use of other types of digitally addressable light modulation elements is also feasible.

[0028] Accordingly, the digitally addressable light modulation element can be configured to generate a phase map by modifying at least one imaging characteristic of the retinal stimulus. As used herein, the term "modify" or any grammatical deviation thereof refers to the process of changing at least one characteristic of an object. Herein, at least one imaging characteristic of the retinal stimulus is changed by using a digitally addressable light modulation element, thereby generating a desired phase map. As further used herein, the term "retinal stimulus" refers to a graphical presentation of a visual stimulus that is known or reasonably expected by a person skilled in the art to be suitable for eliciting a response from the retina of a person's eye. Retinal stimulus may be particularly suitable if the retinal stimulus is perceptible to a person, in particular due to a contrast between the retinal stimulus and a background, which contrast allows the person's eye to distinguish between the retinal stimulus and the background. Herein, the retinal stimulus is shown in such a way that the response of the retina of the person's eye comprises a difference between reflected light received from an area on the retina of the person's eye and a phase map projected onto the area on the retina of the person's eye.

[0029] According to the present invention, the apparatus can be configured to generate at least two separate phase maps. As used herein, the term "separate" refers to specific objects from a plurality of objects, wherein each object can be distinguished from the other objects by at least one characteristic, thereby generating mutually distinguishable objects. For the purposes of the present invention, the at least two separate phase maps can therefore be distinguished from each other, in particular by including at least one element that can distinguish them from the other phase maps, wherein the at least one element can be selected from at least one of the intensity, phase, polarization, or color of the light included in the light sheet constituting the separate phase maps as defined above.

[0030] According to the present invention, at least one single digitally addressable light modulator element may be used. In one embodiment, at least two digitally addressable light modulator elements may be used to generate at least two phase maps from at least two retinal stimuli. In other words, each digitally addressable light modulator element is respectively assigned to each retinal stimulus and generates a corresponding phase map. That is, more than one single digitally addressable light modulator element is used only when it is desired to generate at least two phase maps from at least two retinal stimuli simultaneously. For devices that are not configured to project at least two phase maps onto the retina simultaneously, more than one single digitally addressable light modulator element is not necessarily required. In embodiments, more than one single digitally addressable light modulator element may be used to induce axial variation only with different wavelengths, particularly since the performance of a single digitally addressable light modulator element is typically wavelength dependent, and accurate generation of phase maps for different wavelengths may require different single digitally addressable light modulator elements with optimized performance at each wavelength.

[0031] In one embodiment, the device may include a single digitally addressable light modulation element, which may be configured to generate at least two of the individual phase maps, particularly in parallel. Furthermore, the device may preferably include a third optical transfer element and a second optical transfer element, the third optical transfer element being configured to provide at least two separate retinal stimuli to the single digitally addressable light modulation element. The second optical transfer element may be further configured to simultaneously project each of the at least two separate phase maps onto each of at least two separate regions on the retina at different retinal eccentricities. The second optical transfer element may be further configured to separate the at least two separate phase maps before projecting them onto one of the at least two separate regions on the retina of the human eye. In one embodiment, the third and second optical transfer elements may include at least two mirrors or at least two optical lenses (preferably selected from at least two single lenses or a multi-lens array) and at least one prism; however, different configurations of the optical transfer elements are also possible, as long as the optical transfer elements are capable of simultaneously projecting the at least two phase maps onto at least two different regions on the retina at different eccentricities.

[0032] The device may further include a light path redirector. As commonly used, the term "light path redirector" refers to an optical transfer element configured to direct a light path around an object. The light path redirector can combine the paths of light beams from different modules and project them onto at least two separate areas on the retina of a person's eye. In particular, the light path redirector can be used to achieve pupil plane conjugation by replicating the phase and amplitude of at least one wavefront at different locations. In one embodiment, the light path redirector can include at least two parabolic mirrors or at least two achromatic lenses. The use of such a light path redirector is particularly different from US2020 / 0081269A1, as there is no need for a light path redirector in front of the ocular biometric device because only a single location on the retina is stimulated and measured during a single measurement, and it is not intended to stimulate both the foveal area and the peripheral retinal area simultaneously. According to the present invention, two-dimensional fundus tomography is used by employing at least one light path redirector in the second module. In another embodiment, at least one light path redirector can be used only for a single module. In an alternative embodiment, both the first module and the second module can share components of the light path redirector in front of the eye.

[0033] Ocular aberrations depend on the eccentricity of the illumination and result in only a limited area of the retina having uniform image properties. This area is also called the "isovignettic zone" and is typically approximately 1°. Therefore, when a single stimulus larger than 1° is projected onto the retina, the programmed image properties can only be accurately reproduced within a disk-shaped area approximately 1° in size. Within this disk-shaped area, the image properties of the stimulus may vary unpredictably, resulting in increased variability in the measured values and reduced reliability of the results. Furthermore, accurately replicating this type of simultaneous stimulation while preserving the programmed image properties cannot be achieved by projecting a single light beam into the eye. Furthermore, it should be noted that natural temporal variations in the choroid (e.g., caused by circadian rhythms) may reduce the reliability of conclusions drawn from stimulations performed at different times. In contrast, the device according to the present invention enables simultaneous measurement of at least two different areas by providing at least two stimuli via at least two separate displays and using at least one optical transfer element and at least one optical path redirector, the at least one optical transfer element being configured to simultaneously project each of at least two separate phase images at different retinal eccentricities onto each of at least two separate areas of the retina.

[0034] In another embodiment, polychromatic retinal stimuli have independent image characteristics at at least two different wavelengths, and these polychromatic retinal stimuli can be projected onto one of at least two separate areas on the retina of a human eye. To this end, the polychromatic retinal stimuli can preferably be generated using one or more laser devices (such as laser diodes) and combined via time multiplexing, wherein at least one display can be configured to emit retinal stimuli for at least two selected wavelengths. A combination of optical elements (such as trichromatic prisms) and optical filters (particularly variable filters) can be used to direct corresponding portions of the monochromatic light beam to at least one display and a synchronization device configured to drive a temporal sequence of monochromatic illumination for each selected wavelength, wherein the synchronization device can be further configured to trigger the at least one display and address at least one digitally addressable light modulation element to project an intensity map and a corresponding phase map of the polychromatic retinal stimulus, wherein the phase map is configured to modify the image characteristics of the polychromatic retinal stimulus for each selected wavelength. The wavelength dependence of the performance of the at least one digitally addressable light modulation element can be adjusted by projecting an optimized phase map to each wavelength after calibrating the phase modulation of the digitally addressable light modulation element for each selected wavelength.

[0035] In another embodiment, the light modulation element included in the device can be a separate digitally addressable light modulation element, each configured to generate one of at least two separate phase maps. Herein, the separate displays can be configured to provide a separate retinal stimulus to the corresponding separate digitally addressable light modulation element. To this end, the device further includes at least two separate displays, each of which can be configured to provide at least one (preferably one) separate retinal stimulus, wherein at least one of the imaging characteristics of each retinal stimulus can be modified by generating each separate phase map using the digitally addressable light modulation element. In a preferred embodiment, the separate displays provide a single retinal stimulus. As used herein, the term "display" refers to an electronic device designed to present at least one separate retinal stimulus. In particular, at least one display can be a screen or monitor, in particular including liquid crystals or digital micromirrors configured to present at least one separate retinal stimulus to the separate digitally addressable light modulation element. Furthermore, the term "separate display" herein refers to a complete device as a whole, and does not include a separate screen on a single display (such as a microdisplay), and displays multiple different retinal stimuli on a single display. This is because a single display showing several stimuli would require additional optics and a complex configuration.

[0036] In this embodiment, the device may therefore comprise at least two light modulating elements, in particular a plurality of digitally addressable light modulating elements, in particular at least two spatial light modulators, or at least two digital micromirror devices. In this context, the two light modulating elements may preferably be oriented to generate a plurality of retinal stimuli with independent image characteristics. This feature is in contrast to US2020 / 081269A1, which only discloses that the purpose of having a plurality of spatial light modulators is to induce axial changes with different wavelengths. This is based on the observation that the performance of the spatial light modulator depends on the wavelength, and therefore, accurately implementing the phase diagram for different wavelengths requires that different spatial light modulators have optimized performance at the corresponding wavelength.

[0037] As described above, according to the present invention, the device is configured to project each of at least two separate phase maps onto one of at least two separate areas on the retina of a person's eye, respectively. Herein, at least one of the two separate areas is a peripheral area on the retina of the person's eye, beyond the fovea centralis on the retina of the person's eye. As commonly used, the term "fovea centralis" refers to a small central area on the retina of a person's eye, which is designated for clear central vision. As used herein, the term "separate areas" refers to separate areas on the retina, wherein the two separate areas are distinguished by the respective areas onto which the separate phase maps are projected. As is particularly preferred, the two separate areas do not overlap with each other. For example, a first separate phase map is projected onto a central area of the retina including the fovea centralis, while a second separate phase map is also projected onto the retina of the person's eye, but onto a peripheral area not including the fovea centralis.

[0038] In order to generate a first separate phase map to be projected onto a central area of the retina including the fovea, at least one central retinal stimulus may be used, which is preferably selected from at least one of the following:

[0039] - a static image of the object;

[0040] -Movie;

[0041] - regular spatial patterns,

[0042] The image, the movie or the pattern may be monochrome or color. In contrast, at least one peripheral retinal stimulus may be used for the purpose of generating a second, separate phase map to be projected onto a peripheral area excluding the fovea, wherein the at least one peripheral retinal stimulus may preferably be selected from at least one of the following:

[0043] - Spatially regular patterns;

[0044] - a static image of the object;

[0045] -Movie,

[0046] Therein, the pattern, the image or the movie may be monochrome or in color. However, it may be feasible to use another type of central retinal stimulation or peripheral retinal stimulation.

[0047] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the second optical transfer element can be configured to project each individual phase map, respectively, onto more than one of at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye at different eccentricities. As commonly used, the term "simultaneously" refers to performing two processes in such a way that at least a portion of the two processes are performed at the same time interval. In particular, the at least one optical transfer element can be configured to project each individual phase map, respectively, onto each separate area on the retina of the human eye at different retinal eccentricities. As commonly used, the term "retinal eccentricity" refers to the angle between two light beams, each light beam comprising a separate phase map to be projected as a light sheet onto the retina. In a specific embodiment, the at least one optical transfer element can be configured to project at least one of the at least two separate phase maps at a fixed retinal eccentricity. In prior art devices that do not assume simultaneous measurements in the foveal area and the peripheral area, such an optical transfer element is not required.

[0048] As commonly used, the term "fixed" refers to a constant value that does not change during a predefined time interval. In a preferred alternative embodiment, at least one optical transfer element can be configured to project at least one of the at least two separate phase images at a variable eccentricity. As commonly used, the term "variable" refers to a value that changes during a predefined time interval. In this alternative embodiment, the second optical transfer element is configured to project each of the at least two separate phase images simultaneously onto each of at least two separate areas on the retina at a different retinal eccentricity. Herein, the second optical transfer element can be or include a rotating beam splitter (RBS) that can be configured to project at least one light beam onto the retina of a human eye at a specific eccentricity. As commonly used, the term "beam splitter" refers to a specific type of optical element that is used to split a light beam into at least two (in particular, exactly two) partial beams. Herein, the beam splitter can generally be selected from any known beam splitter, in particular from a glass plate or cube with a dielectric coating, a dichroic mirror, a pellicle beam splitter or a polarizing beam splitter (such as a Wollaston prism or a polarization grating). However, it may also be feasible to use different types of optical transfer elements.

[0049] In an alternative embodiment described in more detail below, the device may further comprise at least one refractive corrective element, which may preferably be a non-pixelated corrective element. This at least one refractive corrective element may be configured to generate one of at least two separate phase maps. As used herein, the term "refractive corrective element" or "non-pixelated corrective element" refers to an optical element having a predefined visual correction, particularly indicated in ± diopters. Typically, the field of view (FOV) of a pixelated digitally addressable light modulating element, such as a spatial light modulator, is limited, particularly because millions of pixels arranged in a rectangular or square arrangement may create copies of the image observed through these pixels, which may overlap as the number of image copies increases. Therefore, in the prior art, the use of pixelated digitally addressable light modulating elements has been considered unsuitable for generating phase maps for wide field of view (FOV) stimuli. In contrast, herein, a non-pixelated corrective element is used to generate phase for wide FOV stimuli. Preferably, at least one refractive correction element (in particular at least one non-pixelated correction element) can be at least one deformable mirror, a single optical lens, or a group of optical lenses, preferably at least one solid optical lens or at least one tunable liquid lens; however, it may also be feasible to use different types of optical elements.

[0050] As already indicated above, the device further comprises a measuring device configured for capturing a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye. As commonly used, the terms "choroid" and "choroidal" refer to an intermediate layer which is arranged between the sclera and the retina, in particular between the sclera and the retinal pigment epithelium, on the side of the eye facing away from the entrance of light. This type of arrangement of the choroid in the eye results in that the layer thickness of the choroid is delimited by the respectively adjacent sclera and retina, in particular the sclera and the retinal pigment epithelium. Within the scope of the present invention, the term "choroidal layer thickness" denotes the distance between the sclera and the retina, which distance is determined essentially perpendicularly to the direction of the lateral extension of the choroid. In this context, the lateral extension of the choroid may exceed the choroidal layer thickness by a factor of at least 10, preferably at least 20, particularly preferably at least 50.

[0051] As further used herein, the term "capture" or any grammatical variant thereof refers to a record of at least one variable captured by measurement, from which a choroidal topography, in particular the thickness of the choroidal layer, can be derived. With respect to the present invention, capturing a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a person's eye comprises using reflected light received from an area on the retina of the person's eye. For this purpose, the use of optical methods may be particularly preferred. The term "optical method" refers to a process in which light, preferably light from the visible spectral range or the infrared spectral range, is irradiated on an area on the retina of a person's eye, whereby the reflection of light from this area allows conclusions to be drawn about the choroidal topography, in particular the thickness of the choroidal layer. Alternatively or additionally, acoustic methods or photoacoustic methods may also be used. Herein, the term "acoustic method" or "photoacoustic method" refers to a process in which the retina is struck by sound waves, preferably ultrasound waves, wherein the measuring device is configured to capture the sound waves, preferably ultrasound waves, acoustically or optically, respectively.

[0052] In a particularly preferred configuration, the optical method can be selected from methods for optical coherence tomography. For this purpose, the measuring device for capturing the choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye can be or include an optical coherence tomography system (OCT). As commonly used, the terms "optical coherence tomography" and "OCT" refer to imaging methods for generating two-dimensional or three-dimensional recordings of biological tissue, in particular the choroid, wherein a resolution in the micrometer range can preferably be obtained. In order to generate the desired recording, light with a short temporal coherence length from a radiation source is split into two parts in a beam splitter, wherein a first part of the light is incident on the tissue along the optical axis, wherein a second part of the light is guided on a reference path, and wherein the light reflected by the tissue is caused to interfere with the reference light guided on the reference path in order to generate an interference signal. Based on the interference signal thus generated, structures in the tissue (particularly tissue on the retina of a human eye) can initially be distinguished only along the optical axis; however, a desired two-dimensional or three-dimensional recording of the tissue or a portion thereof can be generated by using a scanning device configured to change the direction of the optical axis on the tissue, in other words, to change the eccentricity of the light passing through the pupil of the human eye, in particular the direction of the optical axis relative to the retina of the human eye. Preferably, the scanning device can be configured to change the direction of the optical axis and to interrogate different areas of the retina of the human eye.

[0053] Preferably, the optical coherence tomography method can be selected from Fourier domain OCT or time domain OCT, wherein the Fourier domain OCT, in particular spectral domain OCT or swept source OCT is particularly preferred. The term "time domain OCT" denotes the following process: the length of the reference path is varied and the intensity of the interference is continuously captured in the process, wherein changes in the spectrum of the interference are not taken into account. Furthermore, the term "Fourier domain OCT" refers to a process that takes into account changes in the components of the spectrum of the interference. If changes in the spectrum of the interference are excited and captured simultaneously with the aid of a broadband radiation source, this process is typically called "spectral domain OCT". Still further, in "swept source OCT", the components of the spectrum are excited and captured successively in time, in particular by successively tuning the frequency excitation of the radiation source.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment, the optical method can be selected from an adaptive optics method. As generally used, the term "adaptive optics method" refers to a process configured to detect, manipulate, and compensate for optical deviations of at least one of a measurement device or an eye. By using an adaptive optics method, the effects of at least one of the measurement device, the eye, or programmed imaging properties on changes detected in the choroidal topography can be accounted for. Preferably, the adaptive optics method can involve the combined operation of at least one ocular aberrometer and at least one digitally addressable light modulation element. However, the use of other types of adaptive optics methods and devices is also contemplated.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment, the device may further include at least one optical relay system, which may be configured to provide at least one individual retinal stimulus to a corresponding individual digitally addressable light modulation element. As generally used, the term "optical relay system" refers to a combination of at least two optical elements, wherein the combination is designed to deliver optical planes to different locations. For example, a retinal stimulus shown on a display can be delivered to the inlet of a light modulation element, or an individual phase image provided at the outlet of a light modulation element can be delivered to be displayed on the pupil of a person's eye. Preferably, the relay optical system may include at least one of a parabolic reflector or an optical lens; however, the use of at least one additional optical element may also be feasible.

[0056] In another preferred embodiment, the first device may further include at least one Badal stage, which may be configured to correct for defocus errors. Particularly preferably, the at least one Badal stage may be incorporated into at least one optical relay system. As commonly used, the term "Badal lens" refers to an optical element comprising at least one lens configured to display objects at the same angular size. In this other preferred embodiment, the Badal lens can advantageously be used to correct for spherical error.

[0057] In yet another preferred embodiment, the first device may further include at least one ocular aberrometer configured to determine at least one value of ocular aberration at at least two separate regions on the retina of the person's eye using reflected light received from the regions on the retina of the person's eye. In particular, the at least one ocular aberrometer may be configured to determine at least one value of a refractive effect associated with the at least two separate regions on the retina of the person's eye. As commonly used, the term "ocular aberration" refers to the difference between the surface of an ideal optical wavefront determined for at least one eye of a person and the surface of an actual optical wavefront. Herein, the term "optical wavefront" refers to a surface perpendicular to a beam along which light propagates. In a typical human population, ocular aberrations typically include at least one second-order sphero-cylindrical focusing error, also known as a "refractive effect," although at least one higher-order aberration may also be present. As further commonly used, the term "ocular aberrometer" refers to a device configured to determine at least one value of the difference between the surface of an ideal optical wavefront and the surface of an actual optical wavefront in a process typically denoted by the term "ocular aberration measurement." For the purpose of determining at least one value of the refractive effect, the first device may in particular comprise a separate eye aberrometer for each different retinal eccentricity.In an alternative embodiment, the device may comprise only a single eye aberrometer for at least two different retinal eccentricities.

[0058] In certain embodiments, at least one ocular aberrometer may preferably be or include at least one wavefront sensor. As commonly used, the term "wavefront sensor" refers to an optical sensor for measuring aberrations of an optical wavefront, where the term is generally applied to optical sensors that do not require interference with a reference beam without aberrations. Herein, the wavefront sensor may preferably be selected from at least one of the following: a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS), a camera for measuring at least one point spread function of an eccentric wavefront, a circular lenslet array aberrometer, a pyramid wavefront sensor, a phase element-based wavefront sensor, and a ray tracing aberrometer. However, other types of wavefront sensors may also be feasible. As commonly used, the terms "Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor" and "HSWS" refer to a specific type of wavefront sensor that includes an array of individual lenslets (often denoted by the term "lenslet") and a two-dimensional optical detector (such as a CCD array, a CMOS array, or a quaternion cell), wherein, when the lenslets are uniformly illuminated, the integrated gradient of the incident optical wavefront on each lenslet is proportional to the displacement produced by each individual lenslet. In other words, the phase aberration of the incident optical wavefront can thus be approximated by a set of local tilts corresponding to the individual lenslets, where the tilts corresponding to the lenslets can also be expressed in terms of "eccentricity." By sampling the incident optical wavefront with the lenslet array in this manner, the incident optical wavefront can thus be at least partially, and preferably completely, reconstructed by measuring the local eccentricity of each individual lenslet within the lenslet array.

[0059] In another preferred embodiment, the device may further include at least one light source, which may be configured to generate at least one light beam for determining at least one value of an ocular aberration. As generally used, the term "light source" refers to a device for generating at least one light beam, wherein the at least one light beam provided by the light source is guided along at least one optical path. In this context, the at least one light source may preferably generate light having a wavelength longer than that used for the measuring device, in particular for the optical coherence tomography system, and may therefore be or include an IR light source, in particular an IR light emitting diode. As mentioned above, IR light refers to electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater than 780 nm and approximately 1000 μm, with near-IR light having a wavelength greater than 780 nm and approximately 1.5 μm being particularly preferred. In particular, the at least one ocular aberrometer may be configured to determine at least one value of an ocular aberration at at least two separate regions on the retina of a person's eye, in particular by using a portion of reflected light received from the regions on the retina of the person's eye, the reflected light having been generated using the at least one light source.

[0060] In yet another preferred embodiment, the device can further comprise at least two polarizers, which can be configured to suppress specular reflections on the cornea of the human eye. The at least two polarizers can be placed adjacent to each other in the beam path, wherein each polarizer is configured to allow a portion of the wavefront having a specific polarization to pass through while blocking another portion of the wavefront having a different polarization. In particular, the at least two polarizers can be placed in front of at least one of the eye aberrometer, in particular a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS), and the light source, preferably an IR light source, in particular an IR light emitting diode. In this way, processing of the eye aberrometer, in particular a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS), can be improved by suppressing specular reflections on the cornea.

[0061] In yet another preferred embodiment, the apparatus may further comprise at least one camera that may be configured to determine the alignment of the person's eyes. As commonly used, the term "camera" refers to a device configured to generate at least one image of an object. As used herein, the term "alignment" refers to the relative orientation of a person's eyes. For the purpose of ensuring high-quality measurements, in particular, during the projection of the phase map onto the region on the retina of the person's eye and the capture of the choroidal topography on the region on the retina of the person's eye, the pupils of the person's eyes may be monitored using at least one camera, preferably two cameras, and an IR light emitting diode that is invisible to the person's eyes.

[0062] As already indicated above, the device further comprises an optical filter configured to separate the reflected light received from the area on the retina of the person's eye from the phase image projected onto the area on the retina of the person's eye. As commonly used, the term "optical filter" refers to an optical element configured to selectively pass at least a portion of the incident light in at least one direction. Preferably, the optical filter can be selected from at least one of a dichroic mirror, a spectral filter or a beam splitter; however, the use of different types of optical filters may also be feasible. As commonly used, the term "dichroic mirror" is configured to selectively pass incident light having a small wavelength range and reflect incident light outside the small wavelength range.

[0063] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the device may further comprise a processing device which may in particular be configured both for controlling at least one element (preferably a module) of the device and for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography. As generally used, the term "processing" or any grammatical variant thereof refers to the application of at least one algorithm to input data in order to determine output data. As generally used, the term "determining" or any grammatical variant thereof refers to the process of interpreting input data, in particular in order to obtain at least one representative result. According to the present invention, input data comprising values of the choroidal topography may be used for the purpose of determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography. Other uses of the processing device may be feasible.

[0064] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method for determining a choroidal topography of an area on the retina of a human eye. The method comprises the following steps a) to c):

[0065] a) projecting a phase map onto a region on a retina of an eye of a person using at least one optical transfer element, wherein the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus;

[0066] b) separating reflected light received from an area on the retina of the human eye from a phase image projected onto the area on the retina of the human eye by using an optical filter; and

[0067] c) capturing a choroidal topography map of an area on the retina of the person's eye by determining reflected light received from the area on the retina of the person's eye using a measuring device; and

[0068] At least two independent retinal stimuli are provided by using at least two separate displays, respectively, and each of the at least two separate phase maps is simultaneously projected onto each of at least two separate areas on the retina of a human eye at different retinal eccentricities, wherein the at least two separate areas include a peripheral area and a foveal area on the retina of the human eye.

[0069] Herein, the steps indicated can preferably be performed in the given order, starting with step a), continuing with step b) and ending with step c). However, any or all of the steps indicated can also be performed partially simultaneously and / or repeated several times. Furthermore, as particularly preferred, the steps of this method can be performed using the apparatus described elsewhere herein.

[0070] According to step a), at least two separate phase images are projected onto at least two separate areas of the retina of the human eye, wherein at least one of the two separate areas is a peripheral area of the retina of the human eye, beyond the fovea centralis of the retina of the human eye. For this purpose, preferably, at least one optical transfer element as described above or in more detail below can be used. In a particularly preferred embodiment, each separate phase image can be projected simultaneously onto more than one of the at least two separate areas of the retina of the human eye.

[0071] According to step b), the reflected light received from the area on the retina of the human eye is separated from the phase pattern projected onto the area on the retina of the human eye.

[0072] According to step c), a choroidal topography is captured on the area on the retina of the person's eye. For this purpose, preferably, reflected light received from the area on the retina of the person's eye can be used by a measuring device as described above or in more detail below.

[0073] In a preferred embodiment, the method may further include at least one of the following steps:

[0074] d) generating at least one of the individual phase maps by modifying at least one imaging property of the retinal stimulus using a digitally addressable light modulation element;

[0075] e) determining at least one value of an eye aberration at at least two separate areas on the retina of the person's eye using reflected light received from the areas on the retina of the person's eye by using at least one eye aberrometer;

[0076] f) generating, by using at least one light source, at least one light beam for use in determining at least one value of an ocular aberration;

[0077] g) Determining the alignment of the person's eyes by using at least one camera.

[0078] For further details regarding the method for projecting retinal stimulation onto an area on the retina of a person's eye and for determining a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a person's eye, reference may be made to the description of the apparatus for projecting retinal stimulation onto an area on the retina of a person's eye and for determining a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a person's eye provided elsewhere in this document.

[0079] In another aspect, the present invention relates to the use of an apparatus as described above or in more detail below for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography. As generally used, the term "ophthalmic lens design" refers to a procedure designed to generate a set of parameters for producing at least one spectacle lens for a person during a manufacturing process.

[0080] Thus, in particular, the device and the corresponding method can be used to determine short-term temporal changes in choroidal topography due to at least one ophthalmic lens design. Furthermore, advantageously, the device and the corresponding method can be used to reproduce the performance of an ophthalmic lens design for foveal and peripheral vision, and to determine choroidal topography under short-term (preferably in the range of minutes) retinal stimulation. Thus, the short-term results obtained in this way can be used to predict long-term effects, thereby allowing the optimization of ophthalmic lens designs before conducting clinical studies.

[0081] As used herein, the terms "having", "including" or "comprising" or any grammatical variations thereof are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms may refer to the absence of additional features in the entity described in the present context in addition to the features introduced by these terms, or to the presence of one or more additional features. As an example, the expressions "A has B", "A includes B" and "A includes B" may all refer to the absence of other elements in A besides B (i.e., A consists solely and exclusively of B), or to the presence of one or more additional elements in entity A in addition to B, such as element C, element C and element D, or even additional elements.

[0082] As further used herein, the terms "preferably," "more preferably," "particularly," "more particularly," or similar terms are used in conjunction with optional features without limiting the alternative possibilities. Thus, features introduced by these terms are optional features and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims in any way. As the skilled person will recognize, the present invention may be carried out through the use of alternative features. Similarly, features introduced by "in an embodiment of the invention" or similar expressions are intended to be optional features, without any limitation as to alternative embodiments of the invention, without any limitation as to the scope of the invention, nor as to the possibility of combining the features introduced in this manner with other features of the invention.

[0083] In summary, the following embodiments are particularly preferred within the scope of the present invention:

[0084] Embodiment 1. An apparatus for projecting retinal stimulation onto an area on the retina of a person's eye and for determining a choroidal topography on the area on the retina of the person's eye, the apparatus comprising:

[0085] - at least one optical transfer element configured to project a phase map onto a region on the retina of an eye of a person, wherein the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus;

[0086] - a measuring device for capturing a choroidal topography on an area on the retina of a human eye by using reflected light received from the area on the retina of the human eye;

[0087] - an optical filter configured to separate reflected light received from an area on the retina of the human eye from a phase image projected onto the area on the retina of the human eye,

[0088] wherein the device is configured to generate at least two separate phase images, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is configured to project each separate phase image onto one of at least two separate areas on the retina of a person's eye, wherein at least one of the two separate areas is a peripheral area on the retina of the person's eye, beyond the fovea on the retina of the person's eye.

[0089] Embodiment 2. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is configured to project each individual phase map simultaneously onto more than one of at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye.

[0090] Embodiment 3. The apparatus according to any of the preceding embodiments, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is configured to project each individual phase image onto each individual area on the retina of the human eye at a different retinal eccentricity.

[0091] Embodiment 4. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is configured to project at least one of the at least two separate phase images at a fixed retinal eccentricity.

[0092] Embodiment 5. The apparatus according to any one of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is configured to project at least one of the at least two separate phase images with a variable eccentricity.

[0093] Embodiment 6. An apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one optical transfer element is or includes at least one of a mirror, a beam splitter, a rotating beam splitter or a diffractive element, which is configured to project at least one light beam onto the retina of a human eye with a specific eccentricity.

[0094] Embodiment 7. The apparatus of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the optical filter is selected from at least one of a dichroic mirror, a spectral filter, a beam splitter, or a rotating beam splitter.

[0095] Embodiment 8. The device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0096] - at least one digitally addressable light modulation element configured for generating the at least two separate phase maps by modifying at least one imaging property of the at least two retinal stimuli.

[0097] Embodiment 9. The apparatus of the preceding embodiment, wherein the digitally addressable light modulation element is or includes at least one spatial light modulator (SLM) or a digital micromirror device (DMD).

[0098] Embodiment 10. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding two embodiments, further comprising:

[0099] - a single digitally addressable light modulating element configured to generate at least two of the individual phase maps,

[0100] - a first light path redirector configured to provide at least two separate retinal stimuli to the single digitally addressable light modulating element; and

[0101] - A second light path redirector configured for separating the at least two separate phase images to be projected onto one of at least two separate areas on the retina of a human eye.

[0102] Embodiment 11. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein each of the first light path redirector and the second light path redirector comprises at least two mirrors and at least one prism.

[0103] Embodiment 12. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0104] - At least two separate displays, each of the at least two separate displays being configured to provide at least one separate retinal stimulus.

[0105] Embodiment 13. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, further comprising:

[0106] - a separate digitally addressable light modulation element configured to generate one of the at least two separate phase maps.

[0107] Embodiment 14. The device of the two preceding embodiments, wherein separate displays are configured to provide the at least one separate retinal stimulus to corresponding separate digitally addressable light modulating elements.

[0108] Embodiment 15. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, further comprising:

[0109] - at least one first optical relay system configured for providing the at least one individual retinal stimulus to a corresponding individual digitally addressable light modulating element.

[0110] Embodiment 16. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, further comprising:

[0111] - at least one Badal stage configured to correct for through-focus errors.

[0112] Embodiment 17 The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one Badal stage is incorporated into the at least one optical relay system.

[0113] Embodiment 18. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0114] At least one refractive correction element, in particular the at least one non-pixelated corrective element, configured to generate one of the at least two separate phase maps.

[0115] Embodiment 19. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0116] - at least one eye aberrometer configured for determining at least one value of an eye aberration at at least two separate areas on the retina of the eye of a person by using reflected light received from the at least two separate areas on the retina of the eye of the person.

[0117] Embodiment 20. The apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one eye aberrometer is configured to determine at least one value of a refractive effect associated with at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye.

[0118] Embodiment 21. The device of any of the two preceding embodiments, wherein the device comprises a separate ocular aberrometer for each different retinal eccentricity.

[0119] Embodiment 22. The device of any one of the three preceding embodiments, wherein the device comprises a single eye aberrometer for at least two different retinal eccentricities.

[0120] Embodiment 23. The device according to any one of the first four embodiments, wherein the at least one eye aberrometer is or comprises at least one wavefront sensor, in particular at least one Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS).

[0121] Embodiment 24. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding five embodiments, further comprising:

[0122] - at least one light source configured to generate at least one light beam for use in determining at least one value of the ocular aberration.

[0123] Embodiment 25. An apparatus according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least one eye aberrometer is configured to determine at least one value of the eye aberration at at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye by using a portion of the reflected light generated by the at least one light source and received from at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye.

[0124] Embodiment 26. The device according to any of the two preceding embodiments, wherein at least one light source is or comprises an IR light source, in particular an IR light emitting diode.

[0125] Embodiment 27. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0126] - At least two polarizers configured to suppress specular reflections on the cornea of a person's eye.

[0127] Embodiment 28. The device according to the preceding embodiment, wherein the at least two polarizers are placed in front of the eye aberrometer, in particular the Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS) and at least one of the light source, preferably the IR light source, in particular the IR light emitting diode.

[0128] Embodiment 29. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the measuring device for capturing choroidal topography on at least two separate areas on the retina of a human eye is or includes an optical coherence tomography system (OCT).

[0129] Embodiment 30. The apparatus of the preceding embodiment, wherein the optical coherence tomography (OCT) system is configured to perform at least one of Fourier domain OCT, swept source OCT, or time domain OCT.

[0130] Embodiment 31. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0131] - At least one camera configured to determine the alignment of the person's eyes.

[0132] Embodiment 32. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments, further comprising:

[0133] - a processing device configured for controlling at least one element of the apparatus and for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on the choroidal topography.

[0134] Embodiment 33. Use of the apparatus according to any one of the preceding embodiments for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography.

[0135] Embodiment 34. A method for projecting a retinal stimulus onto an area on the retina of a human eye and for determining a choroidal topography on the area on the retina of the human eye, the method comprising the steps of:

[0136] a) projecting a phase map onto a region on a retina of an eye of a person using at least one optical transfer element, wherein the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus;

[0137] b) separating reflected light received from an area on the retina of the human eye from a phase image projected onto the area on the retina of the human eye by using an optical filter; and

[0138] c) capturing a choroidal topography on the area on the retina of the human eye using reflected light received from the area on the retina of the human eye by using a measuring device,

[0139] wherein at least two separate phase images are generated, wherein each separate phase image is projected onto one of at least two separate areas on the retina of a human eye by using the at least one optical transfer element, wherein at least one of the two separate areas is a peripheral area on the retina of the human eye, beyond the fovea on the retina of the human eye.

[0140] Embodiment 35. The method of the preceding embodiment, wherein each individual phase image is simultaneously projected onto more than one of at least two separate areas on the retina of the human eye.

[0141] Embodiment 36. The method according to any one of the above method embodiments, further comprising the following steps:

[0142] d) generating at least one of the individual phase maps by modifying at least one imaging property of the retinal stimulus using a digitally addressable light modulation element;

[0143] Embodiment 37. The method according to any one of the above method embodiments, further comprising the following steps:

[0144] e) providing at least two separate retinal stimuli by generating the at least two separate phase images using at least two displays.

[0145] Embodiment 38. The method according to any one of the above method embodiments, further comprising the following steps:

[0146] f) determining at least one value of an eye aberration at at least two separate areas on the retina of the eye of the person using reflected light received from the at least two separate areas on the retina of the eye of the person by using at least one eye aberrometer.

[0147] Embodiment 39. The method according to the previous embodiment further comprising the following steps:

[0148] g) generating, by using at least one light source, at least one light beam used in determining at least one value of the ocular aberration;

[0149] Embodiment 40. The method according to any one of the above method embodiments, further comprising the following steps:

[0150] h) Determining the alignment of the person's eyes by using at least one camera. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0151] Other optional features and embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in more detail in the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments, preferably in conjunction with the dependent claims. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the respective optional features may be implemented in isolation or in any feasible combination. It is emphasized that the scope of the present invention is not limited by the preferred embodiments disclosed herein. In the accompanying drawings:

[0152] Figures 1 to 4 Each shows an embodiment of a device according to the invention;

[0153] Figure 5 An embodiment of the method according to the present invention is presented; and

[0154] Figure 6 and Figure 7 Each shows a further embodiment of the device according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0155] Figure 1An embodiment of a device 110 according to the present invention is shown, the device being configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of a human eye 117 and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of a human eye 117. As described in more detail elsewhere herein, the device 110 can be particularly used to determine the effect of an ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography, in particular under short-term retinal stimulation, preferably in the range of minutes, in such a way that short-term results can be used to predict long-term effects, thereby allowing optimization of ophthalmic lens designs before conducting clinical studies.

[0156] like Figure 1 As schematically depicted in FIG, the device 110 has a first module 118 comprising digitally addressable light modulation elements 120, 120', each of which is configured to generate an individual phase map. For this purpose, two independent and different retinal stimuli 112, 112' are preferably emitted simultaneously by two separate displays 122, 122' and are transferred to the inlet of the digitally addressable light modulation elements 120, 120' by using a correspondingly adapted first optical relay system 124, 124'. As described in more detail above, the digitally addressable light modulation elements 120, 120' are designed to modulate the incident retinal stimuli 112, 112' provided by the respective display 122, 122' and can preferably be selected from a spatial light modulator (SLM) or a digital micromirror device (DMD); however, the use of different types of digitally addressable light modulation elements may also be feasible.

[0157] like Figure 1 , the first module 118 of the device further comprises two first optical transfer elements 126, 126', each of which is configured for projecting an individual phase map onto an area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117. For this purpose, each individual phase map provided at the outlet of each digitally addressable light modulation element 120, 120' is transferred to the first optical transfer element 126, 126' by using a correspondingly adapted second optical relay system 130, 130', each of which is implemented here as a beam splitter 128, 128'.

[0158] Each of the first optical transfer elements 126, 126' is configured to project a corresponding individual phase image onto a corresponding region 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117. Further, as a second optical transfer element configured to project each of the at least two individual phase images onto each of the at least two individual regions 114, 114' (i.e., the foveal region and the peripheral region) on the retina at different retinal eccentricities, cold mirrors 162, 162' are used. Figure 1 As further illustrated in FIG, a central retinal stimulus 132 (schematically depicted herein as a puppy) is projected onto a first separate area 134, wherein the first separate area 134 includes a fovea 136 located on the retina 116 of a person's eye 117. Additionally, a peripheral retinal stimulus 132′ (schematically depicted herein as a checkered pattern) is projected onto a second separate area 134′, wherein the second separate area 134′ is located outside of the fovea 136 on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117. Preferably, the second separate area 134′ is further located outside of an area including an optic nerve 138 of the person's eye 118.

[0159] like Figure 1 As further schematically depicted in FIG, the device 110 has a second module 140 comprising a measuring device 142 configured to capture a choroidal topography, in particular a layer thickness of the choroid, on an area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117 by using reflected light received from the area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117. As depicted here, the measuring device 142 comprises an optical coherence tomography system (OCT) 144, which is supplemented here with a scanning device 146 configured to change the direction of the optical axis and to interrogate different areas of the retina 116 of the person's eye 117; however, the use of different types of measuring devices may also be feasible. For the purpose of guiding the incident light including the individual phase patterns to the corresponding areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117 and guiding the reflected light received from the areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117, the second module 140 further includes a light path redirector 148 including two parabolic mirrors 150, 150', as shown in FIG. Figure 1 However, it is also feasible to replace at least one of the parabolic reflectors 150, 150' with an achromatic lens.

[0160] like Figure 1As further schematically depicted in FIG, the second module 140 further includes an optical filter 152 configured to separate the reflected light received from the regions 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117 from each individual phase image to be projected onto the corresponding region 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117. Figure 1 As depicted, a dichroic mirror 154 is used for this purpose; however, the use of different types of optical filters may also be feasible. In this manner, the apparatus 110 is configured to both project retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto separate regions 114, 114' on the retina 116 of a person's eye 117 and to determine choroidal topography on separate regions 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117.

[0161] In addition, if Figure 1 The device 110 shown is further equipped with eye aberrometers 156, 156' which are configured for determining values of ocular aberrations at separate areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the eye 117 of the person by using reflected light received from the areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the eye 117 of the person. For this purpose, each ocular aberrometer 156, 156' comprises a wavefront sensor, in particular a Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS) 158, 158'; however, it is conceivable to use different types of ocular aberrometers. In order to generate the light beam used when determining the values of the ocular aberration measurements, light sources 160, 160' are provided. As Figure 1 As depicted, each light source 160, 160' comprises an IR light source, specifically an IR light emitting diode; however, the use of different types of light sources is also possible. To direct the IR light emitted by the light sources 160, 160' toward the region 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117, a cold mirror 162, 162' is used. To direct the reflected IR light from the region 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117, an optical filter 152, an optical transfer element 126, 126', and a cold mirror 162, 162' are used. However, the use of a different arrangement is also possible.

[0162] In addition, if Figure 1The device 110 shown is further equipped with cameras 164, 164' configured to determine the alignment of each of the person's eyes 117. In this way, high-quality measurements can be ensured, in particular by monitoring the pupils of each of the person's eyes 117. As further illustrated, IR light-emitting diodes 166, 166', which are invisible to the person's eyes 117, are employed during the projection of the phase map onto the regions 114, 114' on the retinas 116 of the person's eyes 117 and the capture of the choroidal topography on the regions 114, 114' on the retinas 116 of the person's eyes 117.

[0163] like Figure 1 As further schematically depicted in FIG, the apparatus 110 includes a processing device 168, which is configured to both control the modules 118, 140 of the apparatus and determine the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography. For the latter purpose, input data including values of the choroidal topography can be used to determine the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography. In addition, the processing device 168 can be used for other purposes.

[0164] Figure 2 Another embodiment of a device 110 according to the invention is shown, which is configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person. Figure 1 Compared to the depicted embodiment, Figure 2 The embodiment uses only a single digitally addressable light modulation element 120. A third optical transfer element 170, comprising a first single prism 172 and two mirrors 174, 174', is configured to direct light emitted by the respective displays 122, 122' to be modulated in the corresponding half of the single digitally addressable light modulation element 120. Further, a second optical transfer element 176, comprising a single second prism 178 and two mirrors 174, 174', is configured to simultaneously project each of at least two separate phase images at a different retinal eccentricity to each of at least two separate regions 134, 134' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117 at a specific retinal eccentricity. Further, reflected light from the retina 116 is used herein to determine choroidal topography by using a measuring device 142 including an optical coherence tomography system (OCT) 144, and to determine ocular aberrations at separate areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 by using a single ocular aberrometer 156 including a single Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensor (HSWS) 158 as a wavefront sensor.

[0165] Figure 3 Another embodiment of a device 110 according to the invention is shown, which is configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person. Figure 1 Compared to the depicted embodiment, Figure 3 An embodiment uses a rotating beam splitter (RBS) 180 as a second optical delivery element, which is configured to project each of these individual phase images to each individual area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117 at a different retinal eccentricity. In this way, this embodiment provides a configuration with variable eccentricity on the horizontal meridian of the peripheral retinal stimulus 132'. Herein, the light beam used in determining the value of the eye aberration measurement is rotated together with the light beam carrying the peripheral retinal stimulus 132'. Further, the light beam is directed to the person's eye 117 by using two separate light path redirectors 148, 148', each light path redirector having a parabolic mirror 150, 150' and a dichroic mirror 154 placed between the light path redirectors 148, 148'.

[0166] As for Figure 2 or Figure 3 For other details of the embodiment, please refer to Figure 1 Description of embodiments of the present invention.

[0167] Figure 4 Another embodiment of a device 110 according to the invention is shown, which is configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person. Likewise, Figure 4 The embodiment of the invention uses a rotating beam splitter (RBS) 180 as a second optical delivery element, which is configured to project each of these individual phase images at different retinal eccentricities to each individual area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117. Figure 3 Compared to the depicted embodiment, Figure 4The embodiment is configured to project a wide field of view (FOV) stimulus 182 as a central retinal stimulus 132, which is used to provide a more natural viewing experience to the person. For this purpose, a refractive correction element, in particular at least one non-pixelated correction element 184 (i.e., an element having the ability to change the phase map of a light beam, wherein the surface of this element is not divided into pixels, in particular selected from a deformable mirror, a single optical lens or a group of optical lenses, configured to generate corresponding individual phase maps), can be used instead of a spatial light modulator (SLM) or a digital micromirror device (DMD), thereby avoiding possible limitations on the wide field of view. In addition, the stimulus is darkened in the area 114 of the peripheral retinal stimulus 132', the eccentricity of which can be changed by using a rotating beam splitter 180. Furthermore, another optical path redirector 148" includes two parabolic mirrors 150, 150' and a rotating beam splitter 180 for merging the light beams of each retinal stimulus 112, 112'.

[0168] As for Figure 4 For other details of the embodiment, please refer to Figure 3 Description of embodiments of the present invention.

[0169] Figure 5 An embodiment of a method 210 according to the invention for projecting a retinal stimulus 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person and / or for determining a choroidal topography 218 on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person is shown.

[0170] In a projection step 212 according to step b), the phase map is projected onto an area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117 using an optical transfer element 126, 126' as described in more detail above. Here, each individual phase map is projected onto one of the individual areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the eye 117, wherein one area 114' is a peripheral area of the retina 116 of the person's eye 117 beyond the fovea 136. Preferably, the individual phase maps are projected simultaneously onto at least the individual areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117.

[0171] In a separation step 214 according to step b), the reflected light received from the area 114 , 114 ′ on the retina 116 of the human eye 117 is separated from the phase image of the area 114 , 114 ′ projected onto the retina 116 of the human eye 117 .

[0172] In a capturing step 216 according to step c), at least a choroidal topography 218 on the areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117 is captured by using the measuring device 142 as described in more detail above, by using reflected light received from the areas 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the human eye 117.

[0173] In an optional generating step 220 according to step d), at least one of these individual phase maps is generated before the projecting step 212 by modifying at least one imaging property of the retinal stimulus 112, 112', preferably by using a digitally addressable light modulating element 120, 120' as described in more detail above.

[0174] In an optional providing step 222 according to step e), two separate retinal stimuli 112, 112' are provided by generating two separate phase maps using the two displays 122, 122' before the projecting step 212 and, if applicable, the generating step 220.

[0175] In an optional determination step 224 according to step f), in parallel with the capturing step 216, at least one eye aberration value at a separate area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the eye 117 of the person is determined by using one or two eye aberrometers 156, 156', preferably comprising one or two Hartmann-Shack wavefront sensors (HSWS) 158. For this purpose, at least one light beam can be generated in a further optional IR light generation step 226 according to step g), by using a light source 160, 160' as described in more detail above, for use in determining the at least one value of the eye aberration according to the determination step 224.

[0176] In an optional alignment step 228 according to step h), the alignment of the person's eyes 117 is determined, preferably in parallel with the projecting step 212, the separating step 214 and the capturing step 216, preferably by using the cameras 164, 164' as described in more detail above.

[0177] Figure 6Another embodiment of a device 110 according to the present invention is shown, which is configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of a person's eye 117 and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117, wherein a second optical path redirector is shared between the first module 118 and the second module 140. This embodiment includes four lenses 177, two prisms 178, 178' and four mirrors 179. Here, the second optical path redirector also serves as a second optical transfer element 176, which is configured for projecting each of these individual phase images onto each individual area 114, 114' on the retina 116 of the person's eye 117 at a different retinal eccentricity. In the first module 118, the light beams corresponding to each retinal stimulus are dispersed in different directions by a prism 178, and these light beams are modulated by a digitally addressable light modulation element 120, which is preferably selected from a spatial light modulator (SLM) or a digital micromirror device (DMD). Each light beam is guided to an optical lens 177, 177' by a corresponding mirror 179, 179'. After the light beams pass through the lenses 179, 179', two movable mirrors 179", 179'" (as indicated by the corresponding arrows) guide the light beams to a prism 178". After passing through the prism 178', the light beams propagate in a parallel manner, separated from each other by the distance given by the two movable mirrors 179", 179'". Thereafter, the separated light beams pass through an optical lens 177" located in the second module 140, thereby illuminating the pupil of the human eye 117 with different eccentricities. The eccentricity of each light beam is provided by the following:

[0178] arctan(d / f),

[0179] In the formula, arctan() represents the inverse tangent function, f represents the focal length of the optical lens 177" after the dichroic mirror 154 in the second module 140, and d represents the distance between the center of the light beam and the center of the optical lens 177". In the second module 140, another optical lens 177'" located after the scanning device 146 propagates the light beam from the measuring device 142 including the optical coherence tomography system (OCT) 144 parallel to the optical axis of the other optical lens 177'". The dichroic mirror 154 guides the light beam to the optical lens 177", thereby forming a second optical path redirector, and the dichroic mirror is shared between the first module 118 and the second module 140 of the device 110.

[0180] Figure 7A further embodiment of a device 110 according to the invention is shown, which is configured for projecting retinal stimuli 112, 112' onto an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person and / or for determining a choroidal topography on at least an area 114, 114' on a retina 116 of an eye 117 of a person. This embodiment can be configured to supplement all described embodiments in order to project multi-chromatic retinal stimuli 112, 112' having independent image characteristics at different wavelengths. For this purpose, the multi-chromatic retinal stimuli 112, 112' are generated and combined via time multiplexing. As Figure 7 As schematically depicted in FIG, the polychromatic retinal stimulus 112, 112' can preferably be generated by using one or more laser devices 190, 190', 190" (preferably laser diodes) having red (R), green (G) and blue (B) wavelengths. However, it is also conceivable to use different types of devices for generating the polychromatic retinal stimulus 112, 112' and / or to use other wavelengths. For each retinal eccentricity, the stimulus can be shaped using one display per wavelength or one display for all wavelengths. Figure 7 In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each display 122, 122' is configured to emit retinal stimuli 112, 112' for all wavelengths of red (R), green (G) and blue (B). The displays 122, 122' can be preferably selected from liquid crystal-based displays and digital micromirror-based displays; however, the use of different displays may also be feasible.

[0181] A trichroic prism 192 directs a monochromatic light beam along a common path 194. A variable filter 196 can be used to branch a portion of the monochromatic light beam to a synchronization device 198, which is configured to drive a monochromatic illumination sequence centered at each wavelength for a time t. Further, the synchronization device 198 is configured to trigger the displays 122, 122' and the digitally addressable light modulation element 120 (preferably selected from a spatial light modulator (SLM) or a digital micromirror device (DMD)) to project an intensity map of a polychromatic retinal stimulus 112, 112' and a corresponding phase map, the phase map being configured to modify the image characteristics of the polychromatic retinal stimulus for each wavelength. The wavelength dependence of the performance of the digitally addressable light modulation element 120 can be adjusted by projecting an optimized phase map to each wavelength after calibrating the phase modulation of the digitally addressable light modulation element 120 at each wavelength. In particular, in liquid crystal-based SLMs, phase modulation refers to the phase delay caused by the voltage applied to the liquid crystal cell. This voltage may be addressed by grayscale, which may be programmed into the video card of the processing device 168 .

[0182] List of Reference Numerals

[0183] 110 devices

[0184] 112, 112' Retinal stimulation

[0185] 114, 114' area

[0186] 116 Retina

[0187] 117 Eyes

[0188] 118 Module 1

[0189] 120 Digitally addressable optical modulation element

[0190] 122, 122' display

[0191] 124, 124' First Optical Relay System

[0192] 126, 126' Optical transmission element

[0193] 128, 128' beam splitter

[0194] 130, 130' Second optical relay system

[0195] 132 Central retinal stimulation

[0196] 132' Peripheral retinal stimulation

[0197] 134 First Separate Area

[0198] 134' Second separate area

[0199] 136 fovea

[0200] 138 optic nerve

[0201] 140 Module 2

[0202] 142 Measuring device

[0203] 144 Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)

[0204] 146 Scanning Device

[0205] 148, 148', 148" optical path redirectors

[0206] 150, 150' parabolic mirror

[0207] 152 Optical Filters

[0208] 154 Dichroic Mirror

[0209] 156, 156' Eye Aberration Meter

[0210] 158, 158' Hartmann-Shack Wavefront Sensor (HSWS)

[0211] 160, 160' light source

[0212] 162, 162' cold reflector

[0213] 164, 164' camera

[0214] 166, 166' IR light emitting diode

[0215] 168 Processing Device

[0216] 170 third optical transmission element

[0217] 172 First Single Prism

[0218] 174, 174' reflector

[0219] 176 second optical transmission element

[0220] 177, 177' optical lens (in the first module)

[0221] 177”, 177”’ optical lens (in the second module)

[0222] 178, 178' Second Prism

[0223] 179, 179' reflector

[0224] 179”, 179”' movable reflector

[0225] 180 Rotating Beam Splitter (RBS)

[0226] 182 Wide Field of View (FOV) Stimulation

[0227] 184 Non-pixelated correction element

[0228] 186 Infrared diode laser

[0229] 188, 188' infrared beam

[0230] 190, 190', 190" laser devices

[0231] 192 trichromatic prism

[0232] 194 Path

[0233] 196 Variable filter

[0234] 198 Synchronizer

[0235] 210 Methods

[0236] 212 Projection Steps

[0237] 214 Separation Steps

[0238] 216 Capture Steps

[0239] 218 Choroidal topography

[0240] 220 Generation Steps

[0241] 222 Provide steps

[0242] 224 Determine Steps

[0243] 226 IR light generation steps

[0244] 228 Alignment Steps

Claims

1. A device (110) configured to determine a choroidal topography (218) on an area (114, 114') on a retina (116) of an eye (117) of a person, the device comprising: - at least two optical transfer elements, the at least two optical transfer elements comprising a first optical transfer element and a second optical transfer element, the at least two optical transfer elements each being configured to project at least one of a retinal stimulus (112, 112') or a phase map onto an area on the retina of an eye of a person, wherein the phase map comprises a modified retinal stimulus; - a measuring device (142) for capturing a choroidal topography map (218) on an area (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) by using reflected light received from the area (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117); an optical filter (152) configured to separate the reflected light received from the area (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) from the phase image of the area (114, 114') projected onto the retina of the person's eye (117), It is characterized by: The device (110) further comprises: at least two separate displays (122, 122'), each of the at least two separate displays being configured to provide the retinal stimulus (112, 112'), thereby providing two independent retinal stimuli (112, 112'), The second optical transfer element is further configured to simultaneously project each of the at least two separate phase images onto each of at least two separate areas (134, 134') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) at different retinal eccentricities, wherein the separate areas (134, 134') include a peripheral area and a foveal area on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117).

2. The device (110) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that The second optical transfer element is or includes at least one of a mirror, a beam splitter, a rotating beam splitter (180), or a diffractive element.

3. The device (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The second optical transfer element is a rotating beam splitter (180).

4. The device (110) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that Further including: - at least one optical path redirector (148) configured to direct each of the at least two separate phase images to a corresponding separate area (134, 134') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117).

5. The device (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Further including: - a scanning device (146) configured to change the direction of the optical axis relative to the retina (116) of the person's eye (117).

6. The device (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that Further including: - at least one digitally addressable light modulation element (120, 120') configured to generate the at least two separate phase maps by modifying at least one imaging property of the at least two retinal stimuli.

7. The device (110) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that include: - a single digitally addressable light modulation element (120) configured to generate at least two of the individual phase maps.

8. The device (110) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that Further including: - a third optical delivery element (170) configured to provide at least two separate retinal stimuli (114, 114') to the single digitally addressable light modulation element (120).

9. The device (110) according to claim 6, characterized in that At least two digitally addressable light modulation elements (120, 120') are included, wherein each of the digitally addressable light modulation elements (120, 120') is assigned to each of the retinal stimuli (112, 112') and is configured to generate a separate phase map, respectively.

10. The device (110) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The separate display (122, 122') for providing the retinal stimulus (112, 112') to the fovea region of the retina (116) of the eye (117) is configured to provide wide field of view stimulation.

11. The device (110) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that Further included is at least one non-pixelated corrective element (184) configured to generate a phase map by modifying image characteristics of the wide field stimulus.

12. Use of the device (110) according to any of the preceding claims for determining the effect of at least one ophthalmic lens design on choroidal topography (218).

13. A method (210) configured for determining a choroidal topography (218) on an area (114, 114') on a retina (116) of an eye (117) of a person, the method comprising the steps of: a) projecting a phase map onto a region (114, 114') on the retina of an eye of a person using at least one optical transfer element, wherein the phase map includes a modified retinal stimulus (112, 112'); b) separating reflected light received from an area (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) from a phase image projected onto the area (114, 114') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117) by using an optical filter (152); and c) capturing a choroidal topography map (218) on an area (114, 114') on a retina (116) of an eye (117) of the person using the reflected light received from the area on a retina (116) of the eye (117) of the person by using a measuring device (142), It is characterized by: At least two independent retinal stimuli (112, 112') are provided by using at least two separate displays (112, 112'), respectively, and each of the at least two separate phase images is simultaneously projected at different retinal eccentricities onto each of at least two separate areas (134, 134') on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117), respectively, wherein the at least two separate areas (134, 134') include a peripheral area and a foveal area on the retina (116) of the person's eye (117).

14. The method (210) according to the preceding claim, further comprising at least one of the following steps: d) generating at least one of the individual phase maps by modifying at least one imaging property of the retinal stimulus (112, 112') using a digitally addressable light modulation element (120, 120'); e) determining at least one value of an eye aberration at at least two separate areas (134, 134') on the retina (116) of the eye (117) of the person by using at least one eye aberrometer (156, 156') by using reflected light received from at least two separate areas (134, 134') on the retina (116) of the eye (117) of the person; f) generating, by using at least one light source (160, 160'), at least one light beam for use in determining at least one value of the ocular aberration; g) determining the alignment of the person's eyes (117) by using at least one camera (164, 164').

Images