Ophthalmic device

Abstract

To provide a technique to prevent a reduction in the photographic precision of a camera provided in an ophthalmic device while cooling the camera.SOLUTION: An ophthalmic device comprises: a camera that photographs the eye to be inspected; an optical system unit for photographing the eye to be inspected with the camera; a housing that includes an accommodation space for accommodating the camera and the optical system unit; and a heat radiation section that radiates heat generated from the camera. The heat radiation section includes a fan, and a cooling passage including an air supply port and an air exhaust port, and is configured such that, when the fan operates, air taken in from the outside of the housing through the air supply port flows through the cooling passage and is exhausted to the outside of the housing from the air exhaust port. The heat generated from the camera is radiated to the air flowing through the cooling passage. The cooling passage is not communicated with the accommodation space.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an ophthalmic device. Specifically, it relates to a technology for cooling components included in an ophthalmic device.

Background Art

[0002] In an ophthalmic device for measuring an eye to be examined, a structure for dissipating heat generated inside is provided. For example, in the ophthalmic device of Patent Document 1, a heat dissipation part is provided in a housing. A cooling passage is provided in the heat dissipation part, and the cooling passage is isolated from an accommodation space inside the housing that houses a drive motor. Inside the cooling passage, an electronic board of a CPU to be cooled is arranged. The heat dissipation part directly cools the electronic board of the CPU by outside air flowing through the cooling passage.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Generally, an ophthalmic device is provided with a camera for photographing an examination site of an eye to be examined, and the camera also generates heat during use of the ophthalmic device. In recent years, in order to improve the inspection accuracy of an ophthalmic device, the need to cool the camera has increased. In the above Patent Document 1, the cooling passage is isolated from the accommodation space of the housing, and the electronic board of the CPU to be cooled is arranged inside the cooling passage. When the camera to be cooled is arranged inside the cooling passage through which outside air flows as in the above Patent Document 1, while the camera can be sufficiently cooled, there is a problem that the camera is exposed to dust or the like that has entered the cooling passage, and the photographing accuracy of the camera decreases.

[0005] This specification discloses a technology for suppressing a decrease in photographing accuracy while cooling a camera provided in an ophthalmic device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification includes a camera for photographing an eye to be examined, an optical system unit for photographing the eye to be examined with the camera, a housing having an accommodation space for accommodating the camera and the optical system unit, and a heat radiating unit for radiating heat generated from the camera. The heat radiating unit includes a fan and a cooling passage having an air intake port and an air exhaust port. When the fan operates, air is sucked in from the outside of the housing through the air intake port, flows through the cooling passage, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing through the air exhaust port. The heat generated from the camera is radiated to the air flowing through the cooling passage. The cooling passage does not communicate with the accommodation space.

[0007] In the above ophthalmic device, the heat generated from the camera is radiated by the air flowing through the cooling passage of the heat radiating unit. Thereby, the inspection accuracy of the ophthalmic device can be improved. Further, the camera is accommodated in the accommodation space, and the accommodation space does not communicate with the cooling passage. Thus, even if dust or the like may enter the cooling passage when air is made to flow through the cooling passage to cool the camera, dust or the like does not enter the accommodation space. For this reason, it is possible to avoid the camera being exposed to dust or the like by driving the fan to cool the camera, and to suppress a decrease in the photographing accuracy of the camera.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] List the main features of the embodiments described below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements, and each can exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and is not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0010] (Feature 1) In the ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification, the camera may include a substrate and an arithmetic element mounted on a first surface facing the heat radiating portion of the substrate for processing the captured image. The ophthalmic device may further include a first heat transfer member that transfers heat from the arithmetic element to the heat radiating portion. The substrate may be arranged to face the heat radiating portion via the first heat transfer member. The first heat transfer member may be disposed between the first surface and the heat radiating portion and may be in contact with the first surface and the heat radiating portion. According to such a configuration, by providing the first heat transfer member, the heat generated from the arithmetic element can be efficiently transferred to the cooling passage. Therefore, the arithmetic element, which is the heat generating part of the camera, can be efficiently cooled.

[0011] (Feature 2) In the ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification, the camera may further include an image sensor mounted on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the substrate. The first heat transfer member may transfer heat from the image sensor to the heat radiating portion via the substrate. According to such a configuration, the heat generated from the image sensor can be efficiently transferred to the cooling passage via the first heat transfer member and the substrate. Therefore, the image sensor, which is the heat generating part of the camera, can be efficiently cooled.

[0012] (Feature 3) In the ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification, the camera may include a substrate and an imaging element mounted on a second surface opposite to the first surface facing the heat dissipation portion of the substrate. The ophthalmic device may further include a support member that contacts the second surface to support the substrate, and a second heat transfer member disposed between the support member and the heat dissipation portion. The second heat transfer member may contact the surface of the support member that contacts the substrate and the heat dissipation portion, and transfer the heat from the imaging element to the heat dissipation portion via the support member. According to such a configuration, since the support member contacts both the substrate and the second heat transfer member, the heat from the imaging element is transferred to the heat dissipation portion via the support member and the substrate. Therefore, the imaging element can be efficiently cooled.

[0013] (Feature 4) In the ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification, the camera may be mounted on the first surface of the substrate and may further include an arithmetic element that processes the captured image. The second heat transfer member may transfer the heat from the arithmetic element to the heat dissipation portion via the substrate. According to such a configuration, the heat generated from the arithmetic element can be efficiently transferred to the cooling passage via the second heat transfer member and the substrate. Therefore, the arithmetic element, which is the heat generating portion of the camera, can be efficiently cooled.

[0014] (Feature 5) In the ophthalmic device disclosed in this specification, the air supply port may open upward of the ophthalmic device. The exhaust port may open upward of the ophthalmic device. According to such a configuration, since the exhaust port is provided upward, it is possible to avoid the exhaust being discharged toward the subject or the examiner. Therefore, it is possible to avoid giving discomfort to the subject or the examiner. Also, in an installation location such as an examination room, multiple types of devices may be arranged side by side. On the other hand, the upper part of the ophthalmic device is often open. Since the air supply port and the exhaust port are provided upward, intake and exhaust can be performed smoothly regardless of the installation location of the ophthalmic device.

Example

[0015] Referring to the drawings, the ophthalmic device 10 according to the embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the ophthalmic device 10 includes a housing 12, a camera 20, an optical system unit 14 for photographing with the camera 20, a control unit 16, a heat radiating unit 30, and an intraocular pressure measuring unit (not shown). The ophthalmic device 10 is a device for measuring the intraocular pressure of an eye to be examined. Since a known intraocular pressure measuring unit used in an ophthalmic device can be used, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the inspection mechanism mounted on the ophthalmic device 10 is not limited to the intraocular pressure measuring unit, and other inspection mechanisms may be mounted.

[0016] The housing 12 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and an accommodation space 18 is provided inside. The housing 12 houses the camera 20, the optical system unit 14, the control unit 16, the heat radiating unit 30, and the intraocular pressure measuring unit (not shown).

[0017] The camera 20 photographs the eye to be examined. In this embodiment, the camera 20 photographs the eye to be examined from the front. Using the image captured by the camera 20, for example, the anterior corneal curvature radius (keratometry) and the corneal shape (topography) are measured. Since the configuration of the optical system unit 14 can be a known one used in an ophthalmic device, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the camera 20 includes a substrate 22, an imaging element 24, and an IC chip 26. The substrate 22 has a flat plate shape and is arranged perpendicular to the direction (Z direction) along the visual axis of the eye to be examined. Hereinafter, the surface of the substrate 22 on the subject side (+Z direction side) may be referred to as the front surface 22a, and the opposite surface (-Z direction side) may be referred to as the back surface 22b. The imaging element 24 is mounted on the front surface 22a of the substrate 22. The IC chip 26 is mounted on the back surface 22b of the substrate 22. The light irradiated from a light source (not shown) passes through the optical system unit 14 and is irradiated onto the eye to be examined, and the reflected light passes through the optical system unit 14 and is received by the imaging element 24. The image data converted by the imaging element 24 is processed by the IC chip 26 and stored in a memory (not shown) of the control unit 16. When the camera 20 photographs the eye to be examined, the imaging element 24 and the IC chip 26 generate heat.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the heat dissipation unit 30 is disposed on the -Z direction side of the camera 20. The heat dissipation unit 30 is disposed adjacent to the camera 20. The heat dissipation unit 30 releases the heat generated from the camera 20 to the outside of the ophthalmic device 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the heat dissipation unit 30 includes a heat dissipation main body 32, a fan 40, a heat sink 46, a heat spreader 50, a heat conductive silicon 52, and a support member 54.

[0020] The heat dissipation main body 32 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape and is formed of aluminum. A cooling passage 38 having an air supply port 34 and an exhaust port 36 is provided in the heat dissipation main body 32. The air supply port 34 and the exhaust port 36 are provided on the upper surface of the heat dissipation main body 32 and communicate with the outside of the ophthalmic device 10. The cooling passage 38 has a substantially U shape. A fan 40 is installed at the air supply port 34. When the fan 40 is operated, external air is taken in from the air supply port 34. Therefore, when the fan 40 is operated, the external air enters the cooling passage 38 from the air supply port 34, passes through the cooling passage 38, and is discharged from the exhaust port 36. A sponge member 42 is disposed around the fan 40. The sponge member 42 is installed to block the gaps around the fan 40. Also, a sponge member 44 is disposed on the upper surface of the heat dissipation main body 32. The sponge member 44 has a shape that substantially coincides with the heat dissipation main body 32 when viewed from above, and through holes are provided so as to substantially coincide with the air supply port 34 and the exhaust port 36, respectively. The sponge member 44 is installed to fix the heat dissipation main body 32 in close contact with the housing 12. The cooling passage 38 communicates with the outside through the air supply port 34 and the exhaust port 36 and does not communicate with the accommodation space 18 of the housing 12.

[0021] In addition, both the air intake port 34 and the exhaust port 36 are provided on the upper surface of the heat dissipation main body 32 and open upward. In the installation location of the ophthalmic device 10, multiple devices are often arranged side by side. For this reason, other devices may be arranged on the side of the ophthalmic device 10. When intake air is taken in from the side, it may not be possible to intake air sufficiently due to other devices, or air at a higher temperature than the average air temperature of the installation location (for example, the examination room) may be taken in due to the heat from other devices. Since the air intake port 34 opens upward, cooling air can be smoothly taken in. Also, when exhausting air laterally, it may be exhausted toward the subject or examiner near the ophthalmic device 10. Since the exhaust port 36 opens upward, it is possible to avoid giving discomfort to the subject or examiner due to the exhaust.

[0022] The heat sink 46 is formed of aluminum and is disposed on the lower surface of the heat dissipation main body 32. The heat sink 46 includes a plurality of fins 46a, and the plurality of fins 46a penetrate the lower surface of the heat dissipation main body 32 and are exposed in the cooling passage 38. A sponge member 48 is disposed between the heat sink 46 and the heat dissipation main body 32. The sponge member 48 is installed to fill the gap between the heat sink 46 and the heat dissipation main body 32. That is, an opening into which the heat sink 46 is inserted is formed in the lower surface of the heat dissipation main body 32, and the gap between this opening and the heat sink 46 is sealed with the sponge member 48. Thereby, the internal space of the cooling passage 38 and the accommodation space 18 of the housing 12 are isolated.

[0023] The heat spreader 50 is formed of aluminum and is disposed between the heat sink 46 and the substrate 22. The heat spreader 50 is substantially L-shaped as shown in FIG. 4, and includes a first portion 50a disposed parallel to the lower surface of the heat dissipation body 32 and a second portion 50b disposed orthogonal to the first portion 50a. The first portion 50a is in contact with the lower surface of the heat sink 46. The second portion 50b is connected to the end portion of the first portion 50a on the +Z direction side and is in contact with a heat conduction silicon 52 and a support member 54 to be described later. Specifically, the surface of the second portion 50b on the -Z direction side is in contact with the sponge member 48 and is separated from the heat dissipation body 32. The surface of the second portion 50b on the +Z direction side has its central portion in contact with the heat conduction silicon 52 and its peripheral portion in contact with the support member 54.

[0024] The heat conduction silicon 52 is in a flat plate shape and is disposed so as to be in contact with the second portion 50b and the substrate 22. Specifically, the surface of the heat conduction silicon 52 on the -Z direction side is in contact with the surface of the second portion 50b on the +Z direction side. The surface of the heat conduction silicon 52 on the +Z direction side is in contact with the surface of the substrate 22 on the -Z direction side (i.e., the back surface 22b). The surface of the heat conduction silicon 52 on the +Z direction side is also in contact with the IC chip 26 mounted on the back surface 22b of the substrate 22. In this embodiment, although the heat conduction silicon 52 is in contact with both the back surface 22b of the substrate 22 and the IC chip 26, it may be in contact with only the back surface 22b of the substrate 22 or only the IC chip 26.

[0025] The heat from the IC chip 26 and the heat from the imaging element 24 transmitted through the substrate 22 are transmitted to the heat-conductive silicon 52 and then transmitted through the heat-conductive silicon 52 to the second portion 50b of the heat spreader 50. The heat transmitted to the second portion 50b is transmitted to the heat dissipation body 32 and then transmitted from the inner wall of the heat dissipation body 32 to the air flowing in the cooling passage 38. Also, the heat transmitted to the second portion 50b is transmitted to the first portion 50a and then transmitted through the first portion 50a to the heat sink 46. The heat transmitted to the heat sink 46 is transmitted from the fins 46a to the air flowing in the cooling passage 38. The heat transmitted to the air flowing in the cooling passage 38 is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 36. In this way, the heat dissipation unit 30 can efficiently cool the camera 20 (specifically, the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24).

[0026] Also, only the fins 46a are arranged in the cooling passage 38, and the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24 to be cooled are not arranged. Also, the cooling passage 38 does not communicate with the accommodation space 18 where the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24 to be cooled are arranged. Therefore, even if the fan 40 is operated to cool the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24, the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24 are not exposed to dust or the like carried from the outside by the fan 40. Therefore, the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24 can be cooled without degrading the imaging accuracy of the camera 20.

[0027] The support member 54 is flat and made of aluminum. The surface on the -Z direction side of the support member 54 is arranged in contact with the surface 22a of the substrate 22 and the surface on the +Z direction side of the second portion 50b of the heat spreader 50. The substrate 22 is fixed to the support member 54, and the support member 54 is arranged on the +Z direction side of the substrate 22, thereby supporting the substrate 22 immovably. The support member 54 is provided with a through hole for the imaging element 24 to receive light at the portion where the imaging element 24 is arranged when viewed along the Z direction.

[0028] The heat from the imaging element 24 and the heat from the IC chip 26 transmitted through the substrate 22 are also transmitted to the support member 54 and, via the support member 54, to the second portion 50b of the heat spreader 50. The heat transmitted to the second portion 50b is transmitted to the heat dissipation body 32 and then transmitted from the inner wall of the heat dissipation body 32 to the air flowing in the cooling passage 38. Further, the heat transmitted to the second portion 50b is transmitted to the first portion 50a and, via the first portion 50a, to the heat sink 46. The heat transmitted to the heat sink 46 is transmitted from the fins 46a to the air flowing in the cooling passage 38. By disposing the support member 54, the substrate 22 is held (supported) in cooperation with the heat dissipation body 32, and the camera 20 (specifically, the IC chip 26 and the imaging element 24) can also be cooled from the surface 22a side of the substrate 22 via the support member 54. In this way, by providing both a path for transmitting heat from the surface 22a side of the substrate 22 to the heat dissipation portion 30 and a path for transmitting heat from the back surface 22b side of the substrate 22 to the heat dissipation portion 30, the camera 20 can be efficiently cooled.

[0029] The control unit 16 is constituted by a microcomputer (microprocessor) including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit 16 is connected to the camera 20, the drive mechanism of the optical system unit 14, and the fan 40, and controls the camera 20, the drive mechanism of the optical system unit 14, and the fan 40. As shown in FIG. 1, a heat pipe 60 is disposed between the control unit 16 and the heat dissipation portion 30. During the use of the ophthalmic apparatus 10, the control unit 16 also generates heat. The heat from the control unit 16 is transmitted to the heat pipe 60 and, via the heat pipe 60, to the heat dissipation portion 30 (specifically, the air in the cooling passage 38). By disposing the heat pipe 60, the heat from the control unit 16 can also be efficiently transmitted to the heat dissipation portion 30. Therefore, the control unit 16, which is a heat generating portion other than the camera 20 of the ophthalmic apparatus 10, can also be efficiently cooled.

[0030] Note that, in this embodiment, the heat dissipation body 32 of the heat dissipation unit 30, the heat sink 46, the heat spreader 50, and the support member 54 were all formed of aluminum, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The heat dissipation body 32, the heat sink 46, the heat spreader 50, and the support member 54 only need to be formed of a material capable of efficiently transmitting the heat from the camera 20 to the cooling passage 38, and the material thereof is not particularly limited. For example, in order to facilitate heat transfer, the heat dissipation body 32, the heat sink 46, the heat spreader 50, and the support member 54 can be formed of a material with a higher thermal conductivity than non-metallic materials such as resins (for example, metals such as gold and copper).

[0031] Also, in this embodiment, the thermal conductive silicone 52 was disposed between the back surface 22b of the substrate 22 and the second portion 50b of the heat spreader 50, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the thermal conductive silicone may be disposed between the front surface 22a of the substrate 22 and the support member 54. Further, in this embodiment, the heat dissipation unit 30 was configured to transfer heat from the front surface 22a and the back surface 22b of the substrate 22 to the cooling passage 38, but it may also be configured to transfer heat from the side surface of the support member 54 to the cooling passage 38.

[0032] Points to note regarding the ophthalmic device 10 described in the embodiment will be described. The IC chip 26 in the embodiment is an example of an "arithmetic element", the thermal conductive silicone 52 is an example of a "first heat transfer member", and the heat spreader 50 is an example of a "second heat transfer member".

[0033] As described above, specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail, but these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and changes of the specific examples illustrated above. Further, the technical elements described in this specification or the drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. In addition, the technology illustrated in this specification or the drawings achieves a plurality of purposes simultaneously, and has technical utility by achieving one of those purposes itself.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0034] 10: Ophthalmic device 12: Housing 14: Optical system unit 16: Control unit 18: Accommodation space 20: Camera 22: Substrate 24: Image sensor 26: IC chip 30: Heat dissipation part 32: Heat dissipation body 34: Air inlet 36: Exhaust port 38: Cooling passage 40: Fan 46: Heat sink 50: Heat spreader 52: Thermal conductive silicon 54: Support member 60: Heat pipe

Claims

1. A camera for photographing an eye to be examined, an optical system unit for photographing the eye to be examined with the camera, a housing having an accommodation space for accommodating the camera and the optical system unit, a heat radiating unit for radiating heat generated from the camera, wherein, the heat radiating unit includes a fan and a cooling passage having an air intake port and an air exhaust port, when the fan operates, air is sucked in from the outside of the housing through the air intake port, flows through the cooling passage, and is exhausted to the outside of the housing through the air exhaust port, the heat generated from the camera is radiated to the air flowing through the cooling passage, the cooling passage does not communicate with the accommodation space, the camera includes a substrate and an imaging element mounted on a second surface of the substrate opposite to a first surface facing the heat radiating unit, a support member that contacts the second surface and supports the substrate, and a second heat transfer member disposed between the support member and the heat radiating unit, wherein the second heat transfer member contacts a surface of the support member that contacts the substrate and the heat radiating unit, and transfers heat from the imaging element to the heat radiating unit via the support member, an ophthalmic device.

2. the camera is mounted on the first surface and further includes an arithmetic element for processing an image captured, further includes a first heat transfer member for transferring heat from the arithmetic element to the heat radiating unit, the substrate is disposed so as to face the heat radiating unit via the first heat transfer member, the first heat transfer member is disposed between the first surface and the heat radiating unit and is in contact with the first surface and the heat radiating unit, the ophthalmic device according to claim 1.

3. The first heat transfer member transfers heat from the imaging element to the heat radiating unit via the substrate, the ophthalmic device according to claim 2.

4. the camera is mounted on the first surface of the substrate and further includes an arithmetic element for processing an image captured, the second heat transfer member transfers heat from the arithmetic element to the heat radiating unit via the substrate, the ophthalmic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the air intake port opens upward of the ophthalmic device, the air exhaust port opens upward of the ophthalmic device, the ophthalmic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images