Ophthalmic device and ophthalmic system

Abstract

To provide an ophthalmologic apparatus capable of safely setting an approach limit position at an appropriate position, and an ophthalmologic system.SOLUTION: An ophthalmologic apparatus includes: a head acquiring eye characteristics of the eye to be tested; a relative movement mechanism which relatively moves the head with respect to the eye to be tested; a non-contact type sensor which is provided for the head and detects approach of the head to the eye to be tested in a non-contact manner; a remote operation reception unit for receiving remote operation from outside; a detection control unit which continuously outputs a detection value from the non-contact type sensor while driving the relative movement mechanism and having the head approach relatively to the eye to be tested when the remote operation reception unit receives setting start operation of the approach limit position of the head with respect to the eye to be tested as remote operation; and a setting unit which sets the approach limit position on the basis of the detection value continuously outputted by the non-contact type sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remotely operable ophthalmic apparatus and an ophthalmic system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a non-contact tonometer that measures the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye without contacting the cornea by blowing air (fluid) from a nozzle toward the cornea of ​​the subject's eye to deform the cornea and detecting the state of deformation (see Patent Document 1).The non-contact tonometer irradiates the cornea with index light in synchronization with the blowing of air from the nozzle onto the cornea, detects the amount of light of the index light reflected by the cornea, and calculates the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye based on the amount of light reflected when the cornea is deformed into a flattened state (applanation state) and the pressure of the air.

[0003] Before starting to measure the intraocular pressure of a subject's eye using a non-contact tonometer, it is necessary to align the measurement head (nozzle) of the non-contact tonometer with the subject's eye, but during this alignment, it is necessary to prevent contact between the nozzle and the subject's eye or face. In particular, in recent years, there have been cases where examiners remotely operate non-contact tonometers from a distance (see Patent Document 2), and there is a demand for reliable prevention of contact of the nozzle with the subject's eye, etc. For this reason, in non-contact tonometers, it is common to set the position of a safety stopper (setting of a safety device), which is the limit position at which the nozzle (measurement head) can approach the subject's eye.

[0004] Furthermore, in the non-contact tonometer described in Patent Document 1, a camera installed in a position capable of photographing the nozzle and the corneal apex of the subject's eye captures video of the nozzle and the subject's eye, and the video image of the nozzle and the subject's eye is displayed on a monitor. With the non-contact tonometer described in Patent Document 1, the examiner can check the positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye in real time, preventing the nozzle from coming into contact with the subject's eye without having to set the position of a safety stopper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-165991 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-38518 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Incidentally, when setting the position of the safety stopper in a non-contact tonometer, it is necessary to bring the nozzle (measurement head) close to the subject's eye. At this time, if the examiner is near the non-contact tonometer, the examiner can visually check the positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye while bringing the nozzle close to the subject's eye, allowing the safety stopper to be set at an appropriate and safe position. However, when the position of the safety stopper is set by remote control, the examiner cannot visually check the positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye. This makes it difficult to set the position of the safety stopper at an appropriate and safe position.

[0007] For this reason, it is conceivable to make it possible to confirm the positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye by using a camera to capture video of the nozzle and the subject's eye and displaying the video on a monitor, as described in Patent Document 1. However, with remote operation, depending on the speed of the communication line connecting the non-contact tonometer and the examiner's terminal, there may be a delay between the actual positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye and the positions of the nozzle and the subject's eye that the examiner confirms on the monitor. Therefore, in this case, there is a risk that the nozzle will come into contact with the subject's eye.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ophthalmic apparatus and an ophthalmic system that can set the approach limit position at an appropriate position and safely. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An ophthalmic device for achieving the object of the present invention comprises a head for acquiring ocular characteristics of the test eye, a relative movement mechanism for moving the head relative to the test eye, a non-contact sensor provided on the head for non-contact detection of the head's approach to the test eye, a remote operation reception unit for receiving remote operation from outside, a detection control unit that, when the remote operation reception unit receives an operation to start setting the head's approach limit position relative to the test eye as a remote operation, drives the relative movement mechanism to bring the head closer relative to the test eye while continuously outputting detection values ​​from the non-contact sensor, and a setting unit that sets the approach limit position based on the detection values ​​continuously output from the non-contact sensor.

[0010] With this ophthalmic device, the examiner can safely bring the head close to the eye to be examined without having to directly visually confirm the position of the eye to be examined and the head, or check moving images of the eye to be examined and the measurement head.

[0011] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the setting unit determines whether a detection value continuously output from the non-contact sensor reaches a predetermined threshold, and determines the relative position of the head with respect to the subject's eye when it is determined that the detection value has reached the threshold as the approach limit position. This makes it possible to set the approach limit position appropriately and safely.

[0012] In another aspect of the ophthalmologic apparatus of the present invention, the head includes a nozzle that sprays a fluid onto the cornea of ​​the subject's eye, and when a direction parallel to the central axis of the nozzle is defined as the working distance direction and a direction perpendicular to both the working distance direction and the up-down direction is defined as the left-right direction, the non-contact sensor has directivity toward the front side of the nozzle, and when the nozzle is viewed from the left-right direction, the directivity is weaker above the central axis than below it, thereby preventing the non-contact sensor from erroneously detecting the subject's forehead.

[0013] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, when a straight line that is perpendicular to the central axis and parallel to the left-right direction is taken as a parallel line, the non-contact sensor is formed in a region below the parallel line in the annular region that surrounds the nozzle when viewed from the tip side of the nozzle, thereby preventing the non-contact sensor from erroneously detecting the forehead of the subject.

[0014] An ophthalmic device for achieving the object of the present invention comprises a head for acquiring ocular characteristics of the subject's eye, a relative movement mechanism for moving the head relative to the subject's eye, a distance measurement sensor provided on the head for acquiring distance information indicating the distance from the head to the subject's eye, a remote operation reception unit for accepting remote operation from outside, a sensor control unit for causing the distance measurement sensor to acquire distance information when the remote operation reception unit accepts, as remote operation, an operation to start setting the approach limit position of the head relative to the subject's eye, and a setting unit for setting the approach limit position based on the distance information acquired by the distance measurement sensor.

[0015] According to this ophthalmologic apparatus, the approach limit position can be set without moving the head relative to the eye to be examined.

[0016] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the distance measuring sensor acquires a distance image of the subject's eye as distance information, and the setting unit sets the approach limit position based on the distance image, thereby enabling the approach limit position to be set without moving the head relative to the subject's eye.

[0017] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the distance measuring sensor simultaneously acquires distance images of the left and right eyes of the subject, thereby allowing the approach limit positions of the left and right eyes to be set simultaneously.

[0018] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the distance measuring sensor acquires stereoscopic images of the subject's eye as distance information, and the setting unit sets the approach limit position based on the stereoscopic images, thereby enabling the approach limit position to be set without moving the head relative to the subject's eye.

[0019] In the ophthalmologic apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention, the distance measuring sensor acquires distance information for the subject's eye with the eyelid closed, thereby enabling reliable acquisition of distance information for the subject's eye, and therefore reliable execution of setting of the approach limit position.

[0020] The device further includes a restriction control unit that controls the relative movement mechanism based on the approach limit position set by the setting unit to restrict the head from approaching the subject's eye beyond the approach limit position, thereby reliably preventing the head from coming into contact with the subject's eye.

[0021] An ophthalmic system for achieving the object of the present invention comprises a remote control device for inputting remote operations, and the above-mentioned ophthalmic device that is connected to the remote control device via a network and operates in accordance with the remote operations input to the remote control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] The present invention can set the approach limit position at an appropriate and safe position. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an ophthalmologic system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the measuring head according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the measuring head of the first embodiment as seen from the subject side. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged front view of the electrodes of the capacitance type sensor in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the directionality of a capacitance type sensor. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a stopper position setting screen. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control device of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining control of a drive mechanism and a capacitance type sensor by a detection control unit. FIG. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the position setting of the safety stopper by the setting unit. FIG. [Figure 10] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ophthalmologic system of the first embodiment, in particular the flow of processing for setting the position of a safety stopper relative to the measurement head of the ophthalmologic apparatus. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a measurement head of an ophthalmologic apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an ophthalmologic system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the imaging range of the subject's face by a TOF camera. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining acquisition of distance images of the left and right eyes of a subject with the eyelids closed by a TOF camera. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ophthalmologic system of the second embodiment, in particular the flow of processing for setting the position of a safety stopper relative to the measurement head of the ophthalmologic apparatus. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a measurement head of an ophthalmologic apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an ophthalmologic system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 18] 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a modified example in which the position of the safety stopper of the measuring head is set based on stereoscopic images. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] [First embodiment] 1 is a schematic diagram of an ophthalmologic system 9 according to a first embodiment. Among the mutually orthogonal X, Y, and Z directions (three axis directions) in the figure, the Y direction is the up-down direction, the Z direction is the front-to-back direction (also referred to as the working distance direction) parallel to the front direction approaching the subject (subject's eye E) and the back direction moving away from the subject, and the X direction is the left-to-right direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the front-to-back direction.

[0025] 1, an ophthalmic system 9 remotely controls an ophthalmic apparatus 10 to measure various eye characteristics such as the intraocular pressure, ocular refractive power, and corneal curvature (corneal shape) of a subject's eye E. The ophthalmic system 9 is composed of the ophthalmic apparatus 10 and a remote control device 30.

[0026] The ophthalmic apparatus 10 is a multifunction device capable of measuring the intraocular pressure value, ocular refractive power, corneal curvature, etc. of the subject's eye E, and is remotely controlled by a remote control device 30. The ophthalmic apparatus 10 includes a base 11, a face support unit 12, a drive mechanism 13, a measurement head 14 (also referred to as the apparatus main body), a monitor 15, and a control device 16 (see FIG. 7).

[0027] A face support unit 12 and a drive mechanism 13 are provided on the base 11 from the front side to the rear side in the Z direction.

[0028] The face support portion 12 includes a chin rest portion 12a that supports the subject's chin and a forehead rest portion 12b that the subject's forehead abuts against, and supports the subject's face.

[0029] The drive mechanism 13 corresponds to the relative movement mechanism of the present invention and is configured by an actuator (not shown), such as a motor. The drive mechanism 13 moves the measurement head 14 in the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the base 11. This allows the measurement head 14 to move in the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the subject's eye E. Then, by driving the drive mechanism 13 under the control of a control device 16 (see FIG. 7), which will be described later, it becomes possible to align the measurement head 14 in the X, Y, and Z directions with the subject's eye.

[0030] Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the measurement head 14 of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2 and the above-described Fig. 1, the measurement head 14 is provided with a variety of ophthalmic measurement devices including a non-contact tonometer 14A and an autorefractometer 14B.

[0031] The non-contact tonometer 14A measures the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye E in a non-contact manner by blowing air (fluid) from a nozzle 20 toward the cornea of ​​the subject's eye E to deform the cornea and detecting the state of deformation.

[0032] The non-contact tonometer 14A includes a nozzle 20, a window glass 22 in which the nozzle 20 is provided, and a convex glass holding portion 24 that holds the window glass 22. The non-contact tonometer 14A emits alignment index light, fixation target light, and the like toward the subject's eye E through the inside of the nozzle 20 or the window glass 22, and receives reflected light of the alignment index light, fixation target light, and the like reflected by the subject's eye E.

[0033] The non-contact tonometer 14A has a detailed configuration that is publicly known (see, for example, Patent Document 1) except that an electrode 26a (see FIG. 3) of a capacitance sensor 26 described below is formed in the glass holding portion 24, and therefore will not be described here.

[0034] The autorefractometer 14B measures the ocular refractive power, corneal curvature, and the like of the subject's eye E using various optical systems 25. Note that the specific configuration of the autorefractometer 14B is also a publicly known technique (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-7774), and therefore description thereof will be omitted here.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the measurement head 14 of the first embodiment as seen from the subject side. Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the electrode 26a of the capacitance sensor 26 in Fig. 3. Note that the symbol AX in the figure indicates the central axis of the nozzle 20 parallel to the Z direction, and the symbol HL in the figure is a parallel line that is a straight line parallel to the X direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front side of the measurement head 14 facing the subject is provided with a convex glass holding portion 24 that holds the window glass 22, and a capacitance sensor 26 that corresponds to the non-contact sensor of the present invention.

[0037] The capacitance sensor 26 detects the approach of the nozzle 20 to the subject's face (including the subject's eye E) under the control of a control device 16 (see FIG. 7) described below. The capacitance sensor 26 is, for example, a self-capacitance type, and has an electrode 26a and a detection circuit 26b.

[0038] Electrode 26a is provided on glass holder 24 and forms a pseudo-capacitor between itself and the subject's face. When viewed from the tip side of nozzle 20, electrode 26a is formed in a region below parallel line HL within the annular region surrounding nozzle 20, i.e., formed in a substantially semi-annular shape. Here, "formed in a region below parallel line HL" includes both cases where electrode 26a is formed in the entire region below parallel line HL as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and cases where electrode 26a is formed in a part of the region below parallel line HL.

[0039] The detection circuit 26b is provided, for example, inside (or outside) the measurement head 14 and is connected to the electrode 26a via wiring 26c. This detection circuit 26b detects the capacitance generated by the pseudo-capacitor and outputs the detected value to the control device 16 (see FIG. 7). The capacitance of the pseudo-capacitor increases as the distance between the electrode 26a and the subject's face decreases, and conversely, the capacitance of the pseudo-capacitor decreases as the distance between the electrode 26a and the subject's face increases. Therefore, the distance between the electrode 26a (nozzle 20) and the subject's face can be detected based on the capacitance detected by the detection circuit 26b. As a result, the approach of the nozzle 20 to the subject's face can be detected by the capacitance sensor 26.

[0040] Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the directivity of capacitance sensor 26. Note that the symbol RD in the figure indicates the detection range of capacitance sensor 26. Furthermore, the detection range RD shown in Fig. 5 is an example, and the range can be changed as appropriate.

[0041] 5, by forming electrode 26a in a substantially semi-annular shape, the detection range RD of capacitance sensor 26 is limited above central axis AX when nozzle 20 and glass holding part 24 are viewed from any one side in the X direction. As a result, capacitance sensor 26 has directivity toward the front side of nozzle 20, but when nozzle 20 is viewed from the X direction side (left and right side), the directivity is weaker above central axis AX than below it.

[0042] By weakening the directivity of the capacitance sensor 26 above the central axis AX in this way, a sufficient distance is ensured between the electrode 26a and the subject's forehead even when the nozzle 20 is brought within a predetermined distance from the subject's eye E. Therefore, even if the subject's forehead protrudes (for example, if the subject has deeply carved features), the capacitance sensor 26 is prevented from erroneously detecting the subject's forehead.

[0043] Returning to FIG. 1, the monitor 15 is attached to the rear side of the measurement head 14. For example, a touch panel monitor is used as this monitor 15. The monitor 15 displays an observation image of the subject's eye E under the control of a control device 16 (see FIG. 7), which will be described later. The monitor 15 also displays measurement results of eye characteristics such as the intraocular pressure value, eye refractive power, and corneal curvature of the subject's eye E. Furthermore, the monitor 15 displays an operation menu screen for performing various operations and a stopper position setting screen 36, which will be described later, and accepts operation inputs for each screen.

[0044] The remote control device 30 is an input device such as a personal computer or a tablet terminal, and is used to remotely control the ophthalmic apparatus 10. The remote control device 30 is connected to the Internet 34 (network) via a router 32, and is further connected to the control device 16 (see FIG. 7) of the ophthalmic apparatus 10 via the Internet 34. The remote control device 30 includes an operation unit 30a, a monitor 30b, and an operation device main body 30c.

[0045] The operation unit 30a uses, for example, a keyboard and a mouse, and accepts inputs by the examiner for remotely operating the ophthalmologic apparatus 10. This remote operation includes, for example, an operation for moving the measurement head 14 in the X, Y, and Z directions, an operation for starting measurement of the intraocular pressure value of the subject's eye E by the non-contact tonometer 14A, an operation for starting measurement of the ocular refractive power and corneal curvature of the subject's eye E by the autorefractometer 14B, an operation for displaying a stopper position setting screen 36 described later, and an operation for starting settings described later.

[0046] The monitor 30b is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays the same screen as the display screen of the monitor 15 when the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 is remotely operated.

[0047] The operation device main body 30c is connected to the router 32 wirelessly or by wire, and is further connected to the ophthalmic apparatus 10 from the router 32 via the Internet 34. The operation device main body 30c exchanges various information with the ophthalmic apparatus 10 when the ophthalmic apparatus 10 is remotely operated.

[0048] Specifically, the operation device main body 30c outputs remote operation information input to the operation unit 30a by the examiner to the ophthalmic apparatus 10. Conversely, the operation device main body 30c acquires screen information of the monitor 15 from the ophthalmic apparatus 10. Then, based on the screen information of the monitor 15 acquired from the ophthalmic apparatus 10, the operation device main body 30c displays (duplicates) on the monitor 30b a screen identical to the display screen (display content) displayed on the monitor 15. For example, in this embodiment, the screen of the monitor 15 is duplicated in a web browser displayed on the monitor 30b. As a result, when the ophthalmic apparatus 10 is remotely operated, the monitor 30b displays an observation image of the subject's eye E, measurement results of the ocular characteristics of the subject's eye E, an operation menu screen, a stopper position setting screen 36 (described later), and the like.

[0049] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the stopper position setting screen 36. As shown in FIG. 6, the stopper position setting screen 36 is used for starting the setting operation (hereinafter abbreviated as the setting start operation) of the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14. Here, the position of the safety stopper is the approach limit position of the measurement head 14 with respect to the subject's eye E when the measurement head 14 is moved forward in the Z direction (toward the subject's eye E), i.e., when the measurement head 14 is moved closer to the subject's eye E. The position of this safety stopper is set by the control device 16, which will be described later, to a position that reliably prevents the nozzle 20, which protrudes furthest forward in the Z direction from the measurement head 14, from contacting the subject's eye E (the subject's face). Therefore, when the measurement head 14 is positioned rearward in the Z direction from the position of the safety stopper, contact of the nozzle 20 with the subject's eye E is reliably prevented.

[0050] The stopper position setting screen 36 is provided with a display area 36a, a setting button 36b, and a cancel button 36c.

[0051] The display area 36a displays an observation image of the subject's eye E acquired by the non-contact tonometer 14A. Based on the observation image displayed in this display area 36a, the examiner adjusts the position of the measurement head 14 in the X and Y directions, thereby enabling rough XY alignment of the nozzle 20 of the non-contact tonometer 14A with respect to the subject's eye E. Note that rough XY alignment may be performed automatically by analyzing the observation image in a control device 16 (see FIG. 7), which will be described later.

[0052] The setting button 36b is used by the examiner to input a setting start operation. When the setting start operation is performed using the setting button 36b, operation information for the setting start operation is output from the operation device main body 30c to the ophthalmic apparatus 10 via the router 32 and the Internet 34. This causes the ophthalmic apparatus 10 to start setting the position of the safety stopper.

[0053] The cancel button 36c is used to cancel the position setting of the safety stopper. When the cancel operation is performed using the cancel button 36c, operation information of the cancel operation is output from the operation device main body 30c to the ophthalmic apparatus 10 via the router 32 and the Internet 34. This causes the ophthalmic apparatus 10 to cancel the position setting of the safety stopper.

[0054] 7 is a functional block diagram of the control device 16 of the ophthalmic apparatus 10 of the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 7, the control device 16 is provided, for example, inside the base 11 or the measurement head 14, and controls the operations of the ophthalmic apparatus 10, such as intraocular pressure measurement, eye refractive power measurement, corneal curvature measurement, and stopper position setting. In addition to the face support unit 12, drive mechanism 13, measurement head 14 (non-contact tonometer 14A and auto refractor 14B), and monitor 15, a communication interface 37, a remote operation reception unit 38, and the like are connected to the control device 16.

[0055] The communication interface 37 is connected to the remote operation device 30 via the Internet 34 and the router 32, and outputs remote operation information input from the remote operation device 30 to the remote operation reception unit 38. The communication interface 37 also outputs screen information of the monitor 15 input from the control device 16 to the remote operation device 30.

[0056] The remote operation receiving unit 38 receives remote operations input from the remote operation device 30 via the communication interface 37 or the like, and inputs the remote operations to the control device 16. As a result, the control device 16 controls the operation of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 based on the remote operations input from the remote operation receiving unit 38.

[0057] The control device 16 includes an arithmetic circuit configured with various processors, memories, etc. The various processors include a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a programmable logic device (e.g., simple programmable logic devices (SPLD), complex programmable logic devices (CPLD), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGA)). The various functions of the control device 16 may be realized by a single processor or by multiple processors of the same or different types.

[0058] The control device 16 functions as a tonometer control unit 40, an autorefractometer control unit 42, a display control unit 44, a detection control unit 46, a setting unit 48, and a regulation control unit 50 by reading and executing a control program stored in a memory unit not shown.

[0059] The tonometer control unit 40 controls the photographing of the subject's eye E by the non-contact tonometer 14A, the alignment of the non-contact tonometer 14A (measurement head 14) with respect to the subject's eye E, and the measurement of the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye E by the non-contact tonometer 14A. Note that the function of the tonometer control unit 40, i.e., the measurement of the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye E by the non-contact tonometer 14A, is a known technique, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0060] The auto-refractometer control unit 42 controls the photographing of the subject's eye E by the auto-refractometer 14B, the alignment of the auto-refractometer 14B (measurement head 14) with respect to the subject's eye E, the measurement of the ocular refractive power of the subject's eye E by the auto-refractometer 14B, and the measurement of the corneal curvature of the subject's eye E by the auto-refractometer 14B. Note that the functions of the auto-refractometer control unit 42, i.e., the measurement of the ocular refractive power and corneal curvature of the subject's eye E by the auto-refractometer 14B, are well-known techniques, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0061] The display control unit 44 controls the display on the monitor 15. Specifically, when measuring the intraocular pressure of the subject's eye E, the display control unit 44 causes the monitor 15 to display an observation image of the subject's eye E photographed by the non-contact tonometer 14A and the measurement results of the intraocular pressure value of the subject's eye E measured by the non-contact tonometer 14A. Furthermore, when measuring the ocular refractive power and corneal curvature of the subject's eye E, the display control unit 44 causes the monitor 15 to display an observation image of the subject's eye E photographed by the autorefractometer 14B and the measurement results of the ocular refractive power and corneal curvature of the subject's eye E measured by the autorefractometer 14B.

[0062] Furthermore, when the remote operation receiving unit 38 receives a display operation for the stopper position setting screen 36, or when a display operation for the stopper position setting screen 36 is input by a touch operation on the monitor 15, the display control unit 44 generates the stopper position setting screen 36 based on the observation image of the subject's eye E acquired by the non-contact tonometer 14A and displays it on the monitor 15. This makes it possible to perform rough XY alignment based on the display in the display area 36a, or to operate the setting button 36b to start setting.

[0063] Furthermore, while the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 is being remotely controlled by the remote control device 30, the display control unit 44 continuously (successively) outputs the screen information of the monitor 15 to the remote control device 30 via the communication interface 37, the Internet 34, and the router 32. As a result, as described above, the same screen as the display screen displayed on the monitor 15 is duplicated on the monitor 30b.

[0064] 8 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the control of the drive mechanism 13 and the capacitance sensor 26 by the detection control unit 46. As shown by reference numeral 8A in FIG. 8 and the above-described FIG. 7, the detection control unit 46 operates when a setting start operation is performed on the stopper position setting screen 36 after the above-described rough XY alignment. It is assumed that a sufficient distance in the Z direction is secured between the nozzle 20 and the eye E to be examined after the rough XY alignment is completed.

[0065] When the setting start operation is performed, the detection control unit 46 drives the drive mechanism 13 to move the measurement head 14 forward in the Z direction, as shown by reference numeral 8B in Fig. 8. At this point, the position of the safety stopper has not yet been set, so it is preferable that the eye E be in a closed state to reliably avoid contact of the nozzle 20 with the eye E.

[0066] Furthermore, while the driving mechanism 13 is moving the measurement head 14 forward in the Z direction, the detection control unit 46 continuously operates the capacitance sensor 26 to repeatedly acquire detection values ​​from the detection circuit 26b and repeatedly output the acquired detection values ​​to the setting unit 48. The detection value is an index showing the face distance (distance information), which is the distance from the nozzle 20 to the subject's face (subject's eye E), and increases as this face distance becomes shorter.

[0067] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the position setting of the safety stopper by the setting unit 48. As shown in FIG. 9 and the previously described FIGS. 7 and 8, each time a detection value of the capacitance sensor 26 is input from the detection control unit 46, the setting unit 48 determines whether the detection value is greater than a predetermined threshold. This threshold is determined, for example, based on the detection value of capacitance when the face distance is 5 mm to 9 mm. When the detection value reaches the threshold, the setting unit 48 stops the movement of the measurement head 14 by the detection control unit 46 and determines the Z-direction position SP, which is the relative position of the measurement head 14 (nozzle 20) in the Z direction with respect to the eye E at that time, as the position of the safety stopper. This position information of the safety stopper is stored in a storage unit (not shown) by the setting unit 48.

[0068] 7, the restriction control unit 50 monitors the position of the measuring head 14 in the Z direction based on the position information of the safety stopper stored in a storage unit (not shown). Then, the restriction control unit 50 controls the drive mechanism 13 to restrict (prohibit) the measuring head 14 from moving forward in the Z direction beyond the position of the safety stopper, i.e., from approaching relatively close to the subject's eye E.

[0069] [Operation of the first embodiment] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ophthalmologic system 9 of the first embodiment configured as described above, in particular the flow of processing for setting the position of the safety stopper relative to the measurement head 14 of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10.

[0070] 10, the examiner operates the operation unit 30a of the remote control device 30 to connect the remote control device 30 to the ophthalmic apparatus 10 via the router 32 and the Internet 34 (step SA1). This starts remote operation of the ophthalmic apparatus 10 by the remote control device 30 (step SB1).

[0071] When remote operation of the ophthalmic apparatus 10 is started, the display control unit 44 continuously outputs the screen information of the monitor 15 to the operation device main body 30c of the remote operation device 30 via the communication interface 37, the Internet 34, and the router 32 (step SB2). As a result, the operation device main body 30c copies the display screen of the monitor 15 onto the monitor 30b based on the screen information of the monitor 15 continuously input from the ophthalmic apparatus 10 (step SA2).

[0072] Next, the examiner inputs a display operation for the stopper position setting screen 36 to the operation unit 30a (step SA3). As a result, the operation information for this display operation is received by the remote operation receiving unit 38 via the router 32 and the Internet 34 (step SB3), and the display control unit 44 causes the monitor 15 to display the stopper position setting screen 36 (step SB4). As a result, the stopper position setting screen 36 is also displayed (copied) on the monitor 30b (step SA4). Then, based on the display in the display area 36a of the stopper position setting screen 36, the examiner drives the drive mechanism 13 by remote control using the operation unit 30a, thereby performing approximate XY alignment of the non-contact tonometer 14A with the subject's eye E.

[0073] When the rough XY alignment is completed, the examiner instructs the subject to close the eyelid of the subject's eye E using audio transmission means (a microphone of the remote control device 30, a speaker of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10) (not shown), and then performs a setting start operation using the setting button 36b in the stopper position setting screen 36 (step SA5). As a result, operation information of this setting start operation is received by the remote operation receiving unit 38 via the router 32 and the Internet 34 (step SB5).

[0074] When the remote operation reception unit 38 receives the setting start operation, the detection control unit 46 and the setting unit 48 are activated. Then, the detection control unit 46 drives the drive mechanism 13 to move the measurement head 14 forward in the Z direction, thereby bringing the nozzle 20 of the measurement head 14 closer to the subject's eye E with the eyelid closed (step SB6).

[0075] In addition, while the driving mechanism 13 is moving the measurement head 14 forward in the Z direction, the detection control unit 46 continuously operates the capacitance sensor 26 to repeatedly acquire detection values ​​from the detection circuit 26b and repeatedly output the acquired detection values ​​to the setting unit 48 (step SB7).

[0076] Next, each time a detection value of the capacitance sensor 26 is input from the detection control unit 46, the setting unit 48 determines whether the detection value has reached a predetermined threshold value (step SB8). Thereafter, movement of the measuring head 14, acquisition of the detection value from the detection circuit 26b, and determination by the setting unit 48 are repeatedly executed until the detection value reaches the threshold value (NO in step SB8).

[0077] If the setting unit 48 determines that the detection value has reached the threshold value (YES in step SB8), it stops the movement of the measuring head 14 by the detection control unit 46 (drive mechanism 13) (step SB9). Then, the setting unit 48 determines the Z direction position SP of the measuring head 14 (nozzle 20) after stopping as the position of the safety stopper, and stores this position information of the safety stopper in a memory unit (not shown). This completes the setting of the position of the safety stopper of the measuring head 14 (step SB10).

[0078] When the position setting of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 is completed, the regulation control unit 50, based on the position information of the safety stopper, regulates the measurement head 14 from moving forward in the Z direction beyond the position of the safety stopper, i.e., from approaching relatively close to the subject's eye E. This prevents the nozzle 20 from coming into contact with the subject's eye E when aligning the measurement head 14 or when measuring the ocular characteristics of the subject's eye E (intraocular pressure value, ocular refractive power, corneal curvature, etc.) with the measurement head 14.

[0079] As described above, in the first embodiment, when the measurement head 14 is brought close to the subject's eye E during safety stopper position setting, the nozzle 20 can be brought close to a position a predetermined distance from the subject's eye E while avoiding contact of the nozzle 20 with the subject's eye E, based on the detection value continuously output from the capacitance sensor 26 provided around the nozzle 20. As a result, the examiner does not need to bring the measurement head 14 close to the subject's eye E while visually checking the positions of the subject's eye E and the nozzle 20, making it possible to set the safety stopper position even by remote control. Furthermore, because the ophthalmic apparatus 10 determines whether the detection value has reached a threshold value, there is no problem of a delay between the actual positions of the subject's eye E and the nozzle 20 and the positions of the subject's eye E and the nozzle 20 confirmed by the examiner on the monitor 30b, as occurs with the non-contact tonometer described in Patent Document 1. As a result, in the first embodiment, the safety stopper can be set safely at an appropriate position.

[0080] In the first embodiment, the position of the safety stopper is set based on the detection value of the capacitance sensor 26. However, for example, when the detection value of the capacitance sensor 26 reaches a threshold value, the drive mechanism 13 may be controlled to restrict further forward movement of the measuring head 14 in the Z direction. This eliminates the need to set the position of the safety stopper every time.

[0081] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a capacitance sensor 26 is used to detect the approach of the nozzle 20 to the subject's face (test eye E), but various known non-contact sensors (proximity sensors), such as an ultrasonic sensor and an infrared proximity sensor, may also be used.

[0082] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the electrode 26a of the capacitance sensor 26 is formed in an approximately semi-circular shape, but its shape is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to detect the approach of the measurement head 14 to the test eye E, and it may be formed in a circular shape, for example.

[0083] [Second embodiment] Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of the measurement head 14 of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 of the second embodiment. Fig. 12 is a block diagram of the ophthalmologic system 9 of the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, while the measurement head 14 is brought closer to the subject's eye E, it is determined whether the detection value continuously output from the capacitance sensor 26 reaches a threshold value, and when the detection value reaches the threshold value, the movement of the measurement head 14 is stopped, thereby setting the position of the safety stopper. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the position of the safety stopper is set without moving the measurement head 14.

[0084] 11 and 12, the ophthalmologic system 9 of the second embodiment has basically the same configuration as the ophthalmologic system 9 of the first embodiment, except that the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 includes a Time Of Flight (TOF) camera 80 instead of the capacitance sensor 26, and the control device 16 functions as an imaging control unit 47 instead of the detection control unit 46. Therefore, components that are the same in function or configuration as those in the ophthalmologic system 9 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0085] The TOF camera 80 corresponds to the distance measuring sensor of the present invention, and is provided on the front side facing the subject of the measurement head 14. The TOF camera 80 generates a distance image of the subject's face including the subject's eye E, and includes a light source 80a, a distance image sensor 80b, and a distance image generator 80c.

[0086] The light source 80a emits measurement light of a constant pulse width toward the face of the subject (including the subject's eye E) in synchronization with a timing signal input from a timing generator (not shown). Near-infrared light, for example, is used as this measurement light.

[0087] The range image sensor 80b is configured with a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) driver having a vertical driver, a horizontal driver, etc., and a CMOS type image sensor driven by a timing generator. Note that the range image sensor 80b is not limited to a CMOS type, and may also be an XY address type or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type image sensor.

[0088] The range image sensor 80b has a plurality of light receiving elements (photodiodes) arranged two-dimensionally, and on the incident surface side of the plurality of light receiving elements, there is provided a bandpass filter that passes only the wavelength band of the pulsed light of the measurement light (near-infrared light) emitted from the light source 80a, or a visible light cut filter that removes visible light, so that the plurality of light receiving elements of the range image sensor 80b function as pixels that are sensitive to the pulsed light of near-infrared light.

[0089] The exposure period (exposure time and exposure timing) of the distance image sensor 80b is controlled in synchronization with the emission of the measurement light from the light source 80a by a timing signal input from a timing generator (not shown). Each light receiving element of the distance image sensor 80b accumulates a charge corresponding to the amount of pulsed light incident thereon during the exposure period. The shorter the distance to the subject's face (the flight time of the measurement light), the greater the exposure amount of the light receiving element. Conversely, the longer the distance to the subject's face (the flight time), the less the exposure amount of the light receiving element. Therefore, the distance to the subject's face can be measured according to the amount of exposure of each light receiving element.

[0090] A light receiving signal corresponding to the amount of measurement light reflected by the subject's face is read from each light receiving element of the range image sensor 80b. This light receiving signal indicates the time of flight of the measurement light reflected by the subject's face and incident on the range image sensor 80b, i.e., the distance information from the TOF camera 80 to the subject's face.

[0091] The distance image generator 80c generates a distance image of the subject's face based on the light-receiving signals read from each light-receiving element of the distance image sensor 80b. As described above, the amount of light received by each light-receiving element of the distance image sensor 80b varies depending on the distance to the subject's face. Therefore, instead of the color and shade of each pixel of a typical two-dimensional image, the distance image is data containing distance information from the distance image sensor 80b to the subject's face for each pixel, i.e., data containing distance information to each point on the subject's facial surface. Therefore, the distance image represents the three-dimensional position and shape of the subject's face and the corneal surface of the subject's eye E. The distance image generator 80c outputs the generated distance image to the setting unit 48.

[0092] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the imaging range RF of the subject's face captured by the TOF camera 80. As shown in FIG. 13, the position of the TOF camera 80 on the front surface of the measurement head 14 is adjusted so that the imaging range RF of the TOF camera 80 includes the left and right eyes (both eyes) of the subject. This allows distance images (distance information) of the left and right eyes of the subject to be acquired simultaneously. This allows the setting unit 48 of the second embodiment, which will be described later, to set the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 for each of the left and right eyes of the subject. Note that instead of adjusting the position of the TOF camera 80 on the front surface of the measurement head 14, distance images of the left and right eyes of the subject may be acquired simultaneously using a wide-angle TOF camera 80.

[0093] FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the acquisition of distance images of the left and right eyes of a subject with their eyelids closed using a TOF camera 80. Because the cornea of ​​the subject's eye E is transparent, most of the measurement light emitted from the light source 80a of the TOF camera 80 passes through the cornea of ​​the subject's eye E, but a portion (approximately 2.5%) of the measurement light is reflected by the cornea. This makes it possible to generate distance images of the subject's left and right eyes (corneal surfaces) using the TOF camera 80. However, if it is difficult to generate a distance image of the corneal surface, the subject can close their eyes as shown in FIG. 14, and the TOF camera 80 can acquire distance images of the left and right eyes with their eyelids closed, i.e., of the eyelids of the left and right eyes. Because the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface of the eye are similar to the three-dimensional position and shape of the eyelids with their eyelids open, the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surfaces of the left and right eyes can be detected from the distance images of the eyelids of the left and right eyes.

[0094] 12 , the imaging control unit 47 corresponds to the sensor control unit of the present invention, and controls the capture of a distance image of the subject's face by the TOF camera 80. When a setting start operation is accepted by the remote operation accepting unit 38, the imaging control unit 47 causes the TOF camera 80 to capture a distance image of the subject's face. As a result, the distance image of the subject's face is input from the TOF camera 80 to the setting unit 48.

[0095] The setting unit 48 of the second embodiment sets the positions of the safety stoppers of the measurement head 14 for each of the subject's left and right eyes based on a distance image of the subject's face input from the TOF camera 80. For example, the setting unit 48 detects the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface (or the eyelid if the eyelids are closed) for each of the subject's left and right eyes based on the distance image. This allows the setting unit 48 to determine the relative positions of the subject's left and right eyes with respect to the measurement head 14. Next, the setting unit 48 sets the positions of the safety stoppers of the measurement head 14 for each of the left and right eyes based on the detection results of the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface for each of the subject's left and right eyes and the known positional relationship of the tip of the nozzle 20 with respect to the TOF camera 80.

[0096] [Operation of the second embodiment] Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ophthalmologic system 9 of the second embodiment configured as described above, in particular the flow of the process for setting the position of the safety stopper relative to the measurement head 14 of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10. Note that the processes from step SA1 to step SA5 and from step SB1 to step SB5 in Fig. 15 are basically the same as those in the first embodiment (see Fig. 10), and therefore will not be described here.

[0097] When the remote operation receiving unit 38 receives a setting start operation in step SB5, the imaging control unit 47 causes the TOF camera 80 to capture distance images of the subject's face (left and right eyes) (step SB6-1). As a result, the distance images of the subject's face are input from the TOF camera 80 to the setting unit 48.

[0098] Next, the setting unit 48 detects the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface for each of the subject's left and right eyes based on the distance image of the subject's face input from the TOF camera 80, and sets the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 for each of the left and right eyes based on the detection results and the known positional relationship of the tip of the nozzle 20 relative to the TOF camera 80 (step SB7-1).

[0099] As described above, in the second embodiment, by capturing a distance image of the subject's face using the TOF camera 80, it is possible to set the position of the safety stopper of the measuring head 14 based on the distance image, without having to move the measuring head 14 as in the first embodiment. As a result, it is possible to set the position of the safety stopper of the measuring head 14 more easily and in a shorter time than in the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the same effects as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0100] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, distance images of the left and right eyes, i.e., the three-dimensional positions and shapes of the corneal surfaces of the left and right eyes, can be simultaneously acquired by adjusting the position or angle of view of the TOF camera 80 so that the left and right eyes of the subject are included within the imaging range RF of the TOF camera 80. As a result, the positions of the safety stoppers of the measurement head 14 for the left and right eyes of the subject can be simultaneously set.

[0101] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when the amount of reflection of measurement light on the corneal surface of the subject's eye E is small and it is difficult to generate a distance image of the corneal surface, the setting unit 48 can detect (estimate) the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface of the left and right eyes by acquiring distance images of the eyelids of the left and right eyes in a closed state using the TOF camera 80. As a result, the position setting of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 can be performed reliably.

[0102] In the second embodiment described above, the TOF camera 80 captures distance images of the subject's face (left and right eyes) and simultaneously sets the positions of the safety stoppers of the measurement head 14 for each of the left and right eyes, but it is also possible to capture distance images using the TOF camera 80 and set the positions of the safety stoppers for each of the eyes.

[0103] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, distance images of the subject's face (left and right eyes) are captured using the TOF camera 80, but distance images may also be captured using, for example, a pattern projection (Projector-Camera) type camera, and the method for capturing distance images is not particularly limited.

[0104] [Third embodiment] Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of the measurement head 14 of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 of the third embodiment. Fig. 17 is a block diagram of the ophthalmologic system 9 of the third embodiment. In the second embodiment, the three-dimensional position of the subject's face, including the left and right eyes, is detected based on a distance image of the subject's face captured by the TOF camera 80, and the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 is set based on the detection result. In contrast, in the third embodiment, the three-dimensional position of the subject's eye E is detected based on stereoscopic images of the subject's eye E (the subject's face) captured by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B, and the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 is set based on the detection result.

[0105] 16 and 17, the ophthalmologic system 9 of the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as the ophthalmologic system 9 of the second embodiment, except that the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 includes stereo cameras 90A and 90B instead of the TOF camera 80. Therefore, components that are the same in function or configuration as those in the ophthalmologic systems 9 of the above embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0106] The stereo cameras 90A and 90B correspond to the distance measuring sensors of the present invention and are provided on the front surface of the measurement head 14. The stereo cameras 90A and 90B capture images of the subject's eye E (the subject's face) from different directions, for example, from the left and right, to generate stereo images of the subject's eye E, and output the stereo images to the setting unit 48. A method for detecting the distance to the subject's eye E and the three-dimensional position of the subject's eye E based on the stereo images captured by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B is a known technique (for example, JP 2013-248376 A), and therefore the stereo images correspond to the distance information of the present invention.

[0107] In the third embodiment, the stereo cameras 90A and 90B are configured with two cameras, but may be configured with three or more cameras.

[0108] The photographing control unit 47 of the third embodiment controls photographing of the subject's eye E by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B. When a setting start operation is accepted by the remote operation accepting unit 38, the photographing control unit 47 starts stereo photographing of the subject's eye E by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B. As a result, stereo photographed images of the subject's eye E are input from the stereo cameras 90A and 90B to the setting unit 48.

[0109] The setting unit 48 of the third embodiment sets the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 based on the stereoscopic images of the subject's eye E input from the stereo cameras 90A and 90B. For example, the setting unit 48 detects the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface of the subject's eye E using the above-mentioned publicly known technology based on the stereoscopic images of the subject's eye E, and sets the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 based on the detection result and the positional relationship of the tip of the nozzle 20 with respect to the known TOF camera 80.

[0110] 18 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a modified example in which the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 is set based on stereoscopically captured images. Because the cornea of ​​the subject's eye E is transparent, it may be difficult to accurately detect the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface (particularly the corneal apex) of the subject's eye E from the stereoscopically captured images. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 18, the setting unit 48 may detect an approximate position AP of the corneal apex or pupil of the subject's eye E from the stereoscopically captured images, and set a position BP that is a predetermined distance Δd (for example, 3 mm) behind this approximate position AP in the Z direction as the position of the safety stopper.

[0111] 18, the subject's eye E with its eyelids closed may be stereophotographed by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B, as shown in Fig. 14. This allows the setting unit 48 to detect (estimate) the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surface of the subject's eye E based on the stereophotographed images of the eyelids, and to set the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 based on the detection results.

[0112] The flow of the process for remotely setting the position of the safety stopper with respect to the measurement head 14 of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 in the ophthalmologic system 9 of the third embodiment is basically the same as that of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 15. Specifically, in step SB6-1, stereoscopic photography of the subject's eye E is performed by the stereo cameras 90A and 90B, and in step SB7-1, the setting unit 48 sets the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 based on the stereoscopically photographed images of the subject's eye E.

[0113] As described above, in the third embodiment, by acquiring stereoscopic images of the subject's eye E using the stereo cameras 90A and 90B, the position of the safety stopper of the measurement head 14 can be set without moving the measurement head 14, as in the second embodiment.

[0114] In the third embodiment, too, stereoscopic photography of the subject's face, including the left and right eyes, is performed using the stereo cameras 90A and 90B, thereby simultaneously obtaining the three-dimensional position and shape of the corneal surfaces of the left and right eyes, and simultaneously setting the positions of the safety stoppers of the measurement head 14 for each of the subject's left and right eyes.

[0115] [others] In the above embodiment, the measurement head 14 is moved in the X, Y, and Z directions by the drive mechanism 13, but it is sufficient if the measurement head 14 can be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions relative to the subject's eye E; for example, the face support part 12 may be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0116] In each of the above embodiments, the ophthalmic apparatus 10 and the remote control device 30 are connected via the Internet 34, but they may also be connected via various networks (including via a communication cable).

[0117] In each of the above embodiments, the ophthalmic device 10 has been described as an example of a combination device of a non-contact tonometer 14A and an auto-refractometer 14B, but the present invention can be applied to various ophthalmic devices 10 that acquire (measure, photograph, observe, etc.) various eye characteristics of the subject eye E other than intraocular pressure value, eye refractive power, and corneal curvature using various heads, and to ophthalmic systems 9 equipped with these ophthalmic devices 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 9 Ophthalmology System 10 Ophthalmology equipment 11. Base 12 Face support 12a Chin rest 12b Forehead support 13 Drive mechanism 14 Measuring head 14A Non-contact Tonometer 14B Auto Refractometer 15 monitors 16 Control device 20 nozzles 22 Window Glass 24 Glass holder 25 Optical system 26 Capacitive Sensor 26a electrode 26b Detection circuit 26c Wiring 30 Remote Control Device 30a Operation section 30b Monitor 30c Operating device body 32 Router 34 Internet 36 Stopper position setting screen 36a Display area 36b Settings button 36c Cancel button 37 Communication Interface 38 Remote Control Reception 40 Tonometer control unit 42 Auto refractometer control unit 44 Display control unit 46 Detection control section 47 Shooting control unit 48 Setting section 50 Regulatory Control Unit 80 TOF cameras 80a light source 80b Range image sensor 80c Distance image generation section 90A Stereo Camera 90B Stereo Camera AP approximate location AX center axis E. Examined eye HL parallel lines RD detection range RF shooting range

Claims

1. a head for acquiring ocular characteristics of a subject's eye; a relative movement mechanism that moves the head relative to the eye to be examined; a non-contact sensor provided on the head for detecting the approach of the head to the subject's eye in a non-contact manner; a remote control reception unit that receives remote control from an external device; a detection control unit that, when the remote operation receiving unit receives, as the remote operation, an operation to start setting an approach limit position of the head with respect to the subject's eye, drives the relative movement mechanism to cause the head to approach relatively to the subject's eye while continuously outputting a detection value from the non-contact sensor; a setting unit that sets the approach limit position based on the detection value continuously output from the non-contact sensor; Equipped with An ophthalmic device in which, when the direction perpendicular to both the working distance direction and the up-down direction of the head is defined as the left-right direction, the non-contact sensor has directionality toward the front side of the head, and when the head is viewed from the left-right direction, the directionality toward the upper side of the head is weaker than that toward the lower side.

2. The ophthalmic device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit determines whether the detection value continuously output from the non-contact sensor reaches a predetermined threshold value, and determines the relative position of the head with respect to the subject's eye when it is determined that the detection value has reached the threshold value as the approach limit position.

3. the head includes a nozzle for spraying a fluid onto the cornea of ​​the subject's eye, a central axis of the nozzle is parallel to the working distance direction; 3. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-contact sensor has weaker directivity above the central axis than below the central axis when the nozzle is viewed from the left and right sides.

4. 4. The ophthalmic device according to claim 3, wherein when a straight line perpendicular to the central axis and parallel to the left-right direction is taken as a parallel line, the non-contact sensor is formed in a region below the parallel line within an annular region surrounding the nozzle when viewed from the tip side of the nozzle.

5. a head for acquiring ocular characteristics of a subject's eye; a relative movement mechanism that moves the head relative to the eye to be examined; a distance measuring sensor provided in the head for acquiring distance information indicating a distance from the head to the subject's eye; a remote control reception unit that receives remote control from an external device; a distance information acquisition control unit that causes the distance measuring sensor to acquire the distance information without moving the head when the remote operation receiving unit receives, as the remote operation, an operation to start setting an approach limit position of the head with respect to the subject's eye; a setting unit that sets the approach limit position based on the distance information acquired by the distance measuring sensor; Equipped with the distance measuring sensor simultaneously acquires distance images of the left and right eyes of the subject as the distance information; an ophthalmologic apparatus in which the setting unit simultaneously sets the approach limit positions for each of the left and right eyes based on the distance images of the left and right eyes;

6. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the distance measuring sensor acquires the distance information for the subject's eye with the eyelid closed.

7. 7. The ophthalmic device according to claim 1, further comprising a restriction control unit that controls the relative movement mechanism based on the approach limit position set by the setting unit to restrict the head from approaching the subject's eye relative to the approach limit position beyond the approach limit position.

8. a remote control device for inputting remote operations; an ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which is connected to the remote control device via a network and operates in accordance with remote operations input to the remote control device; An ophthalmology system comprising:

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