Apparatus imaging to image the anterior and posterior side of the iris

Abstract

The apparatus provides images of the rim of the iris and the accommodative structure of the eye. The apparatus comprises at least one digital camera with a telecentric lens and a combination of at least two light sources. One light source illuminates the anterior side of the iris and one light source illuminates the posterior side.

Description

APPARATUS IMAGING TO IMAGE THE ANTERIOR AND POSTERIOR SIDE OFTHE IRISAccurate measurement of the diameter of the sulcus and the ciliary mass of the eye is important for sizing and precisely fitting of intraocular lenses in particular for accommodating intraocular lenses which must accurately fit the anatomy of the eye to function properly, for example, must fit the anatomy of the sulcus and / or the anatomy of the ciliary mass of the eye, in this document collectively and including the iris of the eye, referred to as the accommodation structure. In particular accommodative intraocular lenses, lenses positioned in the accommodative structure, which lenses change optical power to allow the eye to focus at different distances, require an accurate fit within components of the accommodative structure, for example the sulcus. The sulcus is the wedge-shaped, space in between the posterior side of the peripheral section of the iris and the anterior side of the ciliary mass. So, the sulcus dimensions can be defined by the sulcus-root, the most peripheral rim of the sulcus, the rim at which the iris bends in a posterior direction, with the root having a diameter traversing the eye, and, the sulcus width, which width narrows in lateral direction moving outward from the center of the eye due to the wedging, and, the sulcus-length which is defined by the size of the ciliary mass in the lateral direction. In the present document the term ‘sulcus diameter’ refers to the distance of the sulcus-to-sulcus traversing the eye diametrically, meaning traversing the eye through the center of the pupil. In the present document the term ‘ciliary mass diameter’ refers to the distance of the ciliary mass-to-ciliary mass traversing the eye diametrically, meaning traversing the eye diametrically eye through the center of the pupil.The apparatus disclosed in the present document provides images of the iris and accommodative structure of the eye. The apparatus comprises at least one digital camera with the camera including a digital sensor fitted with a camera lens for image taking. The apparatus further comprises digital imaging means for image processing. Preferably, the apparatus comprises image display means and image storage means such that an image taken with the camera and / or an image processed by the digital imaging means can be digitally displayed. The apparatus also comprises a combination of at least two light sources. At least one light source provides illumination for an image of the anterior side of the iris and at least onelight source, preferably another light source, provides illumination and an image of the posterior side of the iris. Preferably, the digital imaging means is configured for (digitally) processing images, in particular taken by the digital camera of the apparatus, for accentuating pigment boundaries, in particular pigment boundaries around the iris of an imaged eye. This allows to improve the accuracy of the measurement(s) of the eye, in particular the diameter of the iris of an eye and / or the diameter of the sulcus of an eye and / or the diameter of the ciliary mass of an eye. By improving the accuracy of the measurements of the eye, in particular of the diameter of the sulcus and the ciliary mass of the eye, a more accurate fit of an intraocular lens with respect to the anatomy of the eye can be achieved.The light source providing illumination of the anterior side of the iris preferably is a ringlight which can be a ring of light emitting diodes, LEDs, fitted around the camera lens, or, alternatively, it can be a spotlight largely focused on the iris of the eye. The light source providing illumination of the posterior side of the iris can be a spotlight largely focused on the sclera of the eye, or, alternatively, can be a ring light fitted with a mask to provide masking of the iris of the eye, or, alternatively, can be illumination via the cornea, which cornea provides a waveguide, which is prior art as set forth in the documents EP4164470(A1), WO2021 NL50375, WO2021256922(A1 ) which documents are considered to be fully included in the present document. Note that multiple light sources can be combined into a single light source which illuminates, for example, firstly the pupil for a an image of the anterior side of the iris followed by, repositioning of the illumination, an image of the posterior side.The light sources can provide light within the spectrum of ultraviolet light (10- 380nm), or within the spectrum of visible light (380-760nm) or within the spectrum of infrared light 760-1050nm), or, alternatively, the light sources can provide a range of wavelengths and images made by desired wavelengths are selected from a starting image by digital processing. Images can be taken with the same spectrum of light, or, alternatively, images can be taken with different spectra of light. Note that an image taken of the posterior side of the iris requires deeper penetration into the eye compared to images taken from the anterior side of the iris so for the posterior images a longer wavelength is preferable, for example red (~750nm) or infrared (~1000nm) light.The camera lens is, preferably, a telecentric lens. Such a lens provides a fixed scaling of the images largely independent of the distance between the camera lens and the eye.The apparatus according to the present invention includes a mounting system, preferably a headstand, to which the camera and light sources are mounted. The mounting system is configured position the eye at a desired distance from the camera. The mounting system furthermore enables to keep the camera and / or at least one, preferably the at least two, light sources at a stable position with respect to the eye to be imaged.The invention further relates to a method for providing images of the iris and accommodative structure of an eye by using an apparatus according to the present invention including digital processing by digital processing means to accentuate at least one pigment boundary around the peripheral rim of the iris of the eye. This method enables to accurately image the anatomy of an eye, in particular the anatomy of the sulcus and / or the ciliary mass of an eye. Therewith, this method contributes in improving the fitting of intraocular lenses in an eye.At least one image of the anterior side of the iris and at least one image of the posterior side of the iris can be digitally combined into a single image. This enables to measure, for example, the diameter of the iris and / or the diameter of the sulcus of the eye and / or the diameter of the ciliary mass and / or the diameter of the ciliairy muscle. This measurement improves, in particular enables, to sizing and precisely fitting intraocular lenses, accurately fit the anatomy of the eye to function properly, for example, must fit the anatomy of the sulcus and / or the anatomy of the ciliary mass of the eye[1] So, in summary, the apparatus according to the present invention is configured to provide images of the rim of the iris and an accommodative structure of the eye. The apparatus comprises at least one digital camera comprising a digital sensor and a camera lens, digital processing means for image processing, image display means and image storage means, a standard ophthalmology headstand or any other mounting system to mount the camera and light sources with the apparatuscomprising a combination of at least two light sources with at least one light source to provide illumination the anterior side of the iris and at least one light source to provide illumination of the posterior side of the iris.[2-5] The light source providing illumination of the anterior side of the iris can be a ring light, or, alternatively, can be a spotlight. The light source providing illumination of the posterior side of the iris can be a spotlight focused on the sclera of the eye, or, alternatively, can be a ring light fitted with a central mask masking the iris of the eye to illuminate the sclera of the eye while masking the iris.[6-11] The light sources can provide light within the spectrum of ultraviolet light, or, alternatively, light within the spectrum of visible light, or, alternatively, light within the spectrum of infrared light. The light sources can provide light of the same spectrum of light, or, alternatively, light of different spectra of light, or, alternatively, hyper spectral illumination.

[0012] The camera lens is, preferably, a telecentric lens to provide for a fixed scaling of the images, meaning: the image size on the sensor is fixed and independent of the distance between the objective lens and the eye.[13-14] Method to provide images of the rim of iris and accommodative structure of the eye by an apparatus according to Claim 1 -12 wherein the digital imaging means are adjusted to provide accentuation of at least one pigment boundary on at least one image of the anterior side of the iris and at least one image of the posterior side of the iris which can be combined, but not necessarily so, into a single image. shows an example of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus with the standard ophthalmology headstand, 1 a digital processing means, 2, a camera sensor, 3, a camera lens, in this example, but not restricted thereto, a telecentric lens, 4, and a light source for illumination of the anterior side of the iris (in this embodiment a ring light, in this example, switched on), 5, and a light source for illumination of the posterior side of the iris (in this embodiment a spotlight, in this figure switched off), 6. Preferably, the light source for illumination of the anterior side of the iris and the light source for illumination of the posterior side of the iris are provided under an angle with respect to each other. The shown apparatus comprises an electronic control means for controlling the light sources. Theapparatus further comprises The relatively wide light beam emitted by the ring light illumination the eye, 7, the pupil of the eye, 8, and the sclera of the eye, 9.Figure 2 (for details refer to Fig. 1 ) shows a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention, wherein the light source for illumination of the posterior side of the iris is switched on. In this embodiment, this light source is a relatively narrow light beam focused onto the sclera under the iris for achieving, by light scattered into the eye, a backlighting of the iris.Figure 3 shows an image obtained by illumination of the anterior side of the iris with the sclera of the eye, 11 , the reflection of the ring light by the iris, 12, the pupil of the eye, 13, and the rim of the iris, 14.Figure 4 shows a digitally processed image of Fig.3 which image accentuates the pigment structure around the rim of the iris, 15 and the pigmented fibers which connect the iris to the sclera, 16. The figure further shows a diameter of a component of the accommodative structure shown by the arrow, 16a, in this example the horizontal diameter. In this example, the digitally processed image enables to measure the horizontal diameter, in particular allowing to measure a horizontal diameter of the sclera, 16, of the imaged eye.Figure 5 shows an image obtained by illumination of the posterior side of the iris with the sclera of the eye, 17, and the rim of the iris, 18, the pupil, 19, with the backlighting of the iris resulting in a halo, 20, around the iris.Figure 6 shows a digitally processed image of Fig. 5 which image accentuates pigment of the iris, 21 , and pigment structure around the rim of the iris, 22. The figure shows a component of the diameter of the accommodative structure, shown by the arrow, 23, in this example the horizontal diameter. In this example, the digitally processed image enables to measure the horizontal diameter, in particular allowing to measure a horizontal diameter of the iris, 22, of the imaged eye.

Claims

Claims1 . Apparatus to provide images of the rim of iris and accommodative structure of an eye, said apparatus comprising:- at least one digital camera for making at least one image of an eye, comprising a digital sensor and a camera lens,- a digital processing means for processing at least one image of an eye,- a combination of at least two light sources, and- a mounting system, such as a standard ophthalmology headstand, for mounting the camera and / or at least one light source, wherein at least one light source is configured for providing illumination at an anterior side of the iris, and wherein at least one light source is configured for providing illumination of a posterior side of the iris.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the digital imaging means is configured for accentuating pigment boundaries of an imaged eye, in particular pigment boundaries around the iris of an imaged eye.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at least one light source providing illumination of the anterior side of the iris is a ring light.

4. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source providing illumination of the anterior side of the iris is a spotlight.

5. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source providing illumination of the posterior side of the iris is a spotlight focused on the sclera of the eye.

6. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source providing illumination of the posterior side of the iris is a ring light fitted with a central mask for masking the iris of the eye.

7. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source provides light within the spectrum of ultraviolet light, preferably wherein the at least two light sources provides light within the spectrum of ultraviolet light.

8. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source provides light within the spectrum of visible light, preferably wherein the at least two light sources provides light within the spectrum of visible light.

9. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one light source provides light within the spectrum of infrared light, preferably wherein the at least two light sources provides light within the spectrum of infrared light.

10. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the light sources provide light of the same spectrum of light.11 . Apparatus according to any of the claims 1 -9, wherein the light sources provide light of different spectra of light.

12. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the light sources provides hyper spectral illumination.

13. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the camera lens is a telecentric lens.

14. Apparatus according to any of the preceding claims, comprising image display means and image storage means.

15. Method to provide images of the rim of the iris and of the accommodative structure of an eye using an apparatus according to Claim 1 -14, comprising the step of providing of at least one pigment boundary on at least one image of the anterior side of the iris and at least one image of the posterior side of the iris by adjusting the digital imaging means.

16. Method according to Claim 15, wherein at least one image of the anterior side of the iris rim and at least one image of the posterior side of the iris rim are combined into a single image.

Images