Corneal Imaging Reflection Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corneal imaging systems fail to accurately account for additional specular reflections from eyewear, leading to erroneous results due to the obscuration of corneal reflections by reflective surfaces of glasses or sunglasses, particularly those with highly reflective coatings.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that identify and characterize reflections from both the cornea and eyewear, determining optical transformations to correct for distortions caused by the non-planar geometry of the cornea and eyewear, using image processing to separate and correct corneal images, and optionally retrieving geometrical models or curvatures from databases for improved accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If corneal imaging is performed without accounting for eyewear reflections, then the system is simpler to implement, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to erroneous results from obscured corneal reflections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing by separately identifying and processing different reflection sources. The system distinguishes between corneal reflections and eyewear reflections by analyzing geometric properties and spatial relationships, allowing each reflection type to be processed independently to improve measurement precision without overwhelming system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification and characterization of eyewear reflections before final corneal imaging analysis. By detecting and accounting for eyewear reflections in advance, the system prevents them from corrupting the corneal imaging results, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining manageable complexity through structured preprocessing
2Reliability
If conventional corneal imaging is used with highly reflective eyewear, then the device complexity remains low, but the reliability deteriorates due to obscuration of corneal reflections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that analyzes the relationship between the camera, cornea, and eyewear. By computing geometric transformations and identifying reflection patterns as an intermediate step, the system separates the harmful eyewear reflections from the useful corneal imaging data, improving reliability while keeping the overall system architecture manageable
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the analysis parameters by computing optical transformations and geometric relationships rather than directly processing raw pixel data. This parameter transformation allows the system to distinguish between corneal and eyewear reflections based on their different geometric properties, improving reliability without requiring complex hardware modifications
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enhances the reliability of corneal imaging by accurately accounting for multiple reflections, providing corrected images that improve the quality and accuracy of corneal imaging data, even when eyewear with reflective surfaces is worn, thereby overcoming the limitations of conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
additional specular reflections originating from both the cornea of the user's eye and the glasses
Data Source
Figure 1a~1b
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3
AI summary
A device (100) for corneal imaging is disclosed. The device comprises a first camera (121) and processing means (101). The first camera is configured for imaging a cornea (162) of a user (130) of the device and/or an eyewear (170) worn by the user. The processing means is operative to acquire a first image from the first camera, identify a first reflection (163) by the cornea and/or a second reflection (173) by a reflective surface (172) of the eyewear, and determine a first optical transformation representing the first reflection and/or a second optical transformation representing the second reflection. Embodiments of the invention provide an improved corneal imaging solution for user operated computing devices, in particular hand-held devices, such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the like, by taking specular reflections originating from one or more reflective surfaces of an eyewear worn by the user into consideration. Also disclosed are a corresponding method, computer program, and computer program product.