Eye Cup Passive Feedback for Fundus Camera Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retinal cameras have a limited eyebox, making alignment difficult and straining for patients due to the need to block optical aberrations and image artifacts.
Innovation Solution
An eye cup with a concave socket and flange provides passive tactile feedback to guide the user's eye into coarse alignment with the eyepiece lens, facilitating alignment within the retinal camera's eyebox.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional retinal cameras use a limited eyebox to block optical aberrations and image artifacts, then image quality is improved, but alignment difficulty and patient strain increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an eye cup as an intermediary component between the patient's eye and the retinal camera. The eye cup includes a fixation target that provides visual feedback to guide the patient's eye into proper alignment with the camera's limited eyebox, thereby maintaining image quality while reducing alignment difficulty and patient strain
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation target in the eye cup provides real-time visual feedback to the patient during alignment. By observing the fixation target's position, the patient can adjust their eye position to achieve proper alignment within the limited eyebox, solving the contradiction between maintaining strict alignment requirements and ease of operation
2Reliability
If the eyebox is made smaller to block deleterious image artifacts, then image fidelity is improved, but the complexity of achieving proper alignment increases
Solution Approach 1:
The eye cup serves as a mediating device that simplifies the alignment process. It includes a fixation target that creates a visual reference system, allowing patients to self-align their eyes with the camera's limited eyebox without requiring complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms or professional assistance
Solution Approach 2:
The fixation target enables patients to perform self-alignment of their eyes to the camera. By visually tracking the fixation target, patients can independently achieve proper positioning within the limited eyebox, reducing the need for complex alignment mechanisms and professional intervention
Data Source
AI summary
Eye cups and retinal imaging systems including an eye cup are described. In an embodiment, the eye cup is shaped to couple with an eyepiece lens assembly. In an embodiment, the eye cup includes a concave socket shaped to couple to a periorbital region of an eye, the concave socket defining a viewing aperture positioned to align with a pupil of the eye along a longitudinal axis of the viewing aperture when the concave socket is coupled to the periorbital region; and a flange extending from the concave socket away from the longitudinal axis and shaped to couple with a lateral margin of the periorbital region when the concave socket is coupled to the periorbital region. In an embodiment, an outer edge of the flange extends farther from the longitudinal axis than an outer edge of portion of the concave socket.