Handheld Eye Imaging Device Reticle Superimposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current handheld eye imaging devices lack the capability for direct measurement and alignment of eye images, particularly for long-term monitoring of eye diseases like glaucoma and macular degeneration, as they do not incorporate reticles for precise image comparison and alignment.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a reticle or measurement pattern into a handheld eye imaging device, which can be superimposed onto eye images, allowing for alignment, measurement, and comparison of anatomical features, using optical elements or software to ensure accurate measurement references across different imaging sessions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a reticle is incorporated into the handheld eye imaging device, then measurement precision and alignment capability are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reticle is optically nested within the existing imaging pathway of the handheld device. By positioning the reticle at a plane conjugate to both the object plane (eye) and the digital sensor plane, the reticle becomes integrated into the existing optical system without requiring separate imaging pathways or additional complex mechanical structures. This allows measurement functionality to be embedded within the existing device architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The reticle serves as an intermediary element that bridges the gap between the imaging system and measurement functionality. It provides a known reference pattern that mediates the transformation of raw images into measurable data, enabling precision measurements without requiring complex direct measurement mechanisms in the handheld device.
2Reliability
If a reticle is incorporated into the handheld eye imaging device, then alignment capability and diagnostic accuracy are improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to additional setup requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The reticle is pre-positioned at a plane conjugate to both the object plane and the digital sensor plane during device assembly. This preliminary optical alignment ensures that the reticle automatically appears in the correct position in captured images without requiring operators to perform complex alignment procedures during each imaging session, thereby maintaining ease of operation while ensuring diagnostic accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If the reticle is positioned at a plane conjugate to both the object plane and the digital sensor plane, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The reticle is optically nested within the existing imaging pathway of the handheld device. By positioning the reticle at a plane conjugate to both the object plane (eye) and the digital sensor plane, the reticle becomes integrated into the existing optical system without requiring separate imaging pathways or additional complex mechanical structures. This allows measurement functionality to be embedded within the existing device architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method is disclosed that enables an existing handheld eye imaging device to do direct measurement on images taken from the patient eye. In a preferred embodiment, a reticle is arranged in the handheld eye imaging device so that a reticle image is superimposed on the object image. In addition to allowing the user to make measurements, the reticle superimposed eye image can also be used to align the eye with the handheld eye imaging device, be used for registering images taken at different times, and also be used for finding previously recorded points on the images for comparison purposes.