Multifocal Keratometry for Deep Eye Surface Curvature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional keratometry systems are limited to measuring the curvature of the outer surface of the eye and fail to accurately determine the curvature of deeper surfaces within the eye.
Innovation Solution
A multifocal keratometry system that projects light onto multiple surfaces of the eye, captures in-focus reflections using a light detector and lens system, and calculates the curvature based on image data processed by a computing subsystem, allowing for the determination of the curvature of multiple surfaces including deeper ones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional keratometry is used to measure the outer surface of the cornea, then the curvature of the outer surface can be determined, but the curvature of deeper surfaces within the eye cannot be accurately determined
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the eye into multiple surfaces (anterior corneal surface, posterior corneal surface, and lens surface) and measures each surface separately using multiple focal planes. By dividing the measurement task across different focal depths, the system can determine curvature for each individual surface rather than treating the eye as a single measurement target.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds the depth dimension to traditional keratometry by implementing multifocal imaging capability. The system captures images at multiple focal planes along the optical axis, enabling measurement of surfaces at different depths within the eye. This transforms the measurement from a two-dimensional surface analysis to a three-dimensional volumetric assessment.
2Measurement precision
If light is projected onto multiple surfaces of the eye, then curvature of deeper surfaces can be determined, but the complexity of the imaging system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is designed with multifocal lens capabilities that allow a single device to perform multiple measurement functions. The same optical system can focus on different surfaces (cornea and lens) by adjusting the focal plane, eliminating the need for separate specialized devices for each surface measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple optical copies of the eye's surfaces by capturing images at different focal planes. Each focal plane produces a focused image of a specific surface while other surfaces appear out of focus, allowing the system to extract curvature information from each surface copy independently through image processing.
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
This approach provides more accurate measurements of the eye's surface curvatures, enabling a better understanding of the eye's deeper structures and improving diagnostic capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
measures the reflections off of the outer surface of the cornea to determine the curvature
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for determining eye surface contour using multifocal keratometry is disclosed. The system includes a light source, a light detector, a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, and instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable medium. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to project a light, using the light source, onto a plurality of surfaces of an eye; create, using the light detector, an image of a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections created by reflecting the light off of one of the plurality of surfaces of the eye; determine that the plurality of reflections are in focus in the image; and calculate, based on the determination, a curvature of the plurality of surfaces of the eye based on the image.