Ophthalmic Cover Assembly to Hide Scanner Motion at the Eye Opening

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ophthalmologic apparatuses cause subjects to feel fear and discomfort due to the visible movement of the eye information acquisition unit, leading to distractions and potential contamination of the imaging window.

Innovation Solution

A cover system comprising a first cover portion that moves up and down and from side to side within the opening, and a second cover portion that moves back and forth with the eye information acquisition unit, effectively hiding its movement while allowing seamless operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the opening is left open to allow movement of the eye information acquisition unit, then the movement is visible to the subject, but this causes fear and distraction; if the opening is covered, then the movement is hidden, but the eye information acquisition unit cannot move freely

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubject fear and distractionVSAvoidmovement freedom of eye information acquisition unit
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cover is divided into a fixed cover body and a movable cover portion. The fixed cover body closes the opening to prevent subject fear and distraction, while the movable cover portion allows the eye information acquisition unit to move freely behind it, resolving the contradiction between hiding movement and enabling operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cover portion is designed to move synchronously with the eye information acquisition unit in the depth direction while remaining transparent. This dynamic configuration allows the cover to maintain its protective function while accommodating the necessary movements for eye information acquisition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the opening is covered to hide movement, then subject comfort is improved, but the risk of contamination increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubject comfortVSAvoidcontamination risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover portion is made transparent when in the retracted position, allowing visibility and preventing contamination. When moved to the covering position, it becomes opaque to hide the movement. This optical property change resolves the contradiction between comfort and contamination prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Object-generated harmful factors

If a transparent cover is used to maintain visibility, then contamination is prevented, but the movement of the eye information acquisition unit remains visible causing fear

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidsubject fear
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The cover portion dynamically changes its transparency state based on its position. It is transparent when retracted to prevent contamination and becomes opaque when covering the opening to hide movement, thus resolving the contradiction between contamination prevention and fear reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4032461B1Ophthalmologic apparatus and cover
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 TOPCON CORPORATION
  • EP4032461B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4032461B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4032461B1 patent drawingFigure 2B~2C

AI summary

An ophthalmologic apparatus (10) includes a device body (20) and a casing (30) covering the device body (20), the device body (20) has an eye information acquisition unit (14) including an objective optical system (21) that opposes a subject's eye of a subject, being configured to acquire information of the subject's eye, a drive unit (12) configured to move the eye information acquisition unit (14) relative to the subject's eye in upward-downward direction, rightward-leftward direction, and forward-rearward direction perpendicular to each other, and a control unit (19) configured to control the eye information acquisition unit (14) and the drive unit (12), the casing (30) has an opening (31) on one surface opposing the subject's eye, the opening (31) being provided with a cover (40) configured to cover the opening (31), and the cover (40) includes a first cover portion (41) movable relative to the casing (30) in the upward-downward direction and the rightward-leftward direction, being disposed in the opening (31) not to move in the forward-rearward direction and a second cover portion (42) attached to an outer periphery of the objective optical system (21) and inserted into the first cover portion (41), being movable relative to the first cover portion (41) in the forward-rearward direction.