Ophthalmic Examination Head Alignment Using Nose-Aware Tilt Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ophthalmic devices face challenges in accurately aligning the examination head with the subject eye without bringing it too close to the nose, which can lead to image quality issues due to the short operating distance caused by large objective lenses.
Innovation Solution
The ophthalmic device employs a displacement mechanism with multiple cameras to photograph the nose from different angles, a tilting angle determining unit to adjust the examination head's position without approaching the nose, and a drive controlling unit to align the head based on detected nose positions, ensuring precise alignment without nasal proximity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a large objective lens is used to support wide-angle photographing, then the photographic angle of view is improved, but the operating distance becomes shorter
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tilting angle dimension to the traditional linear approach to alignment. By determining a tilting angle based on nose position detection and using this angle to adjust the examination head's orientation, the system achieves accurate alignment without reducing the operating distance. This dimensional change allows the examination head to be positioned at an optimal distance while still capturing the required anatomical structures.
2Measurement precision
If the examination head is brought closer to the nose to maintain alignment, then alignment accuracy is improved, but image quality deteriorates due to nasal interference
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary nose position detection before the actual examination. By detecting the nose position in advance and using this information to determine the appropriate tilting angle and examination head position, the system ensures that the examination head is positioned optimally before imaging begins. This prevents nasal interference from affecting image quality while maintaining alignment accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from nose position detection to adjust the examination head's tilting angle and position. The detected nose position information is fed back to the control unit, which then calculates the appropriate tilting angle and adjusts the examination head accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures continuous optimization of alignment while maintaining sufficient operating distance to avoid nasal interference.
3Device complexity
If traditional alignment methods are used with large objective lenses, then alignment detection is simplified, but the examination head cannot maintain optimal distance from the eye
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces nose position detection as an intermediary step between the examination head positioning and the actual imaging. This intermediary measurement allows the system to determine the appropriate tilting angle and position without requiring complex real-time adjustments during imaging. The nose position serves as a stable reference point that simplifies the overall alignment process while enabling optimal operating distance maintenance.
Data Source
AI summary
The ophthalmic device includes a displacement mechanism configured to displace an examination head with respect to a subject eye, a nose photographing controlling unit configured to cause at least two cameras to photograph a nose of a subject from a plurality of directions different from each other, a nose position detecting unit configured to detect a position of the nose based on respective photographed images of the nose from the cameras, a tilting angle determining unit configured to determine a tilting angle of an axis of tilt with respect to a reference axis based on a result of detection by the nose position detecting unit, and a drive controlling unit configured to drive the displacement mechanism to displace the examination head to an examination position for the subject eye along the axis of tilt with the tilting angle determined by the tilting angle determining unit.