Retinal Camera Selective Illumination for Low-Discomfort Imaging
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional retinal imaging systems cause patient discomfort due to bright white light flashes and have low throughput capacity, often capturing only a single image per alignment episode, which is inefficient and stressful for patients.
Innovation Solution
A multiband illuminator that uses illumination bands substantially devoid of green light to reduce patient discomfort, allowing for multiple image acquisitions during alignment, followed by a white light flash for a full color image, and employs image manipulation techniques to combine these images into high-fidelity retinal images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If bright white light flash is used to illuminate the retina, then image fidelity is improved, but patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination spectrum is segmented into multiple distinct bands (e.g., red, green, blue, yellow-green) rather than using a single white light source. Each band can be independently controlled and timed, allowing the system to illuminate the retina with less intense light while maintaining sufficient image quality through spectral separation and selective illumination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic or pulsed illumination across multiple spectral bands rather than continuous white light flashing. By cycling through different spectral bands in a controlled sequence, the system reduces peak illumination intensity on the retina while maintaining overall illumination effectiveness, thereby reducing patient discomfort.
2Productivity
If conventional single-image capture per alignment is used, then patient stress is reduced, but throughput capacity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous or near-continuous image capture during the alignment period by using multiple spectral bands that can be illuminated in rapid succession without causing excessive discomfort. This allows multiple images to be acquired while the patient's eye remains relatively stable, maintaining throughput without significantly increasing patient stress.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes illumination parameters by switching between different spectral bands with different intensity and duration characteristics. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system can capture multiple images at different stages of the imaging process, increasing throughput while keeping individual illumination events within comfortable tolerance levels.
3Productivity
If multiple images are captured per alignment episode, then throughput is improved, but patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the illumination into multiple spectral bands, the system can distribute the total illumination energy across time and spectrum rather than concentrating it in a single bright flash. This allows multiple images to be captured with lower individual illumination intensity, maintaining throughput while reducing patient discomfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary alignment and captures initial images using spectral bands that are less intense or more comfortable for the patient. This preliminary phase establishes the alignment and captures useful data before proceeding to full-color illumination, thereby increasing overall throughput while minimizing discomfort during the critical alignment period.
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
Enhances patient comfort by reducing discomfort during retinal imaging, increases throughput by capturing multiple images per alignment, and improves image fidelity by minimizing image artifacts.
Implementation Method 1
A multiband illuminator that uses illumination bands substantially devoid of green light to reduce patient discomfort
Implementation Method 2
retinal imaging technologies... illumination techniques for retinal imaging
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for imaging a retina with a retinal camera includes illuminating the retina with a plurality of distinct illumination bands that are substantially exclusive of green visible light while substantially not illuminating the retina with the green visible light. A first retinal image is acquired while illuminating the retina with the distinct illumination bands and substantially not illuminating the retina with the green visible light.