Eye length measurement apparatus

1. An axial eye length measurement apparatus for measuring

an eye having a cornea and a second surface, comprising:

a light source configured to produce a beam of partially coherent light;

a beam splitter disposed in the beam and configured to project some of the light into a test arm and some of the light into a reference arm;

a first mirror disposed in the reference arm to form a first reference path and configured to intercept a first portion of the light in the reference arm;

a second movable mirror disposed in the reference arm to form a second reference path and configured to intercept a second portion of the light in the reference arm;

a processor configured to control at least the second movable mirror such that a corneal interference peak formed using the first portion and the light in the test arm and a second interference peak formed using the second portion and the light in the test arm have a non-zero separation, wherein the processor is configured to control at least the second mirror such that the corneal peak and the second peak are separated from one another by a predetermined amount.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control at least the second mirror such that an envelope corresponding to the corneal peak and an envelope of the second peak are separated from one another and do not overlap.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one variable delay optical element extending across the first portion and the second portion, the delay element having a delay signal, wherein the delay signal corresponding to the region between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak is substantially linear.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the derivative of the delay signal corresponding to the region between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak changes by less than 30%.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the derivative of the delay signal corresponding to the region between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak changes by less than 10%.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the derivative of the delay signal corresponding to the region between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak changes by less than 5%.

7. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the delay element generates delay cycles at a real time rate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a detector arranged to detect light in the corneal interference peak and light in the second interference peak, and generate an electric signal output.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display connected to the detector configured to display the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to control the first mirror and the second mirror.

11. An axial eye length measurement apparatus, comprising:

a light source configured to produce a beam of partially coherent light;

a beam splitter disposed in the beam and configured to project light into a test arm and to project light into a reference arm;

a first mirror disposed in the reference arm and configured to intercept a first portion of the light in the reference arm;

a second movable mirror disposed in the reference arm and configured to intercept a second portion of the light in the reference arm; and

a variable delay optical element extending across the first portion and the second portion.

12. A method of measuring an eye length, comprising:

projecting partially coherent light

directing a first portion of the light onto an eye having a cornea;

directing a second portion of the light into a reference arm, a first part of the second portion of the light incident on a first mirror, and a second part of the second portion of the light incident on a second mirror;

variably delaying the first part;

variably delaying the second part;

interfering the first part with the first portion to form a corneal interference peak; and

interfering the second part with the first portion to form a second interference peak; and

positioning the second mirror and the first mirror relative to one another such that the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak have a non-zero separation wherein the separation is predetermined.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the steps of variably delaying the first part and variably delaying the second part are achieved using a same variable delay element.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the non-zero separation corresponds to a linear portion of a delay signal of an apparatus causing the variable delay.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-zero separation corresponds to a portion of the delay signal having a derivative that changes by less than 30% between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the non-zero separation corresponds to a portion of the delay signal having a derivative that changes by less than 10% between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the non-zero separation corresponds to a portion of the delay signal having a derivative that changes by less than 5% between the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak.

18. The method of claim 12 , further comprising displaying the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak.

19. The method of claim 12 , further comprising displaying the corneal interference peak and the second interference peak at a real time rate.