IP Library Granted Patent US 12,653,397
Granted Patent B2
US 12,653,397 · App. 18/481,952 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Slit lamp microscope capable of imaging goblet cells

Inventor: Hosik Hwang (Seoul, KR)
Assignee: THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF KOREA INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION
A61B3/135A61B3/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,653,397
App. No.
18/481,952
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A slit lamp microscope may include first and second arms rotatably provided on a main shaft; a microscope provided on the first arm and used to observe a subject's eyeball; a light source unit provided on the second arm and irradiating light including near-ultraviolet and visible light regions, including light with a wavelength of 405 nm, to the eyeball of a subject; a third arm rotatably provided on the main shaft; a camera provided on the main shaft and imaging the eyeball of the subject; an excitation filter that transmits only light with a wavelength of 405 nm that induces a fluorescence reaction in stained goblet cells among the light irradiated from the light source unit to the eyeball of the subject; and a light receiving filter that transmits only the light fluorescently reacted in the goblet cells among the light received by the camera.

Claims (23)

1 . A slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells, comprising:

a stand placed on an installation surface;

a face holder placed over the stand and on which a subject's head rests;

a support base placed over the stand to be movable in a horizontal direction;

a main shaft placed over the support base and having a rotation axis in a vertical direction;

a first arm, a second arm, and a third arm, wherein each of the first arm, the second arm, and the third arm is independently and rotatably coupled to the main shaft in a coaxial arrangement about the rotation axis;

a microscope coupled to the first arm and used to observe a subject's eyeball;

a light source unit coupled to the second arm and configured to irradiate light including near-ultraviolet and visible light regions, including light with a wavelength of 405 nm, to the eyeball of a subject;

a camera coupled to the third arm and configured to capture an image of the eyeball of the subject;

the third arm comprising a mount head;

a filter boom portion extending from the mount head toward a front direction of the camera;

a filter post extending upward from the filter boom portion to a front side of the lens of the camera;

an excitation filter configured to transmit only light with a wavelength of 405 nm that induces a fluorescence reaction in stained conjunctival goblet cells among the light irradiated from the light source unit to the eyeball of the subject; and

a light receiving filter mounted on the filter post and configured to transmit only the light fluorescently reacted in the goblet cells.

2 . The slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells of claim 1 , further comprising a mount coupled to an end of the third arm, wherein the camera is detachably mounted on the mount.

3 . The slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells of claim 2 , wherein the mount head is configured to adjust an angle of the mount.

4 . The slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells of claim 1 , further comprising:

a light receiving filter mounting frame disposed at an end of the filter post and on which the light receiving filter is detachably mounted.

5 . The slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells of claim 1 , further comprising an excitation filter mounting portion coupled to the second arm,

wherein the light source unit is a white lamp, and

wherein the excitation filter is mounted on the excitation filter mounting portion and disposed over a light emission surface of the light source unit.

6 . The slit lamp microscope configured for capturing fluorescence images of conjunctival goblet cells of claim 1 ,

wherein the second arm is coupled to the main shaft higher than the first arm, and the third arm is coupled to the main shaft higher than the second arm.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2023
From: HWANG, HOSIK
To: THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF KOREA INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 065266/0338 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0127518 · Oct 6, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240115132A1 · Apr 11, 2024
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