A SYSTEM FOR PROJECTING A SELECTIVE OPTICAL PATTERN OF INTEREST INTO A HUMAN EYE
The invention relates to a system for projecting an optical pattern of interest into a human eye in a selective manner. In particular, the invention relates to a system for supporting the identification of an optical pattern of interest and to project said pattern of interest onto a predefined retinal area of the human eye. Accordingly, a system ( 10 ) for projecting an optical pattern of interest ( 28 ) onto a predefined retinal area ( 22 ) of a human eye is suggested, comprising a camera ( 12 ) for capturing an image, a projector device ( 14 ) for projecting a light beam ( 20 ) into a human eye based on an inputted signal, and a processor ( 16 ) being in communication with the camera ( 12 ) and the projector device ( 14 ), the processor ( 16 ) being adapted to convert a portion of the captured image into a corresponding signal and to output said signal to the projector device ( 14 ). According to the invention, the processor ( 16 ) is further adapted to detect a presence of a pointing element ( 34 ) in the captured image and to convert the portion of the captured image corresponding to a predefined region ( 30 ) of the image relative to the detected pointing element ( 34 ) and comprising at least in part the pattern of interest ( 28 ).
1 . A system for projecting an optical pattern of interest onto a predefined retinal area of a human eye, comprising
a camera for capturing an image,
a projector device for projecting a light beam into a human eye based on an inputted signal, and
a processor being in communication with the camera and the projector device, the processor being adapted to convert a portion of the captured image into a corresponding signal and to output said signal to the projector device, and
wherein the processor is further adapted to detect a presence of a pointing element in the captured image and to convert the portion of the captured image corresponding to a predefined region of the image relative to the detected pointing element and comprising at least in part the pattern of interest
2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the predefined region is adjacent to a predefined end surface of the pointing element.
3 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the processor is adapted to identify the predefined end surface by means of a size, a shape, a texture, a material or tissue type, a level of kurtosis, one or more principal axes, and/or a color of the end surface.
4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the predefined end surface is uniquely identifiable.
5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein a size of the predefined region is delimited and/or defined by a size of the light beam and wherein the processor is adapted to align the predefined region with the end surface of the pointing element.
6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine a first offset of the pointing element to a central optical axis of the camera, wherein the processor is further adapted to base the signal on said first offset and to define a second offset of the predefined region or the pattern of interest to the center of the light beam corresponding to said first offset in said signal.
7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine a first offset of the predefined retinal area to a central optical axis of the light beam, based on a received orientation information of the predefined retinal area, wherein the processor is adapted to base the signal on said first offset and to define a second offset of the predefined region or the pattern of interest to the center of the light beam corresponding to said first offset in said signal.
8 . The system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is adapted to crop the predefined region or the pattern of interest in accordance with the second offset and the size of the light beam
9 . The system according to claim 8 , wherein the processor is adapted to provide the signal defining a predefined and/or standardized pattern for a portion of the light beam not corresponding to the predefined region or the pattern of interest.
10 . The system according to claim 9 , wherein, in comparison with the pattern of interest, the predefined and/or standardized pattern is a pattern with reduced brightness, a blurred pattern, a pattern with reduced resolution, an essentially homogeneous pattern, and/or an essentially continuous pattern.
11 . The system according to claim 10 , wherein the predefined and/or standardized pattern comprises one or more guidelines originating from the predefined region or the pattern of interest and indicating a direction for centering the camera and/or the predefined retinal area.
12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the signal corresponding to the predefined region only defines the pattern of interest.
13 . The system according to claim 1 , preceding wherein the pointing element is a hand-held pointing device.
14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the processor is adapted to be communicatively coupled to the pointing device and to determine the predefined region and/or the pattern of interest in the image based on a received orientation information of the pointing device.
15 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a pointing device as the pointing element.