IP Library Granted Patent US 8,049,873
Granted Patent B2
US 8,049,873 · App. 12/406,671 · Granted Nov 1, 2011

Surgical microscopy system having an optical coherence tomography facility

Assignee: Carl Zeiss Meditec AG
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,049,873
App. No.
12/406,671
Granted
Nov 1, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A surgical microscopy system is provided wherein an optical coherence tomography facility is integrated into a microscopy system. A beam of measuring light formed by collimating optics of an OCT system is deflected by a beam scanner, traverses imaging optics, and is reflected by a reflector such that the beam of measuring light traverses an objective lens of microscopy optics and is directed to an object region of the microscopy optics. A position of the beam of measuring light being incident on the reflector is substantially independent on a direction into which the beam of measuring light is deflected by the beam scanner. When traveling through the beam scanner, the beam of measuring light is comprised of a bundle of substantially parallel light rays.

Claims (41)

1. A surgical microscopy system having an optical coherence tomography (OCT) facility, the system comprising:

microscopy optics providing a microscopy beam path and configured to image an object region onto an image plane disposed in the microscopy beam path, the microscopy optics comprising an objective lens; and

an OCT system comprising:

an OCT-measuring light source,

a reflector,

imaging optics, and

a beam scanner having a first deflecting surface, wherein the OCT system provides an OCT beam path extending between the OCT-measuring light source and the object region;

wherein the reflector is disposed in the OCT beam path between the imaging optics and the object region, and

wherein the imaging optics are disposed in the OCT beam path between the beam scanner and the object region and configured to image a first plane disposed at a distance from the first deflecting surface of the beam scanner measured along the OCT beam path onto a second plane disposed at a center of the reflector,

wherein the beam scanner is disposed in the OCT beam path and outside the microscopy beam path between the OCT-measuring light source and the object region,

wherein the objective lens is disposed in the OCT beam path and the microscopy beam path between the reflector and the object region, and

wherein the following relations hold:

d 1 =A/β 2 and

0 mm≦ A≦ 200 mm,

wherein d 1 is the distance between the first plane and the first deflecting surface of the beam scanner measured along the OCT beam path and β is a magnification of the imaging optics.

2. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 further comprising collimating optics disposed in the OCT beam path between the OCT-measuring light source and the imaging optics.

3. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein

the image plane is outside the OCT beam path.

4. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the following relations holds:

A≦ 160 mm,

A≦ 120 mm, or

A≦ 100 mm.

5. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the magnification β of the imaging optics is changeable.

6. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging optics comprises an afocal system.

7. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the imaging optics is a Kepler telescope.

8. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the first deflecting surface is independently pivotable in two different directions and wherein A is less than or equal to 50 mm.

9. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the beam scanner further comprises

a second deflecting surface, wherein the first and the second deflecting surfaces are spaced apart from each other and wherein each of the distances of the first plane from each of the first and the second deflecting surface are greater than or equal to 4 mm divided by β.

10. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 wherein the microscopy optics comprises a zoom system for changing a magnification of the microscopy optics.

11. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 10 wherein the OCT beam path is outside of the zoom system.

12. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 further comprising an ophthalmic lens for examining a retina of an eye of a patient, wherein the ophthalmic lens is disposed between the objective lens and the object region.

13. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 1 further comprising

a wavefront sensor having a wavefront measuring light entrance; and

a wavefront sensor imaging lens,

wherein a beam path of wavefront measuring light traverses the objective lens, the imaging optics and the wavefront sensor imaging lens such that the object region is imaged to the wavefront measuring light entrance of the wavefront sensor.

14. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 13 further comprising an actuator to move the wavefront sensor and the wavefront sensor imaging lens relative to the imaging optics.

15. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 13 further comprising:

a wavefront measuring light source for generating the wavefront measuring light; and

a partially reflecting face disposed in the beam path of the wavefront measuring light between the wavefront measuring light source and the wavefront sensor light entrance.

16. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 13 wherein the wavefront measuring light has a wavelength in a first wavelength range and OCT-measuring light generated from the OCT-measuring light source has a wavelength in a second wavelength range.

17. The surgical microscopy system according to claim 16 further comprising a dichroic beam splitter disposed in the beam path of the wavefront measuring light between the wavefront sensor imaging lens and the imaging optics.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Sep 16, 2011
From: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH
To: CARL ZEISS MEDITEC AG
Reel/Frame 026922/0702 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2009
From: HAUGER, CHRISTOPH; SEESSELBERG, MARKUS; O'HARA, KEITH; QIU, YUE; WEI, XING; HORN, JOCHEN M.; REIMER, PETER
To: CARL ZEISS SURGICAL GMBH; CARL ZEISS MEDITEC, INC.
Reel/Frame 022898/0180 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61070197 · Mar 19, 2008
Related Publication 20090257065A1 · Oct 15, 2009