Wide-field retinal imaging system

1. A retinal imager for imaging a retina of an eye, the retinal imager comprising:

an illumination source operable to generate illumination light in the shape of a ring;

a beam splitter operable to receive the illumination light and direct the illumination light along an optical axis;

a field lens disposed along the optical axis;

an objective lens disposed along the optical axis and operable to contact a cornea of the eye, wherein the objective lens is operable to inject the illumination light into the eye as an illumination ring and wherein an aerial image is formed adjacent to the field lens;

an entrance pupil, wherein the entrance pupil and the illumination ring are located at different positions along the optical axis;

an image sensor; and

one or more lenses disposed along the optical axis between the beam splitter and the image sensor, wherein the one or more lenses are operable to form a sensor image at the image sensor.

2. The retinal imager of claim 1 further comprising a housing having a grip operable to be held by a hand of a user.

3. The retinal imager of claim 1 wherein the aerial image is characterized by an RMS spot radius not complying with ISO 10940 and the sensor image is characterized by a second RMS spot radius in compliance with ISO 10940.

4. The retinal imager of claim 1 wherein the aerial image comprises an object for the sensor image at the image sensor.

5. The retinal imager of claim 1 wherein the aerial image is formed between the field lens and the beam splitter.

6. The retinal imager of claim 1 wherein the objective lens comprises a single element objective lens.

7. The retinal imager of claim 6 wherein the illumination light is injected into the eye through the single element objective lens.

8. The retinal imager of claim 1 wherein the objective lens is further operable to receive reflected light from the retina and the aerial image is formed by the reflected light.

9. A method of operating a retinal imager, the method comprising:

positioning the retinal imager adjacent an eye of a patient, wherein the retinal imager includes:

an illumination source operable to generate illumination light in the shape of a ring and direct light along an optical axis; and

an objective lens set including an objective lens and a second lens, wherein the objective lens is operable to inject the illumination light into the eye as an illumination ring, wherein an entrance pupil of the retinal imager and the illumination ring are located at different positions along the optical axis;

bringing the objective lens in contact with a cornea of the eye;

illuminating the retina of the eye with the illumination light passing through the objective lens set;

reflecting at least a portion of the illumination light off of the retina to provide a return signal;

directing the return signal along an optical path; and

detecting a sensor image at the image plane using an image sensor.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

forming an aerial image along the optical path at an aerial image location adjacent to the second lens; and

forming the sensor image at an image plane by imaging the aerial image.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein a first resolution measured in line pairs per millimeter at the aerial image location is less than a second resolution measured in line pairs per millimeter at the image plane.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the first resolution does not comply with ISO 10940 and the second resolution complies with ISO 10940.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the aerial image comprises a tangential image and a sagittal image that have millimeters or more of curvature at the edge and in different directions.

14. A method of imaging a retina of an eye of a patient, the method comprising:

positioning a retinal imager adjacent the eye of the patient;

obtaining a first image of a first portion of the retina, the first image associated with a central area and a first field of view;

obtaining a second image of a second portion of the retina, the second image associated with an annular area surrounding the central area, wherein an outer periphery of the annular area is characterized by a second field of view greater than the first field of view; and

combining the first image of the first portion of the retina and the second image of the second portion of the retina to provide a combined image of the retina.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the retinal imager includes:

an illumination source operable to generate illumination light and an objective lens set including an objective lens and a second lens; and

wherein obtaining the first image of the first portion of the retina comprises:

bringing the objective lens in contact with a cornea of the eye;

illuminating the first portion of the retina of the eye with the illumination light passing through the objective lens set;

reflecting at least a portion of the illumination light off of the first portion of the retina to provide a return signal;

directing the return signal along an optical path; and

detecting a central sensor image at the image plane using an image sensor.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the retinal imager includes:

an illumination source operable to generate illumination light and an objective lens set including an objective lens and a second lens; and

wherein obtaining the second image of the second portion of the retina comprises:

bringing the objective lens in contact with a cornea of the eye;

illuminating the second portion of the retina of the eye with the illumination light passing through the objective lens set;

reflecting at least a portion of the illumination light off of the second portion of the retina to provide a return signal;

directing the return signal along an optical path; and

detecting a peripheral sensor image at the image plane using an image sensor.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the first portion of the retina and the second portion of the retina are contiguous.

18. A method of forming a wide field of view image of a retina of an eye of a patient, the method comprising:

positioning a retinal imager adjacent the eye of the patient;

obtaining a first image of a first portion of the retina, the first image characterized by central area and a first field of view;

obtaining a first additional image of a first additional portion of the retina, the first additional image characterized by a first azimuthal range covering a first portion of an annular area surrounding the central area, wherein an outer periphery of the annular area is characterized by a second field of view greater than the first field of view;

obtaining a second additional image of a second additional portion of the retina, the second additional image characterized by a second azimuthal range covering a second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area;

obtaining a third additional image of a third additional portion of the retina, the third additional image characterized by a third azimuthal range covering a third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area; and

combining the first image of the first portion of the retina, the first additional image of the first additional portion of the retina, the second additional image of the second additional portion of the retina, and the third additional image of the third additional portion of the retina to provide a combined image of the retina.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the retinal imager includes:

a housing enclosing an illumination source operable to generate illumination light and an objective lens set including an objective lens and a second lens; and

wherein obtaining the first image of the first portion of the retina comprises:

bringing the objective lens in contact with a cornea of the eye;

illuminating the first portion of the retina of the eye with the illumination light passing through the objective lens set;

reflecting at least a portion of the illumination light off of the first portion of the retina to provide a return signal;

directing the return signal along an optical path; and

detecting a central sensor image at the image plane using an image sensor.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the retinal imager includes:

a housing enclosing an illumination source operable to generate illumination light and an objective lens set including an objective lens and a second lens; and

wherein obtaining the first, second, and third additional images of the first, second, and third additional portions of the retina comprises:

bringing the objective lens in contact with a cornea of the eye;

sequentially illuminating the first, second, and third additional portions of the retina of the eye with the illumination light passing through the objective lens set;

reflecting at least a portion of the illumination light off of the first, second, and third additional portions of the retina to provide first, second, and third return signals;

directing the first, second, and third return signals along an optical path; and

detecting first, second, and third peripheral sensor images at the image plane using an image sensor.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein:

obtaining the first image of the first portion of the retina comprises operating a spatial light modulator to illuminate the central area and block light propagating in the annular area surrounding the central area;

obtaining the first additional image of the first additional portion of the retina comprises operating the spatial light modulator to illuminate the first azimuthal range covering the first portion of the annular area surrounding the central area and block light propagating in the central area, in the second azimuthal range covering the second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area, and in the third azimuthal range covering the third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area;

obtaining the second additional image of the second additional portion of the retina comprises operating the spatial light modulator to illuminate the second azimuthal range covering the second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area and block light propagating in the central area, in the first azimuthal range covering the first portion of the annular area surrounding the central area, and in the third azimuthal range covering the third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area; and

obtaining the third additional image of the third additional portion of the retina comprises operating the spatial light modulator to illuminate the third azimuthal range covering the third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area and block light propagating in the central area, in the first azimuthal range covering the first portion of the annular area surrounding the central area, and in the second azimuthal range covering the second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein:

the first portion of the annular area surrounding the central area is contiguous with the second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area;

the second portion of the annular area surrounding the central area is contiguous with the third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area; and

the third portion of the annular area surrounding the central area is contiguous with the first portion of the annular area surrounding the central area.