IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,648,694
Granted Patent B2
US 12,648,694 · App. 18/304,062 · Granted Jun 9, 2026

Ophthalmologic apparatus and camera device

Inventors: Kouichi Tsukihara (Tokyo, JP); Satoshi Yamamoto (Tokyo, JP); Akira Takahashi (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: TOPCON CORPORATION
A61B3/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,648,694
App. No.
18/304,062
Granted
Jun 9, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An ophthalmologic apparatus includes an illumination system that is supported to be rotatable about a subject's eye with an irradiation direction of illumination light kept toward the subject's eye and an observation system that has a camera device and is arranged opposite to a position of the subject's eye across the illumination system. The camera device includes an imaging unit that receives reflection of the illumination light from the subject's eye and a light emitting unit for background illumination that is provided in the observation system and located below the subject's eye.

Claims (20)

1 . An ophthalmologic apparatus, comprising:

an illumination system that is supported to be rotatable about a subject's eye with an irradiation direction of illumination light kept toward the subject's eye;

an observation system that has a camera device and is arranged opposite to a position of the subject's eye across the illumination system, the camera device including an imaging unit that receives reflection of the illumination light from the subject's eye and a light emitting unit for background illumination that is provided in the observation system and located below the subject's eye, the camera device arranged opposite to the subject's eye in the observation system; and

an illuminator having the light emitting unit for background illumination connected to the camera device by sandwiching a vertical arm portion of the observation system between arms of a U-shaped illuminator body, the illuminator receiving power from a power supply circuit of the camera device through an inside of at least one of the arms of the U-shaped illuminator body.

2 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illuminator is configured to be removably inserted in the camera device from a side of the subject's eye, the camera device being wider than the vertical arm portion in a movable direction of the illumination system when viewed from the side of the subject's eye.

3 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit includes a control circuit, the control circuit being housed in the camera device.

4 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting units are arranged in a movable direction of the illumination system as viewed from the subject's eye.

5 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the ophthalmologic apparatus has a light control function controlling the light emitted from the light emitting units depending on a relative position between the illumination system and the light emitting units.

6 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 5 , wherein viewing in plan in a direction of a rotation shaft of the illumination system, the light emitting units are arranged on the outside of an angular range of a light-blocking angle that is formed between two tangents to the illumination system located on the observation axis connecting a light receiving section of the observation system and an origin which is the position of the subject's eye.

7 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the illumination system includes a slit lamp that emits illumination light and a deflection unit that deflects the illumination light to the subject's eye, and for the observation of the subject's eye, the illumination system applies the illumination light to the subject's eye from a position deviated from the observation axis connecting the subject's eye and the light receiving section of the observation system.

8 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the illumination system includes a slit lamp that emits illumination light and a deflection unit that deflects the illumination light to the subject's eye, and for the observation of the subject's eye, the illumination system applies the illumination light to the subject's eye from a position deviated from the observation axis connecting the subject's eye and the light receiving section of the observation system.

9 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting units has the function of automatically selecting and turning on one of the light emitting units whose light is not blocked by the illumination system and turning off the other light emitting unit whose light is blocked by the illumination system.

10 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the light emitting units are arranged in a movable direction of the illumination system as viewed from the subject's eye, and the ophthalmologic apparatus has a light control function of controlling the light from the light emitting units to reduce variation in the amount of the second illumination light that reaches the subject's eye from the light emitting units regardless of the position of the illumination system.

11 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ophthalmologic apparatus has an avoidance function of avoiding second illumination light emitted from the light emitting unit from being blocked by the illumination system by moving the light emitting unit depending on the position of the illumination system.

12 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the light emitting units are arranged in a movable direction of the illumination system as viewed from the subject's eye, the light emitting unit is movable in the movable direction of the illumination system.

13 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 12 , wherein all the light emitting units may be moved to the center position as viewed from the subject's eye.

14 . The ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 13 , wherein one or both of the light emitting units may be moved rightward or leftward with the right and left light emitting units in the same direction as a movement direction of the illumination system kept located on the right and left parts of the illumination system when viewed from the subject's eye.

15 . A method of controlling illumination of an ophthalmologic apparatus, the ophthalmologic apparatus comprising an illumination system that is supported to be rotatable about a subject's eye with an irradiation direction of a first illumination light kept toward the subject's eye, an observation system arranged opposite to a position of the subject's eye across the illumination system, and a light emitting unit for background illumination provided in the observation system and located below the subject's eye, the method comprising:

controlling the light from the light emitting unit depending on a relative position between the illumination system and the light emitting unit.

16 . A method of controlling the illumination of an ophthalmologic apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the method includes avoiding second illumination light emitted from the light emitting unit from being blocked by the illumination system by moving the light emitting unit depending on the position of the illumination system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2023
From: TSUKIHARA, KOUICHI; YAMAMOTO, SATOSHI; TAKAHASHI, AKIRA
To: TOPCON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063391/0825 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-070319 · Apr 21, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230337914A1 · Oct 26, 2023
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