CN113662507A - Cornea contact type ophthalmology digital microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope, and more particularly, to a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope capable of observing a magnified eyeball while being placed on the cornea of a patient. The cornea contact type ophthalmology digital microscope according to the invention comprises: a housing; an objective lens part installed below the housing and configured to contact a cornea of an eyeball; an image sensor section mounted within the housing and configured to capture an eyeball visible through the objective lens section and generate an eyeball image; a position adjuster configured to change a position of the image sensor section; and a control part configured to control operations of the image sensor part and the position adjuster, and output an eyeball image through a display provided outside the housing.

Description

Cornea contact type ophthalmology digital microscope

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope, and more particularly, to a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope capable of observing a magnified eyeball while being placed on the cornea of a patient.

Background

The eyeball is anatomically divided into two distinct portions, an anterior segment and a posterior segment.

The anterior segment refers to the portion that includes the cornea, iris and lens, while the posterior segment refers to the portion that includes the vitreous, retina and choroid.

Diseases of the anterior segment include corneal opacity, cataracts, and glaucoma, while diseases of the posterior segment include epiretinal membrane, macular hole, retinal detachment, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, vitreous hemorrhage, and chorioretinitis.

In order to diagnose and treat such ophthalmic diseases, an ophthalmic microscope capable of accurately observing the eyeball is used. In recent years, an ophthalmic microscope that outputs the shape of an affected part magnified by an objective lens has been used so that a plurality of operators can monitor a surgical procedure.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the conventional ophthalmic microscope includes: a light source (3) configured to emit light by electric power; an optical cable (4) configured to connect the light source (3) such that the affected part of the patient is irradiated with light; an objective lens (5) configured to magnify an eyeball of a patient; and an eyepiece (6) configured to allow visual inspection of the enlarged eyeball.

With an ophthalmic microscope, when the eyeball of a patient lying on an operating table and fixed at a specific position is brightly illuminated by light emitted from a light source (3), the eyeball highly magnified by an objective lens (5) can be observed through an eyepiece lens (6).

The above-described conventional ophthalmic microscope has the following problems.

First, since the operator should maintain the posture while keeping the face pressed against the eyepiece of the microscope, the movement of the operator is highly restricted.

Second, since the eyeball of the patient should be brightly illuminated by emitting strong visible light thereto, there are problems in that: intense light sources can cause glare and damage to eye tissue and take time to restore vision after surgery.

Third, the quality of the image viewed through the eyepiece is degraded because some of the light sources emitted to the eye are reflected from the cornea.

Fourth, there is a problem in that water should be continuously sprayed on the eyeball in order to prevent the cornea from being dried during examination or surgery.

Fifth, there is a problem in that the operating room should be kept dark by turning off the illumination of the operating room in order to clearly observe the appearance of the eyeball.

Sixth, it is difficult and complicated to combine an ophthalmic microscope with other ophthalmic devices. For example, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is required to emit light of a specific wavelength to the eyeball and observe the cross section of the structure of the eyeball, but it is difficult to combine OCT with a conventional ophthalmic microscope. Application of OCT by an ophthalmic microscope has been attempted, but there is a problem in that: the objective lens of the ophthalmic microscope is continuously moved to adjust the focus, and each time the objective lens is moved, the height needs to be corrected to perform OCT.

Further, in the case of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT), which is a surgical method for reducing intraocular pressure of a glaucoma patient requiring laser treatment, since an operator should hold a gonioscopic lens with one hand, place the gonioscopic lens in front of an eyeball of the patient, aim laser light at the trabecular meshwork, and irradiate the trabecular meshwork with laser light while viewing the angle of the eyeball using an ophthalmic microscope, there is a problem in that: it is difficult and inconvenient to perform the process.

Seventh, the conventional ophthalmic microscope has disadvantages of large volume, very complicated structure and high cost.

[ related Art document ]

Korean unexamined patent application publication No.10-2004-0022870

Korean unexamined patent application publication No.10-2004-0105613

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention is directed to providing a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope capable of observing an enlarged eyeball while bringing an objective lens into direct contact with the cornea of a patient, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems of the conventional microscope for observing the eyeball while spacing the objective lens a predetermined distance from the eyeball.

The present invention also aims to provide a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope that allows an objective lens to come into contact with a cornea, thereby making the optical system of the microscope efficient, and digitalizes the optical system, thereby making the microscope small, lightweight, and thus capable of being used while being placed on the cornea.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope comprising: a housing; an objective lens part installed below the housing and configured to contact a cornea of an eyeball; an image sensor section mounted within the housing and configured to capture an eyeball visible through the objective lens section and generate an eyeball image; a position adjuster configured to change a position of the image sensor section; and a control section configured to control operations of the image sensor section and the position adjuster, and output the eyeball image to the outside, wherein the position adjuster includes a mounting member on which the image sensor section is mounted, a vertical moving section configured to vertically move the mounting member, and an inclined section configured to adjust a slope of the mounting member and adjust a direction of the image sensor section.

The objective lens part may include: a contact lens having a contact surface configured to contact a cornea and concavely formed at a lower portion thereof; an illumination module mounted above the contact lens and configured to emit light toward the cornea; and an optical lens mounted above the illumination module and configured to allow visual inspection of an eyeball in a magnified state.

The lighting module may include a light-transmissive plate disposed between the contact lens and the optical lens and configured to transmit light, and a light source installed at the light-transmissive plate.

A reflection portion may be formed on a side surface of the contact lens so that external light incident from the outside to the inside of the housing is reflected in a specific direction of the eyeball.

The corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope may further include a movable lens portion installed between the objective lens portion and the image sensor portion and configured to be vertically movable.

The corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope may further include a beam splitter installed between the image sensor part and the objective lens part and configured such that external light emitted from the outside toward the inside of the housing is incident on the objective lens part.

The external light may be laser light for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) or laser therapy.

The image sensor section may include a pair of left and right image capturing elements horizontally spaced apart and configured to capture an eyeball at different angles to generate an eyeball image.

Drawings

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a view showing a conventional ophthalmic microscope;

fig. 2 is a view showing a state of observing an eyeball using a conventional ophthalmic microscope;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the ophthalmic digital microscope of FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the ophthalmic digital microscope of fig. 3;

fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a support ring configured to secure an ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention to a cornea;

fig. 8 is a sectional view showing a state where an ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention is placed on a cornea using the support ring of fig. 7;

fig. 9 is a plan view showing a lighting module applied in fig. 1;

fig. 10 is a plan view showing another state of the lighting module;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 15 and 16 are sectional views of a main portion for showing a use state of the ophthalmic digital microscope of fig. 14;

fig. 17 is a sectional view of a main part of an ophthalmic digital microscope according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 18 is a sectional view showing a use state of the ophthalmic digital microscope of fig. 17;

FIG. 19 is a schematic view of a use state of the ophthalmic digital microscope of FIG. 11;

fig. 20 is a perspective view showing another example of a support ring configured to fix an ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention to a cornea; and

fig. 21 is a sectional view showing a state in which the tight contact pad applied in fig. 20 is attached to an eyeball.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 3 to 5, the cornea contact type ophthalmicdigital microscope 7 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes: ahousing 10; anobjective lens part 20 installed below thehousing 10 and configured to be in contact with a cornea of an eyeball; animage sensor part 30 installed within thehousing 10 and configured to capture an eyeball visible through theobjective lens part 20 and generate an eyeball image; a position adjuster 40 configured to change a position of theimage sensor section 30; and acontrol part 50 configured to control operations of theimage sensor part 30 and theposition regulator 40.

Thehousing 10 may be formed of a hollow cylindrical structure. In the illustrated embodiment, thehousing 10 has a three-part structure. For example, thehousing 10 may include a cylindricalupper housing 11, alower housing 13 screw-coupled with a lower portion of theupper housing 11, and acover 15 screw-coupled with an upper portion of theupper housing 11.

Theupper case 11 and thelower case 13 have a vertically opened structure, and thecover 15 has an opened lower structure.

Theillumination lamp 19 may be installed in thehousing 10 to adjust illumination intensity. In the illustrated embodiment, theillumination lamp 19 is mounted on the mountingmember 41. Asingle illumination lamp 19 or two ormore illumination lamps 19 may be installed. Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) capable of adjusting the illumination intensity in stages are used as theillumination lamp 19. The inside of thecase 10 may be kept bright or dark by theillumination lamp 19.

Theobjective lens portion 20 is installed below thehousing 10. When thehousing 10 has a structure divided into three parts as shown in the drawing, theobjective lens part 20 may be installed at the inner side of thelower housing 13.

In the present invention, theobjective lens part 20 is different from that of a conventional ophthalmic microscope in that it has a structure in direct contact with the cornea of the eyeball. Theobjective lens section 20 is capable of visually inspecting an eyeball in an enlarged state while being placed on the cornea of the eyeball.

Theobjective lens part 20 may include: acontact lens 21 configured to be in contact with a cornea; anillumination module 26 mounted above thecontact lens 21 and configured to emit light toward the cornea, and anoptical lens 29 mounted above theillumination module 26 and configured to allow visual inspection of the eyeball in a magnified state.

Thecontact lens 21 is a lens that comes into contact with the cornea. Thecontact lens 21 is formed to have a flat upper portion. Further, acontact surface 23 configured to be in contact with the cornea is formed at a lower portion of thecontact lens 21. Thecontact surface 23 is formed by a concavely curved surface. Thecontact surface 23 is formed as a curved surface corresponding to the shape of the cornea.

Thecontact lens 21 may be provided as a plurality ofcontact lenses 21 according to the radius of curvature and the size of thecontact surface 23, and the existingcontact lens 21 may be replaced with anothercontact lens 21 suitable for the patient according to the shape of the cornea of the patient. To facilitate replacement of thecontact lens 21, thecontact lens 21 may be detachably coupled to thelower housing 13. Further, thecontact lens 21 may have a radius of curvature and a size that allow thecontact lens 21 to contact with an eyeball of an animal other than a human, in addition to contact with the eyeball of the human.

Theillumination module 26 is mounted above thecontact lens 21.

Thelighting module 26 includes a light-transmittingplate 24 disposed between thecontact lens 21 and theoptical lens 29, and alight source 25 mounted at the light-transmittingplate 24.

The light-transmittingplate 24 is formed in the shape of a disk, the upper and lower portions of which are flat. The lower part of the light-transmittingplate 24 presses against the upper part of thecontact lens 21 and the upper part of the light-transmittingplate 24 presses against the lower part of theoptical lens 29. The light-transmittingplate 24 is formed of transparent glass or synthetic resin capable of transmitting light.

Thelight source 25 is installed at the lower portion of the light-transmittingplate 24. LEDs may be used as thelight source 25. In order to mount thelight source 25 at the light-transmittingplate 24, a mounting groove may be formed in a lower portion of the light-transmittingplate 24.

The LED used as the light source may be provided as a single LED or two or more LEDs. Fig. 9 shows a state in which a plurality of LEDs as thelight source 25 are provided at the light-transmittingplate 24. A plurality of LEDs are arranged around the edge of the light-transmittingpanel 24. Each LED may emit a circular beam of light towards the eyeball. The circular light beam may be any one of parallel light, diffused light, and focused light.

Further, as shown in fig. 10, a plurality of LEDs as light sources may be provided to selectively emit any one of a circular beam and a slit beam. Any one of theLED light sources 26a emits a circular beam, the other LEDlight source 26b emits a relatively narrower circular beam, and the remainingLED light sources 26c emit slit beams.

When observing the optical cross section of the eyeball, a slit beam is used. Slit-beam light is a long, thin ray of light and is commonly used in slit-lamp microscopes to observe the optical cross-section of the eye. Since the illumination module can generate a slit beam, the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention can also be used as a slit-lamp microscope.

Theoptical lens 29 is mounted above theillumination module 26, and allows visual inspection of the eyeball in a magnified state. An objective lens used in a general microscope may be used as theoptical lens 29. Theoptical lens 29 may be formed of a single lens or a combination of two or more lenses.

Theimage sensor part 30 is installed inside thehousing 10, captures an eyeball observed through theobjective lens part 20 and generates an eyeball image. In the illustrated embodiment, theimage sensor section 30 is mounted on the mountingmember 41 of theposition regulator 40.

A high-resolution image capturing element may be used as theimage sensor section 30. A Charge Coupled Device (CCD), a Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS), or the like, which converts an image into an electric signal and outputs the electric signal, may be used as the image capturing element.

The eyeball image captured by theimage sensor section 30 can be output as an image on thedisplay 180 provided outside thehousing 10 by thecontrol section 50. For example, thedisplay 180 may be a monitor installed in an examination room or an operating room.

Meanwhile, in order to allow the examiner to view the eyeball image as a stereoscopic image, as shown in fig. 11, the image sensor section may include a pair of left and rightimage capturing elements 31 and 33. For convenience of description, the pair of left and right image capturing elements are distinguished as a leftimage capturing element 31 and a rightimage capturing element 33, and the leftimage capturing element 31 and the rightimage capturing element 33 are horizontally spaced apart and capture a single eyeball at different angles.

In this case, the display outputs a left image, which is an eyeball image captured by the left image-capturingelement 31, and a right image, which is an eyeball image captured by the right image-capturingelement 33, respectively. As shown in fig. 19, the display may be a Virtual Reality (VR)device 200. In this case, theVR device 200 may be configured to enable short-range communication with the cornea contact type ophthalmicdigital microscope 7 according to the present invention. The examiner 205 can observe the eyeball of the patient through the image output from theVR device 200 while wearing theVR device 200 on the face. The image output from theVR device 200 may be divided into a left image and a right image. The eyeball image captured by the left image-capturingelement 31 may be output from theVR device 200 as a left image by short-distance communication, and the eyeball image captured by the right image-capturingelement 33 may be output from theVR device 200 as a right image by short-distance communication. Accordingly, theexaminer 1 can observe the eyeball image as a stereoscopic image through theVR device 200.

Theposition adjuster 40 changes the position of theimage sensor section 30. Theposition adjuster 40 vertically moves theimage sensor section 30 to adjust the focus.

For example, theposition adjuster 40 includes a mountingmember 41 on which the image sensor section is mounted and a vertical moving section configured to vertically move the mounting member.

The mountingmember 41 is formed in the shape of a plate. Theimage sensor portion 30 is installed at the center of the lower portion of the mountingmember 41.

The vertical movement portion includes: a protrudingrod 43 coupled to an upper portion of the mountingmember 41 and having a screw hole formed therein; alead screw 45 screw-coupled to the protrudingrod 43; amotor 47 configured to rotate thelead screw 45; and aguide protrusion 49 configured to guide the vertical movement of the mountingmember 41.

A protrudingrod 43 is formed at the center of the upper portion of the mountingmember 41. The protrudingrod 43 is formed vertically long. A screw hole is formed in the projectingrod 43.

Thelead screw 45 has threads formed on an outer circumferential surface, and is screw-coupled to a threaded hole of the protrudingrod 43. Thelead screw 45 is connected to amotor 47 and rotates.

Aguide protrusion 49 is formed at each of the left and right sides of the mountingmember 41. Theguide protrusion 49 is inserted into theguide groove 12 formed in the inner circumferential surface of theupper body 11. Theguide groove 12 is formed vertically long.

When themotor 47 installed at thecover 15 operates, thelead screw 45 rotates. Accordingly, the mountingmember 41 is vertically moved in the direction in which thelead screw 45 rotates.

Thecontrol section 50 controls the operations of theimage sensor section 30 and the position adjustor 40 to capture an eyeball image and vertically move theimage sensor section 30. Further, thecontrol section 50 outputs the eyeball image to an external display device. The eyeball image is implemented as an image through a display provided outside thehousing 10.

Thecontrol part 50 may be installed at the inside of thecover 15 of thecase 10.

Thecontrol section 50 includes a microprocessor and various driving circuits, and controls the operation of the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention. Further, thecontrol section 50 analyzes and processes the electric signal input from theimage sensor section 30.

Meanwhile, the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention may include apower supply section 55 configured to supply electric power and amanipulation section 60 for manipulation.

A battery mounted in thecase 10 may be used as thepower supply portion 55.

Themanipulation part 60 may be provided at an upper portion of thecover 15. Themanipulation section 60 may be provided as a key 61 (including a power button), and available functions may be provided or provided as a touch panel by means of the key 61. Further, asmall display 63 may be provided at an upper portion of thecover 15 so as to visually display the manipulation state.

Further, the cornea contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention may include acommunication section 57 to output an eyeball image to thedisplay 180 outside thehousing 10.

Thecommunication section 57 performs communication through a communication network. Thecommunication section 57 may communicate via wire or wirelessly. As the wireless communication network, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) (Wi-Fi), a wireless broadband (WiBro), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), HSUPA, LET, and the like may be used. As a short-range communication network for short-range communication, bluetooth, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), infrared data association (IrDA), Ultra Wideband (UWB), ZigBee, Near Field Communication (NFC), or the like can be used.

Further, as shown in fig. 6, the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention may further include anexternal terminal 185 configured to control the operations of theimage sensor section 30 and theposition adjustor 40 through thecontrol section 50. In this case, thecommunication section 57 transmits various pieces of data to theexternal terminal 185 at a short distance or a long distance, or receives data and control signals from theexternal terminal 185.

Examples of theexternal terminal 185 include a smart phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a desktop computer, a tablet PC, a notebook computer, etc., which can be applied to various wireless environments.

The eyeball image captured by theimage sensor section 30 is output to the display of theexternal terminal 185. Further, theimage sensor section 30 and theposition adjuster 40 may be operated by anexternal terminal 185. Thecontrol section 50 may drive theimage sensor section 30 and theposition regulator 40 according to a control signal of theexternal terminal 185.

A method for using the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to fig. 7 and 8.

In order to use the cornea contact type ophthalmicdigital microscope 7 according to the present invention, asupport ring 300 configured to support theobjective lens part 20 may be further included to maintain a state in which theobjective lens part 20 is in contact with thecornea 315 of theeyeball 310.

Thesupport ring 300 is formed in a ring shape. A plurality ofprotrusions 305 are formed at the inner side of thesupport ring 300. Theprotrusions 305 serve to restrain thesupport ring 300 from moving on the eyeball. Theprotrusion 305 may be formed in a tapered shape gradually narrowing toward the end. A plurality ofprotrusions 305 may be formed at predetermined intervals to protrude from thesupport ring 300 toward the surface of theeyeball 310.

When thesupport ring 300 is placed on theeyeball 310, thesupport ring 300 may be fixed at a specific position without moving since the end of theprotrusion 305 slightly presses theeyeball 310.

First, the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid of the lying patient are opened and fixed using an eyelid speculum, and then thesupport ring 300 is placed on theeyeball 310 of the patient. Then, the cornea contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention is gently lowered so that thecontact lens 21 of theobjective lens part 20 is inserted into thesupport ring 300.

An inclined surface corresponding to the outer side surface of thecontact lens 21 may be formed at the inner side of thesupport ring 300, and thesupport ring 300 may stably support thecontact lens 21. While thecontact lens 21 is placed on thesupport ring 300, the contact surface of thecontact lens 21 is in contact with thecornea 315 of the eyeball.

In this state, the examiner or operator can observe the eyeball in the enlarged state through the display outside thehousing 10. Furthermore, suction rings can be used in addition to the support ring shown as an auxiliary tool. The suction ring may have a groove capable of forming a negative pressure, which is formed in a lower portion in contact with the cornea and fixed to the surface of the eyeball.

In addition, the support ring shown in fig. 20 and 21 may be used. Thesupport ring 330 shown in fig. 20 and 21 is different from thesupport ring 300 shown in fig. 7 and 8 in that a plurality ofclose contact gaskets 335 are installed instead of the protrusions.

A plurality ofclose contact pads 335 are disposed at predetermined intervals. Thetight contact pad 335 is formed in the shape of a thin disc so as to be in surface contact with theeyeball 310. The front surface of theclose contact pad 335 facing theeyeball 310 constitutes acontact surface 336 with theeyeball 310. Further, aconnection portion 337 is formed at the rear surface of theclose contact pad 335. Theconnection portion 337 is used to connect thesupport ring 330 and theclose contact gasket 335.

Theclose contact pad 335 is formed in a shape depressed from the edge toward the center. Therefore, in thetight contact pad 335, acontact surface 336 that contacts theeyeball 310 is concavely formed. Thecontact surface 336 of thetight contact pad 335 may be formed as a spherical surface or a curved surface having a non-spherical shape.

Thetight contact pad 335 may be deformed according to the degree to which it is pressed against theeyeball 310. Thetight contact pad 335 is formed of an elastically deformable material so that thetight contact pad 335 can be restored to its original shape when separated from theeyeball 310. Examples of the elastically deformable material may include silicone resin harmless to the human body.

The above-described structure of theclose contact pad 335 may maximize a contact area with theeyeball 310 formed of an aspherical surface. Thetight contact pad 335 may reduce the pressure applied to theeyeball 310 and effectively restrain the movement of thesupport ring 330 by significantly increasing the contact area with theeyeball 310 and distributing the load.

When thetight contact pad 335 is in contact with theeyeball 310, as shown in fig. 21, ahollow space 339 is formed between theeyeball 310 and thetight contact pad 335 due to the concave structure of thetight contact pad 335. In this state, when theclose contact pad 335 is slowly pushed toward theeyeball 310 so as to remove air from the portion between theeyeball 310 and theclose contact pad 335, negative pressure is formed between theeyeball 310 and theclose contact pad 335. The negative pressure formed in this case generates a force that causes thetight contact pad 335 to be pressed against theeyeball 310. Therefore, thetight contact pad 335 is attached to the surface of theeyeball 310 due to the negative pressure.

Therefore, when thesupport ring 330 is placed on theeyeball 310, thetight contact pad 335 may be pressed against theeyeball 310, and thesupport ring 330 may be fixed at a specific position without moving.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to place the objective lens part on the cornea using the support ring while using the cornea contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention by digitizing the optical system of the conventional ophthalmic microscope to miniaturize and lighten the microscope.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since it is possible to magnify and observe the eyeball while bringing the objective lens portion into direct contact with the cornea of the patient, it is possible to solve the problem of the conventional ophthalmic microscope that observes the eyeball while the objective lens portion is spaced apart from the eyeball by a predetermined distance.

For example, when a conventional ophthalmic microscope is used, because an examiner or operator should keep his or her posture while keeping his or her face pressed against the eyepiece of the microscope, the movement of the examiner or operator is greatly restricted. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the examiner or operator observes the image output through the display installed in the examination room or the operating room, the degree of freedom of movement of the examiner or operator is very high.

Furthermore, when a conventional ophthalmic microscope is used, since the eyeball of the patient should be brightly illuminated by the emitted strong visible light, the strong light source may cause glare and eye tissue damage. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since direct contact with the eyeball allows observation of the eyeball under relatively weak light, glare and eye tissue damage can be minimized.

Furthermore, when a conventional ophthalmic microscope is used, the quality of an image observed through an eyepiece is degraded because some light sources emitted to the eyeball are reflected from the cornea. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the objective lens portion is in direct contact with the cornea, reflection of light from the cornea does not occur, thereby improving the quality of an image, and the field of view can be designed to be wider than that of a conventional ophthalmic microscope.

Further, when using a conventional ophthalmic microscope, since the objective lens is spaced apart from the eyeball, there is a problem in that water should be continuously sprayed on the eyeball in order to prevent the cornea from drying during observation or surgery. On the other hand, according to the present invention, it is sufficient to drip a viscous material serving as a lubricant onto the eyeball only at the beginning.

Further, when a conventional ophthalmic microscope is used, in order to clearly observe the appearance of the eyeball, the examination room or the operating room should be kept dark by turning off the illumination. On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the inside of the housing can be kept dark, it is not necessary to keep the examination room or the operating room dark.

In addition, conventional ophthalmic microscopes are bulky, very complex in structure and expensive, while corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscopes according to the present invention are small, lightweight and very inexpensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the conventional ophthalmic microscope is not suitable for animals, whereas the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention is suitable for animals, and thus can be used for treating cataract and examining retina of pets or wild animals.

Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, amovable lens part 70 may be further included.

Referring to fig. 12, themovable lens part 70 is installed between theobjective lens part 20 and theimage sensor part 30. Themovable lens portion 70 may be formed of a single lens or a combination of a plurality of lenses. Themovable lens part 70 moves vertically and serves to enlarge and reduce and adjust the sharpness of an image.

Various moving means may be used to vertically move themovable lens part 70. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair oflinear motors 75 are used as the moving means. The linear motor is formed in a structure in which a mover is coupled to stators arranged in a straight line. When power is supplied, the mover of thelinear motor 75 moves in a straight line. Thelinear motor 75 has advantages in size reduction and position control.

Thelinear motor 75 is installed at the inner side surface of theupper body 11 of thecase 10. Themovable lens part 70 is coupled to a mover of thelinear motor 75. When the control section operates thelinear motor 75, themovable lens section 70 may be vertically moved.

Meanwhile, the cornea contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention may further include a beam splitter configured to make external light emitted from the outside toward the inside of the housing incident on the objective lens part.

Referring to fig. 13, thebeam splitter 80 is installed between theimage sensor part 30 and theobjective lens part 20. Thebeam splitter 80, which is a kind of a beam splitter, may be installed to be inclined, reflect external light emitted from the outside toward the inside of thehousing 10, and input the external light to theobjective lens part 20.

For example, the external light may be laser light for OCT or laser therapy. Examples of laser treatment may include laser treatment of the peripheral retina and Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty (SLT).

External light is incident from the outside to the inside of thecase 10 through theprobe 83 coupled to the side surface of thecase 10. Theprobe 83 is connected to an external device that outputs external light. An insertion hole into which theprobe 83 may be inserted may be formed in a side surface of thecase 10 such that theprobe 83 may be coupled to the side surface of thecase 10. Further alternatively, a window may be formed on a side surface of thehousing 10, and the probe may be disposed outside the window.

The external light emitted toward the inside of thehousing 10 is reflected by thebeam splitter 80 and is incident on theeyeball 310 through theobjective lens part 20.

Further, when OCT and laser treatment are performed simultaneously, as shown in fig. 14, twobeam splitters 80 and 85 may be installed so that each laser light is incident on the eyeball.

The twobeam splitters 80 and 85 are mounted to be vertically spaced apart. Further, in order to make external light incident on each of thebeam splitters 80 and 85, twoprobes 83 and 87 are installed at a side surface of thehousing 10. In this case, two insertion holes into which the twoprobes 83 and 87 may be inserted may be formed in the side surface of thehousing 10, so that the twoprobes 83 and 87 may be coupled to the side surface of thehousing 10.

The laser light for OCT is emitted to the inside of thehousing 10 by theprobe 83 provided at the upper portion of the twoprobes 83 and 87, and the laser light for laser therapy is emitted to the inside of thehousing 10 by theprobe 87 provided at the lower portion of the twoprobes 83 and 87. In this case, it is possible to check the cross-sectional image of the eyeball in real time while performing laser treatment.

By adjusting the angle of the beam splitter or probe, external light can be made incident on a specific position on the eyeball. Although not shown, the angle of the beam splitter or probe may be adjusted using various known actuators.

In addition, in order to further diversify the path of external light incident on the eyeball, a reflection portion may be formed on the side surface of the contact lens.

Referring to fig. 15 and 16, areflection portion 90 is formed on the inclined side surface of thecontact lens 21. Thereflection portion 90 may be formed by attaching a surface of a mirror or the like to a side surface of thecontact lens 21. Further, a reflective layer capable of reflecting light may be formed on the side surface of thecontact lens 21 by coating.

The external light reflected from thebeam splitter 80 is incident on thereflection part 90, and the external light incident on thereflection part 90 is reflected again and incident on a specific position on theeyeball 310. The direction in which the external light is reflected may be adjusted by adjusting the angle of thebeam splitter 80 or theprobe 83, or may be adjusted using thecontact lens 21 whose side surface is inclined at a different slope. Fig. 15 and 16 show a state where the reflection part is formed at different angles using a contact lens whose side surface is inclined at different slopes. By making the reflection angle as shown in fig. 15 small, the anterior angle can be examined, and thus the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention can be used for diagnostic examination of glaucoma, SLT, and the like. The cornea contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention can be used for inspection of peripheral retina or laser treatment by making the reflection angle as shown in fig. 16 large.

Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to inspect a cross-sectional image of an eyeball in real time while performing laser treatment. This is particularly useful for trabeculoplasty using a laser. SLT is a method in which a laser is emitted to the trabecular meshwork to break or shrink the trabecular meshwork, so that the pore size of the trabecular meshwork increases and the amount of aqueous humor that is drained increases, thereby lowering intraocular pressure. When the corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to the present invention is used, since the scleral blood vessels can be observed all the way, it can be checked whether the hole has sufficiently reached the Schlemm's root canal during the SLT surgical operation. Furthermore, the effect of SLT can be enhanced by examining large and healthy parts of the Schlemm root canal. Furthermore, by finding a portion of Schlemm's root canal that is poorly conditioned, Schlemm's root canal angioplasty, a new surgical procedure, can be achieved. In addition, finally, laser trabeculotomy may be attempted by finding healthy scleral blood vessels and forming a hole from the trabecular meshwork to the sclera, instead of the existing trabeculoplasty procedure.

Further, in fig. 13 to 16, the OCT apparatus may be connected to an upper portion of the housing, and the image sensor portion may be disposed at a side surface of the housing.

Meanwhile, fig. 17 and 18 show another example of a position adjuster configured to change the position of theimage sensor section 30. The illustrated position adjuster can not only vertically move theimage sensor section 30 but also adjust the slope of theimage sensor section 30.

Referring to fig. 17 and 18, the position adjuster includes a mountingmember 100 on which theimage sensor part 30 is mounted, a vertical moving part configured to vertically move the mountingmember 100, and an inclined part configured to adjust a slope of the mountingmember 100 to adjust a direction of theimage sensor part 30.

The mountingmember 100 is formed in the shape of a plate. Theimage sensor part 30 is installed at the center of the lower portion of theinstallation member 100, and theillumination lamps 19 are installed at both sides of theimage sensor part 30.

The vertical moving section includes a lifting/loweringplate 41; a protrudingrod 43 coupled to an upper portion of the lifting/loweringplate 41 and having a screw hole formed therein; alead screw 45 screw-coupled to the protrudingrod 43; amotor 47 configured to rotate thelead screw 45; and aguide protrusion 49 configured to guide the vertical movement of the lifting/loweringplate 41.

The lifting/loweringplate 41 is formed in the shape of a plate. A protrudingrod 43 is formed at the center of the upper portion of the lifting/loweringplate 41. The protrudingrod 43 is formed vertically long. A screw hole is formed in the projectingrod 43.

Thelead screw 45 has threads formed on an outer circumferential surface, and is screw-coupled to a threaded hole of the protrudingrod 43. Thelead screw 45 is connected to amotor 47 installed at thecover 15 and rotates.

Aguide protrusion 49 is formed at each of the left and right sides of the lifting/loweringplate 41. Theguide protrusion 49 is inserted into theguide groove 12 formed in the inner circumferential surface of theupper body 11. Theguide groove 12 is formed vertically long.

When themotor 47 operates, thelead screw 45 rotates. Accordingly, the elevation/loweringplate 41 is vertically moved in the direction in which thelead screw 45 rotates.

The inclined portion includes a hinge portion configured to hingedly couple the lifting/loweringplate 41 and the mountingmember 100, and anactuator 150 installed at the lifting/loweringplate 41 and configured to adjust a slope of the mountingmember 100.

The hinge portion includes afirst bracket 110 formed at a lower portion of the lifting/loweringplate 41, asecond bracket 111 formed at an upper portion of the mountingmember 100, and arotation shaft 113 configured to couple thefirst bracket 110 and thesecond bracket 111.

A cylinder or solenoid value having a small size may be used as theactuator 105. Theactuator 105 is hingedly coupled to one side of the mountingmember 100. The mountingmember 100 may be maintained in a horizontal state as shown in fig. 17 or inclined due to the operation of theactuator 105 as shown in fig. 18. The operation of theactuator 105 is controlled by a control section.

By adjusting the slope of the mountingmember 100 as described above, the direction of theimage sensor section 30 can be adjusted to different directions. In this way, when external light is incident on a portion surrounding the eyeball instead of being incident on the center of the eyeball, theimage sensor section 30 can be adjusted to correspond to the direction in which the external light is incident.

As described above, according to the present invention, by digitizing the optical system of the microscope, the microscope is made small and lightweight, and the microscope can be used while being placed on the cornea.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since the eyeball can be enlarged and observed while the objective lens is brought into direct contact with the cornea of the patient, it is possible to solve various problems of the conventional ophthalmic microscope that observes the eyeball while the objective lens is spaced apart from the eyeball by a predetermined distance.

Further, according to the present invention, since it is easy to connect the microscope with other ophthalmic apparatuses, the microscope can be used for OCT or various laser treatments.

The present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, but the above description is only illustrative, and it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various modifications and other equivalent embodiments may be made in accordance with the above embodiments. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention should be limited only by the attached claims.

Claims (8)

1. A corneal contact ophthalmic digital microscope, comprising:

a housing;

an objective lens part installed below the housing and configured to contact a cornea of an eyeball;

an image sensor section mounted within the housing and configured to capture the eyeball visible through the objective lens section and generate an eyeball image;

a position adjuster configured to change a position of the image sensor section; and

a control section configured to control operations of the image sensor section and the position adjuster, and output the eyeball image to the outside,

wherein the position adjuster includes a mounting member on which the image sensor part is mounted, a vertical moving part configured to vertically move the mounting member, and an inclined part configured to adjust a slope of the mounting member and adjust a direction of the image sensor part.

2. The corneal contact ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 1, wherein the objective lens portion comprises: a contact lens having a contact surface configured to contact the cornea and concavely formed at a lower portion thereof; an illumination module mounted above the contact lens and configured to emit light toward the cornea; and an optical lens mounted above the illumination module and configured to allow visual inspection of the eyeball in a magnified state.

3. The corneal contact-type ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 2, wherein the illumination module comprises a light-transmissive plate and a light source mounted at the light-transmissive plate, the light-transmissive plate disposed between the contact lens and the optical lens and configured to transmit light.

4. The corneal contact type ophthalmic digital microscope according to claim 2, wherein a reflection portion is formed on a side surface of the contact lens so that external light incident from the outside to the inside of the housing is reflected in a specific direction of the eyeball.

5. The corneal contact-type ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 1, further comprising a movable lens portion that is mounted between the objective lens portion and the image sensor portion and that is configured to be vertically movable.

6. The corneal contact-type ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 1, further comprising a beam splitter installed between the image sensor section and the objective lens section and configured such that external light emitted from the outside toward the inside of the housing is incident on the objective lens section.

7. The corneal contact ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 6, wherein the external light is a laser for Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) or laser therapy.

8. The corneal contact-type ophthalmic digital microscope of claim 1, wherein the image sensor portion comprises a pair of left and right image capturing elements spaced horizontally apart and configured to capture the eyeball at different angles to generate the eyeball image.

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