JP2014150823A - Ophthalmologic apparatus and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve alignment that has high stability.SOLUTION: An ophthalmologic apparatus includes: first alignment means for performing alignment between acquisition means and an eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means to the eye to be examined with movement means in a first moving range; limiting means for limiting the moving range of the acquisition means by the movement means to a second moving range narrower than the first moving range by controlling the movement means, when the positional relationship between the acquisition means and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition by the first alignment means; and second alignment means for performing alignment between the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means to the eye to be examined with the movement means in the second moving range. The movement speed of the acquisition means by the second alignment means is slower than the movement speed of the acquisition means by the first alignment means.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ophthalmologic apparatus and an ophthalmologic control method having a function of acquiring unique information of an eye to be examined (for example, a fundus tomographic image (OCT) by optical interference of a near-infrared laser) and a function of aligning the eye to be examined It is about the program.

  In an ophthalmologic apparatus that performs acquisition (measurement / imaging, etc.) of specific information of an eye to be examined, it is necessary to align the acquisition unit with a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the eye to be examined. In addition, even when the human eye is determining the line of sight, the human eye is constantly moving due to a slight visual movement or a jumping movement. Furthermore, in the case of an affected eye, the fixation may not be determined. Therefore, in order to maintain the optimal positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit, an alignment operation for tracking (tracking) the eye to be examined is also important. However, if the eye to be examined moves greatly and deviates during the examination, it is considered that some kind of abnormality has occurred, and therefore it is not necessary to perform alignment at that time.

  Patent Document 1 describes an ophthalmologic apparatus that automatically aligns with an eye to be examined. Further, in Patent Document 2, when the mechanism that regulates the movement in the direction of the eye to be examined is accidentally entered into the alignment start range, the alignment is not started as the original, but as an accident. An ophthalmic device is described that invalidates the start of alignment.

JP 2001-309888 A Japanese Patent No. 3468909

  When the eye to be examined has moved greatly, the ophthalmologic apparatus described in Patent Document 1 attempts to align the acquisition unit by moving it over the entire movable range. For this reason, even if the movement of the eye to be examined is abnormal, the acquisition unit may continue the alignment operation on the eye to be examined, and the alignment operation may become unstable.

  On the other hand, the ophthalmologic apparatus described in Patent Document 2 invalidates the start of alignment when it falls within the alignment start range, and performs alignment control on the assumption that the alignment starts when it falls within the alignment start range. It is difficult to continue stably.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an ophthalmic apparatus and a control method capable of realizing highly stable alignment (tracking).

  To achieve the above object, an ophthalmologic apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined, and a moving unit that moves the acquisition unit with respect to the eye to be examined. And a first alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within a first movement range; When the positional relationship between the acquisition means and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition by one alignment means, the movement range of the acquisition means by the movement means is controlled by controlling the movement means. Limiting means for limiting to a narrower second movement range; and by moving the acquisition means with respect to the eye to be examined by the moving means within the second movement range; Second alignment means for aligning with the optometry, and the movement speed of the acquisition means by the second alignment means is slower than the movement speed of the acquisition means by the first alignment means It is characterized by that.

  An ophthalmologic apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined, a moving unit that moves the acquisition unit with respect to the eye to be examined, First alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within a moving range; and the first alignment means When the positional relationship between the acquisition means and the eye to be inspected satisfies a predetermined condition by the moving means, the acquisition means is moved to the eye to be examined by the moving means at a movement speed slower than the movement speed of the acquisition means by the first alignment means. And a second alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by being moved.

  Furthermore, an ophthalmologic apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that acquires information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined, a moving unit that moves the acquisition unit with respect to the eye to be examined, Positioning means for aligning the obtaining means and the eye to be examined by moving the obtaining means relative to the eye to be examined by the moving means within a moving range, and the obtaining means and the position by the positioning means In the case where the acquisition means is moved out of the second movement range from the second movement range narrower than the first movement range by the alignment means after the positional relationship with the eye to be examined satisfies a predetermined condition. The moving speed is characterized by being slower than the moving speed of the acquisition means by the alignment means before the predetermined condition is satisfied.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an ophthalmologic apparatus and a control method that can realize highly stable alignment when performing continuous automatic alignment. That is, even when the eye to be examined performs an unstable operation during alignment, unnecessary alignment operation of the acquisition unit can be suppressed, and the stability of continuous automatic alignment can be improved. Further, the alignment time can be shortened and the throughput can be improved.

(A) is explanatory drawing of the capture screen in the ophthalmologic apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (b) is explanatory drawing of the state which the acquisition part shifted | deviated to the XY direction with respect to the eye to be examined, (c) is acquired with respect to the eye to be examined. (D) is an explanatory view of an operation flow in the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. (A) is the whole schematic diagram of the ophthalmologic apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (b) is explanatory drawing of the measurement optical system which is an acquisition part of the ophthalmologic apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which looked at the 1st movement range concerning an embodiment of the present invention from the upper part, (b) is the figure seen from the side, (c) is the explanation of the 1st movement range when seeing the eye to be examined from the front. FIG. (A) thru | or (c) are the figures displayed on the monitor which is a display means which shows the state in which alignment was correct, respectively when a pupil is small, the figure which shows a mode that the eyes | visual_axis of the to-be-tested eye moved, and the to-be-examined eye to which the eyes moved The figure which shows the state which tracked with respect to (a), (d) thru | or (f) each show the state in which alignment was in the case where a pupil is large, the figure which shows a mode that the eyes | visual_axis of the to-be-tested eye moved, and the eyes moved It is a figure which shows the state which tracked with respect to the to-be-examined eye. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of an operation flow in the second embodiment, where (a) is a diagram for determining whether or not to expand the second movement range by tracking elapsed time, and (b) is a positional deviation amount of a predetermined amount. FIG. 8 is a diagram in the case where it is determined whether or not the second movement range is expanded by the number of times determined as above, and FIG. 5C is a diagram in the case where the second movement range is displaced according to the movement of the eye to be examined. (D) is an explanatory diagram of recording and analyzing the locus of movement of the eye to be examined and calculating the center of gravity of the movement, and (e) is to make the origin position of the second movement range coincide with the center of gravity of the movement of the eye to be examined. It is explanatory drawing of this. (A) is explanatory drawing of the operation | movement flow in 3rd Embodiment which displays the 2nd movement range, (b) is description of superimposing on the anterior ocular segment image by using the 2nd movement range as a frame line. FIG. 4C is an explanatory diagram showing that the second movement range is displayed as a four corner mark superimposed on the anterior segment image. (A) is explanatory drawing of the operation | movement flow which displays a warning when there exists an eye to be examined in the position beyond the 2nd movement range, (b) is when the eye to be examined exists in the position beyond the 2nd movement range. FIG. 6C is an explanatory diagram of warning display on the monitor, and FIG. 5C is a diagram showing a selection screen for determining whether or not to expand the second movement range. (A) is a flow chart for explaining an example of operation of this embodiment. (B) is a figure which shows an example of the moving speed of a stage part. (A) is a flow chart for explaining an example of operation of this embodiment. (B) is a figure which shows an example of the moving speed of a stage part. (A) is a flow chart for explaining an example of operation of this embodiment. (B) is a figure which shows an example of the moving speed of a stage part.

<< First Embodiment >>
(Body structure)
FIG. 2A is a side view of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the first embodiment. Reference numeral 200 denotes an ophthalmologic apparatus, 900 an acquisition unit (measurement optical system) for acquiring an anterior ocular segment image, a fundus two-dimensional image, and a tomographic image, and 950 moves the acquisition unit 900 in the XYZ directions using a motor (not shown). It is a stage unit as a movable unit that is made possible. Reference numeral 951 denotes a base unit incorporating a spectroscope described later.

  Reference numeral 925 denotes a personal computer that serves as both a stage control unit and alignment means (first alignment means and second alignment means described later). Etc. A hard disk 926 also serves as a subject information storage unit and stores a program for tomographic imaging.

  A monitor 928 is a display unit, and an input unit 929 is an instruction unit for instructing a personal computer, and specifically includes a keyboard and a mouse. Reference numeral 323 denotes a face holder, which includes a chin rest 324 that can be moved up and down by a motor (not shown), a forehead support 325, and an eye height line 326 that is provided at the center of the movement range of the objective lens described later in the height direction. By placing the subject's chin on the chin rest 324, placing the forehead on the forehead 325, and fixing the subject's face so that the height of the subject's eyes substantially coincides with the eye height line 326, The eye to be examined can be roughly positioned on the acquisition unit 900.

(Configuration of measurement optical system and spectrometer)
The configuration of the measurement optical system and the spectroscope of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the inside of the acquisition unit 900 will be described. An objective lens 135-1 is installed facing the eye 107, and a first dichroic mirror 132-1 and a second dichroic mirror 132-2 are arranged on the optical axis. By these dichroic mirrors, the optical path 351 of the OCT optical system, the optical path 352 for fundus observation and fixation lamp, and the optical path 353 for anterior eye observation are branched for each wavelength band.

  The optical path 352 is further branched for each wavelength band by the third dichroic mirror 132-3 to the optical path to the fundus observation CCD 172 and the fixation lamp 191 as described above. Here, reference numerals 135-3 and 135-4 denote lenses, and the lens 135-3 is driven by a motor (not shown) for focusing for fixation light and fundus observation. The CCD 172 has sensitivity at the wavelength of illumination light for fundus observation (not shown), specifically around 780 nm. On the other hand, the fixation lamp 191 generates visible light to promote fixation of the subject.

  In the optical path 353, reference numerals 135-2 and 135-10 denote lenses, 140 denotes a split prism, and 171 denotes a CCD for anterior ocular segment observation that detects infrared light. The CCD 171 has sensitivity at the wavelength of illumination light for anterior eye observation (not shown), specifically, around 970 nm. The split prism 140 is disposed at a position conjugate with the pupil of the eye 107 to be examined, and can detect the distance in the Z direction (front-rear direction) of the acquisition unit 900 with respect to the eye 107 as a split image of the anterior eye. .

  The optical path 351 forms an OCT optical system as described above, and is for capturing a tomographic image of the fundus of the eye 107 to be examined. More specifically, an interference signal for forming a tomographic image is obtained. Reference numeral 134 denotes an XY scanner for scanning light on the fundus. The XY scanner 134 is illustrated as a single mirror, but is a galvanometer mirror that performs scanning in the XY biaxial directions.

  Reference numerals 135-5 and 135-6 denote lenses. Among them, the lens 135-5 is driven by a motor (not shown) in order to focus on the fundus 107 using light from the OCT light source 101 emitted from the fiber 131-2 connected to the optical coupler 131. By this focusing, the light from the fundus 107 is simultaneously imaged and incident on the tip of the fiber 131-2.

  Next, the configuration of the optical path from the OCT light source 101, the reference optical system, and the spectrometer will be described.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes an OCT light source, 132-4 denotes a reference mirror, 115 denotes dispersion compensation glass, 131 denotes an optical coupler, 131-1 to 4 denote a single mode optical fiber connected to the optical coupler, and 135-7 denotes a lens. , 180 is a spectroscope.

  The Michelson interference system is configured by these configurations. The light emitted from the OCT light source 101 is split into measurement light on the optical fiber 131-2 side and reference light on the optical fiber 131-3 side through the optical coupler 131 through the optical fiber 131-1.

  The measurement light is irradiated onto the fundus of the eye 107 to be observed through the OCT optical system optical path described above, and reaches the optical coupler 131 through the same optical path due to reflection and scattering by the retina.

  By the optical coupler 131, the measurement light and the reference light are combined to become interference light. Here, interference occurs when the optical path length of the measurement light and the optical path length of the reference light are substantially the same. The reference mirror 1324 is held so as to be adjustable in the optical axis direction by a motor and a drive mechanism (not shown), and the optical path length of the reference light can be adjusted to the optical path length of the measurement light that varies depending on the eye 107 to be examined. The interference light is guided to the spectroscope 180 via the optical fiber 131-4.

  Reference numeral 139-1 denotes a measurement light side polarization adjusting unit provided in the optical fiber 131-2. Reference numeral 139-2 denotes a reference light side polarization adjustment unit provided in the optical fiber 131-3. These polarization adjustment units have several parts that have the optical fiber routed in a loop. The loop part is rotated about the longitudinal direction of the fiber to twist the fiber, and the measurement light and reference light. It is possible to adjust and adjust the polarization states of each.

  The spectroscope 180 includes lenses 135-8 and 135-9, a diffraction grating 181, and a line sensor 182. The interference light emitted from the optical fiber 131-4 becomes parallel light via the lens 135-8, is then split by the diffraction grating 181, and is imaged on the line sensor 182 by the lens 135-9.

  Next, the periphery of the OCT light source 101 will be described. The OCT light source 101 is an SLD (Super Luminescent Diode) which is a typical low coherent light source. The center wavelength is 855 nm and the wavelength bandwidth is about 100 nm. Here, the bandwidth is an important parameter because it affects the resolution of the obtained tomographic image in the optical axis direction.

  As the type of light source, SLD is selected here, but it is sufficient that low-coherent light can be emitted, and ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission) or the like can be used. As the center wavelength, near infrared light is suitable in view of measuring the eye. Moreover, since the center wavelength affects the lateral resolution of the obtained tomographic image, it is desirable that the center wavelength be as short as possible. For both reasons, the center wavelength was set to 855 nm.

  In this embodiment, a Michelson interference system is used as the interference system, but a Mach-Zehnder interference system may be used. It is desirable to use a Mach-Zehnder interferometer when the light amount difference is large according to the light amount difference between the measurement light and the reference light, and a Michelson interferometer when the light amount difference is relatively small.

(Tomographic imaging method)
A method for capturing a tomographic image using the ophthalmologic apparatus 200 will be described. The ophthalmologic apparatus 200 can take a tomographic image of a predetermined part of the eye 107 to be examined by controlling the XY scanner 134. First, the measurement light is scanned in the X direction in the figure, and information on a predetermined number of images is captured by the line sensor 182 from the imaging range in the X direction on the fundus. The luminance distribution on the line sensor 182 obtained at a certain position in the X direction is subjected to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and the linear luminance distribution obtained by FFT is displayed on the monitor 928 as density or color information. Convert. This is called an A-scan image.

  A two-dimensional image in which a plurality of A-scan images are arranged is called a B-scan image. After a plurality of A-scan images for constructing one B-scan image are captured, a plurality of B-scan images are obtained by moving the scan value in the Y direction and scanning again in the X direction.

  By displaying a plurality of B-scan images or a three-dimensional image constructed from a plurality of B-scan images on the monitor 928, the examiner can use it for diagnosis of the eye to be examined.

(Capture screen displayed on the monitor before imaging)
A capture screen according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The capture screen is a screen for performing various settings and adjustments in order to obtain a desired eye image, and is a screen displayed on the monitor before imaging. 1101 is an anterior ocular segment observation screen obtained by the anterior ocular segment observation CCD 171, 1201 is a fundus two-dimensional image display screen obtained by the fundus oculi observation CCD 172, and 1301 is a tomographic image for confirming the acquired tomographic image. It is a display screen. Reference numeral 1001 denotes a button for switching the left and right eyes of the eye to be examined. By pressing the L and R buttons, the acquisition unit 900 is moved to the initial position of the left and right eyes.

  Reference numeral 1010 denotes an inspection set selection screen, which displays the selected inspection set. When changing the inspection set, the examiner clicks 1011 to display a pull-down menu (not shown) and selects a desired inspection set. Further, the scan pattern display screen 1012 displays an outline of the scan pattern performed in the currently selected inspection set, for example, horizontal scan, vertical scan, cross scan, and the like.

  By clicking an arbitrary point on the anterior ocular segment observation screen 1101 with a mouse, the acquisition unit 900 is moved so that the point becomes the center of the screen, and the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined are aligned.

  Reference numeral 1004 denotes a start button. By pressing this button, acquisition of a two-dimensional image and a tomographic image is started, and the acquired eye image is displayed in real time on the two-dimensional image display screen 1201 and the tomographic image display screen 1301. A slider arranged in the vicinity of each image is used for adjustment. The slider 1103 adjusts the position of the acquisition unit in the Z direction with respect to the eye to be examined, the slider 1203 adjusts the focus, and the slider 1302 adjusts the position of the coherence gate.

  The focus adjustment is an adjustment for moving the lenses 135-3 and 135-5 in the direction shown in the drawing in order to adjust the focus on the fundus. The coherence gate adjustment is an adjustment in which the reference mirror 132-4 is moved in the illustrated direction so that the tomographic image is observed at a desired position on the tomographic image display screen. By these adjustment operations, the examiner creates a state in which optimum imaging can be performed. Reference numeral 1003 denotes an image pickup button. When various adjustments are completed, desired image pickup is performed by pressing this button.

(Alignment operation)
Hereinafter, a series of operations for aligning the acquisition unit 900 with respect to the eye 107 to be examined in a three-dimensional direction (the X direction which is the left and right direction, the Y direction which is the up and down direction, and the Z direction which is the front and rear direction) are illustrated in FIG. This will be described using c). Here, regarding a first movement range and a second movement range, which will be described later, the alignment control in the first movement range is the first alignment control, and the alignment control in the second movement range is the second alignment control. Call. By sequentially using the first alignment control and the second alignment control, it is possible to improve the stability of continuous automatic alignment.

1-1) First Alignment Control Using First Alignment Unit The personal computer 925 (FIG. 2) as the first alignment unit uses the movement unit 950 to move the acquisition unit 900 to the first movement range 3100 (FIG. 3). ), The positioning of the acquisition unit 900 and the eye to be examined is performed as follows.

  When the XY direction of the acquisition unit is deviated with respect to the eye to be examined, the anterior segment image (captured by the anterior segment observation CCD 171) displayed in the anterior segment observation screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000 is shown in FIG. In this way, it is displayed at a position off the center of the screen. From here, the alignment detection means (including the anterior eye observation CCD 171 as the imaging means and the personal computer 925 as the image processing means for the imaged anterior segment image) detects the position of the center of gravity of the pupil 107P, and The amount of positional deviation in the X and Y directions with respect to the acquisition unit 900 is calculated.

  Further, when the distance in the Z direction is deviated, as shown in FIG. 1C, the image is split above and below the field of view, so the amount of misalignment in the Z direction depends on the amount of splitting and the direction of splitting. Calculate whether it is shifted to the front or back. For detection in the Z direction, in addition to detection of split, for example, the cornea of the eye to be examined may be irradiated with spot light, and the position in the Z direction may be detected from the position of the reflected light. The positional deviation may be determined from the degree of blur.

  By such an alignment detection means, it is possible to acquire the positional deviation amount and direction between the acquisition unit 900 and the eye to be examined, and based on the detection result by the alignment detection means, the stage unit is moved with respect to the eye to be examined by the moving means 950. By performing relative movement, alignment control is performed.

1-2) First Movement Range Here, the first movement range in which the first alignment control is performed will be described with reference to FIG. 3A is a view seen from above (the subject's head side), FIG. 3B is a view seen from the side, and FIG. 3C is a view seen from the front. The stage unit 950 is controlled so that the center point 3001 of the objective lens 135-1 that is the reference point of the acquisition unit 900 moves within the first movement range 3100 indicated by the frame line. Note that the center point 3001 may be substantially the center of the objective lens 135-1, and may not coincide with the center of the objective lens 135-1.

  The subject is inspected with the chin resting on the chin rest 324 and the forehead 325 in contact with the forehead. As a result, the face of the subject can be stabilized, and a large movement of the subject's eye during the examination can be suppressed to some extent. Further, by adjusting the position of the chin rest 324 so as to match the position of the eyeline 326, the position of the eye to be examined is roughly positioned with respect to the acquisition unit, and the time required for alignment can be shortened. it can.

  Here, features of the first movement range 3100 will be described. The first movement range 3100 is a range in which the acquisition unit 900 can move before reaching the alignment completion state in which the shift of the acquisition unit 900 with respect to the subject's eye falls within a predetermined allowable range, and the maximum movement range (X Direction, Y direction, and Z direction). In the present embodiment, the first movement range is set equal to the maximum movable range of the apparatus.

  Specifically, in the present embodiment, the size in the X direction is 100 mm, the size in the Y direction is 30 mm, and the size in the Z direction is 40 mm. The size is set so that a person with any face shape can align the acquisition unit 900 with respect to the eye 107 to be examined. Note that the first movement range 310 is not limited to the above range, and may be a range narrower than the maximum movable range of the measure.

  The acquisition unit 900 has a movable range that can be measured close to the eye to measure the human eye, and the nose 3002 of the subject at the time of examination protrudes to the acquisition unit side as illustrated. It becomes. In such a case, the acquisition unit 900 and the subject's nose may be inadvertently approached. In order to prevent this, the first movement range 3100 is examined in the Z direction at the center of the X direction. A recess 3101 is provided to move away from the person.

  Here, a method for limiting the first movement range will be described. The stage unit 950 is moved by a stepping motor that moves in the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. The personal computer 925, which is a stage control unit, can detect the position of the stage unit 950 by storing the number of drive pulses of the stepping motor in a memory (not shown) or the like, and can limit the position.

  Further, a restriction may be applied by providing a sensor (for example, a photo interrupter) at each restriction position and detecting whether or not the stage unit 950 has passed the sensor position. Furthermore, mechanical limitations can be imposed. In this case, a moving object for limiting the movement of the stage unit 950 is provided, and the moving range of the stage unit 950 is limited by physically preventing the stage unit from moving further.

2) Second alignment control and second movement range using second alignment means The personal computer 925 (FIG. 2) as the second alignment means uses the movement means 950 to move the acquisition unit 900 to the second movement range. By moving within the range of 3200 (FIG. 4), the acquisition unit 900 and the eye to be examined are aligned as follows.

  When it is determined by the first alignment control means that an alignment completion state has been reached in which the deviation of the obtaining unit 900 from the eye to be examined falls within a predetermined allowable range (the positional relationship between the obtaining unit and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition) In the case), the process proceeds to the second alignment control. That is, the alignment control is performed based on the detection result by the alignment detection means within the second movement range 3200 (FIG. 4) narrower than the first movement range with the position of the movement means 900 in the alignment completed state as the origin. The

  In the design in which the origin of the second moving range 3200 is shifted from the position of the moving unit 900 in the alignment completed state, the range that can be tracked is biased when the eye to be examined is displaced in either the left, right, up, or down directions from the alignment completed state. For this reason, it is effective to shift the origin of the second movement range 3200 from the position of the moving means in the alignment completed state for the subject characterized by the movement of the eye to be examined.

  However, in the present embodiment, the origin of the second movement range 3200 is set as the position of the moving means in the alignment completed state, so that even if the eye to be examined is displaced in any of the left, right, up and down directions from the alignment completed state, The device can be tracked for optometry. Although the origin of the second movement range 3200 is described as the position of the moving means 900 in the alignment completed state, more specifically, the origin of the second movement range 3200 is the position of the objective lens 135-1 in the alignment completed state. This is the center point 3001.

  In this way, the second movement range 3200 is set as a range in which the acquisition unit 900 can move during tracking after the alignment with the eye to be examined is once completed. The second movement range 3200 is preferably set larger than the size of the alignment allowable range and smaller than the first movement range.

  If the subject's face is fixed (contacted) to the chin rest and forehead rest, the position of the subject eye does not move greatly and the line of sight is moved. This is because only a small position change occurs due to, for example, fine fixation movement. Thereby, in the alignment operation after the alignment once, that is, the tracking operation for tracking the eye to be inspected, the eye to be inspected whose position is largely shifted due to some abnormality is not unnecessarily followed, and a stable alignment operation is possible. And inspection time can be shortened and the burden on a subject can also be reduced.

  Here, the size of the second movement range 3200 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4C shows the position of the pupil when the subject moves his / her line of sight up / down / left / right. For human eyes, the amount of movement Xp in the horizontal direction is larger than the amount of movement Yp in the vertical direction. In view of the movement of the human eye, it is suitable for tracking that the second moving range has a larger horizontal direction than other directions.

  In the present embodiment, the second movement range is set to X: 20 mm, Y: 10 mm, and Z: 10 mm, and the center of gravity of the rectangular parallelepiped is used as the origin. By setting the second movement range in this way, the movable range can be narrowed as much as possible without impairing the ability to follow the eye to be examined, so that the stability of alignment can be further improved.

  Note that the size of the second movement range 3200 is not limited to that described above. For example, the Y-direction range of the second movement range is set equal to the Y-direction range of the first movement range (in this case, the X-direction and / or Z-direction range of the second movement range is the first movement range). It is also conceivable that the range is narrower than the range in the corresponding direction. In this case, even when the examiner changes the position of the chin rest in view of the posture of the subject during the examination, tracking is possible because the movement range in the Y direction is wide.

  In addition, the X-direction range of the second movement range may be set equal to the X-direction range of the first movement range, or the Z-direction movement range of the second movement range may be set to the first movement range. It may be set equal to the range in the Z direction.

  The second movement range is not limited to a fixed range, and the range can be expanded or displaced to a new origin. In this case, the apparatus (specifically, the personal computer 925) can automatically perform the operation or the examiner can perform the operation manually.

  Here, the second moving range limiting method will be described. Similarly to the first movement range restriction, the restriction on the second movement range is detected and restricted by the personal computer 925 storing the number of drive pulses of the stepping motor that drives the stage part 950. Can be applied.

  When positioning is performed within the range of the second movement range, for example, the personal computer 925 detects the movement of the eye to be examined based on a plurality of fundus images or anterior eye images of the eye to be examined, and based on this movement. Then, alignment is performed by moving the acquisition unit 900.

(Examination eye pupil diameter and second moving range size)
Further, the size of the second moving range 3200 may be changed according to information on the eye to be examined, for example, the size of the pupil. The size of the pupil can be detected using the anterior ocular segment observation CCD 171 that also functions as a pupil diameter detecting means during alignment. This will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 107P denotes a pupil, 4001 denotes measurement light when passing through the pupil, and 3200 denotes a second movement range. In the apparatus for inspecting the fundus of the eye to be examined, when the beam diameter 4001 when passing through the pupil is thin as shown in the figure, the light can be irradiated to the fundus even if the position of the pupil is not the center.

Here, FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C show a state where the pupil is small (when the pupil diameter is less than a predetermined value). 4A shows a state where the alignment is in alignment, FIG. 4B shows a state in which the line of sight of the subject's eye has moved, and FIG. 4C shows a case where tracking is performed on the subject's eye that has moved. Is shown. In FIG. 4C, the personal computer 925 that also serves as the alignment detection means detects that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit has shifted, and calculates the shift amount. Then, the stage unit is driven by the amount of deviation so that the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit have an appropriate positional relationship (the eye to be examined is located at the center).

  However, at this time, since there is a restriction due to the second movement range 3200, the stage unit cannot be driven until the eye to be examined is located at the center. However, even in this case, since the measurement light 4001 is located in the pupil, the measurement light reaches the fundus and can be observed and examined.

  On the other hand, FIGS. 4D, 4E, and 4F show how the pupil is large (when the pupil diameter is equal to or larger than a predetermined value). FIG. 4D shows a case where the eye to be examined moves by the same amount as in FIG. FIG. 4F shows a case where tracking is performed on a moving eye. Here, as shown in FIG. 4F, when the pupil is large, the examination light can be incident on the pupil even if the positional deviation between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is large. Therefore, the second movement range 3200 when the pupil is large can be narrower than the second movement range 3200 when the pupil is small, as shown in FIGS. 4 (d), (e), and (f). .

  In this way, the size of the pupil is detected using the anterior segment observation CCD 171 that also functions as a pupil diameter detecting means during alignment, and when the pupil is large based on the information, the second movement range in the XY direction is detected. The size can be narrowed. Thereby, since the tracking operation range can be reduced within an appropriate range, the stability of the alignment operation can be further improved, and the inspection time can be shortened.

(Displacement of eye-gaze direction and second movement range)
The origin position of the second movement range may be changed based on the information on the eye line-of-sight direction. For example, the origin position of the second movement range may be changed according to the presentation position information of the fixation lamp presentation means. In the present embodiment, a fixation lamp 191 for stabilizing the line of sight of the eye to be examined is provided in the acquisition unit. The examiner may change the position of the fixation lamp 191 during the examination to observe and inspect various parts. At this time, the subject's line of sight moves in accordance with the position of the fixation lamp 191. Changes occur in the pupil position.

  For this reason, the present position of the fixation lamp 191 is acquired, and the origin position of the second movement range is displaced so as to approach the present position based on the information, so that even when the acquisition site is changed halfway, Tracking operation is possible.

(Subject's left and right eyes and second movement range)
Moreover, in the ophthalmologic apparatus, the left and right eyes are usually examined one eye at a time within one examination. The left and right eyes are usually the target with respect to the vertical center of the subject's face, that is, the approximate center of the apparatus. For this reason, when the second movement range is determined for one eye and the other eye is inspected, the second movement range is set in advance, and alignment can be started based on this information. . Thereby, the movement at the time of the first alignment becomes unnecessary, and the inspection time can be shortened.

  When measuring both eyes, the movement range of the measuring unit 900 is set to the second movement by pressing the OK button displayed on the display unit 928 or confirming the left / right eye switching button 1001 when confirming the imaging failure. The range is switched from the range to the first movement range.

Thus, several types of methods for determining the size of the second movement range have been described. Here, it is conceivable that a part of the second movement range exceeds the first movement range due to factors such as the size of the second movement range, the interpupillary distance of the subject, and the back eye. . In this case, the movement of the stage unit is controlled so that the acquisition unit does not exceed the first movement range,
Even if it is in the second movement range, the stage unit is stopped at a position exceeding the first movement range.

(Operation flow of fundus imaging)
An operation flow of imaging in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the examination is started in step S1, first, in step S2, the examiner instructs the subject to place his chin on the chin rest 324 and to put the forehead on the forehead 325. Here, the examiner adjusts the height of the chin rest 324 so that the position in the height direction of the examinee's eye approximately coincides with the eye height line 326, and sets the position of the examinee's eye to an appropriate position.

  Further, the acquired anterior ocular segment image is displayed in real time on the anterior ocular image display screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000, and the examiner positions and acquires the chin rest 324 so that the displayed anterior ocular segment image is approximately within the screen. The position of 900 can be adjusted. Here, the drive input to the acquisition unit is performed from a method of clicking the anterior eye image display screen with a mouse or the like as described above, a keyboard, or the like. The movable range when the stage unit moves here is limited by the first moving range 3100.

  Next, when the examiner clicks the start button 1004 on the capture screen 1000, the process proceeds to step S3, and the stage unit 950 starts an automatic alignment operation within the first movement range. Here, the alignment detection unit calculates the positional deviation amount between the subject and the acquisition unit based on the acquired anterior segment image signal, and passes the drive signal to the driving unit by the deviation amount. Thereby, the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit becomes an appropriate positional relationship. Here, it progresses to step S4 which judges whether the positional relationship of a subject and an acquisition part became below predetermined amount of positional offset.

  If it is determined in step S4 that the signal from the alignment detection means is incomplete, the process returns to step S3, and the stage unit 950 is driven again to perform alignment. On the other hand, when it is determined that the amount of misalignment between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is within the predetermined allowable range and the alignment is completed, the process proceeds to step S5. Here, an example is shown in which the alignment operation is continued until the alignment detection unit determines that the alignment is complete, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  An alignment detection failure time and number of times may be set in advance, and when the alignment is not completed within a predetermined time or number of times, a warning may be issued to the examiner to make the eye position appropriate again. . In step S <b> 5, the movement range of the stage unit 950 is changed from the first movement range 3100 to the second movement range 3200. Here, since the origin and the size of the second movement range 3200 have been described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, in step S6, the stage unit 950 performs tracking so that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is appropriate within the second movement range 3200. Here, since the second movement range is narrower than the first movement range, unnecessary tracking that occurs when the eye to be examined moves greatly and is located outside the movement range can be avoided. On the other hand, the second movement range is set to a range that can cope with movements other than the abnormal movement of the eye to be examined, for example, movements of the line of sight and fine movements of the fixation, so that a stable tracking operation can be performed. In addition, various adjustments (not shown) such as the focus adjustment and the coherence gate adjustment described above are performed.

  In step S7, when the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is equal to or less than a predetermined positional deviation amount during the tracking operation, an input acceptance state is entered by an operation such as clicking on the imaging button 1003 of the capture screen 1000, and the examiner Imaging is started by performing the operation. Here, although the imaging start trigger is performed by the examiner's operation, imaging may be automatically started when the alignment state or various adjustment states transition to a predetermined state. Here, if the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is equal to or greater than the predetermined positional deviation amount, the process returns to step S6 and tracking is performed again.

  After the imaging start signal is input, the tomographic image and the fundus image acquired by the fundus observation CCD are stored in the storage device in the personal computer 925 in step S8, and the inspection in step S9 is completed. With the above configuration, a stable alignment operation can be performed continuously. In the present embodiment, the OCT apparatus has been described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other ophthalmologic apparatuses may be used. For example, the present invention can be implemented in an ophthalmologic apparatus such as an anterior ocular segment photographing machine, a fundus camera, a refractometer, or a tonometer.

<< Second Embodiment >>
An operation flow of alignment in the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only the operation flow will be described, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 5A is an operation flow for dealing with an eye to be examined having a large movement. Steps S101 to S109 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and will not be described. In this operation flow, if it is determined in step S107 that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit 900 is greater than or equal to a predetermined deviation amount and the imaging state is not in an alignment state, the process proceeds to step S110.

  If the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit 900 is less than the predetermined positional deviation amount in step S107, the process proceeds to step S108, and imaging of the eye to be examined is performed. As an example, the predetermined shift amount used for the determination in step S107 is smaller than the predetermined shift amount used for the determination in step S104.

  In step S110, it is determined whether or not an elapsed time T from the start of the tracking time is longer than a predetermined time Tc. The predetermined time Tc is stored in the personal computer 925 in advance, and the factory setting may be used as it is, or the examiner may be able to set an arbitrary time. If the tracking time T is within the predetermined time (the predetermined time Tc or less) in step S110, the process returns to step S106 and tracking is performed again. On the other hand, when the tracking time T exceeds the predetermined time Tc, the process proceeds to step S111.

  The situation in which the imaging is not completed within the predetermined time Tc is caused by the movement of the eye to be examined being large with respect to the second movement range 3200. Therefore, in step S111, the range of the second movement range 3200 is expanded. The expanded new second movement range is a range larger than the existing second movement range and smaller than the first movement range.

  Here, the amount of expansion of the second movement range is predetermined and may be spread uniformly in the X, Y, and Z directions. However, since the movement of the human eye in the Z direction is small, X, Y You may enlarge only in the direction. Further, as described above, since the movement of the human eye is large in the X direction, the second movement range that is more suitable for the movement of the human eye is expanded by increasing the amount of expansion in the X direction than in the other direction. You can also. After expanding the second movement range in step S111, the process returns to step S106 to resume tracking.

  In the above embodiment, whether or not to expand the second movement range is determined based on the elapsed time of tracking, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 5B, the determination may be made by the number of times that the amount of positional deviation between the eye to be inspected and the test object by the alignment detection means is determined to be a predetermined amount or more. That is, when the second movement range is expanded, when the positional relationship between the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined does not reach the second condition within the predetermined time by the second alignment unit, or the second This is a case where the number of times determined not to satisfy the above condition reaches a predetermined number.

  This operation flow will be described with reference to FIG. Steps S201 to S209 in FIG. 5B are the same as the above-described operation flow, and thus description thereof is omitted. In this operation flow, the number N of times that the amount of positional deviation between the eye to be inspected and the inspection object by the alignment detection means is determined to be a predetermined amount or more is counted, and in step S210, the number N of alignment detection NG is the predetermined number of times. It is determined whether or not Nc is exceeded. The predetermined number of times Nc is stored in the personal computer 925 in advance, and the factory default setting may be used as it is, or the examiner may be able to set an arbitrary time.

  If the number of alignment NG N is less than or equal to the predetermined number Nc in step S210, the process returns to step S206 to perform tracking again. On the other hand, if the number of alignment NG N exceeds the predetermined number Nc, the process proceeds to step S211 to expand the second movement range. Here, since the expansion of the second movement range has already been described, a description thereof will be omitted.

  With the operation flow as described above, tracking can be performed even for a large movement of the eye to be examined. In the embodiment described above, the enlargement amount of the second movement range is set in advance, but the enlargement amount of the second movement range can be set in accordance with the movement of the eye to be examined.

  Further, the origin position of the second movement range may be displaced without changing the size of the second movement range in accordance with the movement of the eye to be examined. This displacement of the origin position will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 (c) and 5 (d). Note that steps S301 to S309 in FIG. 5C are the same as the above-described operation flow, and thus description thereof is omitted.

(Motion of eye to be examined and displacement of second movement range)
In this embodiment, the anterior ocular segment observation CCD 171 is used as an eye movement detection unit that detects the movement of the eye to be examined. That is, in step S310 of this operation flow, as shown in FIG. 5D, based on the information obtained from the anterior ocular segment observation CCD 171, eye movements 107P-1, 107P-2, 107P-3, The locus of 107P-4 is recorded and analyzed, and the center of gravity G of the movement is calculated.

  Then, the process proceeds to step S311. In FIG. 5D, 3200 is the second movement range, and 3201 is the origin position of the second movement range. In step S311, as shown in FIG. 5E, the origin position 53201 of the second movement range is brought close to the position in the direction in which the eye to be examined has moved in step S310, and the calculated center of gravity of the eye to be examined is calculated. Match with G. Thereafter, the process returns to step S306 to perform tracking again. As a result, the second movement range can be displaced to a position in accordance with the movement of the eye to be inspected, and there is no need to widen the second movement range, so that stable alignment and tracking operations can be realized.

<< Third Embodiment >>
An alignment operation flow in the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, only the operation flow will be described, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Further, in FIG. 6A, steps S401 to S405 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and are omitted.

  In this operation flow, after setting the second movement range in step S405, the second movement range is displayed on the anterior segment image display screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000 as shown in FIG. 6B in step S406. The range 3200 is displayed superimposed on the anterior segment image. In the display image shown in FIG. 6B, the personal computer 925 shown in FIG. 2A functions as a display control unit to display the second movement range 3200 on the monitor together with the anterior eye image of the eye to be examined. Is.

  As a result, the examiner can easily determine whether or not the movement of the eye to be examined is within the second movement range. In addition, since the movement of the subject's eyes can be relatively compared with the second movement range, it is possible to assist in determining whether the movement of the subject's eye is abnormal. Although FIG. 6A shows an example in which the second movement range is displayed by a frame line, marks may be added to the four corners as shown in FIG.

  Steps S407 to 410 after step S406 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and thus description thereof is omitted.

  In the above description, only the second movement range is displayed. However, when the eye to be examined is located at a position beyond the second movement range, a warning may be displayed. An operation flow for displaying a warning will be described with reference to FIG. Steps S501 to S506 are the same as those in the first and second embodiments, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  When it is detected in step S507 that the target position of the eye to be examined is outside the second movement range, or in step S508, the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is greater than or equal to a predetermined positional deviation amount, and imaging is possible. When it is determined that the alignment state is not correct, the process proceeds to step S511. In step S511, as shown in FIG. 7B, a window 5001 that displays a warning that the eye to be examined is outside the second movement range is displayed on the capture screen 1000.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S512, and a window 5002 that asks the examiner to select whether or not to expand the second movement range is displayed on the capture screen 1000, as shown in FIG. Here, the examiner determines whether or not to enlarge the second moving means, and inputs the determination result using a mouse or the like. When the selection to expand the second movement range is made, the process proceeds to step S513, and as described in the second embodiment, the second movement range is expanded, and the process returns to step S505. On the other hand, if a selection is made not to expand the second movement range, the process returns to step S502.

  By performing the warning display as described above, the examiner can easily determine whether or not the movement of the eye to be examined is abnormal. Further, by displaying the movement range expansion together with the warning, the intention of the examiner can be quickly and accurately linked to the alignment operation of the apparatus.

<< Fourth Embodiment >>
An operation flow of alignment in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only the operation flow will be described, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

  An imaging operation flow in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the inspection is started in step S801, first, the first alignment speed v1 is set as the maximum speed when the stage unit 950 moves in step S802.

  Next, in step S <b> 803, the examiner instructs the subject to place his chin on the chin rest 324 and to place the forehead on the forehead 325. Here, the examiner adjusts the height of the chin rest 324 so that the position in the height direction of the examinee's eye approximately coincides with the eye height line 326, and sets the position of the examinee's eye to an appropriate position.

  Further, the acquired anterior ocular segment image is displayed in real time on the anterior ocular image display screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000, and the examiner positions and acquires the chin rest 324 so that the displayed anterior ocular segment image is approximately within the screen. The position of 900 can be adjusted. Here, the drive input to the acquisition unit is performed from a method of clicking the anterior eye image display screen with a mouse or the like as described above, a keyboard, or the like. The movable range when the stage unit moves here is limited by the first moving range 3100. Note that step S802 may be performed after step S803.

  Next, when the examiner clicks the start button 1004 on the capture screen 1000, the process proceeds to step S804, and the stage unit 950 starts an automatic alignment operation within the first movement range. Here, the alignment detection unit calculates the positional deviation amount between the subject and the acquisition unit based on the acquired anterior segment image signal, and passes the drive signal to the driving unit by the deviation amount. Thereby, the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit becomes an appropriate positional relationship. At this time, an example of a speed change when the stage unit 950 moves is shown in FIG. In FIG. 8B, the horizontal axis indicates the amount of movement of the stage unit, and the vertical axis indicates the moving speed of the stage unit. In addition, the figure shown in FIG.8 (b) is a figure which shows an example of the speed change at the time of the acquisition part 900 moving to a certain position.

  Here, the speed change of the stage portion when the first alignment speed v1 is set is controlled so as not to exceed v1 after accelerating until the speed reaches v1 as shown by a curve 801, and then It is controlled to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. Then, the process proceeds to step S805 in which it is determined whether or not the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit is equal to or less than a predetermined positional deviation amount.

  If it is determined in step S805 that the signal from the alignment detection means is not completed, the process returns to step S804, and the stage unit 950 is driven again to perform alignment. On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of misalignment between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit falls within a predetermined allowable range and the alignment has been completed, the process proceeds to step S806. Here, an example is shown in which the alignment operation is continued until the alignment detection unit determines that the alignment is complete, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In step S806, the movement range of the stage unit 950 is changed from the first movement range 3100 to the second movement range 3200. Here, since the origin and the size of the second movement range 3200 have been described above, description thereof will be omitted.

  Next, in step S807, the maximum speed when the stage unit 950 moves is set to the second alignment speed v2. In step S808, the stage unit 950 performs tracking so that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is appropriate within the second movement range 3200. A change in speed of the stage portion at this time is shown by a curve 802 in FIG. The stage unit is controlled so as not to exceed v2 after accelerating until the speed reaches v2, and then controlled so as to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. That is, the moving speed of the measuring means by the second alignment means is slower than the moving speed of the measuring means by the first alignment means.

  At this time, by setting v2 to a speed slower than v1 (v1> v2), in the second range 3200, the followability decreases with respect to a movement that momentarily shifts the line of sight. Accordingly, when the line of sight returns again after the line of sight is deviated, the stage unit 950 (acquiring unit 900) follows the line of sight that has returned in the middle of following the direction in which the line of sight is deviated first, for example. The moving distance of the stage unit 950 is shorter than when the 950 is moved. Therefore, the alignment (tracking) operation can be stabilized. Note that the line of sight of the subject's eye once stabilizes, and even though the line of sight may move instantaneously, the line of sight often returns to its original position. Can be stabilized.

  Steps S808 to S811 are the same as the operation flow of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  As described above, not only the movement of the stage unit 950 is limited to the second movement range 3200, but also the movement speed of the stage unit 950 within the second movement range 3200 is slowed down so that a stable alignment operation can be performed. This can be realized, leading to a reduction in alignment time and an improvement in throughput.

<< Fifth Embodiment >>
In the fifth embodiment, a stable alignment operation is realized by controlling the moving speed of the stage unit 950 within the second moving range without limiting the moving range of the stage unit 950 to the second moving range 3200. .

  An operation flow of alignment in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only the operation flow will be described, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

  An operation flow of imaging in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When inspection is started in step S901, first, a first alignment speed v1, which is the maximum speed when the stage unit 950 moves, is set in step S902.

  Next, in step S903, the examiner instructs the subject to place his / her chin on the chin rest 324 and to place the forehead on the forehead 325. Here, the examiner adjusts the height of the chin rest 324 so that the position in the height direction of the examinee's eye approximately coincides with the eye height line 326, and sets the position of the examinee's eye to an appropriate position.

  Further, the acquired anterior ocular segment image is displayed in real time on the anterior ocular image display screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000, and the examiner positions and acquires the chin rest 324 so that the displayed anterior ocular segment image is approximately within the screen. The position of 900 can be adjusted. Here, the drive input to the acquisition unit is performed from a method of clicking the anterior eye image display screen with a mouse or the like as described above, a keyboard, or the like. The movable range when the stage unit moves here is limited by the first moving range 3100. Note that step S902 may be performed after step S903.

  Next, when the examiner clicks the start button 1004 on the capture screen 1000, the process proceeds to step S904, and the stage unit 950 starts an automatic alignment operation within the first movement range. Here, the alignment detection unit calculates the positional deviation amount between the subject and the acquisition unit based on the acquired anterior segment image signal, and passes the drive signal to the driving unit by the deviation amount. Thereby, the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit becomes an appropriate positional relationship. FIG. 9B shows a change in speed when the stage unit 950 moves at this time. The horizontal axis of FIG.9 (b) has shown the movement amount of the stage part, and the vertical axis | shaft has shown the movement speed of the stage part. Here, the speed change of the stage portion when the first alignment speed v1 is set is controlled so as not to exceed v1 after accelerating until the speed becomes v1, as indicated by a curve 901, and then It is controlled to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. Then, the process proceeds to step S905 in which it is determined whether or not the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit is equal to or less than a predetermined positional deviation amount.

  If it is determined in step S905 that the signal from the alignment detection means is not completed, the process returns to step S904, and the stage unit 950 is driven again to perform alignment. On the other hand, when it is determined that the amount of misalignment between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit 900 is within the predetermined allowable range and the alignment is completed, the process proceeds to step S906. Here, an example is shown in which the alignment operation is continued until the alignment detection unit determines that the alignment is complete, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In step S906, the maximum speed when the stage unit 950 moves is set to the second alignment speed v2. In step S907, the stage unit 950 performs tracking so that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit is appropriate under the control of the personal computer 925. A change in speed of the stage at this time is shown by a curve 902 in FIG. The stage unit is controlled so as not to exceed v2 after accelerating until the speed reaches v2, and then controlled so as to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. That is, when the positional relationship between the measuring unit and the eye to be examined satisfies the predetermined condition by the first positioning unit, the personal computer 925 uses the moving unit at a moving speed slower than the moving speed of the measuring unit by the first positioning unit. This corresponds to an example of a second alignment means for aligning the measurement means and the eye to be examined by moving the measurement means relative to the eye to be examined.

  At this time, by setting v2 to a speed slower than v1 (v1> v2), after it is determined in step 905 that the alignment is completed, the followability is lowered with respect to a motion that momentarily shifts the line of sight. Accordingly, when the line of sight returns again after the line of sight is shifted, the stage unit 950 (acquisition unit 900) first follows the line of sight returned in the course of following the direction in which the line of sight is shifted. The moving distance of the stage unit 950 is shorter than the case where is moved. Therefore, the alignment (tracking) operation can be stabilized. Note that the line of sight of the subject's eye once stabilizes, and even though the line of sight may move instantaneously, the line of sight often returns to its original position. Can be stabilized.

  Steps S907 to S910 are the same as the operation flow of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  As described above, after the alignment in step S905 is completed, a stable alignment operation can be realized even if the maximum speed of the stage unit is reduced without setting the second movement range, and the alignment time is shortened and the throughput is reduced. It leads to improvement. Further, even when the position of the subject's eye is greatly shifted due to a change in the posture of the subject, alignment with the subject's eye can be performed without changing or canceling the second movement range. Then, by making the moving speed at this time slower than usual, the examiner can perform alignment while confirming the position of the eye to be examined in more detail, which may lead to a total improvement in throughput.

<< Sixth Embodiment >>
In the sixth embodiment, the movement range of the stage unit 950 is not limited to the second movement range 3200, and the stage unit 950 moves when the eye to be examined moves from the second movement range 3200 to the first movement range 3100. Stable alignment operation is realized by controlling the speed.

  An operation flow of alignment in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, only the operation flow will be described, and the other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

  An operation flow of imaging in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When inspection is started in step S4001, first, a first alignment speed v1, which is the maximum speed when the stage unit 950 moves, is set in step S4002.

  Next, in step S4003, the examiner instructs the subject to place the chin on the chin rest 324 and to place the forehead on the forehead 325. Here, the examiner adjusts the height of the chin rest 324 so that the position in the height direction of the examinee's eye approximately coincides with the eye height line 326, and sets the position of the examinee's eye to an appropriate position.

  Further, the acquired anterior ocular segment image is displayed in real time on the anterior ocular image display screen 1101 of the capture screen 1000, and the examiner positions and acquires the chin rest 324 so that the displayed anterior ocular segment image is approximately within the screen. The position of 900 can be adjusted. Here, the drive input to the acquisition unit is performed from a method of clicking the anterior eye image display screen with a mouse or the like as described above, a keyboard, or the like. The movable range when the stage unit moves here is limited by the first moving range 3100. Note that step S4002 may be performed after step S4003.

  Next, when the examiner clicks the start button 1004 on the capture screen 1000, the process proceeds to step S4004, and the stage unit 950 starts an automatic alignment operation within the first movement range. Here, the alignment detection unit calculates the positional deviation amount between the subject and the acquisition unit based on the acquired anterior segment image signal, and passes the drive signal to the driving unit by the deviation amount. Thereby, the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit becomes an appropriate positional relationship. At this time, the speed change when the stage unit 950 moves is shown in FIG. The horizontal axis of FIG.10 (b) has shown the movement amount of the stage part, and the vertical axis | shaft has shown the movement speed of the stage part. Here, the speed change of the stage portion when the first alignment speed v1 is set is controlled so as not to exceed v1 after accelerating until the speed becomes v1, as indicated by a curve 901, and then It is controlled to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. Then, the process proceeds to step S905 in which it is determined whether or not the positional relationship between the subject and the acquisition unit is equal to or less than a predetermined positional deviation amount.

  If it is determined in step S4005 that the signal from the alignment detection means is incomplete, the process returns to step S4004, and the stage unit 950 is driven again to perform alignment. On the other hand, if it is determined that the amount of misalignment between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit 900 is within a predetermined allowable range and the alignment is completed, the process proceeds to step S4006. Here, an example is shown in which the alignment operation is continued until the alignment detection unit determines that the alignment is complete, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  In step S4006, the maximum speed when the acquisition unit 900 moves from the second movement range 3200 to the first movement range 3100 is set to the second alignment speed v2. That is, the personal computer 925 acquires the second movement range 3200, and sets the maximum movement speed when the acquisition unit 900 moves from the second movement range 3200 to the first movement range 3100 as the second alignment speed v2. Note that step 4006 may be performed before step S4005. In the present embodiment, the second movement range 3200 is defined, but the movement range of the acquisition unit 900 is not limited.

  In step S4007, the stage unit 950 performs tracking so that the positional relationship between the eye to be examined and the acquisition unit 900 is appropriate. A change in speed of the stage unit 950 when the acquisition unit 900 moves from the second movement range to the first movement range is shown by a curve 902 in FIG. The stage unit 950 is controlled so as not to exceed v2, after accelerating until the speed reaches v2, and then controlled so as to decelerate and stop at a predetermined position. That is, after the positional relationship between the measuring unit and the eye to be examined satisfies a predetermined condition by the positioning unit, the positioning unit acquires the second moving range that is narrower than the first moving range from the second moving range to the outside of the second moving range. The movement speed when moving the means is slower than the movement speed of the acquisition means by the alignment means before satisfying a predetermined condition.

  Note that the acquisition unit 900 may be moved at the second alignment speed v2 even when the eye to be examined moves within the second range.

  By setting v2 to a speed slower than v1 (v1> v2), even if the eye to be moved greatly moves from the second movement range to the first movement range, the movement speed is set to v2 to follow the eye to be examined. Sex goes down. Accordingly, when the line of sight returns again after the line of sight is shifted, the stage unit 950 (acquisition unit 900) first follows the line of sight returned in the course of following the direction in which the line of sight is shifted. The moving distance of the stage unit 950 is shorter than the case where is moved. Therefore, the alignment operation can be stabilized. Note that the line of sight of the subject's eye once stabilizes, and even though the line of sight may move instantaneously, the line of sight often returns to its original position. Can be stabilized.

  Steps S4007 to S4010 are the same as the operation flow of the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  As described above, after the alignment in step S4005 is completed, the maximum speed when the acquisition unit 900 moves outside the second range 3200 is reduced without limiting the acquisition unit 900 movement to the second movement range. However, a stable alignment operation can be realized, leading to a reduction in alignment time and an improvement in throughput. In addition, since the tracking of the eye movement within the second range 3200 is performed at the speed v1, quick tracking is possible.

(Other examples)
Moreover, this invention has the following processes as a control method further. That is, the measurement step of measuring information about the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined with light, and the moving means for moving the measuring means relative to the eye to be examined within a first movement range. A first alignment step of aligning the measurement means and the eye to be examined by moving the measurement means; In addition, when the positional relationship between the measuring unit and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition in the first alignment step, the moving unit moves the moving range of the measuring unit by controlling the moving unit. A limiting step of limiting to a second movement range narrower than one movement range.

  And it is implement | achieved also by performing the following processes as an ophthalmology control program. That is, the functions of the above-described embodiment and the software (program) that realizes the following modifications are supplied to a system or apparatus via a network or various storage media, and the computer of the system or apparatus (or CPU, MPU, etc.) Is a process of reading and executing the program.

(Modification 1)
In the embodiment, the fundus tomographic image capturing apparatus (OCT) using near-infrared laser light interference has been described as the specific information acquisition means for acquiring the specific information of the eye to be examined. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . That is, the present invention can be similarly applied to a fundus camera, a fundus blood flow meter, an eye refractive power measurement device, a cornea shape measurement device, a tonometer, and the like.

(Modification 2)
In the embodiment described above, the eye to be examined which is the target position with respect to the acquisition unit is displayed as a warning when the eye to be examined which is the target position with respect to the acquisition unit is outside the second movement range. However, it is also possible to select to cancel the range limitation. In this case, it is more preferable to display on the display means that the range limitation is released.

(Modification 3)
In the embodiment described above, the first movement range is the maximum movable range of the apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the first movement range is set to a predetermined range smaller than the maximum movable range of the apparatus. You can also.

(Modification 4)
In the embodiment described above, the acquisition unit is aligned in the three-dimensional direction (XYZ direction) with respect to the eye to be examined. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the two-dimensional direction (any two of the XYZ directions) or one-dimensional. Direction (any one of XYZ directions) may be used.

(Modification 5)
Each embodiment mentioned above is good also as carrying out independently, respectively, and good also as carrying out combining each embodiment.

107 eye to be examined 900 acquisition unit 925 personal computer 928 monitor 950 stage unit 1000 capture screen 3100 first movement range 3200 second movement range

Claims (17)

Obtaining means for obtaining information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined with light;
Moving means for moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined;
First alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within a first movement range;
When the positional relationship between the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition by the first alignment unit, the movement range of the acquisition unit by the movement unit is controlled by controlling the movement unit. Limiting means for limiting to a second movement range narrower than the movement range;
Second alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within the second movement range;
With
The ophthalmologic apparatus characterized in that the movement speed of the acquisition means by the second alignment means is slower than the movement speed of the acquisition means by the first alignment means.   The second movement range is characterized in that the position of the acquisition means when the positional relationship between the acquisition means and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition by the first alignment means is an origin. The ophthalmic apparatus according to claim 1.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit that causes the display unit to display the second movement range together with the anterior segment image of the eye to be examined.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movement range can be expanded.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movement range can be displaced to a new origin.   When the positional relationship between the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined does not reach a state satisfying the second condition by the second alignment unit within a predetermined time, or the positional relationship between the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined is first. When the number of times determined that the condition 2 is not satisfied reaches a predetermined number, the second alignment unit expands the range of the second movement range, and the acquisition unit performs the acquisition unit by expanding the range of the second movement range. The ophthalmic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition unit and the eye to be inspected are aligned by moving the eyepiece. A fixation lamp presenting means or eye movement detecting means for detecting movement of the eye to be examined
The second positioning means presents the position of the origin of the second movement range based on the presentation position information of the fixation lamp presentation means or the signal of the eye movement detection means. Changing the position to a position approaching the moving direction of the eye or the eye to be examined, and moving the acquisition means by the moving means within the second movement range using the changed position as a new origin. The ophthalmic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein alignment with the eye to be examined is performed.   A pupil diameter detection means for detecting the pupil diameter of the eye to be examined; based on the detection result of the pupil diameter detection means, when the pupil diameter is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the acquisition means when the pupil diameter is less than the predetermined value; The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movement range is set so that the movement range is smaller than the movement range.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a warning is displayed when the eye to be examined is outside the second movement range.   10. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second movement range is wider in the horizontal direction than in the other direction.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the second movement range has a vertical range that is the same as a vertical range of the first movement range.   The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first movement range is equal to a maximum movable range of the acquisition unit.   The ophthalmologic according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the second movement range with respect to the other eye is determined based on information on the second movement range at the time of alignment with respect to one eye. apparatus. Obtaining means for obtaining information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined with light;
Moving means for moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined;
First alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the measurement means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within a first movement range;
When the positional relationship between the acquiring unit and the eye to be examined satisfies a predetermined condition by the first positioning unit, the moving unit moves the moving unit at a moving speed slower than the moving speed of the acquiring unit by the first positioning unit. Second alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined;
An ophthalmologic apparatus comprising: Obtaining means for obtaining information on the eye to be examined by illuminating the eye to be examined with light;
Moving means for moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined;
Alignment means for aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within a first movement range;
After the positional relationship between the acquisition unit and the eye to be examined satisfies a predetermined condition by the alignment unit, the second movement range from within a second movement range narrower than the first movement range by the alignment unit. An ophthalmologic apparatus characterized in that a moving speed when moving the acquiring means outside is slower than a moving speed of the acquiring means by the positioning means before the predetermined condition is satisfied. An acquisition step of acquiring information about the eye to be examined by an obtaining unit by illuminating the eye to be examined with light,
A first alignment step of aligning the acquisition means and the eye to be examined by moving the acquisition means by a movement means for moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined within a first movement range. When,
When the positional relationship between the acquisition means and the eye to be examined satisfies the first condition in the first alignment step, the movement range of the acquisition means by the movement means is controlled by controlling the movement means. A limiting step of limiting to a second movement range narrower than the movement range;
A second alignment step of aligning the acquisition means and the eye by moving the acquisition means relative to the eye to be examined by the movement means within the second movement range;
With
The control method characterized in that the moving speed of the moving means in the second alignment step is slower than the moving speed of the moving means in the first alignment step.   A program causing a computer to execute the control method according to claim 16.

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