JP4265833B2 - Ophthalmic imaging equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improvement in an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus for photographing a photographing part such as a fundus oculi, a corneal endothelium, a corneal cross section or the like of a subject eye.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus for photographing a photographing part such as a fundus, a corneal endothelium, a corneal cross section, or the like of a subject eye is known. In this type of ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, for example, a fundus camera for photographing the fundus, each part to be photographed as a part of the entire fundus is displayed as an observation part (alignment image) on a monitor screen as a moving image. Each observation site displayed on the screen is photographed while observing, and each portion to be photographed obtained by this photographing is recorded as a still image on a still video recorder or the like, and each still image obtained by this photographing is mutually recorded. The panorama image is displayed on the screen in association with the.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in this type of ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, when each fundus region is associated and displayed as a still image on the monitor screen, it is troublesome to combine and combine the obtained still images. There is also a possibility that the still image is associated with the wrong image, which is a problem when the entire eye to be examined is examined over a wide range.
[0004]
Therefore, in the device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-173298, position selection means for selecting a part to be photographed of the eye to be examined is provided, and the part to be photographed is recorded in the recording means as a still image by photographing. The shooting position selected by the above is recorded in the recording means, and the image control means associates each still image on the screen based on the shooting position.
[0005]
According to this, there is no need to be bothered by the work of associating and pasting the obtained still images together, and there is no possibility of erroneously associating the still images.
[0006]
However, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-173298, when observing the eye to be examined, the imaged part that has already been imaged is not displayed on the screen, but is about to be imaged on the screen. Since the part to be photographed is only displayed as a video, it is difficult to intuitively grasp the correlation with the part that has already been photographed when observing the part to be photographed. There is a problem.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the purpose of the present invention is to observe a region to be imaged that has already been imaged when observing the region to be imaged. An object of the present invention is to provide an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus capable of obtaining a panoramic image by photographing while intuitively grasping the mutual relationship.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention observes a site to be imaged as a portion of the whole eye to be examined as an observation site, and then images the site to be imaged and obtains a stationary image obtained by this imaging. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus that associates images with each other and displays them on a screen as a panoramic image,
Together with the observation site in association with the still image on the screen display control step for controlling to display by moving image is found provided a display for correcting the magnification on the screen based the on diopter of the eye A magnification correction means is provided.
[0011]
The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention is characterized in that the region to be imaged is a fundus region .
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is an external view of a non-mydriatic type fundus camera as an example of an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1A is a base, 1B is a gantry, 1C is an apparatus body, 2 is a chin rest, 3 is a forehead support, 4 is an external fixation lamp, 5A is a joystick, 5B is a photographing switch, and 6 is a TV camera. These configurations are known.
[0013]
Inside the apparatus main body, as shown in FIG. 2, an illumination optical system 10 for illuminating the fundus Er of the eye E, a photographing optical system 20 for photographing the fundus Er, an observation optical system 20 ′, and a fundus Er An internal fixation target projection optical system 50 for projecting a fixation target to fix the eye to be examined, and an alignment optical system (not shown) for aligning the apparatus main body with respect to the eye to be examined are provided. .
[0014]
The illumination optical system 10 includes an objective lens 11, a perforated mirror 12, a relay lens 13, a reflecting mirror 14, a relay lens 15, and a ring opening 16A that is maintained in a conjugate relationship with the pupil Ea of the eye E. An aperture plate 16, a condenser lens 17, and an illumination light source 18 are included.
[0015]
The illumination optical system 10 illuminates the fundus with infrared light at the time of observation, and illuminates the fundus with visible light at the time of photographing. Since its configuration is known, its detailed description is omitted.
[0016]
The photographing optical system 20 includes an objective lens 11, a focusing lens 21, an imaging lens 22, and a reflection mirror 23, and the TV camera 6 includes an image sensor 6a. The TV camera 6 is optically connected to the photographing optical system 20 via a relay lens system 25A including a field lens 24, a reflection mirror 25, and a relay lens 26. The imaging element 6a is maintained in an optically conjugate relationship with the fundus Er.
[0017]
The observation optical system 20 ′ includes a dichroic mirror 23 ′, a reflection mirror 25 ′, a relay lens 26 ′, and a TV camera 6 ′. The dichroic mirror 23 'reflects infrared light and transmits visible light.
[0018]
The TV camera 6 is connected to a still video recorder 7 as an image recorder device, and the still video recorder 7 is connected to a monitor 8. On the screen 8, when the fundus of the eye to be examined is imaged on the screen 8 </ b> A, a site to be imaged as a portion with respect to the entire fundus is displayed as a moving image as an observation site.
[0019]
The examiner performs imaging while performing alignment while observing the observation site. The part to be photographed is recorded in the still video recorder 7 as a still image. The still image recorded in the still video recorder 7 is displayed on the screen 8A. The monitor 8 and the still video recorder 7 are controlled by the control device 9, and details of the control will be described later.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 3, the internal fixation target projection optical system 50 includes a light emitting diode 51a disposed at the center and eight light emitting diodes 51b to 51i disposed at regular intervals around the light emitting diode 51a. 4, a mask plate 52 having pinholes 52a to 52i provided facing the respective light emitting diodes 51a to 51i, a half mirror 53, an imaging lens 22, and a focusing lens 21, as shown in FIG. It consists of an objective lens 11.
[0021]
The light from the light emitting diodes 51a to 51i is projected as a fixation target on the fundus Er via the pinholes 52a to 52i, the half mirror 53, the imaging lens 22, the focusing lens 21, and the objective lens 11, and pinholes to the fundus Er. An image is formed, and the subject fixes the fixation by visually recognizing the fixation target. Depending on which of the pinholes 52a to 52i is turned on, the subject is examined with respect to the optical axis O of the imaging optical system 20. The direction of the person's fixation is switched, whereby the part of the fundus Er to be imaged is changed. Here, nine parts of the fundus Er are to be imaged as shown in FIG.
[0022]
When the light emitting diode 51a is turned on, the center portion Er1 to be photographed is photographed. When the light emitting diode 51b is turned on, the portion Er2 to be photographed immediately above is photographed. When the light emitting diode 51c is turned on, When the region Er3 to be imaged is imaged and the light emitting diode 51d is turned on, the region Er4 to be imaged on the right side is imaged, and when the light emitting diode 51e is turned on, the region Er5 to be imaged on the lower right is imaged. When the light emitting diode 51f is turned on, the part Er6 to be photographed immediately below is photographed. When the light emitting diode 51g is lit, the part Er7 to be photographed diagonally to the left is photographed, and when the light emitting diode 51h is lit, the left part is photographed. When the side part Er8 to be imaged is imaged and the light emitting diode 51i is turned on, the part E to be imaged on the upper left is taken. 9 is adapted to be taken.
[0023]
On the screen 8A of the monitor 8, as shown in FIG. 6, before imaging, a part to be imaged as a part of the entire fundus Er is displayed as an alignment image. This alignment image is a moving image. In FIG. 6, it is assumed that the subject's eye is staring at the light emitting diode 51a, and the region Er1 to be imaged is displayed as a moving image on the screen 8A at a substantially central portion thereof.
[0024]
The control device 9 has an operation means 60 such as a mouse. By operating the operation means 60 on the screen 8A, a recognition pattern for recognizing the position of the region to be imaged with respect to the entire fundus Er together with the alignment image and the still image. 61 is displayed. Since the fundus regions Er2 to Er9 have not been imaged, only the region Er1 to be imaged is displayed in FIG. 6, and a still image to be described later is not displayed.
[0025]
Here, the recognition pattern 61 is composed of nine cells 61a to 61i, and these nine cells 61a to 61i are arranged with a positional relationship corresponding to the imaging regions Er1 to Er9, respectively. In the recognition pattern 61, for example, when imaging of a region to be imaged is performed, the luminance of the cell corresponding to the region to be imaged is increased, and each cell 61a is not imaged at all. The brightness of .about.61i is low. For example, when shooting is performed by operating the shooting switch 5B while the alignment image of the central part Er1 is displayed, the grid 61a is changed from low brightness to high brightness. Thus, it is recognized which part of the region to be imaged with respect to the entire fundus Er has been imaged. The portion Er1 to be photographed is recorded as a still image Er1 ′ on the still video recorder 7. Next, when the light-emitting diode 51h is turned on to induce fixation of the eye E, an alignment image corresponding to the part Er8 to be imaged is displayed on the screen 8A as a moving image as shown in FIG. The part Er8 to be imaged is displayed in the approximate center of the screen 8A.
[0026]
When the operation unit 60 is operated and a desired still image (here, Er1 ′) is designated on the screen 8A, the still image Er1 ′ is displayed and the recognition pattern 61 is displayed. When observation is designated on the screen 8A by operating the operation means 60, the still image Er1 ′ is moved to the peripheral portion on the screen 8A while maintaining the relative positional relationship with the alignment image Er, and the still image is displayed on the screen 8A. A part of Er1 ′ is displayed, and the control device 9 and the operation means 60 function as display control means for controlling the observation site to be displayed as a moving image in association with the still image on the screen 8A.
[0027]
As a result, when observing a part to be photographed to be photographed from now on, it is possible to obtain a panoramic image by photographing while intuitively grasping the correlation with the photographing part that has already been photographed. . In addition, it is possible to associate the still image and the observation site by displaying them on the screen without reducing the observation site.
[0028]
When photographing is performed by operating the photographing switch 5B in this state, the cell 61h is changed from low luminance to high luminance, and it is displayed on the screen 8A that the photographing portion of the fundus photographing portion Er8 has been executed. In FIG. 7, the cells 61a and 61h that have been photographed and become high in luminance are indicated by hatching. At the same time, the fundus imaging region Er8 is recorded on the still video recorder 7. When recording each imaging region Er1 to Er9 in the still video recorder 7, the control device 9 records the imaging region information together with each imaging region Er1 to Er9. Here, the same symbols Er1 to Er9 are used as the imaging part information.
[0029]
By the way, in this ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, the diopter of the eye to be examined is regarded as 0 degree (normal), and the relative positional relationship between the parts Er1 to Er9 to be photographed is calculated and displayed on the screen 8A. However, when the diopter of the eye to be examined is not 0 degrees, that is, the eye to be examined is myopic or far-sighted, the photographing magnification is different, so that the captured still image and the moving image adjacent thereto are accurately obtained as shown in FIG. There is a problem that it cannot be connected well.
[0030]
Since there is a certain relationship between the diopter of the eye to be examined and the imaging magnification, focusing is performed by moving the focusing lens 21 shown in FIG. 2 in the optical axis direction using the focusing handle 21A shown in FIG. If the display magnification on the screen 8A is corrected by the control device 9 based on the diopter value at the time of the execution, the photographed still image and the moving image adjacent thereto can be accurately connected as shown in FIG. be able to. As shown in FIG. 10, a reference mark 21B, + a (diopter), -a (diopter) scale 21C for the position of the normal eye is provided around the focusing handle 21A, and the focusing handle 21A is operated by operating the focusing handle 21A. When the focusing lens 21 is moved and the focusing button 21D is pressed at the time of focusing, the diopter of the eye to be examined is stored in the control device 9, thereby changing the display magnification. At this time, the control device 9 functions as a display magnification correction unit that corrects the display magnification based on the diopter value of the eye to be examined.
[0031]
When the operation means 60 is operated after photographing the respective parts Er1 to Er9 to be photographed, the fundus image is displayed on the screen 8A as a whole image (panoramic image) by the still images Er1 ′ to Er9 ′ as shown in FIG. The Here, it is assumed that there is a still image with a very high luminance or a low still image by comparing the luminance of each of the still images Er1 ′ to Er9 ′.
[0032]
In that case, the still image with high luminance or the low image is designated by clicking on the image where the cursor is located by moving the cursor with the operating means 60 such as a mouse. Then, the designated still image appears on the surface of the screen 8A, and at the same time, the brightness adjustment virtual slide knob 62 is displayed on the screen 8A.
[0033]
The brightness adjusting virtual slide knob 62 can be operated on the screen by the operating means 60 so that the brightness of the adjacent still images does not feel uncomfortable, and the still images can be continuously connected without feeling uncomfortable. Can be synthesized.
[0034]
In addition, FIG. 12 displays each still image Er1 ′ to Er9 ′ in parallel, compares the brightness of each still image Er1 ′ to Er9 ′, and designates brightness adjustment for each still image Er1 ′ to Er9 ′. And brightness adjustment for each still image may be performed.
[0035]
In the embodiment of the present invention, since the light emitting diodes 51b to 51i as fixation targets are arranged in a square shape with the light emitting diode 51a as the center, the still image (fundus image) of the adjacent fundus region shown in FIG. Although there is an advantage that the overlapping portion can be reduced, as shown in FIG. 13A, the light emitting diodes 51b to 51i are arranged on the circumference around the light emitting diode 51a, and FIG. As shown, the pinholes 52a to 52i of the mask plate 52 may be arranged corresponding to the light emitting diodes 51a to 51i, and the still images Er1 ′ to Er9 ′ may be displayed on the screen 8A as shown in FIG. .
[0036]
Here, a fundus image within a range of 80 degrees around the center of the fundus is captured, but a fundus image within a range of 100 degrees and 120 degrees may be captured.
[0037]
Further, a movable fixation target whose position can be arbitrarily changed is used as the internal fixation target, and as shown in FIG. 15, a circular frame Ci is displayed at the center of the screen 8A before photographing, and photographing should be performed within the screen 8A. The fundus region is displayed as a moving image, the fundus region to be photographed is changed as the movable fixation target is displaced from the reference position, and on the screen 8A according to the displacement amount of the movable fixation target from the reference position. The position of the circular frame may be changed from the center position.
[0038]
In the embodiments of the invention described above, the case where panoramic shooting is performed using the internal fixation has been described. However, the imaging may be performed using the external fixation.
[0039]
When photographing using external fixation, the range to be photographed is wide, and the examiner relies on experience and intuition so that there are no unrecorded parts. As shown in FIG. Shooting is done so that they overlap considerably. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the adjacent images of the fifteen still images denoted by reference numerals Er1 to Er15 overlap each other at a considerable portion.
[0040]
Therefore, conventionally, when panoramic photographing of a fundus image is performed using external fixation, there is a problem that the number of photographing is increased and the film is wasted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, a circular frame Ci is displayed in the center portion of the screen 8A, and a moving image as a fundus region displayed on the screen 8A with the guidance of the eye to be examined by the external fixation target is displayed in the circular frame. While changing within Ci, the captured still image with respect to the circular frame Ci may be moved relatively on the screen 8A in accordance with the amount of displacement from the reference position of the external fixation target. Here, a still image Er4 ′ is displayed on the screen 8A as a captured still image.
[0041]
According to this, while looking at the fundus image as a still image on the screen 8A, it is possible to correctly grasp the positional relationship of the moving image within the circular frame Ci to be photographed with respect to the still image, and minimize overlapping of adjacent fundus images as much as possible. However, a panoramic image can be obtained.
[0042]
【The invention's effect】
According to the ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention, when observing a part to be photographed to be photographed from now on, an intuitive understanding of the correlation with the photographing part that has already been photographed is obtained. In addition, there is an effect that a panoramic image can be obtained by performing photographing, a change in photographing magnification based on a diopter of the eye to be examined can be corrected, and adjacent still images can be connected more accurately.
[0044]
According to the ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 2 of the present invention, it is possible to display the fundus image as a panoramic image by accurately connecting the blood vessels of each fundus region on the screen.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an optical diagram of an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of the light emitting diodes shown in FIG. 2;
4 is a plan view of the mask plate shown in FIG. 2. FIG.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing divisions of fundus sites to be imaged.
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a state where a part Er1 to be imaged is displayed on the screen as a moving image.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a state where an imaged region Er1 is displayed as a still image Er1 ′ and a region Er8 to be imaged is displayed as a moving image;
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining that the still image Er1 ′ displayed on the screen and the region Er8 to be imaged are deviated because the imaging magnification changes when the diopter of the eye to be examined is deviated from the normal eye. It is.
9 is a diagram showing a state in which the display magnification is corrected and the blood vessel of the still image Er1 ′ shown in FIG. 8 is accurately connected to the blood vessel of the region Er8 to be imaged.
10 is a partially enlarged view for explaining details of the focusing handle shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which still images are connected on the screen and displayed as a panoramic image.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state in which still images are reduced and displayed in parallel on the screen.
13 is a diagram for explaining a modification of the light emitting diode shown in FIG. 3 and the mask plate shown in FIG. 4, in which (a) shows a modification of the arrangement of the light emitting diodes, and (b) shows a pin; A modification of the arrangement of holes is shown.
14 is a diagram for explaining a panoramic image obtained using the array of light emitting diodes shown in FIG. 13; FIG.
FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a moving image obtained by using an internal fixation target as a movable configuration;
FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram when a conventional panoramic image is obtained using an external fixation target.
FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a state in which a still image Er4 ′ is displayed on the screen and a part Er11 to be imaged is displayed as a moving image in a circular frame Ci.
[Explanation of symbols]
8A ... screen 9 ... control device (display control means)
60. Operating means (display control means)
Er1 to Er9 ... The region to be imaged Er1 'to Er9' ... Still image

Claims (2)

An ophthalmologist that observes a part to be imaged as a part of the whole eye to be inspected as an observation part, then images the part to be imaged and correlates still images obtained by the imaging with each other and displays them on a screen as a panoramic image A photographing device,
Together with the observation site in association with the still image on the screen display control step for controlling to display by moving image is found provided a display for correcting the magnification on the screen based the on diopter of the eye An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus comprising a magnification correction unit . The ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the region to be photographed is a fundus region.

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