JP6739183B2 - Ophthalmic equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to ophthalmic devices.

In an ophthalmic examination (including an arbitrary action such as examination, measurement, and imaging for obtaining data of an eye to be inspected), fixation is performed to inspect a desired part of the eye to be inspected. The fixation is realized by causing the subject to gaze at the fixation target presented in a predetermined direction.

Fixation includes internal fixation, external fixation, and peripheral fixation. The internal fixation is a fixation method in which a bright spot image formed by a dot matrix liquid crystal display (LCD) or a matrix light emitting diode (LED) is projected onto the fundus through an objective lens of an inspection optical system. It has the feature that the shape and position of the target (called internal fixation target) can be set in detail. The external fixation is performed using a light source (such as an LED) provided outside the housing that stores the inspection optical system, and when the internal fixation cannot be performed, the eye to be examined is guided by guiding the line of sight of the fellow eye. It is a fixation method that adjusts the direction of. Peripheral fixation is performed by using a plurality of light sources (such as LEDs) arranged around the objective lens, and is a fixation method in which the light source is selectively turned on to largely rotate the eye to be examined in a desired direction. is there. Peripheral fixation is used in examinations around the fundus of the eye.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of changing the size of an internal fixation target while moving it in order to prevent the subject from losing sight of the moving internal fixation target.

JP, 2004-141563, A

The scene where the visibility of the internal fixation target should be taken into consideration is not limited to the movement. For example, when the inspection optical system is aligned with the eye to be inspected, the inspection optical system (optical head) is brought close to the eye to be inspected while the internal fixation target is presented. When the internal fixation light flux passes through a position away from the optical axis of the objective lens as when inspecting the optic papilla, the internal fixation light flux reaches the fundus when the distance between the optical head and the subject's eye is short, When the distance is long, the internal fixation light flux does not reach the fundus. That is, when the optical head is brought closer to the eye to be inspected, the internal fixation target suddenly appears at the edge of the visual field at a certain stage. Therefore, the subject may not be able to recognize the internal fixation target and may not be able to perform the alignment properly. In addition, when the internal fixation target enters the visual field, the eye to be examined suddenly rotates and flare occurs in the observed image, which may obstruct the observation and alignment of the eye to be examined.

Such inconvenience is particularly remarkable when the eye to be inspected is a small pupil eye. That is, since the internal fixation light beam is projected onto the fundus through the pupil, the possibility that the internal fixation light beam is vignetted to the pupil increases as the pupil size decreases, and the visibility of the internal fixation target decreases.

One object of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the present invention is to improve the visibility of the internal fixation target .

The ophthalmologic apparatus of the embodiment includes an optical system, a moving mechanism, a position specifying unit, a pupil information acquisition unit, and a control unit. The optical system includes an objective lens, an irradiation optical system that irradiates the eye to be inspected with light through the objective lens, and a fixation system that projects a fixation light beam onto the eye to be inspected through the objective lens. The moving mechanism moves a movable part that is at least a part of an optical system including an objective lens. The position specifying unit specifies the position of the movable unit moved by the moving mechanism. The pupil information acquisition unit acquires pupil information regarding the pupil size of the subject's eye. The control unit changes the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux by controlling the fixation system based on the position of the movable unit specified by the position specifying unit and the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit. Let The control unit includes a storage unit and a selection unit. The storage unit stores in advance fixation information in which a fixation mode indicating a change position of a projection light flux and/or a shape of a fixation light beam is associated with a pupil size. The selection unit selects the fixation mode from the fixation information based on the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit. The control unit controls the fixation system according to the fixation mode selected by the selection unit.

According to the embodiment, the visibility of the internal fixation target can be improved.

The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The schematic diagram showing an example of the composition of the ophthalmologic apparatus concerning an embodiment. The flowchart showing an example of operation|movement of the ophthalmologic apparatus which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the embodiment.

Several embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiment may be any ophthalmologic apparatus including an irradiation optical system that irradiates the eye to be inspected with light through an objective lens, and a fixation system that projects a fixation light beam onto the eye to be inspected through the objective lens. .. Examples of such an ophthalmologic apparatus include an optical coherence tomography (OCT), a fundus camera, a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO), a laser treatment apparatus (photocoagulation apparatus), and a perimeter. The OCT, the fundus camera, and the SLO are further provided with an optical system that detects the return light from the eye to be inspected of the light emitted by the irradiation optical system. Hereinafter, an ophthalmologic apparatus that combines a swept source OCT and a fundus camera will be described, but the embodiment is not limited to this.

<Constitution>
As shown in FIG. 1, the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 includes a fundus camera unit 2, an OCT unit 100, and a calculation control unit 200. The fundus camera unit 2 is provided with an optical system substantially similar to that of a conventional fundus camera. The OCT unit 100 is provided with an optical system and a mechanism for performing OCT. The arithmetic and control unit 200 includes a processor. A chin rest and a forehead support for supporting the subject's face are provided at positions facing the fundus camera unit 2. Furthermore, the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 includes a pair of anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B.

In the present specification, a “processor” is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a programmable logic device (eg, SPLD (Simple Digital Prog)). A circuit such as (Complex Programmable Logic Device) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) is meant. The processor implements the functions according to the embodiments by reading and executing a program stored in a storage circuit or a storage device, for example.

<Ocular fundus camera unit 2>
The fundus camera unit 2 is provided with an optical system for photographing the fundus Ef of the eye E to be examined. Images obtained by photographing the fundus Ef (called fundus images, fundus photographs, etc.) include observation images and photographed images. The observation image is obtained, for example, by capturing a moving image using near infrared light. The captured image is, for example, a color image or monochrome image obtained using visible flash light, or a monochrome image obtained using near infrared flash light. The fundus camera unit 2 may further be capable of acquiring a fluorescein fluorescence image, an indocyanine green fluorescence image, a spontaneous fluorescence image, or the like.

The fundus camera unit 2 includes an illumination optical system 10 and a photographing optical system 30. The illumination optical system 10 irradiates the eye E with illumination light. The imaging optical system 30 detects return light of illumination light from the eye E to be inspected. The measurement light from the OCT unit 100 is guided to the subject's eye E through the optical path inside the fundus camera unit 2, and the return light is guided to the OCT unit 100 through the same optical path.

The observation light source 11 of the illumination optical system 10 is, for example, a halogen lamp or an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The light (observation illumination light) output from the observation light source 11 is reflected by the reflection mirror 12 having a curved reflection surface, passes through the condenser lens 13, passes through the visible cut filter 14, and becomes near-infrared light. Become. Further, the observation illumination light is once focused near the photographing light source 15, is reflected by the mirror 16, and passes through the relay lenses 17 and 18, the diaphragm 19, and the relay lens 20. Then, the observation illumination light is reflected by the peripheral part of the perforated mirror 21 (a region around the hole), passes through the dichroic mirror 46, and is refracted by the objective lens 22 to pass through the eye E (especially the fundus Ef). Illuminate.

The return light of the observation illumination light from the eye E is refracted by the objective lens 22, passes through the dichroic mirror 46, passes through the hole formed in the central region of the perforated mirror 21, and passes through the dichroic mirror 55. , Is reflected by the mirror 32 via the photographing focusing lens 31. Further, this return light passes through the half mirror 33A, is reflected by the dichroic mirror 33, and is imaged by the condenser lens 34 on the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 35. The CCD image sensor 35 detects return light at a predetermined frame rate, for example. An observation image of the fundus Ef is obtained when the imaging optical system 30 is in focus on the fundus Ef, and an observation image of the anterior segment is obtained when the focus is on the anterior segment.

The photographing light source 15 is, for example, a visible light source including a xenon lamp or an LED. The light (imaging illumination light) output from the imaging light source 15 irradiates the fundus Ef through the same path as the observation illumination light. The return light of the photographing illumination light from the eye E is guided to the dichroic mirror 33 through the same path as the return light of the observation illumination light, passes through the dichroic mirror 33, is reflected by the mirror 36, and is condensed by the condenser lens 37. An image is formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 38.

The LCD 39 displays a fixation target for fixing the eye E to be examined. A part of the luminous flux (fixed luminous flux) output from the LCD 39 is reflected by the half mirror 33A and is reflected by the mirror 32, passes through the photographing focusing lens 31 and the dichroic mirror 55, and then the hole of the perforated mirror 21. Pass the section. The fixation light flux that has passed through the hole of the apertured mirror 21 passes through the dichroic mirror 46, is refracted by the objective lens 22, and is projected onto the fundus Ef. The fixation position of the eye E can be changed by changing the display position of the fixation target on the screen of the LCD 39.

The light flux output unit that outputs the fixation light flux is not limited to the LCD 39. The light flux output unit may be configured so that the fixation position can be changed, and is, for example, a matrix LED in which a plurality of LEDs are two-dimensionally arranged, a combination of a light source and a variable diaphragm (a liquid crystal diaphragm, or the like). You can

The fundus camera unit 2 is provided with an alignment optical system 50 and a focus optical system 60. The alignment optical system 50 generates an alignment index used for alignment of the optical system with respect to the eye E to be inspected. The focus optical system 60 generates a split index used for focus adjustment on the eye E to be inspected.

The alignment light output from the LED 51 of the alignment optical system 50 passes through the diaphragms 52 and 53 and the relay lens 54, is reflected by the dichroic mirror 55, and passes through the hole of the perforated mirror 21. The light passing through the hole of the perforated mirror 21 passes through the dichroic mirror 46 and is projected onto the eye E to be inspected by the objective lens 22.

The corneal reflection light of the alignment light passes through the objective lens 22, the dichroic mirror 46 and the hole, and a part of the light passes through the dichroic mirror 55, the photographing focusing lens 31, and is reflected by the mirror 32. The light passes through the mirror 33A, is reflected by the dichroic mirror 33, and is projected by the condenser lens 34 onto the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 35. Based on the light-receiving image (alignment index image) by the CCD image sensor 35, it is possible to perform manual alignment and automatic alignment similar to the conventional one.

The focus optical system 60 is moved along the optical path (illumination optical path) of the illumination optical system 10 in conjunction with the movement of the imaging focusing lens 31 along the optical path (imaging optical path) of the imaging optical system 30. The reflecting rod 67 can be inserted into and removed from the illumination optical path.

When performing focus adjustment, the reflecting surface of the reflecting rod 67 is obliquely provided in the illumination optical path. The focus light output from the LED 61 passes through the relay lens 62, is split into two light fluxes by the split optotype plate 63, passes through the two-hole diaphragm 64, is reflected by the mirror 65, and is reflected by the condenser lens 66. An image is once formed on the reflecting surface of 67 and reflected. Further, the focus light passes through the relay lens 20, is reflected by the perforated mirror 21, is transmitted through the dichroic mirror 46, is refracted by the objective lens 22, and is projected onto the fundus oculi Ef.

The fundus reflected light of the focus light is detected by the CCD image sensor 35 through the same path as the cornea reflected light of the alignment light. Based on the received light image (split index image) by the CCD image sensor 35, it is possible to perform manual alignment and automatic alignment similar to the conventional one.

The photographing optical system 30 includes diopter correction lenses 70 and 71. The diopter correction lenses 70 and 71 can be selectively inserted in the photographing optical path between the perforated mirror 21 and the dichroic mirror 55. The diopter correction lens 70 is a plus (+) lens for correcting intense hyperopia, and is, for example, a +20D (diopter) convex lens. The diopter correction lens 71 is a minus (-) lens for correcting intense myopia, and is, for example, a -20D concave lens. The diopter correction lenses 70 and 71 are attached to, for example, a turret plate. The turret plate is formed with a hole for the case where neither of the diopter correction lenses 70 and 71 is applied.

The dichroic mirror 46 combines the optical path for fundus imaging and the optical path for OCT. The dichroic mirror 46 reflects light in the wavelength band used for OCT and transmits light for fundus imaging. On the optical path for OCT, a collimator lens unit 40, an optical path length changing unit 41, an optical scanner 42, an OCT focusing lens 43, a mirror 44, and a relay lens 45 are sequentially provided from the OCT unit 100 side.

The optical path length changing unit 41 is movable in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 and changes the optical path length of the OCT optical path. The change of the optical path length is used for correction of the optical path length according to the axial length of the eye E to be inspected, adjustment of the interference state, and the like. The optical path length changing unit 41 includes, for example, a corner cube and a mechanism that moves the corner cube.

The optical scanner 42 is arranged at a position optically conjugate with the pupil of the eye E to be inspected. The optical scanner 42 changes the traveling direction of the measurement light LS passing through the optical path for OCT. As a result, the subject's eye E is scanned with the measurement light LS. The optical scanner 42 is capable of deflecting the measurement light LS in any direction on the xy plane, and includes, for example, a galvano mirror that deflects the measurement light LS in the x direction and a galvano mirror that deflects the measurement light LS in the y direction.

<OCT unit 100>
As illustrated in FIG. 2, the OCT unit 100 is provided with an optical system for performing OCT of the eye E to be inspected. The configuration of this optical system is similar to that of the conventional swept source OCT. That is, this optical system splits the light from the wavelength-swept (wavelength scanning) light source into the measurement light and the reference light, and returns the return light of the measurement light from the eye E and the reference light that has passed through the reference optical path. It includes an interference optical system that causes interference to generate interference light and detects the interference light. The detection result (detection signal) obtained by the interference optical system is a signal indicating the spectrum of the interference light and is sent to the arithmetic and control unit 200.

The light source unit 101 includes a wavelength swept (wavelength scanning) light source that changes the wavelength of emitted light at a high speed, similar to a general swept source OCT. The wavelength swept light source is, for example, a near infrared laser light source.

The light L0 output from the light source unit 101 is guided to the polarization controller 103 by the optical fiber 102 and its polarization state is adjusted. Further, the light L0 is guided to the fiber coupler 105 by the optical fiber 104 and split into the measurement light LS and the reference light LR.

The reference light LR is guided to the collimator 111 by the optical fiber 110, converted into a parallel light flux, and guided to the corner cube 114 via the optical path length correction member 112 and the dispersion compensation member 113. The optical path length correction member 112 acts to match the optical path length of the reference light LR and the optical path length of the measurement light LS. The dispersion compensating member 113 acts to match dispersion characteristics between the reference light LR and the measurement light LS.

The corner cube 114 turns back the traveling direction of the incident reference light LR in the opposite direction. The incident direction and the emitting direction of the reference light LR to the corner cube 114 are parallel to each other. The corner cube 114 is movable in the incident direction of the reference light LR, and thereby the optical path length of the reference light LR is changed.

1 and 2, the optical path length changing unit 41 for changing the length of the optical path of the measurement light LS (measurement optical path, measurement arm) and the optical path of the reference light LR (reference optical path, reference arm). Although both of the corner cubes 114 for changing the length are provided, only one of the optical path length changing unit 41 and the corner cube 114 may be provided. Further, it is possible to change the difference between the measurement optical path length and the reference optical path length by using an optical member other than these.

The reference light LR passing through the corner cube 114 passes through the dispersion compensating member 113 and the optical path length correcting member 112, is converted from a parallel light flux into a focused light flux by the collimator 116, and enters the optical fiber 117. The reference light LR incident on the optical fiber 117 is guided to the polarization controller 118 to adjust its polarization state, guided to the attenuator 120 by the optical fiber 119 to adjust the light quantity, and guided to the fiber coupler 122 by the optical fiber 121. Get burned.

On the other hand, the measurement light LS generated by the fiber coupler 105 is guided by the optical fiber 127 and converted into a parallel light flux by the collimator lens unit 40, and the optical path length changing unit 41, the optical scanner 42, the OCT focusing lens 43, and the mirror 44. Then, the light is reflected by the dichroic mirror 46 via the relay lens 45, is refracted by the objective lens 22, and enters the eye E to be inspected. The measurement light LS is scattered/reflected at various depth positions of the eye E to be inspected. The return light of the measurement light LS from the subject's eye E travels in the opposite direction on the same path as the outward path, is guided to the fiber coupler 105, and reaches the fiber coupler 122 via the optical fiber 128.

The fiber coupler 122 synthesizes (interferes) the measurement light LS incident via the optical fiber 128 and the reference light LR incident via the optical fiber 121 to generate interference light. The fiber coupler 122 splits the interference light at a predetermined splitting ratio (for example, 1:1) to generate a pair of interference light LC. The pair of interference lights LC are guided to the detector 125 through the optical fibers 123 and 124, respectively.

The detector 125 is, for example, a balanced photodiode (Balanced Photo Diode). The balanced photodiode has a pair of photodetectors that detect the pair of interference lights LC, and outputs the difference between the detection results of these. The detector 125 sends the detection result (detection signal) to a DAQ (Data Acquisition System) 130.

The clock KC is supplied from the light source unit 101 to the DAQ 130. The clock KC is generated in the light source unit 101 in synchronization with the output timing of each wavelength swept within the predetermined wavelength range by the wavelength swept light source. The light source unit 101 optically delays one of the two branched lights obtained by branching the light L0 of each output wavelength, and then determines the clock KC based on the result of detecting the combined light. To generate. The DAQ 130 samples the detection signal input from the detector 125 based on the clock KC. The DAQ 130 sends the sampling result of the detection signal from the detector 125 to the arithmetic and control unit 200.

<Arithmetic control unit 200>
The arithmetic and control unit 200 controls each part of the fundus camera unit 2, the display device 3, and the OCT unit 100. The arithmetic control unit 200 also executes various arithmetic processes. For example, the arithmetic and control unit 200 performs signal processing such as Fourier transform on the spectral distribution based on the detection result obtained by the detector 125 for each series of wavelength scanning (for each A line), and thereby, in each A line. Form a reflection intensity profile. Further, the arithmetic and control unit 200 forms image data by imaging the reflection intensity profile of each A line. The arithmetic processing therefor is similar to that of the conventional swept source OCT.

The arithmetic and control unit 200 includes, for example, a processor, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk drive, a communication interface, and the like. Various computer programs are stored in a storage device such as a hard disk drive. The arithmetic and control unit 200 may include an operation device, an input device, a display device, and the like.

<Anterior eye camera 5A and 5B>
The anterior ocular segment cameras 5A and 5B are used to obtain the relative position between the optical system of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 and the eye E, as in the invention disclosed in JP2013-248376A. The anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B are provided on the surface of the eye (E fundus camera unit 2 or the like) in which the optical system is housed on the eye E side. As will be described later in detail, the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 analyzes the relative relationship between the optical system and the eye E by analyzing two anterior segment images acquired by the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B from different directions substantially at the same time. It is a three-dimensional position. The analysis of two anterior segment images acquired substantially simultaneously from different directions by the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B may be the same as the analysis disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-248376. The number of anterior segment cameras may be any number of 2 or more.

In this example, the relative position between the optical system and the eye E to be examined (that is, the position of the optical system) is obtained by using two or more anterior eye cameras, but the method for obtaining the position of the optical system is not limited to this. Not limited. For example, refer to a configuration in which the position of the optical system is specified using an encoder provided in the moving mechanism 150 or the fundus camera unit 2 described later, or the control history of the moving mechanism 150 (actuator 151) by the main control unit 211. It is possible to apply a configuration that specifies the position of the optical system.

<Control system>
A configuration example of the control system of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 is shown in FIG.

<Control unit 210>
The control unit 210 controls each unit of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1. The control unit 210 includes a processor. The control unit 210 includes a main control unit 211, a storage unit 212, and a fixation setting unit 213.

<Main control unit 211>
The main control unit 211 performs various controls. For example, the main control unit 211 includes a photographing focusing lens 31, CCDs (image sensors) 35 and 38, LCD 39, an optical path length changing unit 41, an optical scanner 42, an OCT focusing lens 43, a focus optical system 60, a reflecting rod 67, and the like. To control. Further, the main control unit 211 controls the light source unit 101, the reference driving unit 114A, the detector 125, the DAQ 130, and the like. The reference drive unit 114A moves the corner cube 114 provided in the reference optical path. Thereby, the length of the reference optical path is changed.

The ophthalmologic apparatus 1 includes a moving mechanism 150. The moving mechanism 150 moves at least a part of the optical system of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1. A part of the optical system of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 that is moved by the moving mechanism 150 (a part or all of the optical system) may be referred to as a movable part. The moving mechanism 150 includes one or more actuators 151. The actuator 151 includes, for example, a pulse motor controlled by the main control unit 211, and generates a driving force for moving the movable unit. The driving force generated by the pulse motor 151 is transmitted by a mechanism (not shown) to move the movable part. Thereby, the movable part is moved three-dimensionally. The moving mechanism 150 includes, for example, an x moving mechanism including a first actuator and a mechanism that converts the first driving force generated by the first actuator into movement in the x direction, the second actuator and the second driving force generated by the second actuator. To a movement in the y-direction, and a z-movement mechanism including a third actuator and a mechanism for converting the third driving force generated by the third actuator into movement in the z-direction. ..

<Memory unit 212>
The storage unit 212 stores various data. The data stored in the storage unit 212 includes, for example, OCT image data, fundus image data, and eye information. The eye information includes subject information such as a patient ID and name, left/right eye identification information, electronic medical record information, and the like.

The storage unit 212 may previously store information (fixation information 212A) for performing control related to fixation. In the fixation information 212A, the mode (fixation mode) of the fixation target is associated with each of two or more pupil sizes (that is, two or more ranges regarding the pupil size). For example, the fixation mode is applied to the eye to be inspected (normal pupil eye) having a pupil size equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold, and to the eye to be inspected (small pupil eye) having a pupil size smaller than this threshold. A small pupil mode is included. The threshold value for discriminating between the normal pupil eye and the small pupil eye may be, for example, a preset standard value or a value statistically calculated from clinical data. Further, it is possible to set a threshold value for each of various attributes such as age, sex, and race.

Further, it is possible to apply the fixation information 212A in which the fixation mode is associated with each of two or more combinations of the pupil size and the eye part. For example, a fixation mode usually applied to the observation of the optic disc of the pupil eye, a fixation mode applied to the observation of the optic disc of the small pupil eye, etc., and a fixation mode usually applied to the observation of the macula of the pupil eye. A fixation mode and a fixation mode applied for observation of the macula of a small pupil eye are provided.

In the fixation information 212A in which the part of the eye and the mode of the fixation target are associated with each other, for example, the display position of the fixation target on the LCD 39 is associated with each of two or more parts of the eye. Alternatively, the fixation information 212A associates the shape of the fixation target displayed on the LCD 39 with each of two or more parts of the eye.

The mode of the fixation target recorded in the fixation information 212A may include a mode of change of the fixation target. In the present embodiment, at least one of the projection position and the shape of the fixation light beam on the eye E is changed according to the pupil size of the eye E and the movement (position) of the movable portion of the optical system. In order to realize such control, the position of the movable portion and the projection position and/or shape of the fixation light flux are associated with the fixation information 212A. The position of the movable part is detected using the control history of the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B, the encoder, or the moving mechanism 150, as described above.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the screen of the LCD 39. The LCD 39 of this example is a dot matrix LCD, and 51 pixels (x direction)×51 pixels (y direction) are arranged on the screen 39a. The x-direction (horizontal direction) array is provided with coordinates 0 to 50 from left to right, and the y-direction (longitudinal direction) array is provided with coordinates 0 to 50 from bottom to top. Is given.

The characters attached to some pixels of the screen 39a indicate the position of the fixation target (bright spot) corresponding to the part of the eye. When the eye to be inspected is the right eye, the pixel “M” at (x, y)=(25, 25) indicates a fixation target corresponding to the macula, and the pixel “C at (x, y)=(20, 26)”. ] Indicates a fixation target corresponding to the center of the fundus, a pixel “W” of (x, y)=(17, 26) indicates a fixation target corresponding to a wide scan, and (x, y)=(10, Pixel “D” in 26) indicates a fixation target corresponding to the optic disc. When the eye to be inspected is the left eye, the pixel “M” at (x, y)=(25, 25) indicates the fixation target corresponding to the macula, and the pixel at (x, y)=(30, 26). “C” indicates a fixation target corresponding to the center of the fundus, a pixel “W” at (x, y)=(33, 26) indicates a fixation target corresponding to wide scan, and (x, y)=( Pixel "D" of 40, 26) indicates the fixation target corresponding to the optic disc. Further, eight pixels “2” to “9” arranged in a circular shape indicate fixation targets corresponding to eight positions in the peripheral part of the fundus. The optical axis of the objective lens 22 (objective optical axis) is arranged at the lower left corner of the pixel “M”.

A first example of the fixation information 212A is shown in FIG. 5A. The fixation information 212a indicates the fixation mode including the initial position and the final position of the fixation target for the combination of the part of the eye (fixation position) to be inspected and the pupil size (usually small pupil). It corresponds. The pixel “M” is associated with both the initial position and the final position in the combination of the region “macular” and the pupil size “normal”. The initial position “M” and the final position “C” are associated with the combination of the region “fundus center” and the pupil size “normal”. The initial position “M” and the final position “W” are associated with the combination of the part “wide” and the pupil size “normal”. In this example, the parts “macular”, “fundus center”, and “wide” are associated with the same initial position and the same final position regardless of the pupil size.

On the other hand, with respect to the region “optic disc”, different fixation modes (initial positions) are associated with each pupil size. Specifically, the initial position “M” and the final position “D” are associated with the combination of the region “optic papilla” and the pupil size “normal”, and the region “optic disc” and the pupil size “small pupil” are associated. The initial position “M ₁ ”and the final position “D” are associated with the combination of and. That is, when the optic papilla is the inspection target, the movement of the fixation target is started from a different initial position depending on whether the eye E to be inspected is a normal pupil eye or a small pupil eye. Here, the initial position “M ₁ ”may be any position, but considering that the eye E to be inspected is a small pupil eye, it is desirable to be in the vicinity of the pixel “M”, for example, the pixel “M”. Is set on or near a line segment connecting the pixel "D" and the pixel "D".

As described above, in this example, the position of the fixation target for the region “macular” is unchanged, but the fixation targets are moved for the regions “center of the fundus”, “wide”, and “optic disc”. Further, at least when the examination target is the optic disc, the movement mode (fixation mode) of the fixation target is selectively applied according to the pupil size of the eye E to be examined. Similarly, for the pixels “2” to “9” corresponding to the peripheral part of the fundus, the pixel “M”, the pixel “M1”, or an appropriate pixel position can be set as the initial position. It should be noted that the position of the fixation target may be invariable with respect to a region where the final position is relatively close to the objective optical axis, such as “center of the fundus” or “wide”.

A second example of the fixation information 212A is shown in FIG. 5B. The fixation information 212b associates the initial form and the final form of the fixation target with the part of the eye (fixation position) to be inspected. The pixel “M” is associated with both the initial form and the final form in the combination of the region “macular” and the pupil size “normal”. The initial form “Line MC” and the final form “C” are associated with the combination of the part “fundus center” and the pupil size “normal”. “Line MC” indicates a line segment connecting the pixel “M” and the pixel “C”. The initial form “Line MW” and the final form “W” are associated with the combination of the region “wide” and the pupil size “normal”. “Line MW” indicates a line segment connecting the pixel “M” and the pixel “W”. In this example, the parts “macular”, “center of fundus”, and “wide” are associated with the same initial form and the same final form regardless of the pupil size.

On the other hand, with respect to the region “optic disc”, different fixation modes (initial forms) are associated with each pupil size. Specifically, the initial form “Line MD” and the final form “D” are associated with the combination of the region “optic disc” and the pupil size “normal”, and the region “optic disc” and the pupil size “small pupil” are associated with each other. The initial form “Line M ₁ D” and the final form “D” are associated with each other. That is, when the optic papilla is the examination target, the change (deformation) of the fixation target is started from a different initial form depending on whether the eye E to be inspected is a normal pupil eye or a small pupil eye. Note that “Line MD” indicates a line segment connecting the pixel “M” and the pixel “D”, and “Line M ₁ D” indicates a line segment connecting the pixel “M ₁ ” and the pixel “D”. .. The pixel “M ₁ ”may be the same as in the case of FIG. 5A.

In this example, the morphology of the fixation target remains unchanged for the region "macular", but the morphology of the fixation target changes for the regions "center of the fundus", "wide", and "optic disc". Specifically, for these parts, the shape of the fixation target changes from the bright line connecting the initial position and the final position shown in FIG. 5A to the bright point showing the final position. In addition, when the optic nerve head is an inspection target, different initial forms (initial forms of bright lines) are applied depending on the pupil size of the eye E to be examined. The same applies to the pixels "2" to "9" corresponding to the fundus peripheral portion.

FIG. 6A shows a third example of the fixation information 212A. The fixation information 212c indicates two fixation modes when the examination target is the optic disc. Reference sign A ₀ shows a graph of a normal mode applied to a normal pupil eye (solid line), and reference sign A ₁ shows a graph of small pupil mode applied to a small pupil eye (dotted line). The horizontal axis represents the position of the optical system in the z direction, and the vertical axis represents the position of the fixation target.

The position in the z direction indicated by the horizontal axis indicates the position of the movable portion of the optical system, and is defined as, for example, the z coordinate value of the front surface of the objective lens 22 or the z coordinate value of the front surface of the fundus camera unit 2. The z coordinate value Z ₀ (z=Z ₀ ) indicates a predetermined initial position of the optical system that is moved in the alignment, and this is set, for example, at a position where the distance from the eye E is the farthest (last retracted position). To be done. The z coordinate value WD (z=WD) indicates the target position of the optical system in the alignment, which corresponds to the position where the eye E to be inspected and the optical system have a predetermined working distance (working distance).

The position of the fixation target indicated by the vertical axis indicates the pixel position (coordinate value) of the LCD 39, and is defined as, for example, the position on the line segment connecting the initial position “M” and the final position “D” shown in FIG. 5A. It

In this example, in the normal mode when the examination target is the optic nerve head, as shown in the graph A ₀ , the fixation target is a certain distance (the number of pixels) with respect to the unit movement amount of the optical system in the z direction. It is set to move. That is, the graph A ₀ is set as a straight line with a constant inclination.

On the other hand, the small pupil mode graph A ₁ is set as a polygonal line whose inclination changes at a predetermined z coordinate value Z ₁ between z=Z ₀ and z=WD. Specifically, the graph A ₁ changes from z=Z ₀ to z=Z _{1 with a} constant first slope, and changes from z=Z ₁ to z=WD with a constant second slope. Here, the first slope is smaller than the slope of the graph A ₀ , and the second slope is larger than the slope of the graph A ₀ . Further, z=Z ₁ and the first inclination and the second inclination are, for example, the magnitude of the threshold value for discriminating between the normal pupil eye and the small pupil eye, and the configuration of the optical system (particularly, the fixation light flux). The configuration of the fixation system that guides the

A fourth example of the fixation information 212A is shown in FIG. 6B. 6A is an example in which the relationship between the z position of the optical system and the position of the fixation target is defined by a substantially continuous graph, but FIG. 6B shows these relationships in a stepwise (discrete) graph. An example defined by The fixation information 212d indicates two fixation modes when the examination target is the optic disc. Reference symbol B ₀ indicates a normal mode graph (solid line) applied to a normal pupil eye, and reference symbol B ₁ indicates a small pupil mode graph (dotted line) applied to a small pupil eye. The horizontal axis and the vertical axis are the same as in the third example. The z coordinate value Z ₁ may be equal to or different from that of the third example.

In this example, in the normal mode when the examination target is the optic disc, as shown in the graph B ₀ , the fixation target is a fixed distance (the number of pixels) every time the optical system moves in the z direction by a predetermined distance. Only set to move. That is, the graph B ₀ connects the coordinate values (Z ₀ , M) to (WD, D) in the coordinate system in which the graph is defined with a plurality of steps arranged at regular intervals and at constant height. It is a thing.

On the other hand, the small pupil mode graph B ₁ has a constant first interval and a constant first value from the coordinate values (Z ₀ , M) to (Z ₁ , K) in the coordinate system in which the graph is defined. Connected by a plurality of steps arranged at a height of, and a plurality of steps arranged from (Z ₁ , K) to (WD, D) at a constant second interval and at a constant second height. It was tied with. Here, the first interval is wider than the second interval, and the first height is lower than the second height. It should be noted that z=Z ₁ , the first interval and the second interval, and the first height and the second height are, for example, the above-mentioned threshold values for discriminating between the normal pupil eye and the small pupil eye. It is set based on the size and the configuration of the optical system (in particular, the configuration of the fixation system that guides the fixation light flux).

The fixation information 212a to 212d described above are merely examples, and the fixation information is not limited thereto. For example, the form of the fixation target is not limited to line segments or points, and may be any one-dimensional shape or any two-dimensional shape. It is also possible to display information different from the fixation target on the LCD 39. For example, an image of an arrow pointing to the final position of the fixation target can be configured to be displayed using the pixel “M” and the pixels around it.

<Fixation setting unit 213>
In the present embodiment, as described below, pupil information regarding the pupil size of the eye E to be inspected is acquired. The fixation setting unit 213 selects the fixation mode from the fixation information 212A based on the acquired pupil information. When any of the fixation information 212a to 212d of FIGS. 5A to 6B is applied, the fixation setting unit 213 compares the pupil size indicated in the pupil information with a threshold value, and the pupil size is equal to or larger than the threshold value. , The normal mode is selected, and when the pupil size is less than the threshold value, the small pupil mode is selected.

In the present embodiment, it is possible to further specify the part of the eye (fixed position) to be inspected. The designation of the part is manually performed using the user interface 240, for example. Alternatively, the control unit 210 may specify the part based on the selection result of the inspection mode or the analysis mode. In addition, when follow-up observation, preoperative/postoperative observation, or the like is performed, the control unit 210 acquires the site designated in the past examination from electronic medical record information or the like, and designates the same site as in the past. You can

When the pupil information is acquired and the part of the eye is designated, the fixation setting unit 213 selects the fixation mode corresponding to the combination of the pupil size and the part of the eye from the fixation information 212A. For example, the fixation setting unit 213 first specifies one or more fixation modes corresponding to the designated eye part. When two or more fixation modes are specified, the fixation setting unit 213 selects one fixation mode corresponding to the pupil size from the specified two or more fixation modes. As a specific example, when the optic disc is designated as the part of the eye, the fixation setting unit 213 first identifies the normal mode and the small pupil mode associated with the “optic disc” in the fixation information 212a in FIG. 5A. To do. Further, the fixation setting unit 213 compares the pupil size indicated in the pupil information with a threshold value, selects the normal mode when the pupil size is equal to or larger than the threshold value, and selects the small mode when the pupil size is smaller than the threshold value. Select the pupil mode.

<Image forming unit 220>
The image forming unit 220 forms image data of a cross-sectional image of the fundus oculi Ef based on the sampling result of the detection signal input from the DAQ 130. Similar to the conventional swept source OCT, this processing includes signal processing such as noise removal (noise reduction), filter processing, and FFT (Fast Fourier Transform). The image data formed by the image forming unit 220 is a group of image data (a group of image data formed by imaging reflection intensity profiles of a plurality of A lines (lines in the z direction) arranged along the scan line. A data set including A scan image data).

The image forming unit 220 includes, for example, at least one of a processor and a dedicated circuit board. In the present specification, "image data" may be equated with "image" based on it. In addition, the part of the eye E to be inspected may be identified with the image representing the part.

<Data processing unit 230>
The data processing unit 230 performs image processing and analysis processing on the image formed by the image forming unit 220. For example, the data processing unit 230 executes correction processing such as image brightness correction and dispersion correction. Further, the data processing unit 230 performs image processing and analysis processing on the image (fundus image, anterior segment image, etc.) obtained by the fundus camera unit 2. The data processing unit 230 includes, for example, at least one of a processor and a dedicated circuit board. The data processing unit 230 includes a position information generation unit 231 and a pupil information acquisition unit 232.

<Position information generation unit 231>
The position information generator 231 generates position information indicating the position of the optical system (movable part). The position information generation unit 231 analyzes the two anterior ocular segment images of the subject's eye E acquired from the different directions by the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B substantially at the same time, and thereby detects the distance between the optical system and the subject's eye E. The relative position of (in particular, the relative position in the z direction) is calculated. At this time, the arithmetic processing disclosed in JP 2013-248376 A is executed. When the moving mechanism 150 or the fundus camera unit 2 is provided with an encoder, the position information generation unit 231 can obtain the position of the movable unit based on the signal output from the encoder. When the main controller 211 controls the moving mechanism 150, the position information generator 231 can determine the position of the movable part based on the control history of the moving mechanism 150 by the main controller 211.

<Pupil information acquisition unit 232>
The pupil information acquisition unit 232 acquires pupil information regarding the pupil size of the eye E to be inspected. The pupil information may include, for example, a measurement value of the pupil size of the eye E to be acquired in the past or a measurement value of the pupil size of the eye E to be acquired in the main examination. Alternatively, the pupil information may include information indicating whether or not the eye E to be inspected is a small pupil eye.

The value of the pupil size (pupil radius, diameter, circumference, area, etc.) is obtained, for example, by analyzing the anterior segment image of the eye E to be examined. The anterior segment image may be an observation image or a captured image of the anterior segment obtained by the observation optical system 10 and the photographing optical system 30. Alternatively, the anterior segment image may be an image obtained by one of the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B, or a composite image (a stereoscopic image or the like) of two images obtained by both. The analysis of the anterior segment image may include image processing performed by a conventional ophthalmologic apparatus. For example, this analysis processing may include threshold processing and binarization regarding the pixel value (luminance value) for specifying the image area corresponding to the pupil.

The past measurement value of the pupil size of the eye E to be inspected and information indicating whether or not the eye E to be inspected is a small pupil eye are stored in a device external to the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 or a recording medium. When the pupil information is stored in the external device, the pupil information acquisition unit 232 includes a communication interface and a processor for reading the pupil information from the external device via a network such as a LAN. When the pupil information is stored in the recording medium, the pupil information acquisition unit 232 includes a drive device and a processor for reading the pupil information from the recording medium.

<User interface 240>
The user interface 240 includes a display unit 241 and an operation unit 242. The display unit 241 includes the display device 3. The operation unit 242 includes various operation devices and input devices. The user interface 240 may include a device having a display function and an operation function integrated, such as a touch panel. Embodiments may be constructed that do not include at least a portion of user interface 240. For example, the display device may be an external device connected to the ophthalmic device.

<motion>
The operation of the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 will be described. An example of the operation is shown in FIG.

(S1: Designate a region to be imaged)
First, the site of the eye E to be inspected, which is a target of OCT or fundus imaging, is specified along with the patient ID of the subject and the identification information of the left eye/right eye. The designation of the imaging region is performed by the user (inspector) or the control unit 210 as described above.

(S2: Acquire pupil information)
The pupil information acquisition unit 232 acquires pupil information of the eye E to be inspected. The pupil information includes information on the pupil size of the eye E to be inspected.

(S3: Select fixation mode)
The fixation setting unit 213 selects, from the fixation information 212A, the fixation mode corresponding to the combination of the eye part specified in step S1 and the pupil information acquired in step S2.

(S4: Display the fixation target in the initial form)
The main control unit 211 causes the LCD 39 to display the fixation target in the initial form in the fixation mode selected in step S3. For example, when the initial position in the fixation mode selected in step S3 is the pixel “M”, the main control unit 211 selects (x, y)=(25, among the plurality of pixels arranged on the screen 39a of the LCD 39. Only the pixel “M” located at 25) is turned on. As mentioned above, pixel "M" is located on the objective optical axis (more specifically, pixel "M" is one of the four pixels closest to the objective optical axis).

(S5: The optical system is retracted to observe the anterior segment.)
The user or the main control unit 211 operates the moving mechanism 150 to retract the optical system (movable part) in order to observe the anterior segment of the eye E to be placed, for example, at the last retracted position. The anterior segment observation is performed by the main control unit 211 displaying a moving image on the display unit 241 as an observation image (moving image) of the anterior segment obtained using the observation illumination light (near infrared light) described above. Alternatively, it may be a moving image of the anterior segment obtained by at least one of the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B.

FIG. 8A shows a presentation state of the fixation target when the optic disc is designated in step S1 and the optical system is retracted. At this stage, the pixel “M” is lit as the initial form fixation target (initial fixation target T _S ). Since the initial fixation target T _S is arranged on the objective optical axis 22 a, the fixation light flux output from the pixel “M” is projected onto the fundus Ef of the eye E through the objective lens 22. At this time, the subject can visually recognize the initial fixation target T _S regardless of whether or not the eye E is a small pupil eye.

The fixation target T _E is the pixel “D” corresponding to the “optic disc” and is used as the final fixation target in this example. In this example, the initial fixation target T _S is displayed first, but in the conventional ophthalmologic apparatus, the pixel “D” is displayed from the beginning to the end. At the stage of step S5, the fixation light flux DP output from the pixel “D” cannot pass through the objective lens 22 and thus is not projected onto the fundus Ef. Therefore, in the case of the conventional ophthalmologic apparatus, the subject cannot visually recognize the fixation target at this stage.

(S6: Align the pupil center with the center of the anterior segment image)
The user or the main control unit 211 analyzes the observation image of the anterior segment of the eye so that the center of the pupil of the eye E is located at the frame center of the observation image (or within a predetermined range including the frame center). The (movable part) is moved in the x direction and the y direction. Thereby, the x position and the y position of the optical system are adjusted so that the objective optical axis 22a is arranged at the center of the pupil of the eye E to be examined.

(S7: Start advance of optical system)
The user or the main control unit 211 starts moving the optical system forward by operating the moving mechanism 150. Thereby, the optical system is moved in the +z direction from the last retracted position toward the eye E to be inspected.

The anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B capture a moving image at a predetermined time interval (imaging rate), and the position information generation unit 231 determines the relative position (especially the relative position in the z direction) between the eye E to be inspected and the optical system in real time. And calculate sequentially.

(S8: The morphological change of the fixation target is started)
The main control unit 211 changes the form of the fixation target based on the position information sequentially acquired by the position information generation unit 231. In the present example, the main control unit 211 changes the position of the fixation target displayed on the LCD 39 according to the change in the relative position between the eye E to be inspected and the optical system.

For example, the main control unit 211 moves the display position of the fixation target by a predetermined unit distance in response to a change in the z-direction distance between the eye E to be inspected and the optical system by a predetermined unit amount. .. As a specific example thereof, the main control unit 211 changes the display position of the fixation target to the initial fixation target T each time the distance in the z direction between the eye E to be inspected and the optical system decreases (or increases) by a unit amount. moving from _S side by one pixel in the final fixation target T _E side. Here, the predetermined unit amount and the predetermined unit distance are recorded in advance in the fixation information, for example.

As another example, when the graph A _{0 in the} normal mode or the graph A _{1 in the} small pupil mode shown in FIG. 6A is applied, the main control unit 211 causes the main control unit 211 to obtain the current position of the optical system acquired by the position information generation unit 231 ( The position of the fixation target corresponding to the z coordinate value) is obtained, and the LCD 39 is controlled so that the pixel corresponding to the position of the fixation target is turned on.

FIG. 8B shows a state in which the fixation target is displayed between the initial fixation target T _S and the final fixation target T _E. At this stage, the optical system is located between the final retreat position and the position corresponding to the working distance (working distance position), and the LCD 39 is located between the initial fixation target T _S and the final fixation target T _E. intermediate fixation target T _H is displayed. At any time during the movement of the optical system, the display position of the intermediate fixation target T _H is the fixation light beam HP, so as to pass through the objective lens 22 (i.e. the eye E is visible intermediate fixation target T _H Controlled). This control is performed based on the fixation information, for example. Note that in the state shown in FIG. 8B, the fixation light flux DP output from the pixel “D” cannot still pass through the objective lens 22. Therefore, in the case of the conventional ophthalmologic apparatus, the subject cannot visually recognize the fixation target even at this stage.

Incidentally, for example, as can be seen from the normal graph A ₁ graph A ₀ and the small pupil mode mode shown in FIG. 6A, in the (present embodiment in accordance with the pupil size of the eye E, a small pupil eye E, either normal pupil eye The movement of the fixation target differs depending on whether the eye is on or off. Specifically, when the eye E is a small pupil eye, the fixation target slowly moves from the initial fixation target T _S (objective optical axis 22a) until the optical system reaches z=Z _1. Since it moves toward the final position (pixel “D”), there is a high possibility that the fixation target can be visually recognized even by a small pupil eye. When the optical system further approaches the eye to be inspected E and passes through z=Z ₁ , the moving speed of the fixation target increases, but the fixation target is continuously visible, so that it is unlikely to lose sight.

(S9: Did you reach the WD position (nearby)?)
The forward movement of the optical system and the morphological change of the fixation target are executed until it is determined that the optical system has reached (in the vicinity of) the working distance position z=WD. Whether the optical system has reached (in the vicinity of) the working distance position z=WD is determined based on the position information obtained in real time by the position information generation unit 231.

The “neighborhood” of the working distance position z=WD is set in advance in at least the range in which the fixation light flux DP output from the pixel “D” passes through the objective lens 22. Further, in response to the advance of the optical system to the predetermined position, the main control unit 211 causes the front lens (not shown) for switching the focus of the optical system from the anterior ocular segment observation focus to the fundus observation focus. Is inserted. Before the optical system reaches the working distance position z=WD, the displayed observation image is switched from the anterior segment observation image to the fundus observation image.

(S10: The fixation target in the final form is displayed)
When the optical system reaches (in the vicinity of) the working distance position z=WD, the main control unit 211 lights the pixel “D” to display the final fixation target T _E. The final fixation target T _E is the position of the fixation target corresponding to the optic disc that is the imaging region (that is, the target region for OCT or fundus imaging) designated in step S1.

FIG. 8C shows a state in which the final fixation target T _E is displayed. At this stage, the optical system is arranged at the working distance position z=WD, and the final fixation target T _E is displayed on the LCD 39. As described above, in this example, the subject can always visually recognize the fixation target while moving the optical system from the final retreat position z=Z ₀ to the working distance position z=WD. In particular, the moving mode of the fixation target can be switched according to the pupil size of the eye E to be examined. First, the subject visually recognizes the initial fixation target T _S displayed in the center (pixel “M”) of the LCD 39, and at an intermediate stage toward the final fixation target T _E at a speed according to the pupil size. viewing the moving intermediate fixation target T _H. Thereby, it becomes possible to suitably guide the fixation position of the eye E to the final fixation target T _E corresponding to the imaging region.

The optical system may be moved backward after it has started moving forward. In that case, the main control unit 211 can move the fixation target according to the position of the optical system sequentially acquired by the position information generation unit 231. Alternatively, the main control unit 211 sets the display position of the fixation target to the initial fixation target T _S side according to the distance (the amount of increase in the relative distance between the eye E to be inspected and the optical system) that the optical system has moved backward. Can be moved to.

(S11: Fine adjustment of alignment)
The user or the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 performs alignment of the optical system with respect to the eye E to be inspected, for example, based on the alignment index. As a result, the result of the alignment performed in steps S7 to S10 is finely adjusted. It is also possible to finely adjust the alignment based on the pair of anterior segment observation images obtained by the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B.

(S12: Adjust shooting conditions)
The user or the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 makes fine adjustments of the scanning position, fine adjustments of the measurement arm length and the reference arm length, fine adjustments of the presentation position of the fixation target, focus adjustments, insertion of a small pupil aperture, and other adjustments of various imaging conditions. To do.

(S13: Photograph the fundus)
The ophthalmologic apparatus 1 executes OCT or imaging of the fundus Ef. The acquired data is stored in the storage unit 212 or an external storage. Further, the ophthalmologic apparatus 1 or another apparatus executes an imaging process or an analysis process based on the acquired data.

<Action/effect>
The operation and effect of the ophthalmologic apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.

The ophthalmologic apparatus of the embodiment includes an optical system, a moving mechanism, a position specifying unit, a pupil information acquisition unit, and a control unit. The optical system includes an objective lens, an irradiation optical system that irradiates the eye to be inspected with light through the objective lens, and a fixation system that projects a fixation light beam onto the eye to be inspected through the objective lens. In the above embodiment, the objective lens 22 corresponds to the objective lens, the illumination optical system 10 and the measurement arm correspond to the irradiation optical system, and the optical path from the LCD 39 to the objective lens 22 corresponds to the fixation system.

The moving mechanism is configured to move a movable part that is at least a part of an optical system including an objective lens. In the above embodiment, the moving mechanism 150 corresponds to the moving mechanism.

The position specifying unit is configured to specify the position of the movable unit moved by the moving mechanism. In the above embodiment, the anterior segment cameras 5A and 5B and the position information generating unit 231 correspond to the position specifying unit.

The pupil information acquisition unit acquires pupil information regarding the pupil size of the subject's eye. In the above embodiment, the pupil information acquisition unit 232 corresponds to the pupil information acquisition unit.

The control unit controls the fixation system based on the position of the movable unit specified by the position specifying unit and the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit. Thereby, the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux is changed. In the above embodiment, the control unit 210 corresponds to the control unit.

According to such an embodiment, when the optical system is moved in a state where the fixation target is presented in alignment or the like, the projection position and shape of the fixation light flux can be changed according to the movement of the optical system. .. Therefore, the visibility of the fixation target can be improved so that the subject can visually recognize the fixation target continuously. Further, since the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux is changed according to the size of the pupil of the eye to be inspected, the subject can fix the internal fixation regardless of the size of the pupil of the eye. The mark can be visually recognized suitably. Thereby, alignment or the like can be appropriately performed regardless of the size of the pupil of the eye to be inspected. In addition, there is no inconvenience that the eye to be examined suddenly rotates when the fixation target enters the visual field and flare occurs in the observed image.

In the embodiment, the control unit may include a storage unit and a selection unit. The storage unit stores the fixation information in advance. The fixation information is associated with the fixation mode that represents the mode of change in the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation beam with respect to the pupil size. The selection unit selects the fixation mode from the fixation information based on the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit. The control unit changes the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux by controlling the fixation system according to the fixation mode selected by the selection unit. In the above embodiment, the storage unit 212 corresponds to the storage unit, the fixation information 212A corresponds to the fixation information, and the fixation setting unit 213 corresponds to the selection unit.

According to such a configuration, since the fixation mode according to the size of the pupil can be selectively applied, the subject preferably visually recognizes the internal fixation target regardless of the size of the pupil of the eye. It becomes possible.

The fixation information is configured to include, as fixation modes, a normal mode applied to an eye to be inspected having a pupil size of a predetermined threshold or more and a small pupil mode applied to an eye to be inspected having a pupil size of less than the predetermined threshold. May be done. In this case, the selection unit is configured to select the fixation mode by comparing the pupil size indicated by the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit with a predetermined threshold. The fixation modes provided in the fixation information are not limited to these two. For example, it can be configured to be classified into three, a large pupil eye, a middle pupil eye, and a small pupil eye. Alternatively, the small pupils can be classified into two or more ranges according to the degree.

In an embodiment, the fixation mode may include an initial aspect and a final aspect of the fixation light flux. In this case, the control unit is configured to change the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux from the initial mode to the final mode included in the fixation mode selected by the selection unit. Examples of the initial mode include the initial position of FIG. 5A and the initial form of FIG. 5B, and examples of the final mode include the final position of FIG. 5A and the final form of FIG. 5B.

Furthermore, the initial aspect and the final aspect are set so that the distance between the fixation light flux in the initial aspect and the optical axis of the objective lens is shorter than the distance between the fixation light flux in the final aspect and the objective optical axis. can do. Here, the fixation light flux in the initial mode can be arranged on the objective optical axis.

In the above-described embodiment, for example, when the designated portion is the optic disc, the pixel “M” on the objective optical axis 22a is set as the initial position, and the pixel “D” at a position distant from the objective optical axis 22a is the final position. Is set as. In another example, a line segment connecting the pixel “M” on the objective optical axis 22a and the pixel “D” located away from the objective optical axis 22a is set as an initial form, and the pixel “position” located away from the objective optical axis 22a is set. "D" is set as the final position.

With such a configuration, it is possible to guide the fixation to the designated site while starting the change of the form (projection position, shape) of the fixation target from the vicinity of the objective optical axis with high visibility.

In the embodiment, the control unit is configured to change the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux from the initial aspect to the final aspect according to the reduction in the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be inspected by the moving mechanism. You can

For example, the embodiment may be configured as follows: the fixation system includes a light flux output unit (LCD 39) that outputs the fixation light flux; the initial mode is the initial output position of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit. And the final aspect includes the final output position of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit; the control unit controls the fixation light flux of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit in accordance with the reduction in the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be examined. The output position is changed from the initial output position to the final output position. In the above-described embodiment, for example, when the designated portion is the optic disc, the control unit 210 changes the display position of the fixation target from the pixel “M” to the pixel “D” as the optical system approaches the eye E. be able to.

Further, the embodiment may be configured as follows: the fixation system includes a light flux output unit that outputs the fixation light flux; the initial aspect includes an initial output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit, and The final aspect includes the final output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit; the control unit determines the output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit according to the reduction in the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be examined. Change from the initial output shape to the final output shape. In the above embodiment, when the designated portion is the optic disc, the control unit 210 determines the shape of the fixation target from the bright line connecting the pixel “M” and the pixel “D” as the optical system approaches the eye E. , The bright spot in the pixel “D” can be changed.

In the embodiment, the fixation mode may include change information indicating a change in the aspect of the fixation light flux with respect to a change in the position of the movable portion of the optical system. In this case, the control unit, based on the change information included in the fixation mode selected by the selection unit and the position of the movable unit sequentially identified by the position identification unit, the projection position and/or the fixation light flux. It is configured to change the shape from an initial aspect to a final aspect. In the above embodiment, the fixation information 212c shown in FIG. 6A and the fixation information 212d shown in FIG. 6B correspond to examples of change information in which a change in the position of the optical system and a change in the position of the fixation target are associated with each other. ..

According to this configuration, the movement and deformation of the fixation target can be controlled according to the size of the pupil of the eye to be inspected, so that the internal fixation target can be preferably visually recognized regardless of the size of the pupil.

The ophthalmologic apparatus of the embodiment may include a designating unit for designating a region of the subject's eye to which light is emitted by the irradiation optical system. In this case, the control unit is configured to switch the control mode of the fixation system according to the region designated by the designation unit. The designation of the part is performed manually or automatically. In such an embodiment, the control mode of the fixation system (fixation mode) is switched according to the combination of the region of the eye to be inspected and the size of the pupil.

In the above embodiment, the user interface 240 and the control unit 210 correspond to the designation unit. The fixation information 212a shown in FIG. 5A and the fixation information 212b shown in FIG. 5B are for switching the control mode (fixation mode) of the fixation system according to the combination of the site of the eye to be inspected and the size of the pupil. It is an example of fixation information.

According to such a configuration, the projection position and shape of the fixation light flux can be changed in a manner according to the designated site (imaging site or the like) and the pupil size. Thereby, it becomes possible to execute the control for allowing the subject to continuously view the fixation target depending on the designated region and regardless of the pupil size.

The ophthalmologic apparatus of the embodiment may include an operation unit (for example, the operation unit 242). Furthermore, the moving mechanism may be configured to move the movable part of the optical system in response to an operation performed using the operation part. That is, the ophthalmologic apparatus of the embodiment may be configured to move the optical system by manual operation. Thereby, the visibility of the fixation target in the manual alignment can be improved.

In the embodiment, the movement mechanism may include an actuator (for example, the actuator 151) controlled by the control unit. Further, the control unit may be configured to coordinately control the actuator and the fixation system. Thereby, the movement of the optical system and the movement or deformation of the fixation target can be linked, and the visibility of the fixation target in the automatic alignment can be improved.

The embodiment described above is merely an example of the present invention. A person who intends to implement the present invention can arbitrarily make modifications (omission, replacement, addition, etc.) within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

1 Ophthalmic Equipment 5A, 5B Anterior Eye Camera 10 Illumination Optical System 22 Objective Lens 39 LCD
100 OCT unit 150 Moving mechanism 210 Control part 213 Fixation setting part 231 Position information generation part 232 Pupil information acquisition part

Claims (12)

An optical system including an objective lens, an irradiation optical system that irradiates the eye to be inspected with light through the objective lens, and a fixation system that projects a fixation light beam onto the eye to be inspected through the objective lens,
A moving mechanism for moving a movable part that is at least a part of the optical system including the objective lens;
A position specifying unit that specifies the position of the movable unit that is moved by the moving mechanism;
A pupil information acquisition unit that acquires pupil information regarding the pupil size of the eye to be inspected;
By controlling the fixation system based on the position of the movable part specified by the position specifying part and the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition part, the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux. and a control unit for changing the,
The control unit is
A storage unit that stores in advance fixation information associated with a fixation mode representing a projection position and/or shape change of the fixation light beam with respect to a pupil size.
A selection unit that selects a fixation mode from the fixation information based on the pupil information acquired by the pupil information acquisition unit;
Including
The fixation system is controlled according to the fixation mode selected by the selection unit.
An ophthalmologic apparatus characterized by the above . The fixation information, as the fixation mode, a normal mode applied to the subject's eye having a pupil size of a predetermined threshold or more, and a small pupil mode applied to the subject's eye having a pupil size of less than the predetermined threshold. Including,
The selection unit, in claim 1, characterized in that the selection of the fixation mode by comparing the pupil size indicated in the pupil information obtained by the pupil information acquiring unit a predetermined threshold value The described ophthalmic device. The fixation mode includes an initial aspect and a final aspect of the fixation light beam,
Wherein the control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that changing the projection position and / or shape of the fixation light beam from the initial aspect to the final aspect included in the fixation mode selected by said selection unit or The ophthalmic device according to 2 . The distance between the fixation light flux of the initial aspect and the optical axis of the objective lens is shorter than the distance between the fixation light flux and the optical axis of the final aspect, the initial aspect and The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the final aspect is set. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the fixation light flux in the initial mode is located on the optical axis. The control unit changes the projection position and/or the shape of the fixation light flux from the initial mode to the final mode according to the reduction in the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be inspected by the moving mechanism. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5 . The fixation system includes a light flux output unit that outputs the fixation light flux,
The initial aspect includes an initial output position of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit, and the final aspect includes a final output position of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit,
The control unit changes the output position of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit from the initial output position to the final output position in accordance with the shortening of the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be examined. The ophthalmic device according to claim 6 , characterized in that The fixation system includes a light flux output unit that outputs the fixation light flux,
The initial aspect includes an initial output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit, and the final aspect includes a final output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit,
The control unit changes the output shape of the fixation light flux by the light flux output unit from the initial output shape to the final output shape in accordance with the reduction in the distance between the objective lens and the eye to be inspected. The ophthalmic device according to claim 6 , characterized in that The fixation mode includes change information indicating a change in the aspect of the fixation light beam with respect to a change in the position of the movable portion,
The control unit projects the fixation light flux based on the change information included in the fixation mode selected by the selection unit and the position of the movable unit sequentially specified by the position specifying unit. The ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 8 , wherein a position and/or a shape is changed from the initial aspect to the final aspect. A designating unit for designating a part of the eye to be irradiated with light by the irradiation optical system,
Wherein, ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that switching the control mode of the fixation system according to the site specified by the specifying unit. Equipped with an operation unit,
The moving mechanism, ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that moving the movable part in response to an operation performed using the operation unit. The moving mechanism includes an actuator controlled by the control unit,
Wherein, ophthalmologic apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that cooperating controlling said fixation system and the actuator.