Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
  • G02C7/00—Optical parts
  • G02C7/12—Polarisers
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B25/00—Eyepieces; Magnifying glasses
  • G02B25/002—Magnifying glasses
  • G02B25/004—Magnifying glasses having binocular arrangement
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B25/00—Eyepieces; Magnifying glasses
  • G02B25/02—Eyepieces; Magnifying glasses with means for illuminating object viewed
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
  • G02B27/017—Head mounted
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
  • G02B27/017—Head mounted
  • G02B27/0172—Head mounted characterised by optical features
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/02—Viewing or reading apparatus
  • G02B27/06—Viewing or reading apparatus with moving picture effect
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B30/00—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images
  • G02B30/20—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer's left and right eyes
  • G02B30/22—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer's left and right eyes of the stereoscopic type
  • G02B30/24—Optical systems or apparatus for producing three-dimensional [3D] effects, e.g. stereoscopic images by providing first and second parallax images to an observer's left and right eyes of the stereoscopic type involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
  • G02B7/002—Mounting on the human body
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02C—SPECTACLES; SUNGLASSES OR GOGGLES INSOFAR AS THEY HAVE THE SAME FEATURES AS SPECTACLES; CONTACT LENSES
  • G02C7/00—Optical parts
  • G02C7/02—Lenses; Lens systems ; Methods of designing lenses
  • G02C7/08—Auxiliary lenses; Arrangements for varying focal length
  • G02C7/088—Lens systems mounted to spectacles
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
  • G02B27/0101—Head-up displays characterised by optical features
  • G02B2027/0132—Head-up displays characterised by optical features comprising binocular systems
  • G02B2027/0134—Head-up displays characterised by optical features comprising binocular systems of stereoscopic type
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B27/00—Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00
  • G02B27/01—Head-up displays
  • G02B27/017—Head mounted
  • G02B2027/0178—Eyeglass type
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B5/00—Optical elements other than lenses
  • G02B5/30—Polarising elements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N2213/00—Details of stereoscopic systems
  • H04N2213/008—Aspects relating to glasses for viewing stereoscopic images

Definitions

• the invention relates to eyewear. More particularly the present invention relates to eyewear with segmented look-through elements and a system comprising such eyewear.
• the eyewear can be used in a variety of environments including, in particular, the medical field and industrial processes.
• three dimensional imaging Besides the need for obtaining magnified views of objects of interest it is becoming more and more common for medical professionals to utilize three dimensional imaging.
• three main types of three dimensional imaging stereoscopic, holographic, and multiplanar.
• Stereoscopic imaging uses various methods to convey a separate image to each eye, allowing the perception of depth.
• stereoscopic monitors are viewed by means of special eyewear.
• LCD shutter glasses so-called active systems, are based on the property of a special form of glass containing a liquid crystal and a polarizing filter that becomes dark (i.e. opaque) when voltage is applied, but otherwise is translucent.
• a pair of eyeglasses made from such a material can be darkened over one eye, and then the other eye, in synchronization with the refresh rate of the stereoscopic monitor, while the stereoscopic monitor alternately displays different perspectives for each eye.
• the viewer's visual system does not notice the flickering, each eye receives a different image, and the three dimensional effect is achieved.
• An exemplary electroscopic eyewear is disclosed in US 6,388,797.
• Polarized glasses create the illusion of three-dimensional images by restricting the light that reaches each eye. Two images are projected superimposed onto the same screen through orthogonal polarizing filters. The viewer wears eyeglasses which contain a pair of orthogonal polarizing filters. As each filter only passes light which is similarly polarized and blocks the orthogonally polarized light, each eye only sees one of the images, and the three dimensional effect is achieved.
• the prior art devices have the disadvantage that a medical professional using eyewear including magnification devices and who also has the need to look at an operating area with higher magnification, e.g. with a stereoscopic microscope, has to switch to a different pair of glasses or has to remove the glasses each time he wants to look at a three dimensional image on a stereoscopic monitor or through a stereoscopic microscope.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a device overcoming or at least mitigating the problem associated with the prior art devices.
• eyewear with two segmented look-through elements, each comprising an upper and a lower segment, wherein the upper segments are provided with means to selectively direct an image to the left and/or to the right eye.
• the direction means are configured as LCD shutter glasses.
• the direction means are configured as optically polarized glasses, red and green glasses or display units.
• the display units can be selected, for example, from a LCD display, a laser projection display or a retina scanning device.
• the two lower segments of the two look-through elements are configured as normal glasses including a pair of magnifying glasses.
• the medical professional advantageously has access to a magnified image of an object of interest as well as a three dimensional image thereof without the need for switching glasses.
• This aspect saves time and is also very beneficial with respect to issues concerning sterility. Further preferred beneficial embodiments are defined in the additional sub-claims.
• FIGURE 1 shows schematically a first preferred embodiment of the eyewear according to the present invention.
• the eyewear 10 comprises two look-through elements 12 and 14 which can be connected by means of a nose support 16.
• the nose support 16 may comprise nose pads as known in the art.
• the eyewear may further comprise means for securing the eyewear to the head of the wearer, preferably a band or a pair of arms 18, 20 pivotally connected to the look-through elements 12 and 14.
• the two look-through elements 12 and 14 of the eyewear 10 are each divided into two segments 12a, 12b and 14a, 14b, respectively
• the upper segments 12a and 14a of the two look-through elements 12 and 14 comprise LCD shutter glasses.
• the eyewear furthermore comprises control means (not shown) for controlling the operation of the LCD shutter glasses.
• the lower segments 12b and 14b of the two look-through elements 12 and 14 are made of glass or optically corrected glasses, preferably including two magnifying glasses or loupes 22 and 24. Such magnifying glasses can be integrated into the two lower segments or releasably connected thereto and/or to the frame of the eyewear.
• the medical professional can gain a three dimensional view of an object of interest by looking trough the two upper segments 12a and 14a, i.e. the LCD shutter glasses, of the two look-through elements 12 and 14 onto a stereoscopic monitor.
• the medical professional By looking through the two lower segments 12b and 14b, i.e. the magnifying glasses 22 and 24, of the two look-trough elements, the medical professional will gain a magnified view of an object of interest.
• the three dimensional view and the magnified view are provided for the same object of interest.
• stereo cameras connected to the stereoscopic monitor have to be configured and positioned appropriately.
• the upper segments 12a and 14a of the two look-through elements 12 and 14 comprise optically polarized glasses or red/green glasses.
• the lower segments 12b and 14b of the two look-through elements 12 and 14 are made of glass or optically corrected glasses, preferably including two magnifying glasses or loupes 22 and 24.
• Such magnifying glasses can be integrated into the two lower segments or releasably connected thereto and/or to the frame of the eyewear.
• a heads up displays could replace the magnifying glasses or loupes 22 and 24.
• the upper segments 12a and 14a could be configured as display units.
• a display unit can be any device, which is small enough to be attached to the eyewear and which is capable of providing image information to the eye of the wearer.
• the display units are preferably selected from a LCD display, a laser projection display or a retina scanning device, which are all well known to the person skilled in the art. In this embodiment a three-dimensional image can be generated by displaying different images to each eye.
• the lower segments of the look-through elements could be made from normal glass or optically corrected glass in order to compensate for ametropia. It is furthermore, envisaged, that this sight correction can also be provided for in the upper segments of the look-through elements. Furthermore, suitable lighting means can be provided. It is envisaged that the lighting can be energized by means also energizing the active LCD shutter glasses.
• the person skilled in the art will appreciate that in principle the spatial arrangement of the two segments can be exchanged.
• the two upper segments 12a and 14a could comprise two magnifying glasses or loupes whereas the lower segments 12b and 14b comprise two LCD shutter glasses.
• the eyewear according to the second embodiment described above could be modified accordingly.
• the look-through elements of the eyewear according to the present invention have been described as segmented, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that the upper and the lower segments do not necessarily have to be of the same size. For instance, the upper segments could be twice as large as the lower segments or vice versa.
• an eyewear can provide a normal or magnified image of an object of interest if the eyewear is pointing in a direction between the horizontal and the vertical pointing downwards, whereas it provides a three dimensional image if the eyewear is pointing in a direction between the horizontal and the vertical pointing upwards.
• the eyewear according to the present invention is preferably part of a system comprising in particular a display device, such as a stereoscopic monitor, an image capturing device, such as a stereo camera or microscope, and appropriate control means, such as a central processing unit, for controlling the interaction between the eyewear and the display.
• a display device such as a stereoscopic monitor
• an image capturing device such as a stereo camera or microscope
• appropriate control means such as a central processing unit
• the user of the eyewear of the present invention can see a three dimensional image of the object of interest once he looks through the segments 12a and 14a of the two look- through elements 12 and 14 of the eyewear.
• the images of the image capturing device such as a stereo camera or microscope, are displayed by appropriate control means directly via the display units comprised in the eyewear.
• the user will be able simply by looking through the segments 12b and 14b rather than through 12a and 14a to obtain a different field of view, e.g. by looking through the magnifying glasses attached to the eyewear.
• the change of field of view can be accomplished with the eyewear of the present invention by merely moving the eyes, e.g. by looking down through the magnifying glasses or by looking up to obtain, e.g. a higher magnification stereoscopic image of an appropriate image capturing device.
• the image capturing device such as a stereo camera or microscope and the optical system will be positioned outside the body of the patient during use, while in other embodiments involving, e.g. endoscopic procedures the image capturing device, the optical system connected thereto or parts of the optical system may be inserted into the patient during use.
• the present invention can be applied beyond the medical field in a wide rage of applications, including three dimensional video imaging, loupes, heads up displays, and the like.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Ophthalmology & Optometry (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Testing, Inspecting, Measuring Of Stereoscopic Televisions And Televisions (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

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ID=37495855

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Cited By (2)

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Citations (7)

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• 2006
  • 2006-08-02 EP EP06016123A patent/EP1884819A1/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2007
  • 2007-08-02 US US12/375,878 patent/US8791990B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2007-08-02 WO PCT/EP2007/006858 patent/WO2008015002A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-08-02 EP EP07786528A patent/EP2047321A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2007-08-02 JP JP2009522178A patent/JP2009545761A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (7)

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