JPH09149888A - Method for photographing plural parts near optional part in visual line direction of eye to be examined and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To arbitrarily change and set a photographing part in an a visual line direction, to detect an epithelium anterius corneal, an endothelialis corneal, a crystal lens upper surface and a rear surface, etc., and to automatically photograph the eye part images of plural different parts close to the part such as the parts to be examined and the parts including parts between them in the optical axial direction. SOLUTION: A photographing system 3 for projecting a slit luminous flux to an eye to be examined, transmitting reflected light from an eye part through an optical path inclined at an angle to an illumination light axis 19 and photographing the three eye part images set at fine intervals in the visual line direction by television cameras 30, 33 and 37 is moved in the visual line direction. During the movement of the photographing system 3, the reflected light successively made incident on a photodetector 25 for position detection provided in the photographing system 3 is selected and used as a position detection signal and the three eye part images at the part selected and set by operating a mouse 53 against a menu on the screen of a monitor 52 beforehand and the part near the optional part on a visual line displaced from that part are photographed by using the light of a strobe 14. Then, the magnified photographed images are written in a frame memory 51 and a representative screen is displayed on the monitor 52.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a photographing method and apparatus for selecting an arbitrary region on the eye axis of the eye to be examined, such as the corneal surface of the eye to be examined, the crystalline lens surface, or the upper surface of the mounted intraocular lens. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art To see the effects of contact lenses,
It is necessary to observe the state of corneal endothelium in pre- and post-treatment of cataract surgery, and conventionally, for the purpose of magnifying observation or taking a magnified photograph of corneal endothelial cells of the eyeball of the subject, the eyeball of the subject's eye On the other hand, the objective lens of the microscope is a non-contact type or a contact type, and slit illumination light is radiated toward the observation area obliquely to the eye axis to separate the reflected light from the corneal surface and the image light rays of the endothelial cells. There is used a device in which the corneal endothelial cells in the test area are photographed by a television camera or the like.

[0003]

As described above, although a device for photographing corneal endothelial cells in a subject and a fundus camera for photographing the fundus of the eye are used, a wide range in the axial direction of the subject's eye is used. At present, there is no one that can automatically select and photograph a desired site, that is, the corneal epithelium, the corneal endothelium, the upper surface of the lens, the posterior surface of the lens. In addition, for the study of cataracts due to various factors and early treatment, detailed observation and photographing of the lens are becoming important at present. But,
The crystalline lens is thick in the axial direction of the eye, and it has been difficult to study it in detail by the conventional observation and photographing method. The present invention has been made based on such a situation, and the corneal epithelium, the corneal endothelium, the upper surface of the crystalline lens, the posterior surface of the crystalline lens, and the mounting thereof can be set by arbitrarily changing and setting the imaging region of the eye to be examined in the axial direction of the eye. In addition to being able to detect the upper surface of the intraocular lens and take an image of the inspected part, it is possible not only to take the detection signal but also to automatically take an image by setting the imaging part arbitrarily. An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for imaging a plurality of sites near an arbitrary site in the eye axis direction of an eye to be inspected, which is capable of imaging different sites close to the eye axis direction including the site.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, in the method of photographing a plurality of parts near an arbitrary part of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye according to the present invention, an illumination optical system for projecting a slit light beam onto the eye to be inspected. And a plurality of plural eye parts images that are minutely spaced in the eye axis direction due to the reflected light from the illuminated portion of the slit light flux of the eye to be examined / photographed through the optical path that forms an angle with the projection optical axis. The imaging system consisting of the observation and imaging optical system having the imaging optical system of (1) is moved in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected, and while the imaging system is moving in the axial direction, the position detection light receiving device attached to the observation and imaging optical system is moved. A method is used in which reflected light sequentially incident on the element is selected and used as a position detection signal, and a plurality of regions near an arbitrary region in the eye axis direction of the eye to be inspected are imaged.

At this time, prior to photographing, the X.
After manually performing alignment in the Y direction, a slit light beam is projected onto the eye to be inspected by the illumination optical system, and the imaging system is moved or advanced toward the corneal apex in the axial direction of the eye. The reflected light of each eye on the eye axis sequentially enters the signal receiving element for position detection, which is in a certain relation with the shooting screen attached to the optical system to detect the shooting position. can get. That is, the signal of the corneal upper surface (epithelium) is obtained at the 1st (1st), the corneal endothelium at the 2nd (2nd), the upper surface of the crystalline lens at the 3rd (3rd), and the posterior surface of the crystalline lens at the 4th (4th) (see FIG. 6). At this time, by selectively using these signals as position detection signals of the imaging system, the plurality of imaging optical systems capture a plurality of eye part images in the vicinity of an arbitrarily selected part of the eye to be examined in the axial direction of the eye. can do. That is, an eye part image of the selected part is taken on the image pickup surface of the image pickup optical system which is set at a constant interval such as a conjugate relationship with the position detecting light receiving element, and the other part of the image pickup optical system is separated from the eye part image by a minute distance. It is possible to take an image of the eye part with the eyes closed (see FIG. 6). In this case, when the plurality of screens are set to three screens, it is easy to see the state of the inspected object, but as shown in FIG. 9, these three images are scaled in the X, Y, and Z directions. By displaying them together on the monitor, the state of the inspected part having a depth can be more easily three-dimensionally known. Further, even when an error occurs in the detection position of the imaging system, there is an advantage that the eye image of the site selected from the plurality of eye images can be easily found.

Further, the position detection signal of the selected photographing system (this corresponds to the position detection signal of the observation photographing optical system) and the displacement amount in the eye axis direction of the observation photographing optical system detected by using this as a starting point. In combination, detecting the photographing position of the observation and photographing optical system and photographing can include photographing at any position on the eye axis other than the selected corneal surface or crystalline lens surface including a plurality of regions near the position. it can.

In FIG. 7, the observation and photographing optical system is provided with an encoder for continuously detecting the amount of movement in the eye axis direction, and the pulse from the encoder is counted to select the third detection position. An example is shown in which a displacement amount obtained by advancing the image capturing system in the axial direction from the lens front surface image capturing position is detected and combined for image capturing. Accordingly, it is possible to capture a plurality (three) eye part images in the vicinity of the amount of recession from the upper surface of the crystalline lens. In addition, the selected region may be anywhere, so that a plurality of eye part images including the vicinity thereof can be photographed at any position on the eye axis.

It is also possible to adopt a method of photographing a plurality of parts by making it possible to change minute intervals in the axial direction of the plurality of eye part images. In this case, you can do things optically,
As a result, different eye part images near a desired arbitrary part on the eye axis can be captured finely and in detail.

On the other hand, as an image pickup apparatus for a plurality of regions in the vicinity of an arbitrary region in the eye axis direction of the eye to be inspected of the present invention, an anterior segment observation optical system for observing the anterior segment and a slit light beam to the subject's eye. An illumination optical system for projecting, and a plurality of imaging optics through an optical path having an angle with the projection optical axis for a plurality of eye part images at minute intervals in the eye axis direction due to the reflected light of the illuminated portion by the slit light flux of the eye to be examined. An observation / photographing optical system for receiving and observing / photographing by each image pickup device of the system, and at least an objective when an eye image of a region to be examined is focused on one of the plurality of image pickup devices. A position detection light receiving element set at a position to receive the reflected light of the slit light through the lens through the lens, and an imaging system including the position detection light receiving element and each of the optical systems described above. Move in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected A moving means for moving the eye axis, a photographing condition setting means for setting a photographing position in the light receiving element for position detection, and a means for generating a photographing signal based on a signal of detecting the photographing position of the test portion by the light receiving element for position detection. And a plurality of regions near an arbitrary region of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye to be imaged.

Further, in the above-mentioned image pickup apparatus, the light receiving element for position detection is based on the reflected light from the illumination portion of the eye to be inspected which is slit-illuminated by the illumination optical system by moving the image pickup system in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected. With the multiple imaging optical systems provided in the observation and imaging optical system, the multiple imaging elements of each imaging optical system receive the multiple eye images at minute intervals in the axial direction of the eye. You can observe and shoot, but at this time, shooting condition setting means (for example, monitor display and mouse designation, switch panel switch, etc.)
With the position detection light receiving element whose shooting position is set by, the shooting system pre-aligned with the anterior ocular segment observation optical system is advanced in the eye axis direction by the eye axis direction moving means to form slit light from the illumination optical system. When the reflected light of the test site based on the image is received, the eye image of the set test site is focused and formed on the image sensor of one of the plurality of imaging optical systems. , Images of other parts of the eye with a minute interval on the eye axis are also focused on the image pickup device of another image pickup optical system, and the strobe etc. are actuated by the photographing signal by the photographing signal generating means, and the eye to be inspected. It is possible to automatically capture eye part images of a plurality of parts near the set arbitrary part in the eye axis direction.

In the photographing apparatus, an image pickup device in the anterior ocular segment observation optical system, that is, an alignment image pickup device and an image pickup device in the observation and photographing optical system, that is, a photographing image pickup device are separately provided, and an eye axis of an eye to be inspected. It is extremely effective to take images of multiple parts near the crystalline lens in the direction. Next, the reason will be described with reference to FIG. 8A shows a state in which the upper surface of the lens 62 is projected by the slit illumination light L and the photographing light R is reflected from the upper surface, and FIG. 8B shows the rear surface of the lens 62 with the slit illumination light L. Is projected and the photographing light R is reflected from the rear surface. (Note that the projection angle of 25 ° indicates the state when the lens is photographed with a non-mydriasis without being interfered by the iris.)

In this case, in the photographing system, the slit illuminating light of the position detecting illuminating lamp also comes into contact with the slit illuminating light (strobe light) for photographing along the same optical path (optical path indicated by slit illuminating light L). When the image pickup device of the anterior segment observation optical system for alignment and the image pickup device for magnified imaging of the subject are used in common (this is conventionally done to simplify the apparatus), the position 8 shows the case where the upper surface of the crystalline lens is photographed unless the light of the illumination lamp is extinguished or interrupted at this time, although the strobe light is emitted for photographing immediately after detection.
In (A), 2 from the surface of the cornea 2 and from the posterior surface of the lens 62.
In Fig. 8 (B), which shows a case where the reflected light (a) is incident from the anterior ocular segment observation optical system along the eye axis (4), while the back surface of the crystalline lens is imaged, the reflection from the front surface of the crystalline lens is also reflected. The light (b) of the light is also incident from the anterior ocular segment observation optical system, and the light (b) is brighter than the magnified photographing light for image pickup on the image pickup surface of the image pickup optical system because it is brighter than ambient light. As a result, the problem of duplicating the captured image occurs. In the case of corneal photography,
The reflected light does not return to the direction of (a) shown in FIGS. 8 (A) and (B),
Only in the case of photographing a crystalline lens, return to the direction of (a). In order to prevent this, since it takes time to turn off the light in (a) or turn off the illumination lamp, separate C
It can be said that the best method is to use a CD.

Further, as the plurality of image pickup optical systems provided in the observation / photographing optical system, the image pickup optical system set in a conjugate relationship with the position detecting light receiving element and the image pickup optical system displaced in a conjugate relationship with the position detecting light receiving element are set. A plurality of image pickup optical systems described above, and a focus position correction member can be switchably provided in the optical path of the image pickup optical system set in the conjugate relationship or the image pickup optical system set by being displaced from the conjugate relationship. It is a good idea. That is to say, it is possible to change to an optimum interval according to the imaged region, or to easily increase the number of imageable regions near an arbitrary region in the axial direction and perform detailed image capturing.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an optical path diagram showing an optical path showing the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the embodiment.

In FIG. 1, an illumination optical system for projecting a slit light flux onto an eye spherical surface 2 of an eye to be inspected 1 and an index light for alignment for aligning a photographing optical axis toward the eye to be inspected and the eye to be inspected portion. With the anterior segment observation optical system configured to capture the reflected light from the television camera 8 together with the anterior segment image, based on the slit projection light projected on the spherical surface of the eye,
A plurality of images for observing and photographing a plurality of eye part images with minute intervals in the eye axis direction due to the reflected light of the illumination part by the slit light flux via a different optical path from the anterior segment observation optical system A photographing system 3 including an observation and photographing optical system having an optical system is shown, and the photographing system 3 is in the X direction perpendicular to the paper surface orthogonal to the optical axis 4 of the anterior ocular segment observation optical system and in the vertical direction of the paper surface. A certain Y direction is manually movable, and the Z direction, which is the direction of the optical axis 4 of the anterior ocular segment observation optical system, is moved by a Z axis drive mechanism described later.

As an illumination light source for the portion to be inspected on the ocular spherical surface 2, an illumination lamp 10 used for detecting the photographing position by the observation and photographing optical system and a strobe discharge tube 14 used for photographing a magnified photograph of cells in the portion to be examined are respectively provided. The emitted light is arranged on the illumination optical axis 19 via the projection lens 20 so as to irradiate the eye spherical surface 2 of the eye 1 to be inspected at a predetermined angle with respect to the eye axis. That is, in front of the condenser lens 11 for the light emitted by the illumination lamp 10, a narrow slit slit 13 for detection having a predetermined width corresponding to the slit aperture 24 on the front surface of the position detecting light receiving element (PSD) 25 described later is provided. The light emitted from the stroboscopic discharge tube 14 is provided in front of the condenser lens 15 with a predetermined slit slit 17 for photographing for wide-field photographing, and in front of the slit slit 13 for detection. A visible light cut filter 12 is provided on the optical axis of the illumination lamp 10, and only the infrared light of the illumination lamp 10 is reflected by the infrared reflection / visible light transmission mirror 18, and the eye spherical surface passes through the projection lens 20. On the other hand, the infrared cut filter 16 is provided on the optical axis of the stroboscopic discharge tube 14 in front of the photographing slit diaphragm 17 so that the visible light of the stroboscopic discharge tube 14 is reflected by the infrared reflection / visible light transmission mirror 18. Same as passing It is projected onto the ocular surface via a projection lens 20, the cornea 2 to the lens of the eye 1 of a subject by illumination light for the shooting position detection of the imaging system 3 by the illumination lamp 10, also the flash light for the shooting, axial
It is designed to irradiate (4) at a predetermined angle.

In the optical system for observing the anterior segment for aligning the photographing system 3, the half mirror is sequentially arranged on the optical axis 4 of the anterior segment observation optical system which should be located on the eye axis from the front to a predetermined position. 5, the visible light cut filter 6, and the anterior segment photographing lens 7 are arranged, and the anterior segment image is formed on the CCD light receiving surface 9 on the front side of the rear television camera 8 by the anterior segment photographing lens 7 as well as described later. Near-infrared light for aligning the optical axis of the imaging system is projected and imaged.

On the opposite side of the projection optical axis 19 of the illumination optical system and the optical axis 4 of the anterior ocular segment observation optical system, an oblique slit-shaped illumination for the eyeball portion by the illumination lamp 10 or the strobe discharge tube 14 is provided. A magnifying photographing optical system is provided for magnifying and observing magnified photographs of eye cells in the observed portion by receiving light reflected from the eye. That is, before a predetermined position on the optical axis 21 ₁ in the projection optical axis 19 and symmetrical position of the illumination optical system across the optical axis 4 of the eye observation optical system, the objective lens 22 on the eyeball side, also objective A mirror 23 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the lens 22 so as to intersect the optical axis 21 ₁ at a predetermined angle to bend the image light beam reflected by the projection light from the eyeball portion, and the image light beam reflected by the mirror 23 is arranged. Is the bent optical axis
21 ₂ passes through the field stop 26 and the imaging lens 27, and the optical axis 21
Visible light by the strobe light of the enlarged image rays by ₂ and 45 ° crossover the half mirror 28 is bent by partial reflection, pass through the optical axis 21 ₃ and 45 ° crossover and a half mirror 35 and the optical axis 21 ₃ above Then, the CCD light receiving surface 31 of the television camera 30 set at a conjugate position with the light receiving element 25 for detecting the position of the eye to be examined, which will be described later.
An image of the eye cells on the surface to be observed is formed on the upper surface as a magnified image.

[0019] The support on the optical axis 21 ₂ passing through the optical axis 21 ₂ and 45 ° crossover the half mirror 28, the focus position switching frame 41 which moves in cross the optical axis 21 ₂ perpendicular directions Plane glass 3 which is the focus position correction member
2 or a television camera 33 having a CCD light receiving surface 34 which is set by passing through the parallel flat thick glass 39 and being displaced to a deep position on the eye axis from the conjugate relation with the position detecting light receiving element (PSD) 25. The half mirror is provided with an imaging optical system that is located deeper than the reference shooting position of the television camera 30 that forms the reference position imaging optical system.
Half mirror that intersects the optical axis 21 ₃ bent at 28 and 45 °
On the optical axis 21 ₄ bent by 35, through said focus position parallel plane glass 36 or the parallel plane thin glass 41 is supported by the switch frame 41 the position detection light receiving element (PS
D) A television camera 37 having a CCD light receiving surface 38 set by being displaced to a shallow position on the eye axis from a conjugate relationship with 25 is provided, and an image pickup optical system at a position shallower than the reference photographing position is formed. .

In this case, if a thick parallel plane glass or a concave lens is inserted as the focus position correcting member, the focus position shifts toward the back of the eye, and if a thin parallel plane glass or a convex lens is inserted, the focus position is the eye part. It shifts to the front. With respect to the reference shooting position by the TV camera 30, the shooting position interval on the eye by the TV camera 33 of the deep position imaging optical system and the shallow position imaging optical system TV camera 37 is the focus position switching frame shown in FIG. When 41 is in the rightward direction, the focus position switching frame 41 is set to, for example, 5 μ intervals in the eye axis direction.
A thick optical axis 21 ₂ When allowed to leftward parallel plane Gasura 39
But also thin parallel plane glass 40 enters the optical axis 21 _4,
As a result, the CCD image receiving surface 34 of the deep-position imaging optical system TV camera 33 has an eye image at a position 5 μ deeper, and the CCD image receiving surface 38 of the shallow position imaging optical system TV camera 37 has an eye image at a position 5 μ shallower. Can be formed into an image, and by appropriately selecting the optical glass member as the focus position correcting member, the eye part image interval on the eye axis can be arbitrarily selected.

On the other hand, in the anterior segment observation optical system, the anterior segment observation optical system is fixed to the subject from the side of the half mirror 5 on the optical axis 4 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis 4. A fixation target light for presenting a target and a near-infrared light which is an alignment light for matching the eye axis and the optical axis 4 are made incident, and these rays are directed to the anterior segment observation optical system. It is adapted to travel on the optical axis 4 and enter the eye spherical surface 2. That is,
The near-infrared light emitting diode 42 which is the alignment light and the blinking visible light light emitting diode 43 which is the fixation target light are close to each other so that the optical axes of the respective light rays are coaxial with the optical axis 4 of the observation optical system. The near infrared light from the infrared light emitting diode 42 passes through the condenser lens 44, the mirror 45, the near infrared reflection / visible light transmission mirror 46, the mirror 47, and the condenser lens 48, and is reflected by the half mirror 5 to observe the anterior segment. The optical system optical axis 4 is made incident on the ocular surface of the eye, and the blinking visible light from the light emitting diode 43 of the blinking visible light passes through the near infrared reflecting / visible light transmitting mirror 46 and the near infrared. Mirror like light
It travels on the optical axis 4 of the anterior ocular segment observation optical system through a condenser lens 48, a condensing lens 48, and a half mirror 5, and enters the spherical surface 2 of the eye.

Further, the on a line extending the optical axis 21 ₁ through the objective lens 22, detects the photographing position of the eye portion based on the slit projection light receiving surface 31 and the conjugate position of the television camera 30 For this purpose, a position detecting light receiving element (PSD) 25 is provided, and the illumination optical system and means for projecting the near infrared light of the alignment index light and the visible light of the fixation target to the eye to be examined are provided. When the photographing system 3 including the anterior segment observation optical system and the observation photographing optical system including the magnifying photographing optical system including the three photographing optical systems advances toward the eye to be inspected, the magnifying photographing optical system is performed. The imaging positions of the corneal epithelium, the corneal endothelium, the upper surface of the crystalline lens, and the posterior surface of the crystalline lens are sequentially detected.

A television camera having three image pickup optical systems
The image receiving signals obtained from the images formed on the CCD light receiving surfaces of 30, 33 and 37 are input to the image input / output control circuit 50 shown in the block diagram of FIG. Next, at the time of optical axis alignment (alignment) on the screen of the monitor display 52 which receives the video signal from the control circuit 50, the eye spherical surface 2 together with the anterior segment image.
A light spot by reflected light of near-infrared light for alignment from is displayed, and after setting a mode for selecting a subject's eye to be described later, the photographing system 3 is manually moved in the X and Y directions to align the optical axis with the subject's eye. You can check the alignment status when doing.

When photographing the subject, the photographing mode of the subject, which will be described later, is set and then the alignment of the photographing system 3 is performed for photographing. That is, after checking the alignment, the doctor who is the examiner presses the photographing button of the control panel (not shown) connected to the image input / output control circuit 50, so that the electric signal from the image input / output control circuit 50 is transmitted in the Z direction. The Z axis drive mechanism 56 is operated by the drive signal from the Z direction position control circuit 54 by inputting it to the position control circuit 54, and the photographic system 3, specifically, the pedestal on which the photographic system 3 is mounted is moved from the initial standby position. The forward movement is started toward the eye spherical surface 2 of the eye to be inspected. Simultaneously with the start of the forward movement, the illumination lamp 10 is turned on to project the infrared slit light toward the spherical surface 2 of the eye, and the photographing of the eye to be examined by the magnifying photographing optical system is started.

On the other hand, a mouse 53 is connected to the monitor display 52, and the menu 60 at one corner of the monitor screen (for example, the lower right corner of the monitor screen) is operated by operating the mouse 53 before photographing.
(See FIG. 5), the imaging region can be selected. That is, in the menu 60, the characters "AUTO" and the two small triangles "△" and "▽" are displayed in a predetermined rectangular division, and the mouse 53 is operated.
The shooting position can be arbitrarily selected by moving an icon such as an arrow on the monitor screen onto the menu display, turning on the mouse button at that position and clicking. In this embodiment, when "AUTO" is selected, the character "AUTO" is selected.
"O" changes to 2, and if you continue to click, the character will change sequentially with each click [2] → [3] → [4] → [1] → [2], and in [1] the upper surface of the cornea (epithelial epithelium ), The corneal endothelium is selected in [2], the upper surface of the crystalline lens is selected in [3], and the posterior surface of the crystalline lens is selected in [4], so that the photographing mode can be set. In this case, when AUTO is selected, the character "AUTO" is changed to 4, and the order of change is reversed [4] → [3].
→ [2] → [1] → [4] may be used, or "AUT
When selecting "O", [1], [2], [3] and [4] may be displayed at the same time and one of them may be selected.
It is possible to display not only four of [4].

On the other hand, when photographing an arbitrary part other than the selected part, the small triangle display “Δ” or “▽” is displayed.
When you select and click, the character "AUTO" becomes a three-digit number, and after clicking, hold the button to display "△".
When it is, it changes from 000 to 256, and when it is "▽", it is 256 to 00
The number changes to 0 and the number stops when the button is released, and the position counted from the upper surface of the cornea can be set as the photographing position by the number of which the setting is stopped on the menu 60. In this case, in this embodiment, the upper surface of the cornea is used as the starting point of counting because detection of the upper surface of the cornea is reliable, but another detection site may be used as the starting point of counting. In this case, menu 60 "AUTO"
By setting the display to a display of a desired portion, for example, [3] on the front surface of the crystalline lens, the displacement amount can be set by operating the mouse on the small triangular display “Δ” or “▽” with the front surface of the crystalline lens as the starting point of counting. (See FIG. 7). In this way, the photographing mode can be set for any part on the eye axis. Further, the counting direction is Z while counting.
It is possible to move not only in the forward direction but also in the reverse direction depending on the setting.

After the photographing mode is set as described above, the photographing system 3 is aligned and then the photographing button is pressed to advance the photographing system 3 toward the eye to be photographed. At this time,
As the imaging system 3 advances in the direction of the eye 1 to be inspected, the magnified image light beam (infrared ray) due to the reflected light from each eye part on the eye axis of the eye 1 to be inspected passes through the optical path of the magnifying imaging optical system to detect the position. Light is sequentially input to the light receiving element (PSD) 25, and a light reception signal from the light receiving element 25 is input to the slit light reflection detection circuit 57, and the first focus position detection by the upper surface of the cornea (epithelium) and the second detection by the corneal endothelium. The in-focus position detection, the third in-focus position detection by the upper surface of the crystalline lens, and the fourth in-focus position detection by the rear surface of the crystalline lens are sequentially performed. That is, each eye part on the eye axis is detected from the signal peaks formed by the position detection light receiving element 25 in the above order. At this time, the slit light reflection detection circuit is operated through the image input / output control circuit 50 by the selection operation on the menu 60 of the mouse 53.
The signal from the slit light reflection detection circuit 57 that detects the imaging region set in 57 is input to the Z direction position control circuit 54 and Z
The axis drive mechanism 36 stops the movement of the imaging system 3.

At the same time when the movement of the photographing system 3 is stopped, the strobe light emission control circuit receives a signal from the slit light reflection detection circuit 57.
58 is activated and the strobe discharge tube 14 emits light (at this time, the near-infrared light emitting diode 42 has finished alignment, and is turned off), and the reflected light from the eye to be inspected passes through the optical path of the magnifying photographing optical system and is selectively set. A magnified image of the examined eye part of the photographed part is formed on the CCD light receiving surface 31 of the television camera 30, and the eye image at a shallow position with a minute interval on the eye axis from the eye image is the television camera. An image is formed on the CCD light receiving surface 37 of the television camera 37, and an eye image at a deep position with a minute distance from the eye image is formed on the CCD light receiving surface 34 of the television camera 33. The video signals of the cell magnified image of the eye to be inspected from each of the television cameras 30, 33, and 37 are written in the frame memory 51 by the image input / output control circuit 50, while the monitor display 52 displays the representative of the magnified image. TV camera 30 at the standard shooting position, which is the screen
The enlarged image from is displayed. In this case, another arbitrary screen can be displayed by operating a button on a control panel (not shown) connected to the image input / output control circuit 50. In addition, the three cell magnified images at positions close to each other of the eye to be inspected, which are automatically photographed in this way, are read out from the frame memory 51 by the image input / output control circuit 50 as needed, and are read out from the video printer 55. Image prints (photographs) of magnified eye cells of three regions on the eye axis that are close to each other in the vicinity of the selected region of the eye to be examined can be attached to the chart.

In the case of photographing an arbitrary part other than the selected part, in this embodiment, after holding the small triangle “Δ” or “▽” in the menu 60 of the monitor by operating the mouse 53, the held button is released. Then, the changing number on the menu is stopped at a predetermined number, and the photographing position is set by being displaced by an arbitrary amount from the corneal upper surface photographing position. After this setting, the Z-axis drive mechanism 56 is actuated by pushing the photographing button after the XY alignment in the same manner as described above to start the forward movement of the photographing system 3 from the initial standby position toward the eyeball 2 of the eye to be examined. The Z-direction movement amount detector 59 such as an encoder attached to the photographing system 3 detects the amount of forward movement of the photographing system 3 by pulse counting the amount of displacement of the photographing system 3 in the axial direction. At this time, the displacement amount of the imaging system 3 after detecting the imaging position of the upper surface of the cornea which is the detection imaging site set in the slit light reflection detection circuit 57 by the mouse 53 through the image input / output control circuit 50 is counted. A signal from the Z-direction movement detector (encoder) 59 is input to the Z-direction position control circuit 54, and the driving of the Z-axis drive mechanism 56 is stopped by the signal from the Z-direction position control circuit 54 to move the imaging system 3. At the same time, the stroboscopic light emission control circuit 58 is operated to cause the stroboscopic discharge tube 14 to emit light, and the photographing position obtained by counting and shifting the set number from the corneal upper surface photographing position includes a shallow position and a deep position including the photographing position. It is possible to automatically take the images of the three eye parts.

Next, an operation for automatically photographing three screens before and after selecting a required portion of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the subject eye with a minute interval based on the position by the photographing system 3 described above. The procedure will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In this case, preparation for imaging of the subject's eye (mode setting) is performed prior to imaging. Steps 101 to 105 show a procedure for selectively setting which part on the eye axis of the subject's eye to be imaged. First, operate the mouse 53 to operate the monitor display 52.
"AUTO" is selected and clicked on the menu 60 displayed at one corner (lower right of the screen) of the screen (hereinafter referred to as monitor 52) (step 101). Then, the character display of "AUTO" changes to the number "2" (step 2). When the click is continued (step 103), the number sequentially changes with each click (2) → [3] → [4] → [1] → [2] (step 104). At this time, [1] is the upper surface of the cornea,
[2] means the corneal endothelium, [3] means the upper surface of the lens, and [4] means the posterior surface of the lens. Therefore, the required number is selected and displayed on the menu 60 (step 105). As a result, the imaging region on the eye axis is determined. For example, when [4] is selected, the reference imaging region is the rear surface of the crystalline lens (see FIG. 5).

After setting the region to be photographed in this way, the near infrared light emitting diode 4 of the photographing system 3 is used for alignment.
2. Turn on the visible light emitting diode 43 and instruct the subject to fix the blinking visible light from the visible light emitting diode 43, which is a fixation target, to fix the subject, and then from the television camera 8 on the screen of the monitor 52. The image of the anterior segment of. Then, the light point of the corneal reflection image of the alignment index light is adjusted in height by operating the jaw base to which the head of the subject is fixed, and the handle of the imaging system 3 mounted on the gantry in the XY directions is operated. For example, the monitor 52 is moved to a predetermined position (center) on the photographing screen, and alignment of the photographing system 3 with respect to the subject's eye in the X and Y directions is performed (step 106).

After the alignment is completed, when the photographing button is pushed (step 107), the Z axis is driven and the photographing system 3 is advanced (step 108). During the forward movement of the imaging system 3, the slit light reflection detection circuit 57 detects the slit reflected light sequentially incident on the PSD (light receiving element for position detection) 25, and
Each eye position on the eye axis, that is, the peak of the light amount of the slit light reflection from the upper surface of the cornea, the corneal endothelium, the upper surface of the crystalline lens, and the posterior surface of the crystalline lens is sequentially detected, and the peak is selected and displayed on the menu 60. When the desired photographing position is detected (step 109), the drive of the Z axis is stopped (step 110),
At the same time as stopping the forward movement of the shooting system 3, the strobe discharge tube
14 TV cameras with 3 image pickup optical systems
Images are taken at 0, 33, and 37, and cell magnified images of the three eye parts near the selected part on the ocular axis are written in the frame memory 51, and a representative screen of the part (in this case, the reference screen is used). An enlarged cell image of the screen captured by the TV camera 30 is displayed on the monitor 52 (step 111), and the photographing ends (step 112). At this time, when the posterior surface of the crystalline lens is selected as the imaged site, the enlarged cell image of the posterior surface of the crystalline lens is displayed on the screen of the monitor 52 as a representative screen, and the number “4” is displayed as the imaged site in the menu 60 of the screen. Is displayed.

Next, the imaging system 3 is advanced in the direction of the subject's eye, and the site where the upper surface of the cornea is moved by an arbitrary amount as the starting point of pulse counting by the encoder 59 attached to the imaging system 3 is located on the vicinity of the eye axis. An operation procedure for shooting a screen will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, steps 201 to 204 show a procedure for selectively setting an imaging position displaced by an arbitrary amount from the corneal upper surface imaging position on the eye axis of the subject's eye and preparing for imaging (mode setting). First, the mouse 53 is operated to select and click the small triangle display "Δ" or "▽" on the menu 60 displayed in one corner of the monitor screen or the like (step 201). Then, the character display of "AUTO" is changed to a three-digit number (step 202). If you continue to press the button, it will change from 000 to 256 when it is "△" and from 256 to 000 when it is "▽" (Step 20
3) When the desired predetermined number is displayed, release the button to stop the number (step 204). As a result, the imaged region that serves as a reference for the three screens on the eye axis is determined based on the imaged position that is displaced from the corneal upper surface imaged position by a predetermined amount. For example, if the number display is 055 and the button is released, the change in the display with the number stops (see Fig. 5) and the imaging site counts 55 pulses from the corneal upper surface imaging position, which is the first slit light detection position. Is set as a reference imaging region according to the position where the imaging system has advanced.

After setting the reference imaged region in this way, alignment of the image pickup system 3 in the X and Y directions is performed in the same manner as in the case where a required No. is selected from the four imaged regions described above and image pickup is performed (step 205). ), Press the shooting button (step
206). As a result, the Z axis is driven and the photographing system 3 is advanced (step 207). The encoder 59 is set as described above after the photographing position of the upper surface of the cornea, which is the peak of the peak of the first light amount from the slit reflected light sequentially incident on the PSD (position detecting light receiving element) 25, is detected during the photographing. When the number of pulses is counted (step 208), the driving of the Z-axis is stopped (step 209), the forward movement of the photographing system 3 is stopped, and at the same time, the strobe is caused to emit light and each of the television cameras 30, 33 of the three image pickup optical systems. , 37, and frame memory 51
A magnified image of three screens with minute intervals on the ocular axis at the imaging position displaced by a predetermined amount by pulse counting from the corneal upper surface imaging position is written, and a cell magnified image of the representative screen of the site is displayed on the monitor 52. (Step 210), the photographing ends. At this time, for example, the number 05, which is the amount of advancement of the imaging position, is displayed as the imaging region displaced from the upper surface of the cornea.

As described above, according to the present invention, the illumination optical system for projecting the slit light beam on the eye to be inspected, and the plurality of light-excited slit light beams of the eye to be inspected at a minute interval in the axial direction due to the reflected light from the illuminated portion. Move the imaging system, which consists of an observation and imaging optical system with multiple imaging optical systems to observe and shoot the eye image through the optical paths that are angled with the projection optical axis, in the direction of the eye axis of the subject's eye. , A desired area such as the corneal surface and the crystalline lens surface can be selectively detected from a wide range in the axial direction, and a plurality of areas in the axial direction near the selected area can be automatically photographed. It is possible to detect and photograph even a portion where a detection signal cannot be taken out, and it is possible to automatically photograph a plurality of portions in the vicinity of the portion even if the detection signal cannot be extracted.

[0036]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for photographing a plurality of portions near an arbitrary portion of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye. Detecting the imaging position with the light receiving element for position detection, corneal upper surface of the eye to be examined, corneal endothelium, crystalline lens upper surface, crystalline lens posterior surface,
Alternatively, by selecting a wide range in the axial direction such as the upper surface of the intraocular lens, it is possible to automatically capture the eye image of a plurality of sites near the selected site with a minute interval in the axial direction. As a result, it is possible to observe and photograph the part outside the clear boundary surface of the eye, which can be useful for research by observing and photographing the unknown part, and it is easy to visualize the state near the inspected part with depth. It is possible to obtain a desired eye part image easily from a plurality of eye part images obtained even when an error occurs in the detection site by the imaging system, while the image can be better understood.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even in a portion where the detection signal cannot be extracted on the eye axis of the eye to be inspected by the method, the eye image of a plurality of portions with minute intervals on the eye axis in the vicinity of the portion. Can be taken automatically.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, by making it possible to change the minute gaps of the eye image of a plurality of regions having minute gaps in the axial direction, it is possible to adjust the vicinity of a desired arbitrary region on the eye axis. The eye image can be photographed with a fine interval therebetween.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a photographing apparatus for a plurality of regions near an arbitrary region of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye.
Provide a device that can easily and automatically capture eye images of multiple parts with a minute interval near the set arbitrary part in the axial direction of the eye by using multiple imaging optical systems included in the observation and imaging optical system can do.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the observation and photographing of the image pickup element and the portion to be examined in the anterior ocular segment observation optical system for alignment, which is commonly used in the conventional corneal photographing apparatus for simplification of the apparatus. By separately providing the image pickup device in the optical system, when the lens is photographed, the reflected light entering the observation and photographing optical system from the cornea surface or the lens surface is prevented from being doubled as the disturbance light to the photographing light, and the reflected light in the axial direction of the eye is prevented. It is possible to provide an apparatus capable of satisfactorily photographing a plurality of parts near the lens surface.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of image-capturing portions near an arbitrary portion of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected by switching the focus positions of the plurality of image-capturing optical systems provided in the observation and photographing optical system. Therefore, it is possible to easily provide a device capable of increasing the number of images and finely photographing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an optical path diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selectively detecting a required site on the eye axis and automatically capturing three screens near the site.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for setting an amount of displacement of the imaging system from the upper surface of the cornea and automatically imaging three adjacent screens at the set imaging position.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram when a reference imaging region is selected from a menu before imaging.

FIG. 6 is a relationship diagram between the order of detection of image capturing positions and the imaged region of the subject's eye.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of capturing an image by setting a displacement amount according to a detected lens front surface photographing position.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing directions of slit reflected light for showing the reason for separately using the alignment CCD and the imaging CCD.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram when a depth-wise test object is displayed on a monitor.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Eyeball (eye to be examined), 2 ... Corneal (eye spherical surface), 3 ... Imaging system, 4 ... Anterior ocular segment observation optical system optical axis, or eye axis, 5 ...
Half mirror, 7 ... Anterior ocular segment photographing lens, 8 ... TV camera, 9 ... CCD light receiving surface (for alignment), 10
… Illumination lamp, 14… Strobe discharge tube, 18… Infrared reflection / visible light transmission mirror, 19… Illumination optical axis, 21 ₁ , 21 ₂ , 21 ₃ ,
21 ₄ ... Imaging optical system optical axis, 22 ... Objective lens, 23 ... Infrared reflecting / visible light transmitting mirror, 25 ... Position detecting light receiving element, 27 ... Magnifying lens, 28 ... Half mirror, 30 ... Television camera, 31 ... CCD Light receiving surface (for reference position shooting),
32… Parallel flat glass, 33… TV camera, 34… CC
D light receiving surface (for deep position shooting), 35 ... Half mirror, 36
… Parallel flat glass, 37… TV camera, 38… CCD
Light receiving surface (for shallow position photography), 39… parallel flat glass,
40: parallel flat thin glass, 41: focus position switching frame,
42 ... Near infrared light emitting diode, 43 ... Visible light emitting diode, 50 ... Image input / output circuit, 51 ... Frame memory, 52 ... Monitor display, 53 ... Mouse, 56 ... Z-axis drive mechanism, 57 ... Slit light reflection detection circuit , 58 ... Strobe light emission control circuit, 59 ... Z direction movement amount detector, 60 ... Menu, 61 ... Iris, 62 ... Crystal lens, L ... Slit projection light, R ... Reflection photography light.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An illumination optical system for projecting a slit light beam onto an eye to be inspected, and a plurality of eye part images having minute intervals in the eye axis direction due to reflected light of an illumination site by the slit light beam of the eye to be inspected as an optical axis. An imaging system consisting of an observation and imaging optical system having a plurality of imaging optical systems that are respectively observed and imaged through an optical path having an angle is moved in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected,
While the imaging system is moving in the axial direction of the eye, the reflected light sequentially incident on the light receiving element for position detection attached to the observation and imaging optical system is selected and used as a position detection signal, and an arbitrary portion in the axial direction of the eye to be examined. A method for photographing a plurality of regions in the vicinity of an arbitrary region of an eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye, which is characterized by photographing a plurality of regions in the vicinity. 2. A combination of the selected position detection signal and the amount of displacement of the observation and photographing optical system in the eye axis direction, which is detected from the signal, is used to detect the photographing position of the arbitrary portion of the observation and photographing optical system. The method for photographing a plurality of regions in the vicinity of an arbitrary region of the eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the subject's eye according to claim 1. 3. The imaging of a plurality of parts in the vicinity of an arbitrary part of the eye to be inspected according to claim 1 or 2, wherein minute intervals in the eye axis direction of the plurality of eye part images can be changed. Method. 4. An anterior ocular segment observation optical system for observing the anterior ocular segment, an illumination optical system for projecting a slit light beam on an eye to be inspected, and an eye axis by reflected light from an illumination site of the eye to be inspected by the slit light beam. An observation and photographing optical system that receives images of a plurality of eye parts images with minute intervals in a direction through an optical path that has an angle with the projection optical axis by the image pickup elements of the plurality of imaging optical systems to observe and shoot. Position detection set at a position for receiving the reflected light of the slit light through the objective lens at least when the eye image of the skin is focused on one of the plurality of image pickup devices Light-receiving element, an eye-axis moving means for moving the image-taking system including the position-detecting light-receiving element, which comprises the above-mentioned optical systems, in the eye-axis direction of the eye to be inspected so as to come to the image-taking position of the examined region, and the position. Shooting conditions to set the shooting position on the light receiving element for detection Setting means and means for generating a photographing signal based on a signal obtained by detecting the photographing position of the subject by the position detecting light-receiving element, so as to photograph a plurality of portions near an arbitrary portion of the eye to be examined in the axial direction of the eye. An imaging device for a plurality of regions near an arbitrary region of an eye to be inspected in the axial direction of the eye to be inspected. 5. An image pickup device in the anterior ocular segment observation optical system and an image pickup device in the observation and photographing optical system are separately provided.
The imaging device for photographing a plurality of regions in the vicinity of a crystalline lens in the eye axis direction of the eye to be inspected according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of regions of the eye to be inspected in the vicinity of an arbitrary region in the eye axis direction are taken. 6. The plurality of image pickup optical systems are an image pickup optical system set in a conjugate relationship with the position detecting light receiving element, and a plurality of image pickup optical systems set by being displaced from the position detecting light receiving element in a conjugate relationship. 6. The focus position correction member is switchably provided in the optical path of the image pickup optical system set to the conjugate relationship or the image pickup optical system set to be displaced from the conjugate relationship. An imaging device for a plurality of regions near an arbitrary region in the eye axis direction of the eye to be inspected.