Apparatus for use in the measurement of macular pigment optical density and/or lens optical density of an eye

摘要

An apparatus for use in the measurement of the optical density of macular pigment in the human eye, and an apparatus for the use in measuring the lens optical density of a human eye. The apparatus is particularly applicable to flicker photometers, which are used to measure the macular pigment in the human eye.

主权项

1. An apparatus for use in the measurement of macular pigment optical density in an eye under examination, the apparatus comprising illumination means wherein the illuminating means comprises a blue light source and a green light source which alternately illuminate an area constituted by a light diffusing surface wherein the light diffusing surface comprises an integrating sphere for illuminating an area with light, to provide a stimulus for said eye wherein the apparatus includes a photodetector for measuring the intensity of light in the sphere; intensity adjustment means for adjusting the intensity of light of one of the colors relative to light of another of the colors, until any flicker in the stimulus perceived by the eye is minimized or removed; measurement means for determining the intensity of light of said one of the colors at which said minimizing or removal of flicker occurs; wherein the apparatus includes size selection means for enabling the size of the stimulus to be selected from either a small size, in which all or most of the stimulus falls on the macula of the eye, or a large size, in which the stimulus extends to a portion of the retina of the eye at which there is substantially no macular pigment.