Methods and Apparatus for Assessment of Refractive Condition

摘要

In exemplary implementations of this invention, an aberrometer is used to measure the refractive condition of any eye. An artificial light source emits light that travels to a light sensor. Along the way, the light enters and then exits the eye, passes through or is reflected from one or more spatial light modulators (SLMs), and passes through an objective lens-system. The SLMs modify a bokeh effect of the imaging system (which is only visible when the system is out-of-focus), creating a blurred version of the SLM patterns. The light sensor then captures one or more out-of-focus images. If there are refractive aberrations in the eye, these aberrations cause the SLM patterns captured in the images to be distorted. By analyzing differences between the distorted captured patterns and the undistorted SLM patterns, refractive aberrations of the eye can be computed and an eyewear measurement generated.

主权项

1. A method of measuring a refractive condition of an eye, which method comprises, in combination:
(a) emitting light from an artificial light source, such that
(i) the light travels along a set of optical paths, which each start at the light source and end at a light sensor, and each enter and then exit the eye,(ii) the light passes through or is reflected from one or more SLMs, including a first SLM that is optically positioned between the light sensor and the eye, and(iii) the light passes through an objective lens-system that is optically between the eye and the light sensor; (b) using the light sensor to capture one or more images; and (c) using one or more processors
(i) to determine differences between a first visual pattern and a second visual pattern, the first visual pattern being based at least in part on a pattern that appears in at least one of the images, and the second visual pattern being based at least in part on a pattern displayed by the first SLM, and(ii) to compute the refractive condition, based at least in part on the differences; wherein (1) the light sensor and each and every optical element that is optically between the light sensor and the eye together comprise a camera, and (2) the camera is not focused on the first SLM and is not focused on the retina of the eye.