EYE EXAMINATION APPARATUS EMPLOYING POLARIZED LIGHT PROBE

摘要

Apparatus is provided for determining the topography, thickness, and fiber orientation of the nerve fiber layer at the fundus of the eye (11) by measuring the polarization shift induced in a return beam of polarized light which is reflected at the ocular fundus from an incident beam of a known polarization state. A corneal polarization compensator (25) effectively cancels the birefringent effects of the cornea and other portions of the eye anterior to the fundus, so that clinically meaningful results are produced. A method for directing a measurement beam into the eye is also disclosed.