Apparatus for the detection of diabetes and other abnormalities affecting the lens of the eye

摘要

Apparatus for detecting the presence of diabetes mellitus and other abnormalities affecting the lens of the eye and for monitoring eye lens changes resulting from that disease or from other causes is disclosed. The apparatus enables the diffusion coefficient of the lens of a patient's eye to be ascertained by directing a light beam from a low-power laser at the patient's lens and measuring fluctuations in intensity of the back-scattered light caused by the movement of light scatterers in the lens. The apparatus is arranged to give a three dimensional view of the light-scattering site in the lens of the eye from which a measurement is taken and employs a binocular microscope having a fiber optic situated in one eyepiece of the microscope. Back-scattered light is focused by that eyepiece on the fiber optic while enabling the site in the lens to be stereoptically viewed.