Method and apparatus for measuring the deformation characteristics of an object

摘要

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to apparatus and methods for measuring a deformation characteristic of a deformable target surface. The measurement principles of the invention may be applied to a large variety of organic (e.g., human, animal or plant tissue) and inorganic materials having a surface that can be deformed by an applied non-contact force. The surface may be light diffusing and non-transparent or non-diffusing and transparent. An illustrative embodiment of the invention is directed to a device for measuring a deformation characteristic of a cornea. The device comprises a corneal topographer and a non-contact tonometer that is operationally integrated with the corneal topographer. In an aspect, the corneal topographer is a rasterstereography-based topographer. Use of the inventive device enables a method for measuring a deformation characteristic of the cornea. In addition to the measurable deformation characteristics listed above, dioptric power, intraocular pressure, corneal hysteresis, corneal elasticity, corneal viscosity and various known corneal topography characteristics can be measured.

主权项

1. A device for measuring deformation characteristics of a live cornea throughout a deformation time interval, comprising:
a corneal topographic characteristic-measuring apparatus, which can measure a topographic deformation characteristic of the live cornea, which includes an optical system disposed along an operational axis, which further includes a spatially-distributed grid object, an image of which is disposable over a substantial portion of the surface of the live cornea; and a non-contact, deformation force-providing apparatus disposed along a central operational axis, which can deform the live cornea over the deformation time interval, wherein the corneal topographic characteristic-measuring apparatus and the non-contact, deformation force-providing apparatus are operationally integrated such that the topographic deformation characteristic of the live cornea over the spatially-distributed region of the surface of the cornea covered by the image of the grid can be measured by the corneal topographic characteristic-measuring apparatus during the deformation time interval over which the live cornea is being deformed by the non-contact, deformation force-providing apparatus.