阅读说明：本技术 裂隙灯显微镜及眼科系统 (Slit-lamp microscope and ophthalmological system ) 是由 大森和宏 福间康文 山本谕史 于 2019-03-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：实施方式的裂隙灯显微镜包括照明系统、第一拍摄系统、固视系统、移动机构和控制部。照明系统从第一方向向被检眼的前眼部投射狭缝光。第一拍摄系统从与第一方向不同的第二方向对投射有狭缝光的前眼部进行拍摄。固视系统输出用于使被检眼固视的固视光。移动机构能够移动照明系统及第一拍摄系统。控制部在使固视系统输出固视光的同时,并行执行用于至少使照明系统移动的针对移动机构的第一控制和用于对前眼部进行多次拍摄的针对第一拍摄系统的第二控制。(The slit-lamp microscope of an embodiment includes an illumination system, a first photographing system, a fixation system, a moving mechanism, and a control section. The illumination system projects slit light from a first direction toward an anterior eye of an eye to be examined. The first imaging system images the anterior segment onto which the slit light is projected from a second direction different from the first direction. The fixation system outputs fixation light for fixing the eye to be inspected. The moving mechanism can move the lighting system and the first photographing system. The control unit causes the fixation system to output fixation light, and concurrently executes first control for the movement mechanism for moving at least the illumination system and second control for the first imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times.)

1. A slit-lamp microscope, comprising:

an illumination system that projects slit light from a first direction toward an anterior eye of an eye to be examined;

a first imaging system that images the anterior segment on which the slit light is projected from a second direction different from the first direction;

a fixation system that outputs fixation light for fixing the eye to be inspected;

a moving mechanism capable of moving the illumination system and the first imaging system; and

a control unit that executes, in parallel, a first control for the moving mechanism for moving at least the illumination system and a second control for the first imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times, while causing the fixation system to output the fixation light.

2. The slit-lamp microscope of claim 1,

the control unit executes a first control to integrally move the illumination system and the first imaging system.

3. Slit-lamp microscope according to claim 1 or 2,

the slit-lamp microscope further comprises a second photographing system for photographing the anterior segment,

the control unit executes third control for the second imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times in parallel with the first control and the second control.

4. The slit-lamp microscope of any one of claims 1 to 3,

the moving mechanism is capable of moving the illumination system and the first photographing system independently of each other.

5. The slit-lamp microscope of any one of claims 1 to 4,

the slit-lamp microscope further includes a storage section that stores initial position information in which an initial position of the illumination system and an initial position of the first photographing system are recorded in advance,

the control unit controls the moving mechanism based on the initial position information so that the illumination system and the first imaging system are arranged at respective initial positions.

6. The slit-lamp microscope of any one of claims 1 to 5,

the moving mechanism is capable of changing a moving direction of at least the lighting system in the first control.

7. The slit-lamp microscope of claim 6,

the slit-lamp microscope further includes an orientation changing portion that changes an orientation of the slit light projected by the illumination system,

at least the moving direction of the illumination system under the first control is a width direction of a cross section of the slit light.

8. The slit-lamp microscope of any one of claims 1 to 7,

the slit-lamp microscope further includes a three-dimensional image forming section that forms a three-dimensional image based on a plurality of images acquired by the first photographing system under the second control.

9. The slit-lamp microscope of any one of claims 1 to 8,

the slit-lamp microscope further includes a communication section that transmits the plurality of images acquired by the first photographing system under the second control to an information processing apparatus via a communication path.

10. An ophthalmological system comprising a slit-lamp microscope and an information processing apparatus connected via a communication path,

the slit-lamp microscope includes:

an illumination system that projects slit light from a first direction toward an anterior eye of an eye to be examined;

an imaging system that images the anterior segment onto which the slit light is projected from a second direction different from the first direction;

a fixation system that outputs fixation light for fixing the eye to be inspected;

a moving mechanism capable of moving the illumination system and the imaging system;

a control unit that, while causing the fixation system to output the fixation light, concurrently executes first control for the movement mechanism for moving at least the illumination system and second control for the imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times; and

a first communication section that transmits the plurality of images acquired by the photographing system under the second control to the information processing apparatus via the communication path,

the information processing apparatus includes:

a second communication unit that receives the plurality of images transmitted by the first communication unit; and

a three-dimensional image forming unit configured to form a three-dimensional image based on the plurality of images received by the second communication unit.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to slit-lamp microscopes and ophthalmic systems.

Background

In the field of ophthalmology, image diagnosis occupies an important place. In image diagnosis, various ophthalmic imaging apparatuses are used. The ophthalmologic photographing apparatus includes a slit lamp microscope, a fundus camera, a Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO), an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and the like. In addition, various ophthalmic imaging devices such as a refractometer, a keratometer, an tonometer, a corneal endothelial microscope, a wavefront phase contrast instrument, and a micro-perimeter are equipped with a function of imaging the anterior segment or the fundus oculi.

One of the most widely and frequently used devices among such various ophthalmic devices is a slit-lamp microscope. A slit-lamp microscope is an ophthalmologic apparatus for illuminating an eye to be examined with slit light and observing or imaging an illuminated cross section with the microscope from an oblique direction. Slit lamp microscopes are commonly used in the diagnosis of anterior eyes such as the cornea and the crystalline lens. For example, a doctor observes the entire diagnostic region while moving the illumination region and the focal position of the slit light to determine the presence or absence of an abnormality. In addition, a slit lamp microscope may be used for a prescription for confirming a vision correction instrument such as a fitting state of a contact lens.

However, with the recent progress of information communication technology, research and development relating to remote medical technology have been advanced. The telemedicine is a behavior of diagnosing and treating a patient living in a remote area by using information technologies such as the internet. Patent documents 3 and 4 disclose techniques for operating a medical device from a remote area, and in particular patent document 4 discloses a technique for operating a slit-lamp microscope from a remote area.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide an ophthalmic telemedicine technology capable of effectively utilizing a slit-lamp microscope.

A first mode of the exemplary embodiments is a slit-lamp microscope, an illumination system projecting slit light from a first direction toward an anterior eye portion of an eye to be examined; a first imaging system that images the anterior segment on which the slit light is projected from a second direction different from the first direction; a fixation system that outputs fixation light for fixing the eye to be inspected; a moving mechanism capable of moving the illumination system and the first imaging system; and a control unit that executes, in parallel, a first control for the moving mechanism for moving at least the illumination system and a second control for the first imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times, while causing the fixation system to output the fixation light.

Second mode of the exemplary embodiment the slit-lamp microscope according to the first mode, wherein the control section executes first control to integrally move the illumination system and the first photographing system.

A third mode of the exemplary embodiments is the slit-lamp microscope according to the first or second mode, wherein the slit-lamp microscope further includes a second imaging system that images the anterior segment, and the control section executes third control for the second imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times in parallel with the first control and the second control.

A fourth mode of the illustrative embodiments the slit-lamp microscope according to any one of the first to third modes, wherein the moving mechanism is capable of moving the illumination system and the first photographing system independently of each other.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is the slit-lamp microscope according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a storage unit that stores initial position information in which an initial position of the illumination system and an initial position of the first imaging system are recorded in advance, wherein the control unit controls the moving mechanism based on the initial position information, and thereby the illumination system and the first imaging system are arranged at their respective initial positions.

A sixth aspect of the exemplary embodiment is the slit-lamp microscope according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the moving mechanism is capable of changing a moving direction of at least the illumination system in the first control.

A seventh aspect of the exemplary embodiment is the slit-lamp microscope according to the sixth aspect, wherein the slit-lamp microscope further includes an orientation changing portion that changes an orientation of the slit light projected by the illumination system, and at least a moving direction of the illumination system under the first control is a width direction of a cross section of the slit light.

An eighth aspect of the exemplary embodiment is the slit-lamp microscope according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the slit-lamp microscope further includes a three-dimensional image forming section that forms a three-dimensional image based on the plurality of images acquired by the first imaging system under the second control.

A ninth aspect of the present invention is the slit-lamp microscope according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprising a communication unit that transmits the plurality of images acquired by the first imaging system under the second control to an information processing device via a communication path.

A tenth mode of the illustrative embodiments is an ophthalmic system including a slit-lamp microscope and an information processing apparatus connected via a communication path. The slit-lamp microscope includes: an illumination system that projects slit light from a first direction toward an anterior eye of an eye to be examined; an imaging system that images the anterior segment onto which the slit light is projected from a second direction different from the first direction; a fixation system that outputs fixation light for fixing the eye to be inspected; a moving mechanism capable of moving the illumination system and the imaging system; a control unit that, while causing the fixation system to output the fixation light, concurrently executes first control for the movement mechanism for moving at least the illumination system and second control for the imaging system for imaging the anterior segment a plurality of times; and a first communication unit that transmits the plurality of images acquired by the imaging system under the second control to the information processing apparatus via the communication path. The information processing apparatus includes: a second communication unit that receives the plurality of images transmitted by the first communication unit; and a three-dimensional image forming unit that forms a three-dimensional image based on the plurality of images received by the second communication unit.

According to the embodiments, an ophthalmic telemedicine technology that can effectively utilize a slit-lamp microscope can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing one example of the structure of an ophthalmic system of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3A is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3B is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 3C is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of an exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the slit-lamp microscope according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the slit-lamp microscope according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 7A is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the slit-lamp microscope according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 7B is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the slit-lamp microscope according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 7C is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the slit-lamp microscope according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the management server according to the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a remote terminal of the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 10A is a flowchart showing an example of a usage form of the ophthalmic system of the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 10B is a flowchart showing an example of a usage form of the ophthalmic system of the exemplary embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the structure of a slit-lamp microscope of the exemplary embodiment.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of a slit-lamp microscope and an ophthalmic system are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Further, the embodiments may be combined with any known technique such as the one disclosed in the cited document.