Method and optical system for refracting eyes

Claim 2

Apparatus for determining the refractive and astigmatic error of an eye including: means to form and direct into the eye and onto the retina of the eye a generally circular pattern of radiant energy, means to obtain a pattern of the image of said circular pattern reflected from the retina back through the media of the eye, and means to measure the deviation of said obtained pattern of said image from a circular pattern of predetermined diameter to obtain a measurement of the refractive and astigmatic error of the eye.

Claim 3

Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the means to form and direct the circular pattern of radiant energy comprises a source of radiant energy, a first lens system to form at least one narrow beam of radiant energy and direct the same toward the retina of the eye, and means to translate the formed narrow beam along a predetermined arcuate path about the optical axis of the eye to produce a circular annular trace of radiant energy.

Claim 4

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said first lens system has an optical axis coaxial with the optical axis of the eye and said circular annular trace is formed normal to and coaxial with the optical axis of the eye.

Claim 5

Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 including a second lens system positioned intermediate the eye and the means for obtaining a pattern of the image reflected from the retina of the eye, said second lens system being adjustable between a first position in which the obtained pattern of the image reflected from the retina for a relaxed emmetropic eye is circular and is of said predetermined diameter and a second position in which the obtained pattern of the image reflected from the retina for an accommodating emmetropic eye is a point.

Claim 6

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means to obtain the pattern of the image reflected from the retina includes a film support plate and a sheet of film sensitive to the radiant energy.

Claim 7

Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including an adjustable target on which the eye can focus, said tarGet being positioned between said first lens system and the eye being tested.

Claim 8

Apparatus for determining the refractive and astigmatic error of an eye including a source of radiant energy, a first lens system having a predetermined optical axis, means to position said first lens system relative to the eye being tested to place the optical axis of said first lens system coaxial with the optical axis of the eye being tested, said first lens system operable to form a narrow beam of radiant energy from said source of radiant energy and direct said beam toward and into the eye being tested and onto the retina of said eye, means in said first lens system to translate said beam of light in a predetermined arcuate path about the optical axis of said eye to expose the retina to an annular circular trace of radiant energy, said circular trace of radiant energy being reflected out of the eye from the retina through the optical media of the eye, a second lens system having a predetermined optical axis positioned at an angle to the optical axis of said first lens system, means to direct said reflected annular circular trace of radiant energy into said second lens system, means to obtain and record a pattern of the image of said reflected trace of light from said second lens system, and means to measure the deviation of said obtained pattern from a circular pattern of predetermined diameter to obtain a measurement of the refractive and astigmatic error of the eye.

Claim 9

Apparatus for determining the refractive and astigmatic error of an eye including a source of radiant energy, a first lens system having a predetermined optical axis, means to position said first lens system relative to the eye being tested to place the optical axis of said first lens system coaxial with the optical axis of the eye being tested, said first lens system operable to form a narrow beam of radiant energy from said source of radiant energy and direct said beam toward and into the eye being tested and onto the retina of said eye, means in said first lens system to translate said beam of light in a predetermined arcuate path about the optical axis of said eye to expose the retina to an annular circular trace of radiant energy, said circular trace of radiant energy being reflected out of the eye from the retina through the optical media of the eye, a second lens system having a predetermined optical axis positioned at an angle to the optical axis of said first lens system, means to direct said reflected annular circular trace of radiant energy into said second lens system, means to obtain and record a pattern of the image of said reflected trace of light from said second lens system, and means to measure the deviation of said obtained pattern from a circular pattern of predetermined diameter to obtain a measurement of the refractive and astigmatic error of the eye.

Claim 10

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which said first lens system includes an apertured plate having apertures thereon equally spaced from the optical axis of said first lens system through which radiant energy from said source of radiant energy passes in the form of a plurality of spaced narrow beams equal in number to the plurality of said apertures and in a direction parallel to the optical axis of said first lens system, means within said first lens system to translate all of said spaced narrow beams along an arcuate path about the optical axis of said first lens system to form a circular annular trace of radiant energy, and at least one lens within said first lens system to converge said spaced beams of radiant energy inwardly and direct the same into the eye being tested.

Claim 11

Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 in which the means in said first lens system to translate said beam of light in a predetermined circular path includes a prism having first and second reflective surfaces and a mirror mounted normal to the prism, the first reflective surface of said prism being positioned in the path of the beam of light and operable to reflect the beam of light to said mirror, said mirror operable to reflect said beam of light to said second reflective surface, and means mounting said prism and said mirror for rotating as a unit about the optical axis of said lens system.

Claim 12

A process for determining the refractive and astigmatic error of an eye comprising the steps of projecting a circular beam of radiant energy coaxial with the optical axis of the eye onto the retinal surface of the eye, obtaining a reflection of said circular beam from the retinal surface of the eye and through the optical media of the eye, forming an image of said reflection of the beam of radiant energy, and measuring the deviation of said obtained image from a circular pattern of predetermined size to obtain a measurement of the refractive and astigmatic error of the eye.

Claim 13

A process for determining the refractive and astigmatic error of an eye comprising the steps of projecting a circular beam of radiant energy coaxial with the optical axis of the eye onto the retinal surface of the eye, obtaining a reflection of said circular beam from the retinal surface of the eye and through the optical media of the eye, forming an image of said reflection of the beam of radiant energy, and measuring the deviation of said obtained image from a circular pattern of predetermined size to obtain a measurement of the refractive and astigmatic error of the eye.

Claim 14

A process in accordance with claim 10 in which said projected circular beam of radiant energy is formed by projecting spaced beams of radiant energy onto the retinal surface of the eye, and translating said spaced beams in similar arcuate paths to expose the retinal surface of the eye to a circular annular trace of radiant energy.