Apparatus for opthalmological prescription readout

Claim 2

An eye testing device providing for digital readout of astigmatic lens power and angle comprising: a patient viewing station; an image to be viewed from a preselected location; first means for varying astigmatic lens power to said image, said first means varying said astigmatic power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a light path from said image; second means for varying the astigmatic lens power to said image, said second means for varying the astigmatic lens power occuring along third and fourth axes normal to the light path from said image, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes including said light path do not coincide with second imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth axes including said light path; first signal generation means coupled to said first astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said first astigmatic lens power means; second signal generation means coupled to said second astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said second astigmatic lens means; means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot having first and second inputs connected to said first and second signal generation means emulating first and second axes of said Cartesian coordinate plot; output means for emulating a polar coordinate plot operatively connected to said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot, said output means including a first output for resolving the power of the resultant polar coordinate of said polar coordinate plot and second output means for determining the resultant half angle of the resultant polar coordinate plot of said polar coordinate plot.

Claim 3

The invention of claim 1 and wherein said first and second means for varying the apparent astigmatic lens power includes a projector, correCtive optics intermediate said projector and said patient viewing station, and focusing optics between said corrective optics and said patient viewing station for focusing an apparent image of said corrective optics to a location proximate said patient viewing station.

Claim 4

The invention of claim 1 and wherein said first signal generation means operatively connected to one input of said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot includes a sine wave input and said second signal generation means operatively connected to the other input of said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot includes a cosine wave input and said means for emulating a polar coordinate plot includes first output means for resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate having means for summing the resultant sine and cosine waves of said first and second inputs and said second output means for determining the resultant half-angle of the resultant polar coordinate plot having means for measuring half the plane angle between one and said input waves and said sum of the resultant sine and cosine waves.

Claim 5

The invention of claim 1 and wherein said image is viewed from said patient viewing station.

Claim 6

The invention of claim 1 and wherein said image is viewed from said eye examination station with said image within the eye of the patient at said patient viewing station.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 and wherein said first imaginary planes including said light path are separated by 45* angles from said second imaginary planes including said light path.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 1 and including third means for varying the spherical power of said image; third signal generation means coupled to said third means for varying the spherical power of said image for generating a signal proportionate to the spherical lens power generated at said third means for generating spherical power; means for weighted summing having at least a first input, a second input and a summed output, said first input operatively connected to said first output for resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate, said second input operatively connected to said third signal generation means and said summed output of said weighted summer resolving the power of the resultant spherical prescription.

Claim 9

An eye testing device including the combination of a patient viewing station, an image to be viewed from a preselected location and means for varying the astigmatic lens power of said image, and means for reading out an astigmatic prescription, the improvement in said varying and readout means comprising: first means for varying the astigmatic lens power to said image, said first means for varying said astigmatic power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a light path from said image; second means for varying said astigmatic lens power to said image, said second means for varying said astigmatic power occuring along third and fourth axes normal to the light path from said image, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes including said light path do not coincide with secondary imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth axes including said light path; first means coupled to said first astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said first astigmatic lens power means; second means coupled to said second astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said second astigmatic lens means; means for emulating a Cartesiam coordinate plot having first and second inputs connected to said first and second signal generation means emulating first and second axes of said Cartesian coordinate plot; output means for emulating a polar coordinate plot operatively connected to said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot including a first output means fOr resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate plot of said Cartesian coordiante plot and second output means for determining one half resultant polar angle of the polar coordinate plot of said Cartesian coordinate plot.

Claim 10

An eye testing device including the combination of a patient viewing station, an image to be viewed from a preselected location and means for varying the astigmatic lens power of said image, and means for reading out an astigmatic prescription, the improvement in said varying and readout means comprising: first means for varying the astigmatic lens power to said image, said first means for varying said astigmatic power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a light path from said image; second means for varying said astigmatic lens power to said image, said second means for varying said astigmatic power occuring along third and fourth axes normal to the light path from said image, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes including said light path do not coincide with secondary imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth axes including said light path; first means coupled to said first astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said first astigmatic lens power means; second means coupled to said second astigmatic lens means for generating a signal proportionate to the astigmatic lens power generated at said second astigmatic lens means; means for emulating a Cartesiam coordinate plot having first and second inputs connected to said first and second signal generation means emulating first and second axes of said Cartesian coordinate plot; output means for emulating a polar coordinate plot operatively connected to said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot including a first output means fOr resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate plot of said Cartesian coordiante plot and second output means for determining one half resultant polar angle of the polar coordinate plot of said Cartesian coordinate plot.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use in conjunction with eye testing equipment having astigmatic and spherical eye corrections, said apparatus comprising: first signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a preselected light path; second signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes normal to said preselected light path, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes and including said light path do not coincide with second imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth axes including said light path; means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot having first and second inputs connected to said first and second signal generation means emulating first and second axes of said Cartesian coordinate plot; output means for emulating a polar coordinate plot operatively connected to said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot, said output means including a first output for resolving the power of the resultant polar coordinate of said polar coordinate plot and second output means for determining the resultant half angle of the resultant polar coordinate of said polar coordinate plot.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use in conjunction with eye testing equipment having astigmatic and spherical eye corrections, said apparatus comprising: first signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a preselected light path; second signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes normal to said preselected light path, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes and including said light path do not coincide with second imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth axes including said light path; means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot having first and second inputs connected to said first and second signal generation means emulating first and second axes of said Cartesian coordinate plot; output means for emulating a polar coordinate plot operatively connected to said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot, said output means including a first output for resolving the power of the resultant polar coordinate of said polar coordinate plot and second output means for determining the resultant half angle of the resultant polar coordinate of said polar coordinate plot.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 and including third signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to a spherical correction; means for weighted summing having at least a first input, a second input and a summed output, said first input operatively connected to said first output for resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate; and second input operatively connected to said third signal generation meand and said summed output of said weighted summer resolving the power of the resultant spherical prescription.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said first signal generation means operatively connected to one input of said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot includes a sine wave input and said second signal generation means operatively connected to the other input of said means for emulating a Cartesian coordinate plot includes a cosine wave input and said means for emulating a polar coordinate plot includes first output means for resolving the power of said resultant polar coordinate having means for summing the resultant sine and cosine waves of said first and second inputs and said second output means for determining the resultant half-angle of the resultant polar coordinate having means for measuring half the phase angle between one of said input waves and said sum of the resultant sine and cosine waves.

Claim 15

A process for prescribing for a patient an astigmatic eye prescription including variable astigmatic lens power and variable astigmatic lens rotational alignment comprising: providing a patient viewing station; providing an image to be viewed along a light path; providing first apparatus for generating variable astigmatic lens power in said light path along first and second substantially perpendicular axes substantially normal to said light path; varying said astigmatic lens power at said first apparatus responsive to maximum visual acuity of said image from said patient viewing station to determine a component of astigmatic lens power prescription for said patient at said first apparatus; providing second apparatus for generating variable astigmatic lens power in said light path along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes substantially normal to said view path, said third and fourth axes positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes takeN through said first and second substantially perpendicular axes along said view path are non-coincident with second imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes along said preselected view path; varying said astigmatic lens power at said second apparatus responsive to maximum visual acuity of said image to determine a component of astigmatic lens prescription for said patient at said second apparatus; providing a Cartesian coordinate plot having first and second axes; plotting relative to said first axis of said Cartesian coordinate plot the component of astigmatic lens power of said first apparatus; plotting relative to said second axis of said Cartesian coordinate plot the component of astigmatic lens power of said second apparatus to determine a point of an astigmatic prescription for said patient on said Cartesian coordinate plot; resolving the power of the correspondent polar coordinate vector of said Cartesian coordinate plot to determine the power of a cylinder prescription; and, resolving one-half the angle of said polar coordinate vector to determine the cylinder rotation.

Claim 16

A process for prescribing for a patient an astigmatic eye prescription including variable astigmatic lens power and variable astigmatic lens rotational alignment comprising: providing a patient viewing station; providing an image to be viewed along a light path; providing first apparatus for generating variable astigmatic lens power in said light path along first and second substantially perpendicular axes substantially normal to said light path; varying said astigmatic lens power at said first apparatus responsive to maximum visual acuity of said image from said patient viewing station to determine a component of astigmatic lens power prescription for said patient at said first apparatus; providing second apparatus for generating variable astigmatic lens power in said light path along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes substantially normal to said view path, said third and fourth axes positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes takeN through said first and second substantially perpendicular axes along said view path are non-coincident with second imaginary planes taken through said third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes along said preselected view path; varying said astigmatic lens power at said second apparatus responsive to maximum visual acuity of said image to determine a component of astigmatic lens prescription for said patient at said second apparatus; providing a Cartesian coordinate plot having first and second axes; plotting relative to said first axis of said Cartesian coordinate plot the component of astigmatic lens power of said first apparatus; plotting relative to said second axis of said Cartesian coordinate plot the component of astigmatic lens power of said second apparatus to determine a point of an astigmatic prescription for said patient on said Cartesian coordinate plot; resolving the power of the correspondent polar coordinate vector of said Cartesian coordinate plot to determine the power of a cylinder prescription; and, resolving one-half the angle of said polar coordinate vector to determine the cylinder rotation.

Claim 17

The process of claim 12 and including the further steps of providing third apparatus for determining spherical prescription along said light path, varying said third apparatus responsive to visual acuity of said image along said light path; providing apparatus for weighted summing of said cylinder power to said spherical power to determine spherical prescription.

Claim 18

The process of claim 12 and wherein said provided image is viewed by said patient along a light path to said image and said astigmatic lens power at said first and second apparatus is varied responsive to patient visual acuity.

Claim 19

Apparatus for use in conjunction with eye testing equipment having astigmatic correction comprising: first signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a preselected light path; second signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes normal to said preselected light path, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes and including said light path do not coincide with second imaginary planes taken said third and fourth axes including said light path.

Claim 20

Apparatus for use in conjunction with eye testing equipment having astigmatic correction comprising: first signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along first and second substantially perpendicular axes normal to a preselected light path; second signal generation means for generating a signal proportionate to variable astigmatic lens power along third and fourth substantially perpendicular axes normal to said preselected light path, said third and fourth axes being positioned relative to said first and second axes so that first imaginary planes taken through said first and second axes and including said light path do not coincide with second imaginary planes taken said third and fourth axes including said light path.