Photographic apparatus for slit lamp

Claim 2

In combination with an opthalmic slit lamp device having a binocular microscope, an apparatus for photographing an object through said microscope, comprising: photographic camera means having an automatic exposure control mechanism and a focusing lens; adapter means for mounting said photographic camera means on the ocular of the microscope, wherein said camera means is supported before said ocular via its focusing lens; light sensing means for providing a signal representative of light sensed thereby; means for coupling said signal from said light sensing means to said automatic exposure control mechanism to control operation thereof; and mounting means for positioning said light sensing means adjacent the objective of the microscope whereby said automatic exposure control mechanism is operated in response to light at the objective of the microscope while the image to be photographed is transmitted through the microscope to said photographic camera means.

Claim 3

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said light sensing means includes a photoelectric cell and a neutral-density filter disposed adjacent said photoelectric cell to reduce light transmitted to said photoelectric cell.

Claim 4

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said mounting means for positioning said light sensing means includes a collar adapted to be removably attached to said microscope, said photoelectric cell being mounted on said collar at an angle to the central axis thereof whereby the central axis of said photoelectric cell is adapted to intersect the observation axis of the microscope at the object to be photographed.

Claim 5

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said photographic camera means has a terminal electrically connected with said automatic exposure control mechanism, said light sensing means has a terminal electrically connected with said photoelectric cell and said coupling means includes a cable having terminal at opposite ends thereof removably connected with said photographic camera means terminal and said light sensing means terminal.

Claim 6

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said photographic camera means has a lens assembly axially movable in a threaded barrel for focusing, and said adapter means includes a threaded adapter ring having a central bore therethrough for receiving the ocular, said adapter ring being adapted to threadedly engage said barrel to seat the end of the ocular against said lens assembly to prevent axial focusing movement thereof.

Claim 7

Apparatus for photographing an enlarged image of an object comprising a binocular microscope including first and second oculars and objective means associated with said first and second oculars to produce an enlarged image thereat; a photographic camera having an automatic exposure control mechanism, a lens assembly and a barrel surrounding said lens assembly; an adapter ring having a central bore receiving said first ocular, said adapter ring being secured to said barrel to align said first ocular with said lens assembly and mount said photographic camera on said microscope; and light sensing means disposed adjacent said objective means of said microscope for sensing light at said objective means and providing a signal representative of the sensed light to said automatic exposure control mechanism whereby said automatic exposure control mechanism is operated in response to light at said objective means and the image to be photographed is transmitted to said photographic camera through said first ocular while the image to be photographed can be viewed through said second ocular.

Claim 8

Apparatus for photographing an enlarged image of an object comprising a binocular microscope including first and second oculars and objective means associated with said first and second oculars to produce an enlarged image thereat; a photographic camera having an automatic exposure control mechanism, a lens assembly and a barrel surrounding said lens assembly; an adapter ring having a central bore receiving said first ocular, said adapter ring being secured to said barrel to align said first ocular with said lens assembly and mount said photographic camera on said microscope; and light sensing means disposed adjacent said objective means of said microscope for sensing light at said objective means and providing a signal representative of the sensed light to said automatic exposure control mechanism whereby said automatic exposure control mechanism is operated in response to light at said objective means and the image to be photographed is transmitted to said photographic camera through said first ocular while the image to be photographed can be viewed through said second ocular.

Claim 9

Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said light sensing means includes a photoelectric cell and a neutral-density filter positioned to reduce light transmitted to said photoelectric cell.

Claim 10

Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said objective means includes first and second objectives cooperating with said first and second oculars to define converging light paths and said light sensing means includes a photoelectric cell disposed equidistant from said first and second objectives.

Claim 11

Apparatus as recited in claim 8 wherein said converging light paths define an observation axis plane and said photoelectric cell is offset from said observation axis plane and angularly oriented such that the central axis of said photoelectric cell intersects said converging light paths at the point of convergence thereof.

Claim 12

Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said microscope includes a shield surrounding said first and second objectives and further comprising bracket means mounted on said shield for supporting said photoelectric cell within said shield.

Claim 13

Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said microscope includes a shield surrounding said first and second objectives and further comprising a collar removably mounted on said shield for supporting said photoelectric cell.

Claim 14

Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said microscope includes a shield surrounding said objective means and further comprising means removably and rotatably mounted on said shield to support said light sensing means.

Claim 15

Apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said objective means defines an observation axis and said light sensing means includes a photoelectric cell angularly oriented such that the central axis of the photoelectric cell intersects the observation axis at the object to be photographed.

Claim 16

Apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein said photographic camera has a terminal electrically connected with said automatic exposure control mechanism and said light sensing means includes a photoelectric cell electrically connected with a terminal and a cable having terminals at opposite ends thereof removably connected with said photographic camera terminal and said photoelectric cell terminal.

Claim 17

A slit lamp comprising: pivotally mounted slit illumination means for projecting a slit light beam toward an eye of a patient; a pivotally mounted binocular microscope having a first ocular and a first objective defining a first light path and a second ocular and a second objective defining a second light path converging with said first light path at the eye of the patient; a photographic camera mounted on said first ocular via said camera lens and having an automatic exposure control mechanism; and light sensing means including a photoelectric cell positioned adjacent said first and second objectives and means for electrically coupling said photoelectric cell with said automatic exposure control mechanism whereby said automatic exposure control mechanism is operated in response to light at said first and second objectives and the image of the eye to be photographed is transmitted to said photographic camera along said first light path while the image of the eye can be viewed along said second light path to permit movement of said slit illumination means and said binocular microscope for successive photographs during continuous viewing of the eye.

Claim 18

A slit lamp comprising: pivotally mounted slit illumination means for projecting a slit light beam toward an eye of a patient; a pivotally mounted binocular microscope having a first ocular and a first objective defining a first light path and a second ocular and a second objective defining a second light path converging with said first light path at the eye of the patient; a photographic camera mounted on said first ocular via said camera lens and having an automatic exposure control mechanism; and light sensing means including a photoelectric cell positioned adjacent said first and second objectives and means for electrically coupling said photoelectric cell with said automatic exposure control mechanism whereby said automatic exposure control mechanism is operated in response to light at said first and second objectives and the image of the eye to be photographed is transmitted to said photographic camera along said first light path while the image of the eye can be viewed along said second light path to permit movement of said slit illumination means and said binocular microscope for successive photographs during continuous viewing of the eye.

Claim 19

A slit lamp as recited in claim 15 and further comprising a pivotally mounted fixation light and an adapter associated with said fixation light including condenser means for forming a collimated light beam adapted to be directed toward the eye of the patient to provide background illumination.

Claim 20

A slit lamp as recited in claim 16 wherein said fixation light has a housing supporting a fixation lamp and said adapter is mounted on said housing to be axially slidable therealong to adjust the intensity of said collimated light beam.

Claim 21

A slit lamp as recited in claim 17 wherein said adapter includes a tube having an open end receiving said fixation light housing, a pair of axially spaced condensers disposed in said tube and a spacer separating said condensers and forming an aperture adjacent one of said condensers.

Claim 22

A slit lamp as recited in claim 15 wherein said binocular microscope includes a shield surrounding said first and second objectives and further comprising means mounting said photoelectric cell on said shield angularly oriented such that the central axis of said photoelectric cell intersects said first and second light paths at the eye of the patient.

Claim 23

A slit lamp as recited in claim 15 wherein said light sensing means includes a neutral density filter for reducing light transmission to said photoelectric cell.