Method and apparatus for controlling visual refractive state of the eye

Claim 2

Apparatus for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said apparatus comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting an image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means coupled to said refraction means and to at least one of said target and said optical system for moving said image to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will change toward the desired goal; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 3

Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means for moving said image continuously moves said image in response to the changing measured refracted state of said eye.

Claim 4

Apparatus for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said apparatus comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting an image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; and means coupled to said refraction means and to at least one of said target and said optical system for moving said image to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 5

Apparatus for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said apparatus comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting an image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; and means coupled to said refraction means and to at least one of said target and said optical system for moving said image to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 6

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said refraction means comprises an objective refracting device for determining the conjugate point farthest from said eye when said eye has two conjugate points as in an astigmatic eye.

Claim 7

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said means for moving said image continuously moves said image in response to the changing measured refracted state of said eye.

Claim 8

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said means for moving and said means for varying comprise: a motor for moving said target within said optical system; position sensing means having an output related to the position of said target; offset means for controlling the degree to which the plane of said image is axially separated from the plane of said retina; and summation means connected to control said motor in response to the sum of signals from at least said refraction means, said position sensing means, said offset means, and said means for varying.

Claim 9

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said image oscillates at a frequency between 1/2 to ten Hertz.

Claim 10

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said image oscillates between two positions, one-quarter to one diopter apart.

Claim 11

Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said image is axially offset from said retina by zero to one diopter.

Claim 12

Apparatus for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said apparatus comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting an image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for positioning said image in a visual plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 13

Apparatus for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said apparatus comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting an image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for positioning said image in a visual plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 14

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said refraction means comprises an objective refractor for determining the conjugate point farthest from said eye.

Claim 15

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said positioning means and said means for varying comprise: a motor connected to said target for controlling the position of the latter within said optical system; means for sensing the position of said target; offset means for controlling the degree to which the plane of said image is axially offset from the retina of the eye; and summation means connected to control said motor in response to the sum of signals from at least said refraction means, said means for sensing, said offset means, and said means for varying.

Claim 16

Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said means for positioning continuously positions said target image in relation to the changing conjugate point of said eye.

Claim 17

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: objectively and substantially instantaneously measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means; positioning the image of a target at a visual plane axially offset from the retina of the eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will change toward the desired goal; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 18

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: objectively and substantially instantaneously measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means; positioning the image of a target at a visual plane axially offset from the retina of the eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will change toward the desired goal; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 19

Method as in claim 14 wherein the determination of said eye's refractive condition is made continuously, and the positioning of said image in response to the changing said conjugate point occurring continuously.

Claim 20

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: objectively and substantially instantaneously measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means; positioning the image of a target at a visual plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 21

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: objectively and substantially instantaneously measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means; positioning the image of a target at a visual plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 22

Method as in claim 16 wherein the determination of said eye's refractive condition is made continuously, and the positioning of said image in response to the changing said conjugate point occurring continuously.

Claim 23

Method as in claim 16 wherein said determination of said eye's refractive condition is accomplished by determining the location of the conjugate point farthest from said eye.

Claim 24

Method as in claim 19 wherein said image oscillates at a frequency of one to two Hertz.

Claim 25

Method as in claim 19 wherein said image oscillates between two positions one-quarter to one-half a diopter apart.

Claim 26

Method as in claim 16 wherein said image is offset from said retina by one-eighth to one-half a diopter.

Claim 27

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means by determining the location of the conjugate point farthest from said eye; positioning the image of a target at a focal plane offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction so that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the accommodation of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 28

Method for controlling the refractive state of an eye, said method including: measuring said eye's refractive state with refraction means by determining the location of the conjugate point farthest from said eye; positioning the image of a target at a focal plane offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction so that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the accommodation of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 29

Method as in claim 22 wherein all steps of the method are practiced continuously throughout the desired control period.

Claim 30

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye in a predetermined refractive state, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the accommodation of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will change toward the desired goal; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 31

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye in a predetermined refractive state, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the accommodation of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will change toward the desired goal; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 32

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye at its far point, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the refractive state of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 33

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye at its far point, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the refractive state of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for varying the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 34

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye at its far point, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the refractive state of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining the said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction so that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for oscillating the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.

Claim 35

In an apparatus for measuring an optical parameter of an eye where it is desired to make such measurement with said eye at its far point, the improvement including an apparatus for automatically controlling the refractive state of said eye comprising: a visual target; an optical system for presenting the image of said target to said eye; refraction means for objectively and substantially instantaneously determining the said eye's refractive condition; means for moving the image of said target to a plane axially offset from the retina of said eye, said offset being in such a direction so that when said eye attempts to focus on said image, the refractive state of said eye will become more negative and, therefore, approach the far point; and means for oscillating the position of said image to attract and maintain the interest of said eye.