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US4711542A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ophthalmic disease detection apparatus

Assignee: Kowa Co Ltd
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Filing: 1986-05-22
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Granted: 1987-12-08
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Expires: 2006-05-22
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus for detecting ophthalmic diseases such as a cataract in the lens of a patient's eye which includes means for focussing a laser beam at a selected spot in the lens of an eye, and according to which the light back-scattered from the eye are photoelectrically detected and converted into an electrical signal which is subsequently used to determine an autocorrelation function relating to the fluctuation of intensity of the back-scattered light over time, and to derive therefrom a protein particle distribution essential to ophthalmic disease detection.

Inventors

  • 👤 Tadashi Ichihashi
  • 👤 Koichiro Kakizawa
  • 👤 Masunori Kawamura

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 11:25
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B3/00; A61B3/10; A61B3/117; A61B3/1173; A61B3/1176

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 104 words
An apparatus for detecting ophthalmic diseases in the lens of a patient's eye comprising: a laser for producing a laser beam; means for focussing said laser beam at a selected spot in the lens of said patient's eye; photoelectric converting means for receiving light scattered from said lens and converting same into an electric signal; an autocorrelator for determining an autocorrelation function in response to an electrical signal received from said photoelectric converting means; and means for calculating the distribution of protein particles in the lens of said eye in terms of the diameters thereof in response to an output signal from said autocorrelator.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 104 words
An apparatus for detecting ophthalmic diseases in the lens of a patient's eye comprising: a laser for producing a laser beam; means for focussing said laser beam at a selected spot in the lens of said patient's eye; photoelectric converting means for receiving light scattered from said lens and converting same into an electric signal; an autocorrelator for determining an autocorrelation function in response to an electrical signal received from said photoelectric converting means; and means for calculating the distribution of protein particles in the lens of said eye in terms of the diameters thereof in response to an output signal from said autocorrelator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said autocorrelator determines the correlation function relating to the fluctuation of intensity of the scattered light over time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said photoelectric converting means is a photomultiplier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 14 words
An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said photoelectric converting means is a photomultiplier.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4402601A Cited
US4582405A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-12-07 1991-06-08 1991-12-08 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-12-07 1995-06-08 1995-12-08 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-12-07 1999-06-08 1999-12-08 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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