Fundus camera

Details Fundus camera Fundus camera

2001-11-29

2003-11-25

Mahoney, Christopher (Department: 2851)

Photography

Body examination photography

Eye photography

C348S078000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06654553

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fundus camera for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional fundus camera has hitherto been known configured for photographing a fundus of an eye to be examined in color by photographing means such as a photographic element and for displaying an image of the photographed fundus on a monitor. In the fundus camera, necessary information depends on a section of the fundus to be photographed or a purpose of photographing. It is therefore desired that the fundus image should be displayed in colors by which the necessary information can be obtained or an examiner can make a diagnosis easily.
Under conventional methods for adjusting (correcting) colors of an image to be displayed on a monitor when the image is brought into view, the colors are adjusted either in a program for evolving image data or by using a color adjustment (correction) function incorporated in the monitor. In addition, for adjusting (correcting) the colors of the image at photographing, there have been methods whereby a color filter is inserted into a photographing system or an illumination system or whereby a color adjustment (correction) function incorporated in the photographing means is performed.
The above-mentioned color adjustment methods, however, raise the following problems. According to the method whereby the colors of the image are adjusted when the image is brought into view, it is not easy to display the image under the same color adjustment on different monitors or after a lapse of time, and it is not easy to restore the image once adjusted in color to its original state. In turn, according to the method whereby the colors of the image are adjusted at photographing, it is required to repeatedly photograph, display and check the image in order to view it in desired colors. Besides, it is impossible to restore the once-adjusted image to its original state.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances and has an object to overcome the above problems and to provide a fundus camera capable of making a color adjustment to an image, displaying the image in desired colors.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a fundus camera is provided with a photographing optical system having a photographing element for photoelectrically photographing the fundus illuminated in illumination light from an illumination light source for photographing, a monitor which displays an image of the photographed fundus, a color adjustment data input unit which inputs color adjustment data for making a color adjustment to the image to be displayed on the monitor, a color adjustment unit which makes the color adjustment to the image based on the inputted color adjustment data, and a storage unit which stores data about the image associated with data about its colors.
In another aspect of the invention, the fundus camera is provided with: a photographing optical system having an photographing element for photoelectrically photographing the fundus; a monitor which displays an image of the photographed fundus; a color adjustment data input unit which inputs color adjustment data for making a color adjustment to the image to be displayed on the monitor; a color adjustment unit which makes the color adjustment to the image based on the inputted color adjustment data; and a storage unit which stores data about an original image to which the color adjustment has yet to be made and the color adjustment data associated with the original image data.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following description, are obvious from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4732466 (1988-03-01), Humphrey
patent: 5565938 (1996-10-01), Hanamura et al.
patent: 5712966 (1998-01-01), Nadachi
patent: 5993001 (1999-11-01), Bursell et al.
patent: 6190011 (2001-02-01), Fujieda
patent: 08-196508 (1996-08-01), None
patent: WO 92/05554 (1992-04-01), None
patent: WO 96/17545 (1996-06-01), None
patent: WO 00/04820 (2000-02-01), None
EPO Search Report of Sep. 26, 2002.

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