Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Eye examining or testing instrument – Objective type
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-24
2001-12-04
Manuel, George (Department: 3737)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Eye examining or testing instrument
Objective type
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325511
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic photographic apparatus, and more particularly to an ophthalmic photographic apparatus being capable of providing electronic fluorescent photographic images.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An eye fundus camera is an example of this type of ophthalmic photographic apparatus. With an eye fundus camera such as a CCD video camera, images of the eye fundus are obtained and processed to be displayed on a monitor and/or stored in an external storage device. When the eye fundus images obtained are fluorescent images, the images are displayed and/or stored not as color images but as monochrome images.
The above-described eye fundus camera has a number of drawbacks. For example, since fundus images obtained with the eye fundus camera described above are to be stored as monochrome images, a mode conversion button provided on the operation section or image processing section has to be operated to change the mode from color mode to monochrome mode. If, therefore, the operator should forget to change the mode back to color mode for conducting color photography instead of fluorescent photography, it will not be possible to obtain color images. Or, conversely, if the operator should forget to change the mode to monochrome mode during fluorescent photography, the fluorescent photographic images will be obtained and stored as ordinary color images, which afterwards will therefore have to be converted to monochrome images. A further problem is that when photographing many fluorescent images one after another, the conversion process takes time and effort and requires increased system storage capacity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of this invention is therefore to overcome the problems of the prior art by providing an ophthalmic photographic apparatus that during fluorescent photography of the eye fundus is able to ensure the storage of the eye fundus images as monochrome images.
In accordance with the present invention, the above object is attained by an ophthalmic photographic apparatus being capable of providing electronic fluorescent photographic images, comprising means for detecting fluorescent photography, means for converting to monochrome images eye fundus photographic images acquired following the detection of fluorescent photography, and means for storing the eye fundus images converted to monochrome images.
In accordance with the apparatus of the invention, fluorescent photography is detected and fundus images acquired are then processed automatically to monochrome images. This eliminates the need for a mode switching operation using a specially provided mode conversion button or the like to switch from color mode to monochrome mode, and this also prevents inadvertent omission of switching to or from a mode.
The apparatus of the invention also includes a timer provided to measure the time that has elapsed from the time a fluorescent agent was administered. The operation of the timer signifies that the photography taking place is fluorescent photography, so fundus images acquired during timer operation are converted to monochrome images. Since in this arrangement the timer operated at the time the fluorescent agent is administered is used to signify that the photography taking place is fluorescent photography, eye fundus images acquired while the timer is in operation are converted to monochrome images automatically without needing any mode conversion button.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5220360 (1993-06-01), Verdooner et al.
patent: 5630179 (1997-05-01), Kishida
Adam & Wilks
Kowa Company Ltd.
Manuel George
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