1349results about How to "Improve eyesight" patented technology

Minimally invasive surgical devices and related tools are provided. The devices include image acquisition devices and forceps, scissors, clamps, ultrasound probes, lasers, cautery devices, staplers, knives, suturing devices, rivet drivers, ligation devices, aspiration devices, injection devices, biopsy devices, radiotherapy devices; and radioactive emitter loading devices. Other devices useful for internal procedures in a patient's body or for facilitating such procedures are also provided.

A therapeutic lens for the treatment of an epithelial defect comprises a layer of therapeutic material disposed over the stroma and/or Bowman's membrane to inhibit water flow from the tear liquid to the stroma and/or Bowman's membrane, such that corneal deturgescence can be restored to decrease corneal swelling and light scattering. The layer may cover and protect nerve fibers to decrease pain. The layer may comprise an index of refraction to inhibit light scatter from an anterior surface of the stroma and/or Bowman's membrane. The lens may comprise a curved anterior surface that provides functional vision for the patient when the epithelium regenerates. The layer of therapeutic material can be positioned on the eye in many ways, for example with a spray that is cured to adhere the layer to the exposed surface of the stroma and/or Bowman's membrane.

This invention relates to the production of a beam of light comprised of many microbeams, controlled by incoming radiation, employing a sensor to determine the location of light sources forward of the apparatus and using that information to control the intensity, and/or the angular position, of one or more narrow-angle microbeams, which are part of a large number of beams comprising the overall output beam.

The present invention provides an intraocular lens (IOL) having an optic with a posterior and an anterior refractive surfaces, at least one of which has an aspherical profile, typically characterized by a non-zero conic constant, for controlling the aberrations of a patient's eye in which the IOL is implanted. Preferably, the IOL's asphericity, together with the aberrations of the patient's eye, cooperate to provide an image contrast characterized by a calculated modulation transfer function (MTF) of at least about 0.25 and a depth of field of at least about 0.75 Diopters.

The present invention is intended to provide an image pickup device-equipped rear view mirror with improved image pickup performance, glare prevention and appearance (design) in addition to improved performance as a vehicle mirror. A mirror element is formed by forming a reflecting film consisting of high refractive index material films and a low refractive index material film on a back surface of a transparent glass substrate. The integrating sphere reflectance of the mirror element in the visible range is 40% to 60% and the near-infrared transmittance is no less than 70% for the whole or part of the band belonging to the near-infrared range within the entire sensitive wavelength range of the near-infrared camera. A black mask member is attached to an entire back surface of the reflecting film. The near-infrared camera is arranged behind the black mask member. The region corresponding to the area for the image-pickup by the near-infrared camera within the entire region of the black mask member is formed of a visible-light absorption and near-infrared transmission filter. The near-infrared transmittance of the visible-light absorption and near-infrared transmission filter is no less than 70% for the whole or part of the band belonging to the near-infrared range within the entire sensitive wavelength range of the near-infrared camera.

A multifocal diffractive lens comprises a multifocal diffractive structure coupled to a refractive component. The refractive component comprises at least one curved surface. The multifocal diffractive structure comprises a first plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes having a first optical power for near vision correction and a second plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes for far vision correction. The first plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes combined with the second plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes can provide a multifocal diffractive profile having decreased light scatter, chromatic aberration, and diffraction to non-viewing orders such that dysphotopsia is substantially inhibited. A third plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes having an intermediate optical power can be combined with the first plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes and the second plurality of substantially monofocal echellettes.

A catheter with a small optical fiber or bundle of fibers includes a scanning mechanism constructed with the use of any vibration capable component. Magnetic, piezoelectric or other mechanisms are used to vibrate the end of the fiber and thus create a scanning effect which extends the field of view. One or more lenses may be utilized, including a lens attached to the distal tip of the image fiber, or a lens attached to the distal tip of the catheter for creating an image plane which can be scanned by the fiber. In one embodiment, multiple light sources may be connected to the fiber for enabling the use of field sequential color techniques for real-time imaging, as well as real-time fluorescent imaging for disease detection. A photodetector assembly connected to the proximal end may contain both filtered and unfiltered detectors for use with both standard imaging and fluorescent imaging. The resulting vision catheter is relatively inexpensive and disposable.

A system and method for improving a surgeon's vision by overlaying augmented reality information onto a video image of the surgical site. A high definition video camera sends a video image in real time. Prior to the surgery, a pre-operative image is created from MRI, x-ray, ultrasound, or other method of diagnosis using imaging technology. The pre-operative image is stored within the computer. The computer processes the pre-operative image to decipher organs, anatomical geometries, vessels, tissue planes, orientation, and other structures. As the surgeon performs the surgery, the AR controller augments the real time video image with the processed pre-operative image and displays the augmented image on an interface to provide further guidance to the surgeon during the surgical procedure.

A method for correcting the refractive error in a cornea of an eye, including the steps of positioning an inlay on the surface of the cornea, the inlay having a first surface and a second surface, and the second surface being adjacent the surface of the cornea. Energy is applied to the inlay to ablate a portion of the first surface of the inlay by an amount adapted to correct the refractive error in the eye. The inlay is removed from the surface of the cornea, and the cornea is separated into a first corneal surface and a second corneal surface, the first corneal surface facing in a posterior direction of the eye and the second corneal surface facing in an anterior surface of the eye. The inlay is then positioned adjacent at least one of the first corneal surface and the second corneal surface.

An infrared (IR) camera and associated electronics including power are integrated into portable, self-contained, vision-enhancement apparatus useful in environments of dense air-borne particulate and thermal extremes such as encountered in fire fighting situations, in accordance with the invention. The IR camera is integral with a self-contained power supply so that the system is portable and requires no umbilical cord or other external connections. The camera includes an imager that is preferably an un-cooled focal plane array, and associated imaging, storing, processing and displaying electronics that are cooled in the extreme thermal environment using an integral plural phase heatsink.

A catheter with a small optical fiber or bundle of fibers includes a scanning mechanism constructed with the use of any vibration capable component. Magnetic, piezoelectric or other mechanisms are used to vibrate the end of the fiber and thus create a scanning effect which extends the field of view. This configuration can be used in a catheter with a relatively small diameter. A glass lens or lenses placed in front of the fiber focuses and magnifies the image. A CCD, CMOS, or photodiode camera at the proximal end of the fiber captures the image and transfers it to a computer or processor. A light splitter coupled to a light source provides light through an illumination fiber. The resulting vision catheter is relatively inexpensive and disposable.

A refinement in optics providing images with improved sharpness, better control of depth of field, vision-improvement applications, and 3-D capture and display.

Apparatus for enhancing vision of a user includes a focal modulation device (22), which is adapted to focus light from objects in a field of view of the user onto the retina while alternating between at least first and second focal states that are characterized by different, respective first and second focal depths, at a rate in excess of a flicker-fusion frequency of the user.

An enhanced vision system for an aircraft is disclosed. The system includes an imaging sensor mounted on the aircraft. The imaging sensor detects a range of radiation emanating from a scene. A display-generating processor is operationally connected to the imaging sensor and generates symbology representing information useful to operation of the aircraft. The display-generating processor combines the generated symbology with the detected range of radiation from the imaging to create a representation of the scene. The representation of the scene is created such that the generated symbology is scaled to conformally overlay the detected range of radiation. A display is operationally connected to the processor. The display is configured to display the representation of the scene such that the representation of the scene is non-conformal with a pilot's view out of a windshield of the aircraft.

A method of measuring eye refraction to achieve desired quality according to a selected vision characteristics comprising the steps of selecting a characteristic of vision to correlate to the desired quality of vision from a group of vision characteristics comprising acuity, Strehl ratio, contrast sensitivity, night vision, day vision, and depth of focus, dynamic refraction over a period of time during focus accommodation, and dynamic refraction over a period of time during pupil constriction and dilation; using wavefront aberration measurements to objectively measure the state of the eye refraction that defines the desired vision characteristic; and expressing the measured state of refraction with a mathematical function to enable correction of the pre-selected vision characteristic to achieve the desired quality of vision. The mathematical function of expression may be a Zernike polynomial having both second order and higher order terms or a function determined by spline mathematical calculations. The pre-selected desired vision characteristics may be determined using ray tracing technology.