The present invention provides method for monitoring physiological status of an organ in a subject by monitoring morphological changes over time in transplanted tissue on an eye of the subject.

A contact arrangement for an eye examining instrument is located between an eye that is examined and a section of the eye examining instrument, the section is directed toward the eye that is examined. The contact arrangement is disposable, biocompatible with skin and made of biodegradable material. A first side of the contact arrangement is set in contact with the skin around the eye that is examined. A second side of the contact arrangement is attached with a counterpart of the eye examining instrument in a tool-free manner without touching with hands to the contact arrangement, the attachment being releasable, at the section, which is directed toward the eye that is examined.

This present invention comprises a Galilean tele-microscope lens assembly configured to attach to the front of a binocular indirect ophthalmoscope (BIO) either permanently or by means of a clip or other suitable detachable mechanism, and to enhance an image of a patient's ocular fundus produced by a condensing lens hand-held by the examiner, at their arm's length, in front of the patient's eye. The lens assembly of the present invention magnifies the examiner's view of the hand-held condensing lens itself, and thus magnifies the fundus image produced by the hand-held condensing lens, enabling improved appreciation of finer details in an examination. In addition to improving BIO examinations in general, the present invention is especially advantageous for patients who have disabilities, are wheelchair bound, are children, or are patients of “mission” based ophthalmoscopy services provided in developing, “emerging economy” countries where other examination equipment may not be available.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic system for visualizing an interior of an eye includes an illumination system and a visualization system. The illumination system illuminates the interior of the eye. The illumination system includes an annular illuminator that directs annular illumination, which has an illumination axis, towards the interior of the eye. The visualization system provides an image of the interior of the eye. The visualization system comprises visualization optical elements, which include an objective lens and oculars. The objective lens receives light reflected from the interior of the eye. The oculars, which have an ocular axis, transmit the reflected light to yield an image of the interior of the eye. In other embodiments, the illumination system comprises a multi-beam illuminator that directs multiple illumination beams towards the interior of the eye.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic system for visualizing an interior of an eye includes an illumination system and a visualization system. The illumination system illuminates the interior of the eye. The illumination system includes an annular illuminator that directs annular illumination, which has an illumination axis, towards the interior of the eye. The visualization system provides an image of the interior of the eye. The visualization system comprises visualization optical elements, which include an objective lens and oculars. The objective lens receives light reflected from the interior of the eye. The oculars, which have an ocular axis, transmit the reflected light to yield an image of the interior of the eye. In other embodiments, the illumination system comprises a multi-beam illuminator that directs multiple illumination beams towards the interior of the eye.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system that performs a laser procedure on an eye includes a laser device, an ophthalmic microscope, a y-direction motor, a user interface device, and a controller. The laser device includes a laser delivery head that directs a laser beam towards a target within the eye. The laser beam defines a z-axis, which defines an xy-plane with a y-axis that defines a y-direction. The ophthalmic microscope receives light from within the eye to provide an image of the eye. The user interface device receives instructions from a user. The controller receives an instruction from the user interface device to move the laser delivery head and the ophthalmic microscope in the y-direction, and instructs the y-direction motor to move the laser delivery head and the ophthalmic microscope in the y-direction in response to the instruction.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system includes a laser device, an ophthalmic microscope, and a controller. The laser device directs laser pulses towards a target within an eye. The target has a dimension. The laser device includes a laser configured to generate a laser beam and one or more laser beam multiplexers. A laser beam multiplexer modulates the laser beam to yield a pulse pattern of laser pulses. The pulse pattern has a coverage related to the dimension of the target to limit movement of the target. The ophthalmic microscope gathers light reflected from within the eye to yield an image of the eye. The controller instructs the laser device to direct the laser pulses towards the target to yield the pulse pattern of laser pulses.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser system includes a laser device, an ophthalmic microscope, a z-direction sensor, and a controller. The laser device directs a laser beam towards a target within an eye. The ophthalmic microscope receives light from a focal point within the eye to provide an image of an object at the focal point. The z-direction sensor determines the z-position corresponding to the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope. The controller determines a position Z.sub.0, the z-position where the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope is at the retina of the eye; determines a position Z, the z-position where the focal point of the ophthalmic microscope is at the target within the eye; calculates a target-to-retina distance ΔZ according to a difference between the position Z and the position Z.sub.0; and calculates a radiant exposure H.sub.e at the retina according to the target-to-retina distance ΔZ.

In certain embodiments, an ophthalmic laser surgical system for imaging and treating a target in an eye includes a digital micromirror device (DMD) confocal microscope, a laser device, and a computer. The DMD confocal microscope generates of images of the eye and includes a light source, a DMD device, and an image sensor. The light source provides a microscope imaging beam. The DMD device directs the microscope imaging beam along an imaging path towards the eye, receives the microscope imaging beam reflected from the eye, and rejects light of the reflected microscope imaging beam that is not from an image plane to scan the microscope imaging beam. The image sensor detects the scanned microscope imaging beam to generate the images of the eye. The laser device directs a laser beam along a laser beam path towards the target in the eye.

Performance of enhanced visually directed procedures under low ambient lighting conditions. A computer readable medium storing a set of computer instructions for performing an enhanced visually directed procedure under low ambient visible light on a patient's eye. The computer instructions include: acquiring at least one real-time high resolution video signal representing at least one view of the eye in at least one wavelength of light outside of the wavelengths of visible light. The computer instructions include converting the at least one view is converted corresponding to the at least one real-time high resolution video signal at the at least one wavelength of light outside of the wavelengths of visible light into at least one wavelength of visible light. The at least one high resolution photosensor is acquired after light conditions are low enough such that a pupil of the eye does not constrict substantially from its maximum pupillary diameter.