The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 13, 1998
Filed:
Aug. 30, 1996
Josef F Bille, Heidelberg, DE;
Abstract
A system and method for the in-vivo measurement of optical characteristics of a cornea includes an ellipsometer which measures the phase shift in reflected light after it has passed through the cornea or been reflected from the retina. This ellipsometer has a polarizing unit which selectively irradiates the cornea with light having one of four preselected linearly independent states of polarization (irradiation states). For each irradiation state, an analyzing unit in the ellipsometer selectively detects reflected light with one of four preselected linearly independent states of polarization (detection states). With the consequent sixteen ellipsometer measurements, a Muller matrix is generated which reveals the birefringent characteristics of the portion of the cornea through which the light passed. These measurements are then used in determining the birefringent characteristics of the cornea. Alternatively, birefringent properties of the deeper retinal layers can be determined.