`DETAILED ACTION
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 08/29/24 and 01/23/25 comply with provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner considered the information disclosure statements.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a visual target projection system including a visual target presentation portion that presents a fixed visual target” should be “a visual target projection system including a visual target presentation portion that configured to presents a fixed visual target”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the term “visual target flames” is vague and unclear. It is unclear what is meant by the addition word flames. For examination purpose the term will be considered as “visual target.”
Regarding claims 2-11 are being rejected under 35 USC 112(b) or 35 USC 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, because they inherit the deficiencies of the parent claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakurada et al. (US 20220369921).
Regarding claim 1, Sakurada teaches an ophthalmic examination apparatus (fig. 1, 10; ¶11, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a binocular opening type ophthalmologic apparatus capable of simultaneously measuring characteristics of subject eyes) comprising, a visual target projection system (fig. 3A, 16L, 16R; ¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) including a visual target presentation portion (32; fig. 3A; ¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, R by a visual target projection system 32 and ¶55, the visual target projection system 32 is an optical system that projects the visual target and presents the visual target to the eye fundus Ef to cause the subject eye E to fixate the visual target) that presents a fixed visual target to left and right subject eyes (EL, ER; fig. 3A; ¶31); an objective measurement optical system (eye measurement optical system 21L, 21R; fig. 3B; ¶37) that objectively measures eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes (¶37,each of the left-eye measurement optical system 21L and the right-eye measurement optical system 21R includes a refractometer and a wavefront sensor that measure refractive power and ¶13, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 irradiates the subject eyes with light and measures information (eye characteristics) on the subject eyes based on the result of detecting the return light); and a controller (controller 26; fig. 1 and 2; ¶33, the controller 26 is configured to comprehensively control the portions or components of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10) that controls each portion of the apparatus, wherein the fixed visual target is a visual target for the left eye (¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) and a visual target for the right eye (¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) that are to be respectively projected to the left and right subject eyes (¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R; fig. 3B) and have a same drawing pattern (¶56, the display 32a presents a fixation target or a point visual target as a visual target for fixing the line of sight of the subject eye E and ¶59, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 includes the two displays 32a corresponding to he left and right subject eyes E respectively, and accordingly, it is possible to display the visual targets providing the parallax corresponding to the predetermined examination distance) in positions where up and down direction positions to visual target flames are the same (fig. 11A; ¶59, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 includes the two displays 32a corresponding to the left and right subject eyes E respectively, and accordingly, it is possible to display the visual targets providing the parallax corresponding to the predetermined examination distance and ¶109, the visual targets presented to the left and right subject eyes E are superimposed, and the actual visual targets are separately displayed on the displays 32a of the measurement heads 16 for each of the left eye and the right eye); the visual target presentation portion presents the visual target for the left eye and the visual target for the right eye to visual target positions that are separated from the left and right subject eyes by a certain examination distance (P, fig. 3B and S10, fig. 9; ¶93, the controller 26 controls the visual target projection system 32 to display the visual targets on the displays 32a at an enlargement magnification corresponding to the type of the visual targets, the display mode, the visual acuity value, and the far-point distance and ¶73, the examination distance is the distance at which the visual targets are presented … the examination distance is not an actual distance between the subject and the visual targets, but is an apparent distance created by each visual target projection system 32 as if the visual targets were presented at a position at this distance), the visual target projection system prescribes a state in which a convergence distance from positions of the left and right subject eyes to a convergence position where two lines of sight intersect each other is changed by changing parallax that is difference in positions of the two drawing patterns reflected on retinas of the left and right subject eyes (fig. 3A and fig. 3B clearly show that the position of the visual targets are closer, hence different, in fig. 3B compared to fig. 3A; ¶31, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can change the visual axes of the left and right subject eyes EL, ER so as to cause the eyes to converge or diverge by simultaneously changing the rotational orientations of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R symmetrically and ¶32, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can provide the parallax to the visual targets presented to the left and right subject eyes E in response to the change in the rotational angles α … changes the parallax provided to the visual targets according to the change of the rotational angles α), and the controller measures the eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes by the objective measurement optical system (21L, 21R; fig. 3B) and acquires an objective refraction value (S5, eye refractive power measurement system 33; fig.9; ¶40, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 has a function of projecting a predetermined measurement pattern on the fundus Ef of the subject eye E and a function of detecting an image of the measurement pattern projected on the fundus Ef and ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26) as objective measurement information when fusion is attempted with the left and right subject eyes with respect to a change in the convergence distance (¶31 and ¶32; fig. 9).
Regarding claim 2, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ophthalmic examination apparatus is an objective measurement machine with a subjective examination function (¶13, the subjective examination, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 presents visual targets or the like to the subject at a predetermined presentation position and acquires an examination result in accordance with a response of the subject … In the objective examination, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 irradiates the subject eyes with light and measures information (eye characteristics) on the subject eyes based on the result of detecting the return light. ), the controller includes an adaptation check portion that evaluates adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes (¶30, the left-eye X-direction rotation drive portion 24L and the right-eye X-direction rotation drive portion 24R can cause the subject eyes E to diverge (divergence movement) or converge (convergence movement) by rotating the left-eve measurement head 16L and the right-eye measurement head 16R in the X direction (left-right direction); ¶31, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can change the visual axes of the left and right subject eyes EL, ER so as to cause the eyes to converge or diverge by simultaneously changing the rotational orientations of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R symmetrically; ¶59, it is possible to easily and precisely perform the stereoscopic vision examination in the natural direction of the visual axis; ¶75, in a case where the parallax is provided to the subject eyes E in the stereoscopic vision examination for examining how each visual target appears in the binocular vision, the visual target is presented by changing the visual angles), and the adaptation check portion includes a subjective examination processing portion and an objective measurement portion (S11, fig. 9; ¶93, the controller 26 controls the visual target projection system 32 to display the visual targets on the displays 32a at an enlargement magnification corresponding to the type of the visual targets, the display mode, the visual acuity value, and the far-point distance – fig. 9 step 11: subjective visual acuity examination – constitutes the subjective examination processing portion; S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26 – fig. 9, step S5: objective eye refractive power measurement – constitutes the objective measurement portion), the subjective examination processing portion presents the visual target for the left eye and the visual target for the right eye to the visual target positions that are separated from the left and right subject eyes by the certain examination distance (P, fig. 3A, 3B; S10, fig. 9; ¶93, the controller 26 controls the visual target projection system 32 to display the visual targets on the displays 32a at an enlargement magnification corresponding to the type of the visual targets, the display mode, the visual acuity value, and the far-point distance – fig. 3A, 3B: visual target presented at position P separated from subject eyes by the examination distance; fig. 9, step S10: visual target display step) and prescribes a state in which the convergence distance from the positions of the left and right subject eyes to the convergence position where the two lines of sight intersect each other is changed (fig. 3A, 3B; ¶31, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can change the visual axes of the left and right subject eyes EL, ER so as to cause the eyes to converge or diverge by simultaneously changing the rotational orientations of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R symmetrically, and can direct the visual axes to the presentation position … of the visual targets – fig. 3A, 3B: fig. 3A shows visual axes parallel (infinity – convergence distance at maximum); fig 3B shows visual axes converging at position P (convergence distance changed to predetermined closer distance) – directly showing the prescribed change of convergence distance) by control that changes the parallax that is the difference in the positions of the two drawing patterns reflected on the retinas of the left and right subject eyes (fig. 3A, 3B; ¶32, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 changes the rotational angles α to change the position P at which the visual targets are presented, and changes the parallax provided to the visual targets according to the change of the rotational angles α – fig. 3A, 3B: rotational angle α = 0
°
in fig. 3A (no parallax); rotational angle α>0
°
in fig. 3B (parallax introduced) – the change in parallax between the two drawing patterns reflected on the retinas of the left and right subject eyes directly causes the change in convergence distance), and the objective measurement portion execute a process in parallel with a process in the subjective examination processing portion (fig. 3B; S2, S5, fig. 9; ¶65, at the time of measuring the eye refractive power, the controller 26 controls the display 32a of the visual target projection system 32 to display a fixed visual target – fig. 9, steps S2 and S5: Step S2 (visual target presented to subject for fixation) and Step S5 (objective eye refractive power measurement executed) occur within the same examination sequence – the display of the visual target to the subject (subjective process) and the measurement of eye refractive power (objective process) are executed simultaneously, establishing parallel execution.), measures the eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes, when fusion is attempted with the left and right subject eyes to the change of the convergence distance with the objective measurement optical system (fig. 9; ¶108, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets. The controller 26 acquires the measurement result in accordance with the response signal based on the response operation – the subject responding to stereoscopically projected visual targets being attempted with the left and right subject eyes; the controller acquires the measurement result), and acquires the objective refraction value as objective measurement information (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 receives (or automatically receives) an instruction input for the objective examination from the input portion 30b by the examiner, and executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) … under the control of the controller 26.).
Regarding claim 3, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the visual target for the left eye and the visual target for the right eye are set to stereoscopic visual targets provided with the parallax (fig. 3A, 3B; ¶59, it is possible to display the visual targets providing the parallax corresponding to the predetermined examination distance (presentation position), and it is possible to easily and precisely perform the stereoscopic vision examination in the natural direction of the visual axis – fig. 3A, 3B: visual targets presents to left and right subject eyes EL, ER respectively via measurement heads 16L, 16R – the separate display 32a for each eye provide the parallax that constitutes the stereoscopic visual targets)by differentiating the positions of the displayed drawing patterns in the left and right direction to differentiate the left and right direction positions of the two drawing patterns to the visual target flames (fig. 11A; ¶107, the visual target projection systems 32 set visual angles to 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 4 minutes from the bottom of the figure, and display the visual targets with the corresponding parallax applied to one of five visual targets in each row –fig. 11A:drawing patterns for left and right eyes displayed at differentiated left-right positions within the visual target frame – the position of the drawing pattern shifts horizontally across columns corresponding to the applied parallax angle, directly showing differentiation of left and right direction positions of the two drawing patterns relative to the visual target frame), and the subjective examination processing portion sets the control that changes the parallax to control that changes a parallax angle or a parallax distance when the fusion of the two drawing patterns is attempted in binocular vison (fig. 11A; ¶75, in a case where the parallax is provided to the subject eyes E in the stereoscopic vision examination for examining how each visual target appears in the binocular vision, the visual target is presented by changing the visual angles to, for example, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes, or the like -- fig. 11A: visual angle of 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 4 minutes applied across columns –changing the visual angle constitutes changing the parallax angle when fusion of the two drawing patterns is attempted in binocular vision.)
Regarding claim 4, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subjective examination processing portion acquires a subjective response from a subject when the fusion is attempted by the left and right subject eyes with respect to the change in the convergence distance (fig. 9, ¶107, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets. The controller 26 acquires the measurement result in accordance with the response signal based on the response operation. – the subject responding to stereoscopically projected visual targets constitutes a subjective response acquired when fusion is attempted by the left and right subject eyes during the change in convergence distance), and the adaptation check portion includes, in addition to the subjective examination processing portion and the objective measurement portion, a determination portion (S12, S14, fig. 9; ¶100, when all types of the examinations have been completed at all the examination distances, the program proceeds to Step S14, and the controller 26 graphically displays the measurement results on the display surface 30a – fig. 9, steps S12 and S14: Step S12 acquires he measurement result based on the subject’s response; Step S14 outputs the final combined measurement result – together these steps constitute the determination portion that processes both subjective and objective data to produce a determination) that determines adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to a stereoscopic vision (S14, fig. 9, ¶100, the controller 26 graphically displays the measurement results on the display surface 30a and prints the measurement results when a print instruction is given – fig. 9, step S14: the controller 26 outputs the combined measurement results of the stereoscopic vision examination – the output of the stereoscopic vision examination result constitutes the determination of the adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to stereoscopic vision.) based on the subjective response from the subject acquired with the subjective examination processing portion (S11, S12, fig. 9; ¶107, the subject uses the subject input portion 28a to select visual targets that appear to be stereoscopically projected and performs a response operation – fig. 9 Steps S11 and S12: subjective response from the subject received at Step S11 and acquired as measurement result at Step S12 – constitutes the subjective response acquired with the subjective examination processing portion used as input to the determination) and the objective refraction value acquired with the objective measurement portion (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 receives (or automatically receives) an instruction input for the objective examination from the input portion 30b by the examiner, and executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26.).
Regarding claim 5, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination portion determines that the left and right subject eyes have high adaptation abilities to stereoscopic vision (S14, fig. 9; ¶100, the controller 26 graphically displays the measurement results on the display surface 30a and prints the measurement results when a print instruction is given) when a positive subjective response to the fusion in binocular vision is obtained with respect to the change in the convergence distance (fig. 9; ¶108, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets and ¶115, the controller 26 determines whether the response of the subject is correct or incorrect based on response signals from the subject input portion 28a and/or the input portion 30b) and a change width of the objective refraction value is suppressed to a predetermined range (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement and the corneal shape measurement … under the control of the controller 26.).
Regarding claim 6, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the determination portion determines that the left and right subject eyes have low adaptation abilities to stereoscopic vision (S14, fig. 9; ¶100, the controller 26 graphically displays the measurement results on the display surface 30a and prints the measurement results when a print instruction is given)
when a negative subjective response to the fusion in binocular vision is obtained with respect to the change in the convergence distance (fig. 9; ¶108, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets and ¶115, the controller 26 determines whether the response of the subject is correct or incorrect based on response signals from the subject input portion 28a and/or the input portion 30b), and a change width of the objective refraction value exceeds a predetermined range (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement and the corneal shape measurement … under the control of the controller 26.).
Regarding claim 7, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adaptation check portion includes, in addition to the subjective examination processing portion and the objective measurement portion, a determination portion that determines the adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to stereoscopic vision based on the objective refraction value acquired with the objective measurement portion (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement under the control of the controller 26 and ¶83, the controller 26 associates the presentation condition of the visual targets presented to the subject with the measurement result of the eye characteristics … and outputs the associated presentation condition and measurement result – S5, fig. 9: objective refractive value acquired by the objective measurement portion. ¶83: controller 26 processes and outputs the measurement result – constitutes a determination portion that determines a result based on the objective refraction value acquired with the objective measurement portion) and the determination portion measures an amplitude that is a fluctuation range of a refractive value characteristic of the objective refraction value acquired with the objective measurement portion with respect to a time axis (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26) and determines that the left and right subject eyes belong to a fatigue group, when a fluctuation frequency of the refractive value characteristic is a low frequency band (fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26), and the amplitude is a determination threshold or more (fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26).
Regarding claim 8, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subjective examination processing portion prescribes a state in which the convergence distance gradually changes in a distance range from a position farther than the examination distance to a position closer than the examination distance (fig. 3A, 3B, 9; ¶98, the controller 26 controls the rotation of the measurement heads 16 such that the visual axes are directed to midpoints… moves the first focusing lenses 32e to the midpoints to present the visual targets at the midpoint distance and ¶99, the controller 26 controls the rotation of the measurement heads 16 such that the visual axes are directed to midpoints. Then, in Step S9, the controller 26 moves the first focusing lenses 32e to the midpoints to present the visual targets at the midpoint distance) by control that gradually changes the parallax that is the difference in the positions of the two drawing patterns reflected on the retinas of the right and left subject eyes (fig. 3A, 3B; ¶32, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 changes the rotational angles α to change the position P at which the visual targets are presented, and changes the parallax provided to the visual targets according to the change of the rotational angles α and ¶98, the controller 26 controls the rotation of the measurement heads 16 such that the visual axes are directed to midpoints) and the objective measurement portion measures the eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes a predetermined number of times in each step of the convergence distance (S5, S10-S12, fig. 9; ¶98, the controller 26 repeats the above processes to perform the normal visual acuity examination, the contrast examination, the night examination, the glare examination, and the stereoscopic vision examination at the midpoint distance and acquires measurement results thereof and ¶99, the controller 26 repeats these processes to perform the normal visual acuity examination, the contrast examination, the night examination, the glare examination, and the stereoscopic vision examination at the near-point distance and acquires the measurement results thereof.) and acquires an average objective refraction value obtained by averaging objective refraction values obtained a predetermined number of times in each step as objective measurement information (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26 and ¶91, the visual acuity value is set according to the degrees of the refractive power of the subject eyes E of the subject based on the eye refractive power or the like acquired in the objective examination).
Regarding claim 9, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the subjective examination processing portion prescribes a state in which the convergence distance gradually changes in a distance range from a position farther than the examination distance to a position closer than the examination distance (fig. 3A, 3B, 9; ¶98, ¶98, the controller 26 controls the rotation of the measurement heads 16 such that the visual axes are directed to midpoints… moves the first focusing lenses 32e to the midpoints to present the visual targets at the midpoint distance and ¶99, the controller 26 controls the rotation of the measurement ds 16 such that the visual axes are directed to the near points… moves the first focusing lenses 32e to the near points) by control that changes in a stepless manner the parallax that is the difference in the positions of the two drawing patterns reflected on the retinas of the right and left subject eyes (fig. 3A, 3B; ¶32, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 changes the rotational angles α to change the position P at which the visual targets are presented, and changes the parallax provided to the visual targets according to the change of the rotational angles α and ¶57, the visual target projection system 32 can change the examination distance … by moving the first focusing lens 32e forward and backward.), and the objective measurement portion measures the eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes in a state in which the convergence distance changes in a stepless manner (S5, fig.9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) measurement … under the control of the controller 26.) and acquires an objective refraction value obtained in time series as objective measurement information (fig. 9, ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 receives (or automatically receives) an instruction input for the objective examination from the input portion 30b by the examiner, and executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) … under the control of the controller 26 and ¶83, the controller 26 associates the presentation condition of the visual targets presented to the subject with the measurement result of the eye characteristics … and outputs the associated presentation condition and measurement result – when the objective measurement portion measures eye characteristics continuously during a stepless change (¶90), the resulting sequence of measurement values is by definition a time series of objective refraction values. Storing and outputting sequential measurement results is already disclosed at ¶83).
Regarding claim 10, Sakurada teaches an ophthalmic examination method (fig. 1, 10; ¶11, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment is a binocular opening type ophthalmologic apparatus capable of simultaneously measuring characteristics of subject eyes) in which a visual target projection system (fig. 3A, 16L, 16R; ¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) that includes a visual target presentation portion (32; fig. 3A; ¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, R by a visual target projection system 32 and ¶55, the visual target projection system 32 is an optical system that projects the visual target and presents the visual target to the eye fundus Ef to cause the subject eye E to fixate the visual target) that presents a fixed visual target to left and right subject eyes (EL, ER; fig. 3A; ¶31), an objective measurement optical system (eye measurement optical system 21L, 21R; fig. 3B; ¶37) that objectively measures eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes (¶37,each of the left-eye measurement optical system 21L and the right-eye measurement optical system 21R includes a refractometer and a wavefront sensor that measure refractive power and ¶13, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 irradiates the subject eyes with light and measures information (eye characteristics) on the subject eyes based on the result of detecting the return light), and a controller (controller 26; fig. 1 and 2; ¶33, the controller 26 is configured to comprehensively control the portions or components of the ophthalmologic apparatus 10) that controls each portion of apparatus are included, the method causes the controller to perform: a complete correction prescription step of assuming the left and right subject eyes as a state in which a complete correction value in subjective examination is prescribed (S5, S6, S7, fig.9; ¶91, the controller 26 acquires the examination mode … acquires the presentation condition according to the examination mode from the storage 29. In addition, the visual acuity value is set according to the degrees of the refractive power of the subject eyes E of the subject based on the eye refractive power or the like acquired in the objective examination) ; a visual target presentation step of presenting a visual target for the left eye (¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) and a visual target for the right eye (¶31, visual targets (fixation images) or the like are presented to the left and right subject eyes EL, ER by a visual target projection system 32 of each of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R) having a same pattern (¶56, the display 32a presents a fixation target or a point visual target as a visual target for fixing the line of sight of the subject eye E and ¶59, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 includes the two displays 32a corresponding to he left and right subject eyes E respectively, and accordingly, it is possible to display the visual targets providing the parallax corresponding to the predetermined examination distance) in the visual target presentation portion at visual target positions separated from the left and right subject eyes by a certain examination distance following the prescription of the complete correction value (P, fig. 3B and S10, fig. 9; ¶93, the controller 26 controls the visual target projection system 32 to display the visual targets on the displays 32a at an enlargement magnification corresponding to the type of the visual targets, the display mode, the visual acuity value, and the far-point distance and ¶73, the examination distance is the distance at which the visual targets are presented … the examination distance is not an actual distance between the subject and the visual targets, but is an apparent distance created by each visual target projection system 32 as if the visual targets were presented at a position at this distance); a convergence distance control step of prescribing a state in which a convergence distance from positions of the left and right subject eyes to a convergence position where the two lines of sight intersect each other is changed by control that changes parallax that is difference in positions of the two drawing patterns reflected on retinas of the left and right subject eyes (fig. 3A and fig. 3B clearly show that the position of the visual targets are closer, hence different, in fig. 3B compared to fig. 3A; ¶31, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can change the visual axes of the left and right subject eyes EL, ER so as to cause the eyes to converge or diverge by simultaneously changing the rotational orientations of the left-eye and right-eye measurement heads 16L, 16R symmetrically and ¶32, the ophthalmologic apparatus 10 can provide the parallax to the visual targets presented to the left and right subject eyes E in response to the change in the rotational angles α … changes the parallax provided to the visual targets according to the change of the rotational angles α); an accommodation reaction amount measurement step of being executed in parallel with the control of the convergence distance and measuring the eye characteristics of the left and right subject eyes with the objective measurement optical system (fig. 3B; S2, S5, fig. 9; ¶65, at the time of measuring the eye refractive power, the controller 26 controls the display 32a of the visual target projection system 32 to display a fixed visual target – fig. 9, steps S2 and S5: Step S2 (visual target presented to subject for fixation) and Step S5 (objective eye refractive power measurement executed) occur within the same examination sequence – the display of the visual target to the subject (subjective process) and the measurement of eye refractive power (objective process) are executed simultaneously, establishing parallel execution.) when fusion is attempted with the left and right subject eyes to the change of the convergence distance to acquire an objective refraction value as objective measurement information (fig. 9; ¶108, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets. The controller 26 acquires the measurement result in accordance with the response signal based on the response operation – the subject responding to stereoscopically projected visual targets being attempted with the left and right subject eyes; the controller acquires the measurement result); and a determination step of determining adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to stereoscopic vision based on the objective refraction value (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 receives (or automatically receives) an instruction input for the objective examination from the input portion 30b by the examiner, and executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) … under the control of the controller 26.).
Regarding claim 11, Sakurada teaches the ophthalmic examination method according to claim 10, further comprising a subjective response acquisition step of acquiring a subjective response related to the fusion from a subject (S11, fig. 9; ¶107, The subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets – fig. 9, step S11: the subject performs a response operation to visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected – constituting the subjective response acquisition step in which the subjective response related to the fusion is acquired from the subject.) when the fusion is attempted to a change in the convergence distance with the left and right subject eyes (fig. 3A, 3B, 9; ¶108, the subject operates the subject input portion 28a to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets to respond to the visual targets that appear stereoscopically projected among the displayed visual targets and ¶135, the subject can perform the examination at the selected optional examination distance. By receiving the response and the like from the subject or the like, the controller 26 analyzes the response and the like and acquires the measurement results – fig. 3A, 3B, 9: the subject responds to stereoscopically projected visual targets ¶107 while the convergence distance is changed by changing the rotational angles α across examination distances – constituting fusion being attempted with the left and right subject eyes with respect to a change in the convergence distance at which the subjective response is acquired), wherein the determination step determines adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to stereoscopic vision (S14, fig. 9; ¶100, when all types of the examinations have been completed at all the examination distances, the program proceeds to Step S14, and the controller 26 graphically displays the measurement results on the display surface 30a – fig. 8, step S14: the controller 26 outputs the combined measurement results of the stereoscopic vision examination – constituting the determination step that determines the adaptation abilities of the left and right subject eyes to stereoscopic vision based on the completed examination result) based on the subjective response (S11, S12, fig. 9; ¶108, the controller 26 acquires the measurement result in accordance with the response signal based on the response operation – fig. 9 steps S11 and S12: the subjective response from the subject acquired at Step S11 is processed at Step S12 to produce a measurement result – this subjective response result is carried forward as one of the two inputs to the determination step at Step 14) the objective refraction value (S5, fig. 9; ¶90, the eye refractive power measurement system 33 executes the objective examination such as the eye refractive power (refraction) … under the control of the controller 26 – fig. 9, step S5: the objective refraction value (eye refractive power) acquired by the eye refractive power measurement system 33 at Step S5 constitutes the second input to the determination step – the determination step at Step S14 uses both this objective refraction value and the subjective response of Steps S11/S12 to determine the adaptation abilities to stereoscopic vision).
Conclusion
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/HENRY DUONG/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872 05/30/26
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