EyeSys Technologies (now EyeSys Vision) came to us with an interesting challenge: Reduce the size and power consumption of the electronics of their large table top Corneal analysis system to a point where it will all fit into a handheld unit. So we did. The product is being marketed as the EyeSys Vista handheld corneal analysis system. All the custom electronics for this product were developed by Indus Instruments.

The Vista takes a snapshot image of the human eye using a backlit concentric ring placedo. The image is then analyzed on the PC to generate a curvature or topography map of the eyeball. Such maps are useful for contact lens fittings and pre/post op eye surgeries.

The Vista has a base unit connected to a PC through the USB port and a hand unit which is connected to the base with a coiled cord. The base unit contains all of the interface electronics and a video frame grabber. The hand unit contains a CCD camera, a laser position detector, a LCD display, a placedo with electroluminescent backlight, video amplifiers, and a microcontroller for communication with the base unit.

A semiconductor accelerometer is integrated into the hand unit and is used as a tilt sensor to ensure that eye readings are taken with the hand unit in a horizontal position. The Vista unit was chosen as a finalist in the Medical Design Excellence Awards program sponsored by Canon Communications and the Industrial Designers Society of America.