Patent attributes
A cornea imaging apparatus comprising: an illumination optical system having an illumination source; an imaging optical system having a photoelectric element for receiving a reflected light beam from a cornea of an eye under examination; actuating means for moving the illumination optical system and the imaging optical system in a direction nearer to or further from the eye to bring about focusing; imaging process retracting control means for controlling the actuating means during an imaging operation by the imaging optical system; continuous imaging means for taking multiple images of the cornea at different times and positions by the photoelectric element of the imaging optical system during a retracting operation; and imaging operation control means for controlling imaging operation status of the cornea by the continuous imaging means with reference to a photoreception signal of reflected light from the cornea.