Devices and methods for noninvasive measurement of intracranial pressure

• US 10,405,763 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2017
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Third Eye Diagnostics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Third Eye Diagnostics, Inc.
• Inventors: Fuller, Terry A., Lai, William, Bellezza, Anthony
• Primary Examiner(s): Eiseman, Adam J
• Application Number:
  US15/407,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0066 with identification means for the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/16 for measuring intraocular pressure, e.g. tonometers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/10 Eye inspection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4218 characterised by articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012

Abstract

Provided are systems and methods for noninvasively assessing intracranial pressure by controllably osculating at least a portion of a subject'"'"'s ocular globe while applying a force sufficient to collapse an intraocular blood vessel and correlating the collapse pressure to intracranial pressure. Also provided are ophthalmic components useful in ophthalmic imaging applications, such as retinal, corneal, and pupil imaging. The components may include an optical contact surface that has a radius of curvature that is greater than the radius of curvature of a subject'"'"'s cornea.

Claims

1. A method of estimating a pressure in a subject, comprising:

with a component having an osculating surface that comprises a deformable material and that partially defines a closed control volume enclosed within an ophthalmic component, applying a force to the subject'"'"'s cornea, sclera, eyelid, or any combination thereof with the osculating surface while the osculating surface contacts a portion of the subject'"'"'s cornea, sclera, eyelid, or any combination thereof,

the force being sufficient to collapse an intraocular blood vessel of the subject;

visualizing the intraocular blood vessel through the component; and

correlating the force that collapses the intraocular blood vessel to an estimated intracranial pressure of the subject.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the force is applied by advancing the component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the force is applied by increasing a pressure within the control volume of the component so as to exert the osculating surface toward the subject'"'"'s cornea, sclera, eyelid, or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the pressure is increased in an automated fashion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the correlating is performed by a processor configured to estimate intracranial pressure of the subject based on one or more images of the intraocular blood vessel of the subject'"'"'s eye.