QUANTITATIVE, NON-INVASIVE, CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS OF TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY USING SIMULATED DISTANCE VISUAL STIMULUS DEVICE FOR NEUROLOGIC TESTING

• US 20100094161A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spryson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neuro Kinetics, Inc. (Neurolign Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Joos, Thomas, Kiderman, Alexander D., Schroeder, Howison, Frank, Greg
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/10 Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4863 Measuring or inducing nystagmus
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted

Abstract

A portable virtual reality device is disclosed that will facilitate the effective and efficient screening for TBI in military personnel in forward deployed military settings or remote locations using minimally trained staff. This includes the establishment of a protocol that will provide cost effective pre-screening of military personnel prior to deployment to establish a baseline of brain function prior to possible future injury. The efficiency of the device will promote subsequent follow-up screening to assess the effectiveness of prescribed TBI treatment. Further protocols for diagnosis and rehabilitation applications using the same virtual reality portable device will allow more advanced usage for clinicians providing ongoing evaluation and treatment.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury comprising the steps of:

Providing a head mounted goggle based stimulus generating eye tracking unit to the subject;

Presenting at least one virtual reality based visual stimulus to the subject, wherein the visual stimulus is at a simulated distance in the head mounted goggle based system;

Obtaining objective physiologic response of the subject from the head mounted goggle unit based upon each of the visual stimulus presented to the subject; and

Using the objective physiologic responses to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury.

2. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 1, further including the step of obtaining pre-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject from the head mounted goggle unit based upon each of the visual stimulus presented to the subject, wherein the pre-trauma objective physiologic responses form a baseline for the subject.

3. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 2, wherein the step of using the objective physiologic responses to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury includes a determining whether at least one post-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject differs from the associated pre-trauma objective physiologic response by greater than a preset threshold for that response.

4. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 3, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one nystagmus test.

5. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 3, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal nystagmus test, one vertical and one spontaneous nystagmus test.

6. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 3, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal smooth pursuit test and at least one vertical smooth pursuit test.

7. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 3, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal saccades test and at least one vertical saccades test.

8. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 1, wherein the step of using the objective physiologic responses to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury includes a determining whether at least one post-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject differs from an associated objective physiologic response of a normative database of similar subjects by greater than a preset threshold for that response.

9. A method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury comprising the steps of:

Providing a stimulus generating eye tracking unit coupled to the subject;

Presenting a plurality of virtual reality based visual stimulus to the subject, wherein at least one visual stimulus is at a simulated distance in the eye tracking unit, wherein each visual stimulus provides a target stimulus for a visual based neurologic test;

Obtaining objective physiologic response of the subject from the eye tracking unit based upon each of neurologic test associated with each visual stimulus presented to the subject; and

Using the objective physiologic responses to the neurologic tests to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury.

10. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one nystagmus test.

11. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal nystagmus test, one vertical and one spontaneous nystagmus test.

12. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal smooth pursuit test and at least one vertical smooth pursuit test.

13. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal saccades test and at least one vertical saccades test.

14. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, wherein the step of using the objective physiologic responses to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury includes a determining whether at least one post-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject differs from an associated objective physiologic response of a normative database of similar subjects by greater than a preset threshold for that response.

15. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 9, further including the step of obtaining pre-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject from the head mounted goggle unit based upon each of the visual stimulus presented to the subject, wherein the pre-trauma objective physiologic responses form a baseline for the subject.

16. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 15, wherein the step of using the objective physiologic responses to diagnose the presence of traumatic brain injury includes a determining whether at least one post-trauma objective physiologic responses of the subject differs from the associated pre-trauma objective physiologic response by greater than a preset threshold for that response.

17. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 16, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one nystagmus test.

18. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 16, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal nystagmus test, one vertical and one spontaneous nystagmus test.

19. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 17, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal smooth pursuit test and at least one vertical smooth pursuit test.

20. The method of diagnosis of traumatic brain injury according to claim 18, wherein the visual stimulus presented to the subject includes at least one horizontal saccades test and at least one vertical saccades test.