METHOD FOR DIAGNOSING A DISEASE STATE USING OCULAR CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20110172555A1
• Filed: 03/05/2010
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Molnar, Lance R., Kolanko, Christopher J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,092,020 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/00 Apparatus for testing the eyes; Instruments for examining the eyes eye inspection using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/10; devices for treatment of the eyes A61F9/00; exercisers for the eyes A61H5/00; optical systems in general G02B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/11 for measuring interpupillary distance or diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a disease state in a subject, including examining the subject'"'"'s eyes in order to determine whether the subject exhibits one or more symptoms of the disease state. Symptoms of the disease state include altered ocular characteristics, such as pupil size, pupil motility, ocular blood vessel coloration, and strobe light cutoff frequency. By evaluating changes to ocular characteristics, a disease state can be diagnosed in a subject. In addition, the severity of the disease state also can be determined.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A method of diagnosing cyanide exposure of a subject, comprising the step of:

(a) determining whether the subject'"'"'s ocular blood vessel coloration varies significantly from a normal ocular blood vessel coloration by;

(1) quantifying the subject'"'"'s ocular blood vessel coloration; and

(2) comparing the quantity from said step (1) to a quantified normal vessel coloration.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the normal ocular blood vessel coloration of said step (a) is determined for each subject.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the normal ocular blood vessel coloration of said step (a) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the ocular blood vessels of said step (a) are venous vessels.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the ocular blood vessels of said step (a) are arterial vessels.

15. (canceled)

20. A method of diagnosing carbon monoxide exposure of a subject, comprising the step of

(a) determining whether the subject'"'"'s ocular blood vessel coloration varies significantly from a normal ocular blood vessel coloration by:

(1) quantifying the subject'"'"'s ocular blood vessel coloration; and

(2) comparing the quantity from said step (1) to a quantified normal vessel coloration.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the normal ocular blood vessel coloration of said step (a) is determined for each subject.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the normal ocular blood vessel coloration of said step (a) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the ocular blood vessels of said step (a) are venous vessels.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the ocular blood vessels of said step (a) are arterial vessels.

21. (canceled)

26. A method of diagnosing botulinum toxin exposure of a subject, comprising the step of:

(a) determining whether the subject'"'"'s strobe cutoff frequency varies significantly from a normal strobe cutoff frequency by;

(1) quantifying the subject'"'"'s strobe cutoff frequency; and

(2) comparing the quantity from said step (al) to a quantified normal strobe cutoff frequency.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the normal strobe cutoff frequency of said step (a) is determined for each subject.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the normal strobe cutoff frequency of said step (a) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.

27. (canceled)

30-37. -37. (canceled)