APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING AND/OR IMPROVING BINOCULAR VISION

• US 20120307203A1
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMVI Labs AB
• Original Assignee: Joar Vendel, Michael Malmqvist
• Inventors: Vendel, Joar, Malmqvist, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,770,750 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/085 for testing strabismus
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 5/00 Exercisers for the eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 5/005 Exercisers for training the stereoscopic view
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed that provide for establishing and/or improving binocular vision by adaptation of perceptual motor learning for the visual system of a patient suffering of a binocular vision disorder. The apparatus has a set of two units, one for respectively eye, for manipulation of a vision parameter of the visual presentation, e.g. picture, movie, image. To control the visual presentation on respectively unit a processing unit is connected. The processing unit is adapted to determine a boundary value of a first and/or second vision parameter for the first and/or second manipulation of the first and second unit, where binocular vision disappears for the patient. Furthermore, the processing unit controls at least one vision parameter by manipulating, including oscillating or fluctuating, it within a first range, the first range having a maximum value that is less than the boundary value, for the perceptual motor learning.

Claims

1. An apparatus for establishing and/or improving binocular vision of a patient, wherein said apparatus is adapted to provide perceptual motor learning for the visual system of the patient having a first eye and a second eye and a binocular vision disorder, said apparatus comprising:

a first display unit configured for providing a first manipulation of at least one first vision parameter of a visual presentation directed towards said first eye,

a second display unit configured for providing a second manipulation of at least one second vision parameter of a visual presentation directed towards said second eye, and

a processing unit configured to;

provide or determine a boundary value for said first and second vision parameters for said first and/or second manipulation of said first and/or second vision parameter, where binocular vision disappears for said patient at said boundary value and

control said first display unit and/or second display unit to provide a manipulation including an oscillation or a fluctuation of said first and/or second vision parameter within a first range, said first range having a maximum value that is less than said boundary value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said vision parameters comprise a dimension or position of an image.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the oscillation or fluctuation is selected from the group consisting of a continuous-reciprocating, a discontinuous function, and a stepwise reciprocating function.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said fluctuation has an amplitude that is equal to or less than said maximum value of said first range, and/or wherein said fluctuation has a frequency.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said fluctuation in said first and/or said second display unit is a continuous fluctuation function, and wherein said continuous fluctuation function for said first display unit is optionally different than for said second display unit.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulation of said first and/or second vision parameters comprises inducing a movement, a displacement, a rotation, a position, or a size of the visual presentation.

31. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said manipulation involves an image processing operation, and wherein said visual presentation is based on image data;

and

wherein said image data is identical or non-identical for said first and said second display units and wherein said image data comprises an image or a movie configured for electronic display.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said image data additionally comprises an interactive audio component.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said manipulation of said first and/or second vision parameter comprises a fluctuation of said vision parameter of said image data and

wherein said fluctuation of said vision parameter in said first display unit is aligned to said fluctuation of said vision parameter in said second display unit, or wherein said fluctuation of said vision parameter in said first display unit is aligned arbitrary to said fluctuation of said vision parameter in said second display unit.

34. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a ratio value between said maximum value of said first range value and said boundary value is in the interval from 0 to 1.

35. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first unit and/or said second unit are adapted to bring said visual presentation in alignment with a visual axis of the first eye and a visual axis of the second eye, respectively.

36. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processing unit is adapted to oscillate or fluctuate only one single vision parameter, and further vision parameters different from said one single vision parameter are kept constant during a perceptual motor learning session.

37. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said processor is configured to update said first range based on an input from said patient to follow an improvement in binocular vision of said patient.

38. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first range descends from a start value that is updateable over time during a training session to compensate for patient fatigue during an ongoing perceptual motor learning session.

39. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a diagnostic support tool unit configured for detecting or measuring retinal detachment, resolution, resolution with respect to depth, vision loss, macular damage, color vision, peripheral vision, linearity visual field, scotopic vision, mesopic vision, photopic vision and/or contrast vision.

48. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manipulation of said first and/or second vision parameters is a manipulation of an entire visual presentation or wherein said first and/or second vision parameters are modified only in a portion of said visual presentation.

49. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said first and/or second vision parameter is selected from the group consisting of focus, colour, illumination, size, orientation, position of an image or combinations thereof.

50. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ratio value between said maximum value of said first range value and said boundary value is in the interval from 0.6 to 0.95.

51. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said fluctuation in said first display unit and said display second unit follows a discontinuous fluctuation function, and wherein said discontinuous fluctuation function optionally has a predetermined step height or an arbitrary step height;

and wherein said discontinuous fluctuation function for said first display unit is optionally different than for said second display unit.

3. (canceled)

5-27. -27. (canceled)

40-47. -47. (canceled)