Ocular Videography System

• US 20150077543A1
• Filed: 05/23/2014
• Published: 03/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stiftung Caesar Center Of Advanced European Studies And Research
• Original Assignee: Stiftung Caesar Center Of Advanced European Studies And Research
• Inventors: KERR, Jason, WALLACE, Damian Haydon, SAWINSKI, Juergen, GREENBERG, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,801,539 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/135
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/40 Animals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/145 by video means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

The present invention relates to an Ocular Videography System for tracking eye movements of an animal, in particular rats, comprising a camera system suitable of being positioned on the head of an animal to track eye movements of at least one eye of the animal, a head mount on which the camera system is fixed or fixable, wherein, at least one image sensor as well as at least one decoder, for decoding a signal detected by the image sensor, each being comprised by the camera system, and wherein the camera system, and in particular a camera of the camera system, is designed in such a way that it detects a movement of the eye and/or a movement of the head of the animal in a vertical and/or horizontal and/or a torsional direction to an optical axis of the camera system and/or of the optical axis of the animal'"'"'s eye without interfering with the animal'"'"'s natural motion dynamics.

Claims

1. Ocular Videography System (100) for tracking eye movements of an animal, in particular rats, comprising

a camera system (1) suitable for being positioned on a head of an animal to track eye movements of at least one eye of the animal,

a head mount (2) on which the camera system (1) is fixed or fixable, characterized by,

at least one image sensor (3) as well as at least one decoder (4), for decoding a signal detected by the image sensor (3), each being comprised by the camera system (1), wherein

the camera system (1), and in particular a camera (11) of the camera system (1), is designed in such a way that it detects movements of the eye and/or a movement of a head of the animal in a vertical and/or horizontal and/or a torsional direction to an optical axis (5) of the camera system (1) and/or of the optical axis of the animal'"'"'s eye without interfering with the animal'"'"'s natural motion dynamics.

2. Ocular Videography System (100) according to claim 1,

characterized by,

the camera system (1) is designed and mounted securely on the head mount (2) without interfering with the animal'"'"'s field of view.

3. Ocular Videography System (100) according to claim 1 or 2,

characterized by that,

the decoder (4) for decoding the signal detected by the image sensor (3) is mounted off of the animal.

4. Ocular Videography System (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized by,

the camera system (1) comprises at least one light emitting element (6) for guiding and emitting light towards the animal'"'"'s eye, at least one light reflector (7) for reflecting at least partially the light reflected from the animal'"'"'s eye to the image sensor (3) of the camera system (1), wherein the camera system (1) is mounted on the head mount (2) outside of a visual field of the animal'"'"'s eye.

5. Ocular Videography System (100) according to claim 4,

characterized by,

the light emitting element (6) is arranged within the camera system (1) such that it illuminates the animal'"'"'s eye off-axis to the optical axis of the animal'"'"'s eye.

6. Ocular Videography System (100) according to claim 4 or 5,

characterized by,

the light emitting element (6) is a light emitting diode (61) (LED) emitting light at least in the infrared optical spectrum, which is outside the subjects visible spectrum.

7. Ocular Videography System (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims 4 to 6,

characterized by,

the reflector (7) transmits at least partially light in the visible spectrum and reflects light in the infrared spectrum of light.

8. Ocular Videography System (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized by,

an IR-transmission filter (8) being an element of the camera system (1), and in particular by the camera (11) of the camera system (1), wherein said IR-transmission filter (8) is arranged in an optical path of the light emitted by the light emitting element (6) and prevents superimposition of light in the visible optical spectrum with the light emitted by said light emitting element (6).

9. Ocular Videography System (100) to at least one of the preceding claims 4 to 8,

characterized by,

a head position tracking system (9) designed to track a position of the animal'"'"'s head within a predefined, stationary coordinate system originating outside the animals body, wherein said head position tracking system (9) comprises three tracking arms (91) mounted on the head mount (2) in a predefined position to each other, wherein on each of the tracking arms (91) one or more light emitting elements (10), in particular light emitting diodes (LEDs), being different to the light emitting element (6) for guiding light in the animal'"'"'s eye, are mounted, and the head position tracking system (9) further comprises a head movement detection device (92) mounted off of the animal'"'"'s body and stationary within the coordinate system, wherein the head movement detection device (92) detects a movement of the light emitting elements (10) and is designed to calculate a position of the animal'"'"'s head, within said stationary coordinate system, according to the position and/or the movement of the light emitting element (10).

10. Ocular Videography System (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized by that,

the camera system (1) comprises a lens unit (11) for guiding light at least partially emitted by the camera system'"'"'s (1) light emitting element (6) into the image sensor (3) of the camera system (1).

11. Ocular Videography System (100) according to the preceding claim,

characterized by that,

the plano-convex lens (110) comprises an aperture of at least 0.02 mm to at most 1.2 mm, preferably at least 0.3 mm to at most 0.5 mm.

12. Ocular Videography System (100) to at least one of the preceding claims 10 to 12,

characterized by that,

the lens unit (11) is glued to the camera chip (3).

13. Ocular Videography System (100) to at least one of the preceding claims,

characterized by,

a core engine (13) implemented within a processor (12) of the camera system (1) controlling measurement parameters of the camera system (1) and capable of streaming data onto one or several hard drives.

14. Ocular Videography System (100) according to the preceding claim,

characterized by,

a core engine (13) capable of processing independent eye movements of both eyes of the animal.