METHOD FOR ASSESSING SPECTACLE LENS BY EVOKED ACTIVITY IN VISUAL CORTEX OF BRAIN OR THE LIKE, AND METHOD FOR DESIGNING SPECTACLE LENS USING SAID METHOD FOR ASSESSMENT

• US 20150133811A1
• Filed: 10/09/2012
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Tokai Optical Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Koji Inui
• Inventors: Suzuki, Masaya, Takeshima, Yasuyuki, Nagata, Yuko, Inui, Koji, Kakigi, Ryusuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,073,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• 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 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/025 considering parameters of the viewed object
• CPC Class Codes: G02C 7/027 considering wearer's parameters

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an evaluation method for evaluating spectacle lenses that is capable of objectively evaluating spectacle lenses suitable for a user by measuring brain activity, and a design method for designing spectacle lenses using the evaluation method.

[Solution] A subject is allowed to wear to-be-evaluated lenses, and the subject is allowed to visually observe a visual stimulus object used to evoke an activity of a specific part of the visual cortex of the brain through the to-be-evaluated lenses, and an evoked activity of the specific part of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex when the visual stimulus object is visually observed by the to-be-evaluated lenses is measured by an electroencephalograph or by a magnetoencephalograph, and the spectacle lenses are evaluated based on time (latency) from when a visual stimulus is received till when a change is caused thereby or based on the magnitude (amplitude) of activity.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex, the method comprising:

allowing a subject to wear lenses to be evaluated;

allowing the subject to visually observe a visual stimulus object used to evoke an activity of a specific part of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex through the lenses to be evaluated;

measuring an evoked activity of the specific part of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex when the visual stimulus object is visually observed by the lenses to be evaluated; and

evaluating the evoked activity of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex.

2. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 1, further comprising:

separating an evoked activity of a primary visual cortex or an evoked activity of a secondary visual cortex from the evoked activity of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex; and

evaluating the evoked activity of the primary visual cortex separated therefrom or the evoked activity of the secondary visual cortex separated therefrom.

3. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 1, wherein the visual stimulus object is disposed in a visual lower half area.

4. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 2, wherein the visual stimulus object is disposed in a visual lower half area.

5. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 1, wherein an evoked potential of an N130 component that is opposite in peak extreme value to a P100 component immediately after the P100 component evoked by visually stimulating the primary visual cortex is used for an evaluation.

6. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein the visual stimulus object consists of a combination of line segments.

7. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 6, wherein the visual stimulus object consists of at least two kinds of visual stimulus objects that are equal to each other in total length of the line segments of which each visual stimulus object is formed, and the at least two kinds of visual stimulus objects are alternately presented.

8. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein the visual stimulus object is presented at a peripheral part away from a fixation point to which attention of the subject is paid when the subject is allowed to visually observe the visual stimulus object.

9. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein, when the subject is allowed to visually observe the visual stimulus object, the visual stimulus object is not presented within a visual angle of 8 degrees from the fixation point to which attention of the subject is paid, excluding the fixation point.

10. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein, as a spectacle lens condition, when a spectacle lens is evaluated by the evoked activity of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex, earliness is preferable to lateness in time from when the visual stimulus object to evoke an activity of the specific part of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex is presented till when an evoked activity appears.

11. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein, as a spectacle lens condition, when the evoked activity of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like is evaluated, largeness is preferable to smallness in magnitude of an activity evoked by presenting the visual stimulus object to evoke an activity of the specific part of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex.

12. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to any one of claim 2 to claim 5, wherein the visual stimulus is a contrast, and the evoked activity of the brain'"'"'s visual cortex evoked by this contrast is evaluated.

13. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 12, wherein the visual stimulus object consists of a combination of chromatic colors.

14. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 1, wherein the evoked activity measures a visual evoked field, and an evaluation is made based on a value of the visual evoked field.

15. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex according to claim 1, the evoked activity appears the evoked activity measures a visual evoked potential, and an evaluation is made based on a value of the visual evoked potential.

16. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like according to claim 1, wherein the spectacle lens to be evaluated is an aspherical lens in which a shape of a peripheral lens part is changed little by little.

17. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like according to claim 1, wherein the spectacle lens to be evaluated is a progressive power lens in which a lens shape is changed little by little.

18. The method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like according to claim 1, wherein the spectacle lens to be evaluated is a lens whose spectral transmittance is changed by optical absorption or optical reflection, etc.

19. A method for designing spectacle lenses by using the method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like according to any one of claim 1 to claim 5.

20. A method for designing spectacle lenses by using the method for evaluating spectacle lenses by an evoked activity of a brain'"'"'s visual cortex or the like according to any one of claim 14 to claim 18.

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)