OPHTHALMOSCOPE USING NATURAL PUPIL DILATION

• US 20190313898A1
• Filed: 06/28/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: KARARGYRIS, ALEXANDROS, ZIMMERMAN, THOMAS G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,638,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0091 Fixation targets for viewing direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/147 Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction

Abstract

An ophthalmic device having a single or dual compartment configuration selectively emits infrared and visible light beams onto one or a pair of target eyes. The device performs eye fundus imaging and aids in the detection of ailments as indicated by anomalies in the pupillary reflex.

Claims

1. A method for examining a pair of target eyes of a patient using an apparatus, the method comprising:

covering the pair of target eyes with one or a pair of external-light blocking eyepieces of the apparatus, the covering comprising positioning the pair of external-light blocking eyepieces in contact with the patient'"'"'s face;

monitoring pupil dilation of the target pairs of eyes for a period of time while the pair of external-light blocking eyepieces are in contact with the patient'"'"'s face; and

emitting, by a pair of light sources of the apparatus based on the monitoring, infrared light at the pair of target eyes; and

detecting, using a pair of image sensors of the apparatus, infrared light reflected by the pair of target eyes in response to the emission of infrared light by the pair of light sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

detecting pupils of the target pairs of eyes reaching maximum dilation.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

emitting, selectively by one of the light sources towards a first eye in the pair of target eyes, at least two beams of visible light in sequence, during a period of time for visible light emission, by energizing the light source via a power source, the at least two beams of light comprising a first beam of visible light having a first energy and a second beam of visible light having a second energy greater than the first energy.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

capturing images of the first eye and the second eye;

measuring, based on the captured images, a response time of pupil constriction in the first eye relative to pupil constriction in a second eye in the pair of target eyes;

generating a delta report comprising data showing a divergence between the measured response times of pupil constriction in the first eye and the second eye; and

outputting, by an I/O device of the apparatus, the delta report.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the period of time for visible light emission is greater than zero and less than or equal to 200 milliseconds.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the emitting further comprises:

emitting, selectively by one of the light sources towards a first eye in the pair of target eyes, at least one beam for each distinct visible light spectrum color, in sequence from least energized to most energized.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein pupil dilation during at least a portion of the period of time for visible light emission is less than 100%.