Methods and apparatus for accommodation training
First Claim
1. Accommodation training apparatus comprising:
- optometer means for imaging radiation onto the plane of the pupil of an eye to form a retinal image and directly measuring the refraction of said eye as a function of said retinal image, said optometer means providing outputs representing said refraction of said eye on a periodic basis and at a rate corresponding to a plurality of measurements each second;
audio means responsive to each output of said optometer means for producing biofeedback tone information having a frequency representative of the refraction of an eye being measured to provide an indication of the current state of accommodation during training; and
side channel means for selectively placing blur cue information into said optometer means for projection by said optometer means onto the retina of said eye during training to permit accommodation training to selectively occur in the presence of a focusing target.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for performing accommodation training under clinical conditions are provided in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. An infrared optometer is employed to measure a patient'"'"'s accommodation and outputs therefrom are employed to generate tone information and viewable patient information indicative of the state of focus in a rapid manner. A patient is trained at an empirical rate determined by the viewable information until a predetermined proficiency in the voluntary control of accommodation is achieved. Thereafter, stimuli to accommodation, the accommodation convergence reflex and blur cue information are selectively introduced to generalize the voluntary control of accommodation achieved to a conventional environment so that the same may serve to reduce various visual acuity problems in a patient being trained.
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Citations
64 Claims
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1. Accommodation training apparatus comprising:
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optometer means for imaging radiation onto the plane of the pupil of an eye to form a retinal image and directly measuring the refraction of said eye as a function of said retinal image, said optometer means providing outputs representing said refraction of said eye on a periodic basis and at a rate corresponding to a plurality of measurements each second; audio means responsive to each output of said optometer means for producing biofeedback tone information having a frequency representative of the refraction of an eye being measured to provide an indication of the current state of accommodation during training; and side channel means for selectively placing blur cue information into said optometer means for projection by said optometer means onto the retina of said eye during training to permit accommodation training to selectively occur in the presence of a focusing target. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Accommodation training apparatus comprising:
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optometer means for imaging a pair of slits sized to admit of entry within a normal pupil onto the plane of the pupil of an eye to be measured to form a retinal image of an illuminating source and directly measuring the refraction of said eye as a function of said retinal image, said optometer means providing no normal fixation image to assist in maintaining an accommodation level for said eye being measured, said optometer means providing outputs representing said refraction of said eye on a periodic basis and at a rate corresponding to a plurality of measurements each second; sample-and-hold means connected to said optometer means for directly receiving each output provided thereby, said sample-and-hold means storing each output received from said optometer means and producing an output signal representative of the peak level of each output stored, said sample-and hold means acting to store each output received from said optometer means until a succeeding output is received to provide a continuous output signal having a magnitude representative of the peak level of the last output received from said optometer means; frequency convertor means for producing tone information which varies as a function of said output signal produced by said sample and hold means, said frequency convertor means being connected to directly receive said output signal produced by said sample-and-hold means; and transducer means for receiving said tone information produced by said frequency convertor means and producing continuous, audible information therefrom to immediately indicate the state of accommodation of an eye being measured. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method of accommodation training comprising the steps of:
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projecting radiation onto the plane of the pupil of an eye to form a retinal image in a dark environment where no focusing target is present; imaging said retinal image upon sensor means to directly measure the refraction of said eye as a function of said retinal image; scanning said sensor means on a periodic basis to provide outputs representing the measured refraction of said eye, said scanning occurring at a rate corresponding to a plurality of measurements each second; displaying each output provided; sampling each output provided by scanning and holding a value representative of a peak value of each output sampled until a succeeding output is produced; continuously translating each value held to tone information having a frequency representative of said value held and corresponding to said measured refraction of said eye; transducing said tone information into audible information to provide continuous biofeedback information to a patient being trained indicative of the current state of accommodation of said eye; monitoring indicia of each output displayed and the condition of the patient being trained; and providing rest intervals for said patient in response to a spasm condition in said eye being measured or tiring of said patient as indicated by said indicia and condition monitored. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. Accommodation training apparatus comprising:
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optometer means for imaging radiation into the eye to form an image and directly measuring selected reflection of said eye as a function of said image, said optometer means providing outputs representing said reflection of said eye on a periodic basis and at a rate corresponding to a plurality of measurements each second; means for selectively introducing an alignment image to said optometer means for aligning an eye to be measured with said optometer means, said alignment image being introduced into said optometer means in a manner to be imaged upon the iris of said eye at the plane of the pupil; video display means responsive to outputs of said optometer means for providing a video display representative of the nature of such outputs including a peak value associated therewith, said video display means indicating proper alignment through the display of a peak value corresponding to a maximized magnitude; sample-and-hold means connected to said optometer means for receiving each output provided thereby, said sample-and-hold means storing each output received from said optometer means and providing an output signal representative of the level of each output stored, said sample-and-hold means acting in response to the receipt of each output from said optometer means corresponding to periodic measurements of reflection of an eye to store a value corresponding to a measurement until succeeding outputs from said optometer means are received; and meter display means for indicating the value of outputs from said optometer means corresponding to periodic measurements of reflection of an eye, said meter display means being connected to said sample-and-hold means and including means for correcting values displayed for disparities between pupil size and radiation imaged into the eye.
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Specification