Apparatus for monitoring physiolgical data to detect drug impairment

• US 5,137,345 A
• Filed: 05/15/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Visionetx Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Oculokinetics, Inc.
• Inventors: Waldorf, Ronald A., Mauch, Barbara J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US07/700,445
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 351/205, 351/206, 351/209-213, 351/221, 351/243, 128/745
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye

Abstract

A non-invasive apparatus for monitoring physiological responses for detecting the presence of drug impairment. The oculomotor and pupillary system is monitored and evaluated to detect the ingestion of drugs and the impairing effect or influence thereof. The horizontal, vertical, oblique and torsional eye movement, eye lid blink activity as well as the size and reactivity of the pupil are the primary data sources. An enclosed chamber surrounds each of the eyes of the subject, and thereby precludes the admission of ambient light. Within each chamber are disposed point sources of infrared radiation specifically oriented with respect to the subject'"'"'s eye. An infrared sensitive video camera is positioned to minimize the effect of cosine compression within each chamber relative to the subject and is positioned with respect to the infrared radiation sources in order to provide maximum contrast between the pupil and iris of the eye. To detect movement of the eye in response to visible stimulus, a plurality of low intensity, visible light sources are disposed horizontally and vertically within each chamber. The sequential illumination of the visible light sources simulates eye movement while precluding pupil reaction thereto. The output of the video camera is processed concurrently with data responsive to other physiological responses to determine drug impairment.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data of a human subject to detect drug impairment comprising:

(a) a viewport housing having a viewport shield and first and second interior chambers separated by an opaque member, each chamber adapted to be adjacent an eye of the subject;

(b) sealing means for excluding substantially all ambient light from impinging upon the eyes of the subject, said sealing means being coupled about the viewport shield;

(c) energy absorbing means for absorbing energy radiated in the infrared range of the spectrum disposed upon the surfaces of the interior chambers and the opaque member;

(d) directed infrared source means for radiating energy in the infrared range of the spectrum at target areas of the eyes of the subject and mounted within each of said first and second interior chambers; and

(e) video sensing means for sensing images of the subject'"'"'s eye illuminated by radiation in the infrared range of the spectrum mounted within each of the first and second interior chambers.

2. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data defined in claim 1 wherein said video sensing means comprises video cameras sensitive to infrared radiation, each of said video cameras being positioned to minimize the effects of cosine compression.

3. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 2 wherein said video sensing means is laterally displaced relative to said opaque member and said directed infrared source means.

4. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 3 wherein each of said video cameras are laterally displaced by 20°

of arc from said opaque member.

5. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 1 wherein said directed infrared source means comprises a plurality of infrared, light emitting diodes.

6. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 5 wherein said light emitting diodes emit a point source of infrared radiation directed at a portion of the eye of the subject outside of the area of interest sensed by said video sensing means.

7. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 1 further including first and second illuminating source means for radiating a source of light in the visible portion of the spectrum at the eye of the subject, said illuminating source means being coupled within said first and second interior chambers.

8. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 1 further including:

(a) video conversion means for converting the output of said video sensing means into indicia responsive to the images sensed by said video sensing means;

(b) digital processing means coupled to said video conversion means for recording and comparing the output of said video conversion means to stored standards; and

(c) video monitoring means coupled to said digital processing means for exhibiting stored data.

9. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data of a human subject to detect drug impairment comprising:

(a) a viewport housing having a viewport shield and first and second interior chambers separated by a visually opaque member, each chamber adapted to circumscribe and be adjacent to an eye of the subject;

(b) sealing means for excluding substantially all ambient light from impinging upon the eyes of the subject, said sealing means being coupled about the viewport shield;

(c) energy absorbing means for absorbing energy radiated in the infrared range of the spectrum disposed upon the surfaces of the interior chambers and the visually opaque member;

(d) directed infrared source means for radiating energy in the infrared range of the spectrum at target areas of the eyes of the subject and mounted within each of said first and second interior chambers;

(e) first and second illuminating source means for radiating a source of light in the visual portion of the spectrum at the eye of the subject, said first and second illuminating source means being coupled within said first and second interior chambers respectively; and

(f) first and second video cameras sensitive to infrared radiation being mounted within said first and second interior chambers respectively, said video cameras being laterally displaced relative to said visually opaque member and said directed infrared source means whereby the effects of cosine compression are minimized.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said video cameras are laterally displaced by 20°

of arc from said visually opaque member.

11. An apparatus for monitoring physiological data as defined in claim 9 wherein said directed infrared source means emit a point source of infrared radiation directed at a portion of the eye of the subject outside of the area of interest sensed by said video sensing means.