Color reactivity device and method

• US 5,947,908 A
• Filed: 02/18/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ritchi Morris
• Original Assignee: Ritchi Morris
• Inventors: Morris, Ritchi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARTER, RYAN CHRISTOPHER
• Application Number:
  US08/801,552
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 600/21, 600/26-28, 600/382-385, 600/484, 601/15
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/066 for testing colour vision

Abstract

An apparatus and method for deriving, with respect to a particular individual, those color hues which have particularly major impact upon the individual in terms of being most positive or most negative. The patient is subjected to a display of changing color hues and is fitted with a biofeedback assembly that measures involuntary body system responses as the individual views the display. These measurements are coordinated with the color display in order to identify each color shade'"'"'s impact upon the individual. In one preferred embodiment, the color display is generated by a monochromatic light source in order to subject the patient to true or pure color.

Claims

1. A color reactivity device, to derive with respect to an individual, particularly influential color hues, comprising:

a patient interface means including a display means for presentation of a successive display of different hues of color during a time interval;

means for isolation of the viewing field of the patient in order to concentrate the attention of the patient on the display means;

biofeedback means connectable to a patient, to measure selected objective body function responses of the patient which are susceptible to involuntary response to visually perceived color stimuli, and convert the responses to electric data signals;

means for providing a color display at the patient interface means display means including a color display program having means for successively presenting a plurality of individual color hues for viewing by the patient;

said means for providing a color display at the patient interface means including a monochromatic light source;

an optic fiber cable connecting the display means to the monochromatic light source;

said display means including a head-worn device that includes a frame to fit on the head of a patient;

a sight module carried by the frame;

said sight module having right and left optical chambers viewable by the patent when wearing the frame, said fiber optic cable connected to the optical chambers, and diffuser means in the optic chambers to provide display of pure color to the patient;

computer processor means connected to the biofeedback means for processing body function response data of the patient; and

output means connected to the computer processor means to generate an output display of processed data showing body function response in coordination with each color hue presented by the color display program.

2. The color reactivity device of claim 1 wherein:

said biofeedback means includes a biofeedback assembly having a plurality of biofeedback sensors connectable to the body of the patient.

3. The color reactivity device of claim 2 wherein:

said biofeedback assembly includes a plurality of biofeedback sensors each specifically selected to measure a bodily function chosen from the following list;

EMG, EEG, skin conductance, skin temperature, heart rate, blood volume pulse, blood pressure, and respiration.

4. The color reactivity device of claim 1 wherein:

said computer processor means includes a microprocessor.

5. The color reactivity device of claim 4 wherein:

said output means includes a computer monitor.

6. The color reactivity device of claim 5 wherein:

said output means includes a printer.

7. The color reactivity device of claim 6 wherein:

said output means includes a computer monitor and a printer.

8. The color reactivity device of claim 7 wherein:

said biofeedback means includes a biofeedback assembly having a plurality of biofeedback sensors connectable to the body of the patient.

9. The color reactivity device of claim 8 wherein:

said biofeedback assembly includes a plurality of biofeedback sensors each specifically selected for the purpose of measuring a bodily function chosen from the following list;

EMG, EEG, skin conductance, skin temperature, heart rate, blood volume pulse, blood pressure, and respiration.

10. The color reactivity device of claim 1 wherein:

said monochromatic light source includes a monochromator in conjunction with a lamp that radiates a continuous visual spectrum of light.

11. A method of determining, with respect to an individual, particularly influential color hues, comprising:

providing a display means and isolating the field of view of the individual so that the individual sees substantially only a display on the display means;

providing a monochromatic light source connected to the display means for viewing by the individual a display consisting of a succession of changing color hues generated by the monochromatic light source during a time interval;

using biofeedback sensors for electronically measuring objective body function responses of the individual to each individual color hue, while the patient is viewing the color display, chosen from the following list;

EMG, EEG, skin conductance, skin temperature, heart rate, blood volume pulse, blood pressure, and respiration;

using a computer processor to process measurement data provided by the biofeedback equipment and coordinate it with the color display; and

displaying the processed data.