Method and system for detecting eye disease

• US 6,656,131 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Notal Vision, Inc. (NOTAL Vision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Notal Vision, Inc. (NOTAL Vision Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rafaeli, Omer, Alster, Yair, Azmon, Barak
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg, Max F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WINGOOD, PAMELA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US09/781,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 600/558, 600/300, 600/301, 351/200-221, 351/246, 705/1-4
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0091 Fixation targets for viewing direction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/024 for determining the visual field, e.g. perimeter types
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/032 Devices for presenting test symbols or characters, e.g. test chart projectors A61B3/036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W

Abstract

A method and system for detecting eye disease. A pattern is displayed on a screen to an individual, who is made to fixate his vision on a point in the pattern. The pattern is then hidden and a second pattern is displayed. The individual then compares the second pattern, as perceived by him, with a pre-defined pattern. These steps are then repeated several times. It is then determined whether the individual has an eye disease based on the comparisons.

Claims

1. A method for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising steps of:

(a) displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on a surface, the first pattern comprising at least one point;

(b) fixating the individual'"'"'s vision on a point in the first pattern;

(c) hiding at least a portion of the first pattern;

(d) displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image of the second pattern;

(e) obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and a predefined pattern;

(f) repeating steps (a) to (e) a number of times; and

(g) determining whether the individual has an eye disease based on the comparisons.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second pattern and the predefined pattern are substantially identical, an eye disease being detected when the perceived image and the predefined pattern are not identical.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second pattern and the predefined pattern are not identical.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the second pattern is similar to an image of the predefined pattern perceived by an individual with eye disease.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the predefined pattern comprises a plurality of components and the second pattern is obtained by a modification of the predefined pattern, the modification being selected from the group consisting of:

displacing at least one component of the predefined pattern,

removing at least one component of the predefined pattern,

blurring at least one component of the predefined pattern, and

changing an optical property of at least one component of the predefined pattern.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined pattern or the second pattern comprises one or more lines.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein one or more of said lines is a broken line comprising a plurality of segments.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined pattern comprises a plurality of identical components.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predefined pattern comprises a plurality of components at least two of which are not identical.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the second pattern is obtained by rotation and/or translation of the predefined pattern.

11. The method according to claim 7 wherein the gaps between said segments are between 0 and 120 minutes arc in length, and each segment of said plurality of segments has a height and a width between 1 and 120 minutes arc.

12. The method according to claim 6 wherein the predefined pattern or the second pattern comprises two or more parallel lines.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the spacing between at least one pair of adjacent parallel lines of said two or more parallel lines is from about 10 to about 600 minutes arc.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and the predefined pattern comprises the individual'"'"'s indicating a difference between the predefined pattern and the perceived image.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the difference is selected from the group consisting of:

a component of the predefined pattern that is displaced in the perceived image;

at least one component of the predefined pattern that is missing in the perceived image;

at least one component of the predefined pattern that is blurred in the perceived image; and

at least one component of the predefined pattern having an altered optical property in the perceived image.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface is a monitor screen.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein the pattern comprises at least one immobilized component that flashes on and off at least once.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein the pattern comprises at least one moving component.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of fixating the individual'"'"'s vision on a point on the screen comprises the individual'"'"'s bringing a cursor to the point.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the second pattern appears on the screen upon the individual'"'"'s clicking a mouse when the cursor is on the point.

21. The method according to claim 16 wherein the surface forms a visually noisy background to a displayed pattern.

22. The method according to claim 19 wherein the cursor is restricted to a path adjacent to the pattern.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of producing an analysis of one or more comparisons so as to determine existence, extent, type, or location of an eye disease in the individual.

24. The method according to claim 16 wherein one or more comparisons are transmitted over a communication network to a processor and stored in a memory.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein the communication network is a computer network such as local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN or a PAN.

26. The method according to claim 24 wherein one or more comparisons are transmitted over the communication network in real time.

27. The method according to claim 24, further comprising a step of transmitting over the communication network times at which the method is performed by the individual and storing the times in a memory.

28. The method according to claim 27 further comprising a step of sending a reminder to the individual to perform the test if the individual fails to perform the test as instructed by a health care provider.

29. The method according to claim 27, further comprising a step of transmitting over the communication network in real time to a health care provider of results of an analysis of the comparisons.

30. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first and second patterns are displayed on a monitor screen, the predefined pattern is a broken line comprising a plurality of segments, and the step of obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and the predefined pattern comprises bringing a cursor to a segment in the second pattern perceived by the individual to be misaligned relative to other segments, blurred relative to other segments, or absent.

31. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second patterns are displayed on a monitor screen, the predefined pattern is a broken line comprising a plurality of segments, the second pattern is obtained from the predefined pattern by misaligning at least one segment relative to other segments of the broken line, blurring of at least one segment relative to other segments of the broken line, altering an optical property of at least one segment of the broken line, or removing of at least one segment of the broken line, and the step of obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and the predefined pattern comprises indicating a region of said screen in the vicinity of a segment in said second pattern perceived by the individual to be misaligned relative to other segments of said second pattern, to be blurred relative to other segments of said second pattern, to have optical properties different than the optical properties of other segments of said second pattern, or to be absent in said second pattern, respectively.

32. The method according to claim 1 wherein the eye disease is a retinal lesion.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein the retinal lesion is AMD or diabetes related.

34. The method according to claim 1 wherein steps (a) to (e) are repeated 40 to 80 times.

35. A system for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising:

a surface configured to display a first pattern to the individual, said first pattern comprising at least one point;

a device for fixating the individual'"'"'s vision on a point in a pattern displayed on said surface and for hiding at least a portion of said pattern after the individual'"'"'vision has been fixated on the point;

a device for selecting a portion of a pattern displayed on said surface; and

a processor configured to carry out the steps of,

displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on a surface, the first pattern comprising at least one point,

determining when the individual'"'"'s vision is fixated on a point in said first pattern,

hiding at least a portion of the first pattern upon the individual fixating his vision on a point in the first pattern,

displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image, and

obtaining a comparison of said perceived image and a predefined pattern.

36. The system according to claim 35 wherein said surface is part of a display device operatively coupled to said device for fixating.

37. The system according to claim 35 wherein the device for selecting a portion of a pattern comprises an input device operatively coupled to said device for fixating the individual'"'"'s vision on a point of the surface.

38. The system according to claim 35 wherein the device for selecting a portion of a pattern comprises a pointing device for operatively moving a cursor on said screen.

42. The system according to claim 37 wherein said input device is selected from a computer mouse, a keyboard, a joystick, and a touch screen.

39. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for detecting eye disease in an individual, comprising the steps of:

displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on a surface, the first pattern comprising at least one point;

determining when the individual'"'"'s vision is fixated on a point near or in the pattern;

hiding at least a portion of the first pattern upon the individual fixating his vision on a point in the first pattern;

displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on the surface so as to allow the individual to form a perceived image; and

obtaining a comparison of the perceived image and a predefined pattern.

40. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for detecting eye disease in an individual, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable program code for causing a computer to display a first pattern to the individual at a first location on a surface;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine when the individual'"'"'s vision is fixated on a point on said surface and for hiding at least a portion of the first pattern when the individual'"'"'s vision is fixated on said point;

computer readable program code for causing the computer to display a second pattern to the individual at a second location on said surface to allow the individual to form a perceived image of said second pattern; and

,

computer readable program code for causing the computer to obtain a comparison of said perceived image and a predefined pattern.

41. A system for detecting eye disease in an individual, the system comprising:

means for displaying patterns to the individual;

means for fixating the individual'"'"'s vision on a point in a pattern displayed on said means for displaying and for biding at least a portion of said pattern after the individual'"'"'s vision has been fixated on said point;

means for selecting a portion of a pattern displayed on said means for displaying;

processing means operatively coupled to said means for displaying, and said means for selecting and configured to perform the steps of,

displaying to the individual a first pattern at a first location on said means for displaying, the first pattern comprising at least one point,

determining when the individual'"'"'s vision is fixated on a point in said first pattern,

hiding at least a portion of said first pattern upon the individual fixating his vision on said point of said first pattern,

displaying a second pattern to the individual at a second location on said means for displaying to allow the individual to form a perceived image of said second pattern, and

obtaining a comparison of said perceived image and a predefined pattern.