Method and apparatus for monitoring eye tremor

• US 7,011,410 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brainstem Biometrics
• Original Assignee: EyeTect, LLC
• Inventors: Arms, Steven W., Bolger, Ciaran, Townsend, Christopher P., Smith, Kurt R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAHBOUR, HENRY
• Application Number:
  US09/988,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085174A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• Field of Search: 351/209, 351/205, 351/210, 351/41, 600/501, 600/558, 600/595, 128/898, 606/4, 606/5, 606/6
• US Class Current: 351/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4821 Determining level or depth of anaesthesia A61B5/1106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00

Abstract

An apparatus consistent with the present invention comprises a sensor for receiving a signal representing eye tremor and a processor for monitoring eye tremor while receiving the signal. A method consistent with the present invention includes receiving a signal representing eye tremor, comparing the received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value, and classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using the comparison of the received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value. An embodiment consistent with the present invention includes an ocular micro tremor (OMT) sensor and associated signal processing hardware and software for clinical analyses.

Claims

1. A method for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

filtering microsaccades.

2. A method for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

selecting an eye tremor signal window.

3. A method for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

reducing signal interference from a power supply.

4. A method, executed by a processor, for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

filtering microsaccades.

5. A method, executed by a processor, for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

selecting an eye tremor signal window.

6. A method, executed by a processor, for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value;

classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

reducing signal interference from a power supply.