Pupilometer with pupil irregularity detection, pupil tracking, and pupil response detection capability, glaucoma screening capability, intracranial pressure detection capability, and ocular aberration measurement capability

• US 7,147,327 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neuroptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neuroptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Oliver, Jeffrey, Siminou, Kamran, Stark, Lawrence W., Privitera, Claudio M.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US10/699,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20040246441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: 351204-212, 351/221, 351/246, 600398-400, 600/474, 600/549, 382/117
• US Class Current: 351/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0648 the light being directed to the eyes

Abstract

A pupilometer having a pupil irregularity or non-uniformity detection capability. The pupilometer may comprise an imaging sensor for generating signals representative of a pupil of an eye, a data processor; and a program executable by the data processor for enabling the data processor to process signals received from the imaging sensor and to thereby identify one or more regions of non-uniformity within an image of a perimeter of the pupil. The pupilometer may incorporate several innovative calibration and thresholding routines and may provide the basis for an innovative medical diagnostics system, when coupled to a network containing a suitable medical database and data processing hardware.

Claims

1. A medical diagnosis system comprising:

a pupilometer for obtaining a first set of data representative of one or more pupilary characteristics from an eye of an individual;

an amplitude modulated light source in electrical communication with the pupilometer, the light source adapted for stimulating an eye over a continuous range of amplitudes;

a central processing unit in communication with the pupilometer and the light source.

2. The medical diagnosis system of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit controls the amplitude of the light source.

3. The medical diagnosis system of claim 1, further comprising a database for storing a second set of data representative of one or more pupilary characteristics, and wherein the central processing unit compares the first set of data with the second set of data to detect neurological deterioriation.

4. The medical diagnosis system of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit comprises an algorithm that converts said first set of data to one or more scalar values.

5. The medical diagnosis system of claim 1, wherein the central processing unit stores temporal data.

6. The medical diagnosis system of claim 1, wherein the central processing sequences the light source.