Portable video oculography with region of interest image processing

• US 7,520,614 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spryson Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neuro Kinetics, Inc. (Neurolign Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiderman, Alexander D, MacDougall, Hamish G, Schroeder, John Howison, Wuyts, Floris L., Joos, Thomas C., Moore, Steven T
• Primary Examiner(s): Mack; Ricky L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thomas; Brandi N
• Application Number:
  US11/926,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080049187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 351/206, 351/205, 351/209, 351/221, 351/222, 351/243, 351/248
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement

Abstract

A goggle based light-weight VOG system includes at least one digital camera connected to and powered by a laptop computer through a firewire connection and allows for region of interest image processing. An EOG system may be incorporated directly into a goggle base. The digital camera may digitally center the pupil in both the X and Y directions. A calibration mechanism may be incorporated onto the goggle base. The VOG system may track and record head position and goggle slippage. An animated eye display may provide data in a more meaningful fashion. The VOG system may be a modular design whereby the same goggle frame or base is used to build a variety of digital camera VOG systems.

Claims

1. A portable video oculography system comprising:

a head mounted base adapted to be attached to a patient'"'"'s head;

at least one digital camera attached to the base, each camera configured to take images of one of the patient'"'"'s eyes; and

a controller coupled to each digital camera and receiving and storing data signals there from, the controller configured to crop the images to a defined region of interest of each image, whereby the controller is configured to ignore the data outside of the region of interest of the digital image following the cropping.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a power, control and data coupling extending to each digital camera for transmitting power and control signals to each digital camera and receiving data there from;

and

the controller coupled to each digital camera through the power, control and data coupling, the controller providing power and control signals to each digital camera.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein for at least some images, at least some data of the images that is outside the defined region of interest is not transmitted to the controller.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to digitally center the eye position of the patient during operation in at least two directions.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to effectively increase the data transmission rate of the camera.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to increase the pixel density of the region of interest.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the controller is used to track and record movement of the eye in an X-Y plane, and rotational movement of the eye and pupil dilation of the eye.

8. The system of claim 1 further including head tracking sensor mounted to the base.

9. A video oculography system comprising:

a head mounted base adapted to be attached to a patient'"'"'s head;

at least one digital camera attached to the base, each said digital camera operating at least at 30 frames per second and configured to take images of one of the patient'"'"'s eyes; and

a controller coupled to each digital camera and receiving and storing data signals there from of at least one of the patient'"'"'s eyes, the controller configured to crop the images to a defined region of interest of each image, whereby the controller is configured to ignore the data outside of the region of interest of the digital image following the cropping.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the controller is used to track and record movement of the eye in an X-Y plane, and rotational movement of the eye and pupil dilation of the eye.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to increase the pixel density of the region of interest.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to effectively increase the data transmission rate of the camera.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the region of interest image processing of the controller is used to digitally center the eye position of the patient during operation in at least two directions.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the controller displays an animated image of the patients'"'"' eye.

15. The system of claim 9 further including an array of light elements on the goggle base directed at the patients eye.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the array of light elements is an annular array and includes at least a pair of infrared LED elements and at least a pair of visible light LED elements facing the patient.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein for at least some images, at least some data of the images that is outside the defined region of interest is not transmitted to the controller.

18. A modular video oculography system comprising:

a head mounted goggle base adapted to be attached to a patient'"'"'s head;

at least one digital camera re-moveably attached to the base, each said digital camera operating at least at 30 frames per second and configured to take images of one of the patient'"'"'s eyes; and

a controller coupled to each digital camera and receiving and storing data signals there from, the controller configured to crop the images to a defined region of interest of each image, whereby the controller is configured to ignore the data outside of the region of interest of the digital image following the cropping.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the controller is used to track and record movement of the eye in an X-Y plane, and rotational movement of the eye and pupil dilation of the eye.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein further including an array of light elements on the goggle base directed at the patients eye, wherein the array of light elements is an annular array and includes at least a pair of infrared LED elements and at least a pair of visible light LED elements facing the patient.