Method for diagnosing a disease state using ocular characteristics

• US 7,703,918 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Molnar, Lance R., Kolanko, Christopher J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hasan; Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US10/740,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,321 Days
• Field of Search: 351205-223, 351/246, 435/6, 435/18, 435/28, 435/7.5, 435/7.95
• US Class Current: 351/205
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/00 Apparatus for testing the eyes; Instruments for examining the eyes eye inspection using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/10; devices for treatment of the eyes A61F9/00; exercisers for the eyes A61H5/00; optical systems in general G02B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/11 for measuring interpupillary distance or diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/112 for measuring diameter of pupils
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for diagnosing a disease state in a subject, including examining the subject'"'"'s eyes in order to determine whether the subject exhibits one or more symptoms of the disease state. Symptoms of the disease state include altered ocular characteristics, such as pupil size, pupil motility, ocular blood vessel coloration, and strobe light cutoff frequency. By evaluating changes to ocular characteristics, a disease state can be diagnosed in a subject. In addition, the seventy of the disease state also can be determined.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a disease state in a subject, comprising the steps of:

(a) examining the subject'"'"'s eye in order to determine whether the subject exhibits an ocular characteristic of the disease state and, if so;

(b) evaluating the ocular characteristic of said step (a) in order to diagnose the disease state, including its severity by;

(1) quantifying the ocular characteristic; and

(2) comparing the quantified value from said step (1) to a normal value for the ocular characteristic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ocular characteristic is selected from the group consisting of pupil size, pupil motility, pupillary light reflex, blood vessel coloration, blood vessel architecture, ischemic spots, exudates appearance, cellular degeneration, and strobe cutoff frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease state of said step (a) is selected from the group consisting of exposure to a biological toxin or chemical agent, systemic hypertension, internal trauma, inadequate nutritional status, and altered cognitive state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the biological toxin or chemical agent is selected from the group consisting of organophosphates, carbon monoxide, cyanide, and botulinum toxin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject'"'"'s eye is examined passively in said step (a).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the disease state is diagnosed automatically in said step (b).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject'"'"'s eye is examined by looking sequentially for ocular characteristics indicative of a disease state.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the sequence of ocular characteristics for which the eyes are examined is:

pupil size, pupillary light reflex, strobe cutoff frequency, and retinal vessel coloration.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the normal value for the ocular characteristic of said step (2) is determined for each subject.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the normal value for the ocular characteristic of said step (2) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.

11. A method of diagnosing exposure to a chemical agent or a biological toxin, comprising the steps of:

(a) evaluating a primary ocular characteristic to determine whether there has been exposure to the chemical agent or biological toxin; and

(b) evaluating a secondary ocular characteristic to determine to what extent the subject was exposed to the chemical agent or biological toxin, wherein evaluating said secondary ocular characteristic comprises the steps of;

(b1) quantifying the secondary ocular characteristic; and

(b2) comparing the quantity from said step (b1) to a normal quantity for said secondary ocular characteristic.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said primary ocular characteristic of said step (a) is the same as the secondary ocular characteristic of said step (b).

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said primary ocular characteristic is evaluated by:

(a1) quantifying the primary ocular characteristic; and

(a2) comparing the quantity from said step (a1) to a normal quantity for said primary ocular characteristic.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the normal quantity from said step (a2) is determined for each subject.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the normal quantity from said step (a2) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the normal quantity from said step (b2) is determined for each subject.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the normal quantity from said step (b2) is determined as an average for a population to which the subject belongs.