Apparatus, methods and systems for non-invasive ocular assessment of neurological function

• US 7,854,511 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 12/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Eye Marker Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Odom, James Vernon, Molnar, Lance, Linberg, John V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang; Hung X
• Application Number:
  US12/244,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20090147217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 351/221, 351/246, 351/218, 351/210, 351/206, 351/205, 351/200, 359/375, 359/362, 359/404
• US Class Current: 351/221
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/12 for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes A61B3/13 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/145 by video means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change

Abstract

A portable, non-invasive binocular scanning apparatus for rapid assessment of neurological function in cases of potential trauma, disease, and/or exposure to chemical treat agents. The scanning apparatus may utilize a combination of light sources for the measurement and assessment of pupillary response, retinal imagery, and/or other ophthalmologic biomarkers. The scanning apparatus can detect and assess a wide range of neurological and physiological conditions by obtaining pertinent measurements from the retina and pupil in real time.

Claims

1. A binocular pupillary response scanning apparatus comprising:

one or more visible light sources operable to illuminate a first eye and a second eye simultaneously or separately during testing;

one or more infrared light sources for continuously illuminating the first eye and the second eye during testing;

one or more imaging devices for detecting reflected infrared light from the first eye and the second eye;

a converter for converting the reflected infrared light into electrical image signals;

a signal transmitter for transmitting the electrical image signals; and

a processor for comparing the electrical image signals to a baseline for determining pupil area change.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor processes the electrical image signals.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more memories for storing the electrical image signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more interfaces for transmitting the electric image signals to the processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a display.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a light-blocking enclosure with an open end for receiving the first eye and the second eye.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a light-blocking divider positioned within the light-blocking enclosure for isolating the first eye from the second eye.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more imaging devices are charge-coupled device cameras.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more visible light sources emit visible light of variable intensities.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more infrared light sources emit light between approximately 700 to approximately 1,000 nm.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the one or more infrared light sources emit light between approximately 780 to approximately 860 nm.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a retinal scanning apparatus comprising one or more light sources corresponding to the first eye;

one or more light sources corresponding to a second eye;

one or more imaging devices for capturing a retinal image of the first eye during illumination of the first eye with the one or more light sources; and

one or more imaging devices for simultaneously capturing a retinal image of the second eye during illumination of the second eye with the one or more light sources.

13. A method for binocular diagnosis comprising:

providing a binocular scanning apparatus comprising;

one or more visible light sources;

one or more infrared light sources; and

one or more imaging devices;

continuously illuminating a first eye and a second eye with infrared light from the one or more infrared light sources during testing;

capturing at least one baseline image of the first eye or the second eye with the one or more imaging devices;

illuminating the first eye or the second eye with visible light from the one or more visible light sources for a predetermined duration;

capturing at least one test image of the first eye or the second eve with the one or more imaging devices during testing;

transmitting the at least one test image to a processor;

comparing the at least one test image with at least one baseline; and

determining pupil area change.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising comparing pupillary response of the first eye to pupillary response of the second eye in the captured images.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising formulating a diagnosis based on the comparing step.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising repeating the illuminating and capturing steps for a predetermined number of cycles.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising varying the intensity of the visible light between cycles.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing a dark field condition around the first eye and the second eye during the illuminating and capturing steps.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing the captured images to determine pupillary response measurements.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the pupillary response measurements are selected from the group consisting of pupil reaction/redilation latency, pupil reaction duration, pupil reaction rate, maximal pupil area change, percentage of maximal pupil area change, rebound percentage during redilation, and combinations thereof.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the baseline is average size and response data from captured images for a population to which the subject belongs.

22. A retinal scanning apparatus comprising:

one or more light sources corresponding to a first eye;

one or more light sources corresponding to a second eye;

a light-blocking enclosure for dark-adapting the first eye and the second eye;

a light-blocking divider positioned within the light-blocking enclosure for isolating

the first eye from the second eye;

one or more imaging devices for capturing a retinal image of the first eye during illumination of the first eye with the one or more light sources;

one or more imaging devices for simultaneously capturing a retinal image of the second eye during illumination of the second eye with the one or more light sources; and

a processor for locating an optical disk in the retinal image of the first eye and the retinal image of the second eye and determining retinal blood vessel oxygen saturation levels or nerve conditions.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more light sources are infrared light sources.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more imaging devices are charge-coupled device cameras.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a binocular pupillary response scanning apparatus comprising:

one or more visible light sources operable to illuminate the first eye and the second eye simultaneously or separately;

one or more infrared light sources for continuously illuminating the first eye and the second eye; and

one or more imaging devices for detecting reflected infrared light from the first eye and the second eye.

26. A method of scanning a retina comprising:

providing a retinal scanning apparatus comprising;

one or more infrared light sources for illuminating a first eye;

one or more infrared light sources corresponding to a second eye;

a light-blocking enclosure for dark-adapting the first eye and the second eye;

a light-blocking divider positioned within the light-blocking enclosure for isolating the first eye from the second eye;

one or more imaging devices for capturing a retinal image of the first eye during illumination of the first eye with the one or more infrared light sources; and

one or more imaging devices for simultaneously capturing a retinal image of the second eye during illumination of the second eye with the one or more infrared light sources;

illuminating the first eye with continuous infrared light from the one or more infrared light sources for illuminating the first eye while simultaneously illuminating the second eye with continuous infrared light from the one or more infrared light sources for illuminating the second eye;

capturing at least one image of the first eye with the one or more imaging devices for capturing a retinal image of the first eye;

simultaneously capturing at least one image of the second eye with the one or more imaging devices for capturing a retinal image of the second eye;

locating an optical disk in the retinal image of the first eye and the retinal image of the second eye and determining retinal blood vessel oxygen saturation levels or nerve conditions; and

analyzing the captured images for diagnosing a condition of the first eye and the second eye.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein analyzing the captures images further comprises:

tracking blood vessels in the retina;

determining retinal blood vessel type;

digitizing retinal blood vessel and retina images;

normalizing the background and color of the retinal blood vessel and retina images; and

establishing an individual-specific retinal standard.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the captured images are stored in a database, wherein the database further comprises normalized values for retinal standards, wherein the normalized values for retinal standards are a subject'"'"'s average measurements selected from the group consisting of retina blood vessel coloration, retinal vascular caliber, surface area of the retina covered by blood vessels, and combinations thereof.