Cognitive function training unit

• US 8,016,770 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Electric Works Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Akira, Inakagata, Satoru, Murakami, Shuji, Chiba, Yu, Fukushima, Shogo
• Primary Examiner(s): Hlndenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DANEGA, RENEE A
• Application Number:
  US11/596,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20080027352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 600/558, 128/897, 351/209, 351/211
• US Class Current: 600/558
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 5/00 Exercisers for the eyes

Abstract

A cognitive function training unit including an eye-target showing unit for showing a movable eye-target on a display disposed in front of the subject'"'"'s eye, an eye movement measuring unit for measuring a position and/or movement of the subject'"'"'s eye, and a judgment unit for judging whether or not the subject can fixedly look at or follow the eye-target based on the position and/or the movement of the eye-target shown on the display and the position and/or the movement of the subject'"'"'s eye measured by the eye movement measuring unit, and the eye-target showing unit shows the eye-target repeatedly while changing the position and/or the movement of the eye-target according to a judgment result of the judgment unit. Therefore, it is possible to show a suitable eye-target according to a symptom of a patient, whereby it is possible to conduct training efficiently.

Claims

1. A cognitive function training unit for training cognitive function of a subject comprising:

an eye-target showing means configured to show a movable eye-target on a display disposed in front of the subject'"'"'s eye;

an eye movement measuring means connected to an imaging device, the eye movement measuring means configured to measure at least one of a position and movement of the subject'"'"'s eye by manipulating an image of the subject'"'"'s eye obtained by said imaging device; and

a judgment means configured to judge whether the subject can follow the eye-target based on at least one of a position and movement of the eye-target shown on said display and at least one of the position and the movement of the subject'"'"'s eye measured by said eye movement measuring means,

wherein said eye-target showing means is configured to show the eye-target repeatedly while changing at least one of the horizontal position, horizontal movement, amplitude and display time of the eye-target according to a judgment result of said judgment means, and

wherein said judgment means is configured to judge that the subject cannot follow the eye-target when at least one of an eye position and an eye velocity of the subject measured by said eye movement measuring means is outside a predetermined variation range, and

wherein said eye-target showing means is configured to change the position and/or the movement of the eye-target so that the subject can follow the eye-target, when said judgment means judges that the subject cannot follow the eye-target.

2. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said eye-target showing means is configured to repeatedly show an eye-target which appears on a left side of a screen of said display and then moves to a right side,

said eye-target showing means is configured to move a position at which the eye-target appears on the screen to the right when said judgment means judges that the subject can not follow the eye-target.

3. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said eye-target showing means is configured to repeatedly show an eye-target which appears on a left side of a screen of said display and then moves to a right side,

said eye-target showing means is configured to slow a movement speed of the eye-target when said judgment means judges that the subject cannot follow the eye-target.

4. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said judgment means is configured to judge severity of the subject according to a degree that the subject cannot follow the eye-target,

said eye-target showing means is configured to change the position and/or the movement of the eye-target according to the severity.

5. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 4, wherein

said cognitive function training unit has a judgment mode configured to judge the severity of the subject and a rehabilitation mode configured for training the cognitive function of the subject,

in the judgment mode, said eye-target showing means being configured to show the eye-target in a predetermined test pattern and said judgment means being configured to judge the severity of the subject according to the degree that the subject cannot follow the eye-target,

in the rehabilitation mode, said eye-target showing means being configured to change at last one of the position and the movement of the eye-target according to the severity of the subject judged in the judgment mode.

6. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said eye-target showing means is configured to show an eye target of a 3-dimensional image on the display.

7. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said display, said eye-target showing means, said eye movement measuring means, and said judgment means are housed in a case, said case being able to be mounted on a head of the subject.

8. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said eye-target showing means is configured to repeatedly show an eye-target which appears on a right side of a screen of said display and then moves to a left side,

said eye-target showing means is configured to move a position at which the eye-target appears on the screen to the left when said judgment means judges that the subject cannot follow the eye-target.

9. The cognitive function training unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein

said eye-target showing means is configured to repeatedly show an eye-target which appears on a right side of a screen of said display and then moves to a left side,

said eye-target showing means is configured to slow a movement speed of the eye-target when said judgment means judges that the subject cannot follow the eye-target.

10. A cognitive function training unit for training cognitive function of a subject comprising:

an eye-target showing means configured to show a movable eye-target on a display disposed in front of the subject'"'"'s eye;

an eye movement measuring means connected to an imaging device, the eye movement measuring means configured to measure at least one of a position and movement of the subject'"'"'s eye by manipulating an image of the subject'"'"'s eye obtained by said imaging device; and

a judgment means configured to judge whether the subject can perform at least one of;

fixedly look at the eye-target based on at least one of the position and the movement of the eye-target shown on said display and at least one of the position and the movement of the subject'"'"'s eye measured by said eye movement measuring means, and

follow the eye-target based on at least one of the position and the movement of the eye-target shown on said display and at least one of the position and the movement of the subject'"'"'s eye measured by said eye movement measuring means,

wherein said eye-target showing means is configured to show the eye-target repeatedly while changing at least one of the position and the movement of the eye-target according to a judgment result of said judgment means,

wherein said judgment means is configured to detect an eye position of the subject and a showing position of the eye-target, and calibrate a correlation between a coordinate system of the eye-movement measuring means and a coordinate system of the eye-target showing means based upon the detected eye-position and the showing position of the eye-target, and

wherein said judgment means judges that the subject cannot follow the eye-target when at least one of an eye position and an eye velocity of the subject measured by said eye movement measuring means is outside a predetermined variation range.