Method and apparatus for monitoring eye tremor

• US 8,025,404 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brainstem Biometrics
• Original Assignee: EyeTect, LLC
• Inventors: Bolger, Ciaran, Smith, Kurt R., Arms, Steven W., Townsend, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenburg; Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US12/588,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• Field of Search: 600/587, 600/588, 600/595, 351/209
• US Class Current: 351/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/02 Details of sensors specially adapted for in-vivo measurements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4821 Determining level or depth of anaesthesia A61B5/1106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6821 Eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00

Abstract

An apparatus consistent with the present invention comprises a sensor for receiving a signal representing eye tremor and a processor for monitoring eye tremor while receiving the signal. A method consistent with the present invention includes receiving a signal representing eye tremor, comparing the received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value, and classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using the comparison of the received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value. An embodiment consistent with the present invention includes an ocular micro tremor (OMT) sensor and associated signal processing hardware and software for clinical analyses.

Claims

1. A system for classifying a patient'"'"'s brain stem function using eye tremor, comprising:

a sensor for receiving a signal representing eye tremor;

a processor for comparing said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

a classifier for classifying the patient'"'"'s brain stem function using said comparison of said received signal representing eye tremor to at least one reference value; and

a filter for filtering microsaccades.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

a classifier for determining the patient'"'"'s depth of anesthesia.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

a classifier for determining the patient'"'"'s coma prognosis.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from said received signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from a system that did not produce said received signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from a signal produced by an electroencephalogram (EEG) monitor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from an electroencephalogram (EEG)-based monitor.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from an electroencephalogram (EEG) index.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further comprises:

means for determining said at least one reference value from a signal related to auditory evoked potential.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for determining the patient'"'"'s depth of coma.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for monitoring the patient while in a coma state.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for determining the patient'"'"'s brain stem viability.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for monitoring motor neuron disease in the patient.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for analyzing the patient'"'"'s sleep pattern.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for assessing the patient'"'"'s combat readiness.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the classifier further comprises:

means for determining when the patient transitions between consciousness and unconsciousness.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reducer for reducing artifacts from electromagnetic interference.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a discriminator for selecting an eye tremor signal window.