Pupilary screening system and method

• US 8,911,085 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuroptics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Neuroptics Incorporated
• Inventors: Privitera, Claudio, Siminou, Kamran
• Primary Examiner(s): PINKNEY, DAWAYNE
• Application Number:
  US13/543,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20120274906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 351/200, 351/202, 351/205, 351/221, 351/246
• US Class Current: 351/202
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0425 Ergonomically shaped housings A61B2560/0418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0083 provided with means for patient positioning
• 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 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/145 by video means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4011 Evaluating olfaction, i.e. sense of smell
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal

Abstract

A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of stimulating the pupil with a stimulus source, such as a pupilometer and determining whether one of various pupillary response conditions is met.

Claims

1. A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex comprising the steps of:

stimulating said pupil with a stimulus source;

using a pupilometer, tracking the pupil'"'"'s constriction response, wherein the step of tracking the pupil constriction response begins when the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, collecting a plurality of data points, each data point corresponding with a diameter of the pupil at a specific point in time while the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, generating a pupil data profile by compiling the data points; and

using the pupilometer, determining whether each of the following conditions is met;

a. more than two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at three or more separate points in time during a period of no more than about four seconds in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

b. a first phase of the pupilary reflex response exists, wherein said first phase is characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, said first phase having a duration of less than about 100 msec or greater than about 1000 msec;

c. two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at two separate points in time, wherein said two separate points in time are within about 100 msec of each other in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

or

d. during the first phase of the pupilary reflex, the diameter of the pupil increases before it decreases;

wherein if the pupilometer determines that none of said conditions exists, the pupilometer provides an output that indicates that the pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex.

2. A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex comprising the steps of:

stimulating said pupil with a stimulus source;

using a pupilometer, tracking the pupil'"'"'s constriction response, wherein the step of tracking the pupil constriction response begins when the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, collecting a plurality of data points, each data point corresponding with a diameter of the pupil at a specific point in time while the pupil is being stimulated;

using the pupilometer, generating a pupil data profile by compiling the data points; and

using the pupilometer, determining whether each of the following conditions is met;

a. more than two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at three or more separate points in time during a period of no more than about four seconds in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

b. a first phase of the pupilary reflex response exists, wherein said first phase is characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, said first phase having a duration of less than about 100 msec or greater than about 1000 msec;

c. two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at two separate points in time, wherein, said two separate points in time are within about 200 msec of each other in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

or

d. during the first phase of the pupilary reflex, the diameter of the pupil increases before it decreases;

wherein if the pupilometer determines that none of said conditions exists, the pupilometer provides an output that indicates that the pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex.

3. A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex comprising the steps of:

stimulating said pupil with a stimulus source;

using a pupilometer, tracking the pupil'"'"'s constriction response, wherein the step of tracking the pupil constriction response begins when the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, collecting a plurality of data points, each data point corresponding with a diameter of the pupil at a specific point in time while the pupil is being stimulated;

using the pupilometer, generating a pupil data profile by compiling the data points; and

using the pupilometer, determining whether each of the following conditions is met;

a. more than two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at three or more separate points in time during a period of no more than about four seconds in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

b. a first phase of the pupilary reflex response exists, wherein said first phase is characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, said first phase having a duration of less than about 100 msec or greater than about 1000 msec;

c. two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at two separate points in time, wherein said two separate points in time are within about 300 msec of each other in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

or

d. during the first phase of the pupilary reflex, the diameter of the pupil increases before it decreases;

wherein if the pupilometer determines that none of said conditions exists, the pupilometer provides an output that indicates that the pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex.

4. A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex comprising the steps of:

stimulating said pupil with a stimulus source;

using a pupilometer, tracking the pupil'"'"'s constriction response, wherein the step of tracking the pupil constriction response begins when the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, collecting a plurality of data points, each data point corresponding with a diameter of the pupil at a specific point in time while the pupil is being stimulated;

using the pupilometer, generating a pupil data profile by compiling the data points; and

using the pupilometer, determining whether each of the following conditions is met;

a. more than two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at three or more separate points in time during a period of no more than about four seconds;

b. a first phase of the pupilary reflex response exists, wherein said first phase is characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, said first phase having a duration of less than about 100 msec or greater than about 1000 msec;

c. two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at two separate points in time, wherein said two separate points in time are within about 400 msec of each other in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

or

d. during the first phase of the pupilary reflex, the diameter of the pupil increases before it decreases;

wherein if the pupilometer determines that none of said conditions exists, the pupilometer provides an output that indicates that the pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex.

5. A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex comprising the steps of:

stimulating said pupil with a stimulus source;

using a pupilometer, tracking the pupil'"'"'s constriction response, wherein the step of tracking the pupil constriction response begins when the pupil is stimulated;

using the pupilometer, collecting a plurality of data points, each data point corresponding with a diameter of the pupil at a specific point in time while the pupil is being stimulated;

using the pupilometer, generating a pupil data profile by compiling the data points; and

using the pupilometer, determining whether each of the following conditions is met;

a. more than two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at three or more separate points in time during a period of no more than about four seconds in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

b. a first phase of the pupilary reflex response exists, wherein said first phase is characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, said first phase having a duration of less than about 100 msec or greater than about 1000 msec;

c. two data points exist representing the same pupil diameter at two separate points in time, wherein said two separate points in time are within about 260 msec of each other in a pupil that is reactive to the stimulus;

or

d. during the first phase of the pupilary reflex, the diameter of the pupil increases before it decreases;

wherein if the pupilometer determines that none of said conditions exists, the pupilometer provides an output that indicates that the pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex.