Apparatus and method for noninvasive testing of voluntary and involuntary motor response patterns

• US 4,854,329 A
• Filed: 07/21/1987
• Issued: 08/08/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: James C. Walruff
• Original Assignee: James C. Walruff
• Inventors: Walruff, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Howell, Kyle L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Application Number:
  US07/075,955
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 128/745, 128/741, 128/905, 340/573-576, 351/205-206
• 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

Abstract

Apparatus and method are disclosed for providing a noninvasive testing of the status of the motor muscle response of an individual by testing specific voluntary and involuntary motor responses. The voluntary motor response is tested by having the individual under test enter a preselected code sequence (for example, in a keypad) and measuring the parameters associated with the sequence entry. The measured parameters are compared with baseline, non-impaired, parameters for that individual performing the same activity. The involuntary motor response is measured by introducing a transient light stimulus to the pupil of the eye and measuring the response and recovery parameters of the pupil to the light stimulus. The measured involuntary response parameters to the light stimulus is also compared to baseline, non-impaired parameters for the individual responding to the same situation. By comparing measured response parameters to baseline response parameters, non-impairment as an individualized (as contrasted with a statistical) condition can be determined. The tests are positive in nature, in that they designate non-impaired performance of people, identifying impaired persons only be default and not suggesting the source of impairment.

Claims

1. Testing apparatus for on-site testing of motor response impairment of a subject, wherein voluntary and involuntary response baseline parameters along with an identification code are stored on a data card suitable for convenient conveyance by said subject, said testing apparatus comprising:

data entry means for manually entering data in said testing apparatus, said subject entering subject code in said testing apparatus by means of said data entry means;

voluntary response means for measuring voluntary response parameters resulting from manipulation of said data entry means according to a predetermined pattern;

involuntary response means for measuring involuntary response parameters associated with changes in a pupil of said eye resulting from a transient light stimulus;

card reading means for entering data from said data card into said apparatus; and

comparison means for comparing said subject code with said identification code;

a positive comparison between said subject code and said identification code permitting further operation of said comparison means, said comparison means for comparing said voluntary and involuntary response baseline parameters stored on said data card with measured voluntary and involuntary response parameters from said voluntary response means and said involuntary response means, said comparison means providing a signal indicating when said subject'"'"'s voluntary and involuntary response parameters meet preselected criteria without operator intervention.

2. The motor response impairment testing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said comparison means includes means for said preselected criteria in said comparison means, said preselected criteria determining allowable tolerances between said voluntary and involuntary baseline response parameters and said voluntary and involuntary measured response parameters.

3. The motor response impairment testing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said measured voluntary parameters associated with said data entry means include timing parameters associated with activation of a predetermined sequence of entry units associated with said data entry means, said measured voluntary response parameters and said baseline response parameters including patterns of said predetermined sequence activation.

4. The motor response impairment testing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said involuntary response means includes a color video unit, said color video unit automatically determining a number of pixels of a video image having a preestablished color, wherein an area of said pupil is determined by a total number of pixels having said preestablished color, said involuntary response means including apparatus for measuring an area of said pupil as a function of time.

5. The motor response impairment testing apparatus of claim 4 further comprising a display means, said display means receiving preestablished signals from said testing apparatus for coordinating activity of said subject during an impairment test procedure.

6. The method of on-site testing of nonimpairment of motor muscle activity by a subject, said method comprising the steps of:

testing an involuntary motor response of a subject as a function of time when said involuntary motor response is nonimpaired;

storing a first set of time dependent parameters resulting from said testing of said involuntary motor response on a data card, said data card including subject identification data;

testing a voluntary motor response of said subject as a function of time when said voluntary motor response is nonimpaired;

storing a second set of time dependent parameters resulting from said voluntary motor response testing on said data card;

transferring said first and said second set of response parameters and said identification data from said data card to an on-site testing apparatus;

comparing said identification data with data entered manually in said test apparatus to confirm a relationship between said data card and said subject;

repeating said involuntary motor response testing step by said subject by means of said on-site testing apparatus and generating a third set of time dependent parameters derived therefrom;

comparing said first set of parameters with said set of parameters without operator intervention;

repeating said voluntary motor response testing step by said subject by means of said on-site testing apparatus and generating a fourth set of time dependent parameters derived therefrom;

comparing said second set of parameters with said fourth set of parameters without operator intervention; and

indicating nonimpairment of said subject'"'"'s involuntary motor response when said relationship is confirmed, said first and said third set of time dependent parameters are within specified tolerances and said second and said fourth set of time dependent parameters are within preselected tolerances.

7. The method of on-site testing for nonimpairment of motor response activity of claim 6 wherein said involuntary motor response testing step and said repeating said involuntary motor response testing step include the step of determining a number of pixels having a color of a subject'"'"'s pupil as a function of time in response to transient light stimulus.

8. The method of on-site testing for nonimpairment of motor response activity of claim 6 wherein the step of testing a voluntary motor response includes the step of measuring parameters associated with entering preselected data by means of a manual entry device in a data processing system, said second and said fourth sets of parameters including parameters relating to time dependent patterns for activation of preselected manual entry units.

9. Testing apparatus for on-site testing for nonimpairment of motor muscle response of a subject, said apparatus comprising:

card storage means for storing subject identification data, subject involuntary motor response baseline nonimpaired paramenters and subject voluntary motor response baseline and nonimpaired parameters;

card reading apparatus for transferring said subject identification data, said involuntary response baseline parameters and said voluntary response baseline parameters to said testing apparatus;

stimulus means for providing a transient stimulus to a pupil of an eye of said subject;

first measuring means for measuring a first set of parameters associated with a time varying response of said pupil to said transient stimulus, wherein said pupil time varying response is determined by a time dependent of a number of pixels having a color of said pupil;

keyboard entry means for entering data manually in said testing apparatus, wherein said subject enters code data related to said subject identification number;

second measuring means for measuring a second set of parameters determined by measuring a time dependent of activation of a preselected sequence of key units of said keyboard entry means;

comparison means for comparing said first set of parameters with said involuntary response parameters, comparing said second set of said parameters with said voluntary response parameters and for comparing said subject identification data with said code data; and

indicator means for indicating when said first set of parameters and said involuntary response parameters, said second set of parameters and said voluntary response parameters and said code data and said subject identification data have predetermined relationships.

10. The testing apparatus for on-site testing for motor response nonimpairment of a subject of claim 9 wherein said comparison means can have tolerance parameters entered therein, said comparison means indicating to said indicator means when said first set of parameters is within said tolerance parameters of said involuntary response parameters.

11. The testing apparatus for on-site testing for motor response nonimpairment of claim 9 wherein said apparatus further comprises a data processing means and a display means for providing said subject with instructions for executing on-site testing procedures.

12. The testing apparatus for on-site testing for motor response nonimpairment of claim 11 wherein said apparatus further comprises activation means for initiating activity in said stimulus means, said first measuring means, said second measuring means, said comparison means and said indicator means.