Device, method and program for searching and training preferred retinal areas in patients with visual field damage

Abstract

An apparatus, method and program for searching and training a preferred retinal site for a patient with visual field damage are provided, the method includes providing a first stimulus to the patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the apparatus, receiving a response to the first stimulus from the patient through the stimulus providing device, analyzing a head movement of the patient corresponding to the first stimulus if the response is correct, identifying the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed result, performing training related to central fixation of the patient, and performing training related to strengthening the preferred retinal site of the patient.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and program for searching and training preferred retinal regions in patients with visual field damage. [Background technology]

[0002] Patients with damaged visual fields rely on the peripheral part of their visual field (peripheral vision) to see, so it is important to identify the area of ​​peripheral vision the patient uses and provide consistent stimulation to strengthen the patient's peripheral vision.

[0003] Previously, a patient's preferred retinal locus (PRL) could be identified through specialized measurement methods such as microperimetry, but this required a diagnosis from a specialized medical team, which meant that patients could not directly identify their own preferred retinal locus.

[0004] In addition, a method of strengthening peripheral vision through eccentric viewing training is being used for patients with visual field damage, but if the peripheral vision strengthened through training is not in the patient's preferred retinal area, the strengthened peripheral vision will not be used in daily life, which can reduce the effectiveness of treatment.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to accurately measure the preferred retinal area of ​​a visual field damaged patient and enhance the preferred retinal area that the patient primarily uses, thereby improving the efficiency of enhancing the patient's peripheral vision. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, method, and program for searching for and training preferred retinal regions in patients with visual field damage.

[0007] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for searching for a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage, comprising the steps of: providing a first stimulus to the patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device; receiving a response to the first stimulus from the patient through the stimulus providing device; if the response is correct, analyzing the patient's head movement corresponding to the first stimulus; and identifying the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results, wherein the preferred retinal site is set as a target for training at least one of the patient's visual acuity and visual perception ability, and a second stimulus is provided.

[0009] In the present invention, the step of analyzing the patient's head movement involves analyzing the head position changed due to the head movement from the initial position of the patient's head in two-dimensional coordinates, and the initial position may be the head position when the patient's gaze is fixed at the center of the screen of the stimulation providing device using two lines intersecting the center of the screen.

[0010] In the present invention, the step of providing the first stimulus may repeatedly provide the first stimulus until a pre-set condition is met, and the step of receiving the response may receive a plurality of responses to each of the plurality of first stimuli repeatedly provided.

[0011] In the present invention, the step of analyzing the patient's head movements classifies only the correct responses from the plurality of responses into one or more clusters, and the patient's preferred retinal region can be predicted based on the results of classification into the one or more clusters.

[0012] In the present invention, the step of identifying the preferred retinal region can identify the preferred retinal region of the patient through principal component analysis on the one cluster.

[0013] In the present invention, the first stimulus may include a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether the orientation displayed at the center of the screen is horizontal or vertical, and the second stimulus may include a training task using collinearly arranged target stimuli and peripheral stimuli provided to the patient's preferred retinal region.

[0014] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a method for training a preferred retinal region of a patient with visual field damage, comprising a step of performing training related to the patient's central fixation and a step of performing training related to strengthening the patient's preferred retinal region, wherein the preferred retinal region is identified by a search method that analyzes the patient's head movement in response to a first stimulus provided to the patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device.

[0015] In the present invention, the step of conducting the training related to central fixation may include displaying diagonal lines across the patient's visual field through the stimulus providing device and requesting the patient to gaze at a point that is expected to be the intersection of the diagonal lines.

[0016] In the present invention, the step of performing training related to strengthening the preferred retinal region may include providing a second stimulus to the preferred retinal region through the stimulus providing device and requesting the patient to detect the second stimulus.

[0017] In the present invention, the first stimulus may include a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether the orientation displayed at the center of the screen of the stimulus providing device is horizontal or vertical, and the second stimulus may include a training task using collinearly arranged target stimuli and peripheral stimuli provided to the preferred retinal region.

[0018] A method for exploring and training a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems includes the steps of providing a first stimulus to the patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device, receiving a response to the first stimulus from the patient through the stimulus providing device, and if the response is correct, analyzing the patient's head movement corresponding to the first stimulus, identifying the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results, performing training related to the patient's central fixation, and performing training related to strengthening the patient's preferred retinal site.

[0019] In addition, other methods and systems for implementing the present invention, and computer-readable recording media having computer programs for performing the methods recorded thereon can also be provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, the preferred retinal region of a patient with impaired visual field can be identified simply by a behavioral task provided through a stimulus providing device, without the need for a diagnostic procedure by a specialized medical team.

[0021] Additionally, by inducing central fixation in the patient, sustained stimulation of a portion of the peripheral vision can be induced to develop a preferred retinal site.

[0022] Furthermore, by enhancing the patient's preferred retinal area, the patient's peripheral vision can be enhanced and utilized in their daily lives, improving the efficiency of treatment.

[0023] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram of a device for locating a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for searching for a preferred retinal region in a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating preferred retinal regions of a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method for analyzing two-dimensional coordinates according to head movement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method for analyzing two-dimensional coordinates according to head movement in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a block diagram of a preferred retinal region training device for a visual field damage patient according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for training preferred retinal regions in patients with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating central fixation training according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 1 is a block diagram of a preferred retinal site exploration and training device for visual field damage patients according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for searching and training preferred retinal regions for a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as methods for achieving them, will become apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, and can be realized in various different forms. However, the present embodiments are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to allow those skilled in the art to fully understand the scope of the present invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims.

[0026] The terms used in this specification are for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular includes the plural unless otherwise specified. The terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" used in this specification do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements other than the elements listed. The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout this specification, and "and / or" includes each and every combination of one or more of the listed elements. Even if "first," "second," etc. are used to describe various elements, these elements are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one element from another. Therefore, it goes without saying that a first element referred to below may also be a second element within the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0027] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in this specification are used in the sense that they can be commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. Furthermore, terms defined in commonly used dictionaries are not to be interpreted ideally or excessively unless they are clearly and specifically defined.

[0028] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Before proceeding with the description, the meanings of the terms used in this specification will be briefly explained. However, since the explanations of the terms are intended to facilitate understanding of this specification, it should be noted that unless explicitly stated as matters that limit the present invention, they are not used to limit the technical ideas of the present invention.

[0030] The present invention seeks to explore and train preferred retinal regions to improve at least one of the visual acuity and visual perception abilities of patients with visual field damage. Due to the therapeutic effects achieved through the exploration and training of preferred retinal regions, the present invention can be applied as a digital therapeutic agent.

[0031] Digital therapeutics refer to digital healthcare that is used like surgery, treatment, or medicine to treat patients. Digital therapeutics use software such as apps, games, VR, chatbots, and artificial intelligence. Software can function as a therapeutic agent on its own, or software built into hardware medical devices can function as a therapeutic agent.

[0032] The term "computer" as used herein encompasses a variety of devices capable of performing computational processing. For example, the term "computer" may refer to not only desktop PCs and notebook computers, but also smartphones, tablet PCs, cellular phones, PCS (Personal Communication Service) phones, synchronous / asynchronous International Mobile Telecommunication-2000 (IMT-2000) mobile terminals, Palm PCs (Palm Personal Computers), and personal digital assistants (PDAs). The term "computer" may also include a head-mounted display function, and may refer to a head-mounted display device itself as a computing device. The term "computer" may refer to a computing device connected to a head-mounted display device via a wired or wireless connection, where the computing device provides an image to the head-mounted display. The term "computer" may also refer to a head-mounted display computing device itself, where the computer performs operations from generating to providing an image. The term "computer" may also refer to a server computer that receives information from a client. Hereinafter, the term "computer" may also be referred to as a device, a terminal, or a client.

[0033] In this specification, a "head-mounted display device" refers to a device that provides images (stimuli) to the user's (patient's) eyes for searching for and training preferred retinal sites. The present invention is a method for searching for and training preferred retinal sites in two dimensions and three dimensions (virtual reality, VR), and uses a "head-mounted display device" when performed in three dimensions. The "head-mounted display device" may be a device that is used by connecting to a computer (e.g., a PC or smartphone) or a device that includes computing functionality.

[0034] In this specification, the "screen" provided to the user (patient) includes a separate display screen when training is performed in two dimensions, and includes a screen on a head-mounted display device worn by the user when training is performed in three dimensions.

[0035] The term "device" as used herein includes a variety of devices capable of performing computation and providing a result to a user. For example, the device may be in the form of a computer or a mobile terminal. The computer may be in the form of a server that receives requests from clients and processes information. The computer may also be a sequencing device that performs sequencing. Examples of the mobile terminal include mobile phones, smartphones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), navigation systems, notebook computers, slate PCs, tablet PCs, ultrabooks, and wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses, and head-mounted displays (HMDs)).

[0036] The "stimulus providing device" in this specification may be a monitor-type display device that provides 2D stimuli to a visual field damaged patient, or a virtual reality device (EX, HMD, GLASS, etc.) that is worn by a visual field damaged patient and provides 3D stimuli based on virtual reality (AR, VR, XR, etc.).

[0037] The term "patient with visual field damage" as used herein may include any patient who has lost or lost at least one of the visual acuity and visual perception ability in a specific region of the overall visual field and is unable to perceive objects in a normal manner, such as a patient with macular degeneration or a patient with glaucoma who has lost central vision and is unable to see in the central visual field, and must perceive objects through peripheral vision.

[0038] "Stimulus" in this specification may refer to visual stimuli (gabor) provided to a visual field damage patient. Various types of visual stimuli can be used to explore the preferred retinal regions of visual field damage patients and train the explored preferred retinal regions. "Stimulus" can be in two-dimensional or three-dimensional form.

[0039] A method for searching for a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS.

[0040] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for locating a preferred retinal region of a visual field damaged patient according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a method for searching for a preferred retinal region of a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the preferred retinal region of a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] 4 and 5 are diagrams illustrating a method for analyzing two-dimensional coordinates according to head movement according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred retinal site location device 10 for a visual field damaged patient (hereinafter referred to as preferred retinal site location device) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 11, a communication unit 12, and a memory 13.

[0045] However, in some embodiments, the preferred retinal location device 10 may include fewer or more components than those shown in FIG.

[0046] For example, the preferred retinal region searching device 10 may further include an input / output unit that receives various control signals from the user / administrator of the device and outputs the results.

[0047] The communication unit 12 can provide a stimulus to the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device and receive a response to the stimulus from the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device.

[0048] The visual field damage patient can use (more specifically, wear) the stimulus providing device to check stimuli displayed on a screen and input responses to the stimuli.

[0049] The memory 13 stores the responses to the stimuli obtained through the communication unit 12 and the results of the execution of the method for searching for preferred retinal sites of the visual field damaged patient.

[0050] In addition, the memory 13 stores various commands, algorithms, etc. for carrying out the method for searching for the preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient.

[0051] The processor 11 controls the configuration within the preferred retinal site searching device 10 .

[0052] The preferred retinal region searching device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured by a computer or an information processing device, and preferably by a preferred retinal region searching server.

[0053] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 2, a method for searching for a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage by the preferred retinal site searching device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0054] The preferred retinal region location device 10 can provide a first stimulus to the visual field damage patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device 10 via the communication unit 12 (S110).

[0055] The preferred retinal region location device 10 can receive a response to the first stimulus from the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device via the communication unit 12 (S120).

[0056] If the response is correct, the processor 11 of the preferred retinal site location device 10 can analyze the head movement of the visual field damaged patient corresponding to the first stimulus (S130).

[0057] The processor 11 of the preferred retinal site searching device 10 can identify the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results (S140).

[0058] Here, the stimulus providing device and the preferred retinal site location device 10 can be realized as separate devices connected to each other by wire or wirelessly, or the stimulus providing device and the preferred retinal site location device 10 can be realized as an integrated device.

[0059] Here, the first stimulus may include a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether the orientation displayed at the center of the screen of the stimulus providing device is horizontal or vertical, but is not limited thereto, and the first stimulus may be provided in various forms as a behavioral task for searching for a preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient.

[0060] More specifically, the first stimulus may be a behavioral task in which the visual field damage patient fixates their eyes on the center of the screen using two line segments that intersect in the center of the screen of the stimulus providing device, and then searches for the corresponding first stimulus presented in the center of the screen and matches its orientation to whether it is horizontal or vertical.

[0061] As shown in Figure 3, patients with visual field damage have impaired central vision and perceive objects through a specific location in the peripheral vision called the preferred retinal region (PRL). Since the preferred retinal region differs from patient to patient, it is important to accurately determine the location of each patient's preferred retinal region.

[0062] Because the visual field damaged patient has damage to the central vision (absolute scotoma), he moves his head to search for the first stimulus presented on the screen, and at this time, the patient's preferred retinal area can be identified using the neck movement.

[0063] More specifically, the processor 11 can analyze the initial position of the head of the visual field damaged patient and the position of the head changed by the movement of the head in two-dimensional coordinates.

[0064] Here, the initial position may refer to the position of the head when the visual field damage patient's gaze is fixed at the center of the screen using two lines intersecting the center of the screen of the stimulus providing device.

[0065] The processor 11 can convert the movement results of the head (neck) of the visual field damaged patient into spatial coordinates using a gyroscope built into the stimulus providing device, and output the two-dimensional coordinates of the position reached by rotation from the initial position.

[0066] The processor 11 can use the head movement of the visual field damaged patient when the response was received for analysis only if it is determined that the visual field damaged patient used their head movement appropriately to use their preferred retinal site (i.e., only if the response to the first stimulus is correct).

[0067] In step S110, processor 11 may repeatedly provide the first stimulus until a pre-set condition is met.

[0068] In step S120, processor 11 may receive a plurality of responses to each of the repeatedly provided plurality of first stimuli.

[0069] Here, the pre-set condition may be whether a minimum number of response data for data analysis has been collected or whether the number of times the first stimulus has been presented has reached a maximum.

[0070] That is, processor 11 can repeatedly provide the first stimulus to the patient with visual field damage and terminate providing the first stimulus to the patient when the number of correct response data received from the patient reaches a minimum number, or can repeatedly provide the first stimulus to the patient with visual field damage and terminate providing the first stimulus to the patient when the number of times the first stimulus has been provided to the patient reaches a maximum number.

[0071] In step S130, the processor 11 classifies only the correct responses among the plurality of responses into one or more clusters, and can predict the preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient based on the results of classification into the one or more clusters.

[0072] In step S140, the processor 11 can identify the preferred retinal region of the visual field damage patient through principal component analysis on the one cluster.

[0073] The processor 11 can use density-based spatial clouding of applications with noise (DBSAN) to analyze in real time the results of the two-dimensional coordinates of the movement at the time the patient answered correctly.

[0074] Referring to FIG. 4, the processor 11 classifies each two-dimensional coordinate into one or more clusters using an algorithm depending on whether it is spatially adjacent or not, and information that is not classified into a cluster can be classified as an outlier.

[0075] In this way, the areas corresponding to the clustering results for two-dimensional coordinates correspond to the areas of the predicted preferred retinal sites in patients with visual field damage, and patients with visual field damage in which one or more clusters are formed in a single form can be shown to have consistent (well-localized) locations of their preferred retinal sites.

[0076] Referring to FIG. 5, processor 11 performs principal component analysis (PCA) on one of the clusters analyzed in step S130, extracts a line segment (eigenvalue, eigenvector) that best represents the cluster from the PCA, and can use the extracted line segment, along with the average two-dimensional coordinate of the cluster, as an element of a training stimulus sequence that can produce an optimal effect on the preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient.

[0077] In this way, the present invention uses a gyroscope to measure the head movement of a patient with visual field damage in response to a visual stimulus (first stimulus) provided from a stimulus providing device, and analyzes the movement of the patient with visual field damage due to the stimulus to identify the preferred retinal region (PRL) of the patient with visual field damage.

[0078] The identified preferred retinal region may be set as a target for training at least one of the visual acuity and visual perception ability of the visual field damaged patient, and a second stimulus may be provided to the target retinal region. Here, the second stimulus may include a training task using collinearly arranged target stimuli and peripheral stimuli provided to the preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient. This will be described in detail below.

[0079] That is, the preferred retinal region identified through steps S110 to S140 can be used to perform steps S210 and S220, which will be described later.

[0080] Hereinafter, a method for training a preferred retinal region of a patient with visual field damage will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

[0081] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a preferred retinal region training device for a visual field damage patient according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for training preferred retinal regions of a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating central fixation training according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0084] Referring to FIG. 6, a preferred retinal region training device 20 for a visual field damaged patient according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as preferred retinal region training device) includes a processor 21, a communication unit 22, and a memory 23.

[0085] However, in some embodiments, the preferred retinal location training device 20 may include fewer or more components than those shown in FIG.

[0086] For example, the preferred retinal area training device 20 may further include an input / output unit that receives various control signals from the user / administrator of the device and outputs the results.

[0087] The communication unit 22 can provide a stimulus to the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device and receive a response to the stimulus from the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device.

[0088] The visual field damage patient can use (more specifically, wear) the stimulus providing device to check stimuli displayed on a screen and input responses to the stimuli.

[0089] The memory 23 stores the responses to the stimuli obtained through the communication unit 22 and the results of the execution of the preferred retinal area training method for the visual field damaged patient.

[0090] In addition, the memory 23 stores various commands, algorithms, etc. for carrying out the preferred retinal region training method for visual field damage patients.

[0091] The processor 21 controls the configuration within the preferred retinal site training device 20 .

[0092] The preferred retinal area training device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured by a computer or an information processing device, and preferably by a preferred retinal area training server.

[0093] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 7, a method for training a preferred retinal region of a patient suffering from visual field damage by the preferred retinal region training device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0094] The processor 21 of the preferred retinal site training device 20 can perform training related to central fixation of the visual field damaged patient (S210).

[0095] The processor 21 of the preferred retinal area training device 20 can perform training related to strengthening the preferred retinal area of ​​the visual field damaged patient (S220).

[0096] Here, the preferred retinal region can be identified by a search method that analyzes the head movement of the visual field damage patient in response to a first stimulus provided to the visual field damage patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device. Here, the first stimulus can include a behavioral task that requires the patient to determine whether the orientation displayed at the center of the screen of the stimulus providing device is horizontal or vertical. A detailed description thereof will be omitted as it overlaps with the above description.

[0097] As described above, visual field damage patients perform eccentric vision through their preferred retinal region (PRL), which requires them to tilt their head to look, which can be inconvenient for patients as they have to be aware of other people's gazes. Therefore, by developing the preferred retinal region identified through steps S110 to S140 through training in steps S210 and S220, the patient can recognize objects even in peripheral vision.

[0098] More specifically, in step S210, the processor 21 can display a diagonal line across the visual field of the visual field of the visual field-damaged patient through the stimulus providing device and request the visual field-damaged patient to gaze at a point that is expected to be the intersection of the diagonal line.

[0099] 8, for central fixation of a patient with impaired visual field, a visual cue is provided across the patient's visual field through a stimulus providing device, allowing the patient to gaze at a point that is expected to be the intersection of the diagonal line, thereby inducing central fixation of the patient.

[0100] Thereafter, in step S220, the processor 21 can provide a second stimulus to the preferred retinal region through the stimulus providing device and request the visual field damage patient to detect the second stimulus.

[0101] Here, the second stimulus may include a training task using a collinear array of target and peripheral stimuli provided to the preferred retinal region.

[0102] More specifically, the second stimulus may be a temporal two alternative forced choice (temporal 2-AFC) task using collinear arrays of target and peripheral stimuli presented to the patient's preferred retinal region, in which the patient is asked to respond to the number of the screen presented with the target stimulus located in the center of the array.

[0103] Here, the collinear arrangement may refer to a stimulus arrangement in which the angle between the target stimulus and the peripheral stimulus aligned in a row is the same as the angle within the second stimulus.

[0104] Collinear arrays of stimuli can be characterized by lateral interactions, whereby detection of a target stimulus is difficult when the stimuli are close together and easy when the stimuli are far apart. This can be understood as a result of the size of the human receptive field.

[0105] Systematic manipulation of the inter-stimulus distance (λ) and spatial frequency (σ) of the second stimulus provided for training can ultimately change the size of the acquisition field and increase the transferability of visual perceptual learning effects. Transfer means that the effect extends beyond the detection / discrimination sensitivity of the second stimulus after training to affect higher-level visual processing (e.g., reading ability), thereby improving the poor reading ability of patients with visual field damage characterized by weak peripheral vision.

[0106] In this way, the present invention continuously provides a second stimulus that can strengthen the preferred retinal area of ​​a patient with visual field damage while inducing central fixation, and induces continuous stimulation in a certain part of the patient's peripheral vision, thereby developing the preferred retinal area. This allows for strengthened peripheral vision that the patient can use in real life, improving the efficiency of treatment.

[0107] Although the stimulus providing device that provides the first stimulus and the stimulus providing device that provides the second stimulus have been described as being the same, depending on the embodiment, these two devices may be different. That is, the stimulus providing device that provides the first stimulus is connected to the preferred retinal site searching device 10 when the preferred retinal site searching device 10 performs the preferred retinal site searching method to transmit and receive various data, signals, and information, and the stimulus providing device that provides the second stimulus is connected to the preferred retinal site training device 20 when the preferred retinal site searching device 10 performs the preferred retinal site training method to transmit and receive various data, signals, and information. Furthermore, the search results of the preferred retinal site performed by the preferred retinal site searching method can be transmitted and received between the preferred retinal site searching device 10 and the preferred retinal site training device 20.

[0108] Hereinafter, a method for searching for and training a preferred retinal region of a visual field damaged patient will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.

[0109] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an apparatus for searching and training preferred retinal regions for a visual field damaged patient according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0110] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a method for searching and training preferred retinal regions for a patient with visual field damage according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] Referring to FIG. 9, an apparatus 30 for searching and training a preferred retinal site for a visual field damaged patient according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as a preferred retinal site searching and training apparatus) includes a processor 31, a communication unit 32, and a memory 33.

[0112] However, in some embodiments, the preferred retinal location location and training device 30 may include fewer or more components than those shown in FIG.

[0113] For example, the preferred retinal region searching and training device 30 may further include an input / output unit that receives various control signals from the user / administrator of the device and outputs the results.

[0114] The communication unit 32 can provide a stimulus to the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device and receive a response to the stimulus from the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device.

[0115] The visual field damage patient can use (more specifically, wear) the stimulus providing device to check stimuli displayed on a screen and input responses to the stimuli.

[0116] The memory 33 stores the responses to the stimuli obtained through the communication unit 32 and the results of the search for and training of the preferred retinal regions of the visual field damaged patient.

[0117] In addition, the memory 33 stores various commands and algorithms for searching for and training the preferred retinal region of the visual field damaged patient.

[0118] The processor 31 controls the configuration within the preferred retinal location searching and training device 30 .

[0119] The preferred retinal region searching and training device 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be configured as a computer or an information processing device, and preferably as a preferred retinal region searching and training server.

[0120] Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 10, a method for searching for and training a preferred retinal region of a visual field damaged patient using the preferred retinal region searching and training device 30 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0121] The preferred retinal region searching and training device 30 can provide a first stimulus to the visual field damage patient through a stimulus providing device linked to the device 30 via the communication unit 32 (S310).

[0122] The preferred retinal region searching and training device 30 can receive a response to the first stimulus from the visual field damage patient through the stimulus providing device via the communication unit 32 (S320).

[0123] If the response is correct, the processor 31 of the preferred retinal site searching and training device 30 can analyze the head movement of the visual field injury patient in response to the first stimulus (S330).

[0124] The processor 31 of the preferred retinal site searching and training device 30 can identify the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results (S340).

[0125] The processor 31 of the preferred retinal site searching and training device 30 can perform training related to central fixation of the visual field damaged patient (S350).

[0126] The processor 31 of the preferred retinal site searching and training device 30 can perform training related to strengthening the preferred retinal site of the visual field damaged patient (S360).

[0127] Here, steps S310 to S340 are the same as steps S110 to S140 described above with reference to Figures 1 to 5, and steps S350 and S360 are the same as steps S210 and S220 described above with reference to Figures 6 to 8, so detailed description of steps S310 to S360 will be omitted.

[0128] That is, the preferred retinal location searching and training device 30 can function as both the preferred retinal location searching device 10 and the preferred retinal location training device 20. In this case, the stimulus providing device that provides the first stimulus and the stimulus providing device that provides the second stimulus may be the same.

[0129] The method according to the embodiment of the present invention described above can be implemented as a program (or application) executed by a server (hardware) and stored on a medium. Here, the server can be at least one of the preferred retinal site detection server, the preferred retinal site training server, and the preferred retinal site detection and training server described above.

[0130] The program may include code written in a computer language such as C, C++, JAVA, or machine language that is read by the computer's processor (CPU) through the computer's device interface to cause the computer to load the program and execute the method implemented by the program. This code may include functional code related to functions defining the functions necessary to execute the method, and may also include control code related to execution procedures necessary for the computer's processor to execute the function in a predetermined order. This code may also include memory reference-related code that determines at which location (address) in the computer's internal or external memory additional information or media necessary for the computer's processor to execute the function should be referenced. Furthermore, if the computer's processor needs to communicate with a remote computer or server to execute the function, the code may also include communication-related code that determines how to communicate with the remote computer or server using the computer's communication module, and what information or media to send and receive during communication.

[0131] The storage medium refers to a medium that stores data semi-permanently and is readable by a device, rather than a medium that stores data for a short period of time, such as a register, cache, or memory. Specific examples of the storage medium include, but are not limited to, ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, and optical data storage device. That is, the program may be stored in various recording media on various servers to which the computer can be connected, or various recording media on the user's computer. Furthermore, the medium may be distributed among computer systems connected via a network, storing computer-readable code in a distributed manner.

[0132] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with embodiments of the present invention may be implemented directly in hardware, in software modules executed by hardware, or in a combination thereof, which may reside in Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Flash Memory, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of computer-readable storage medium known in the art to which the present invention pertains.

[0133] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be understood as illustrative in all respects and not restrictive.

Claims

1. A method for searching for a preferred retinal site in a patient with visual field damage, which is performed by an apparatus, comprising: providing a first stimulus to the patient via a stimulus delivery device associated with the device; receiving a response to the first stimulus from the patient through the stimulus providing device; If the response is correct, analyzing the patient's head movement in response to the first stimulus; Identifying the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results; Including, The preferred retinal region is a specific region in the patient's peripheral visual field where the patient recognizes objects; The first stimulus includes a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether an orientation displayed at the center of a screen of the stimulus providing device is horizontal or vertical in order to search for the preferred retinal site. method.

2. providing the first stimulus includes: repeatedly providing the first stimulus until a predetermined condition is met; The step of receiving the response includes:

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality of responses to each of the plurality of repeatedly provided first stimuli.

3. analyzing the patient's head movement, The method according to claim 2, characterized in that only correct responses among the plurality of responses are classified into one or more clusters, and the preferred retinal site of the patient is predicted based on the results classified into the one or more clusters.

4. The step of identifying the preferred retinal site comprises: The method of claim 3, wherein the patient's preferred retinal region is identified through principal component analysis of the one or more clusters.

5. A method for training a preferred retinal region of a patient with visual field damage, which is performed by a device, comprising: conducting training relating to central fixation of the patient; conducting training related to strengthening the patient's preferred retinal location; Including, The preferred retinal area is a specific area in the patient's peripheral visual field where the patient recognizes objects, and is identified by a search method that analyzes the patient's head movement in response to a first stimulus provided to the patient through a screen of a stimulus providing device linked to the device, and is set as a target for training at least one of the patient's visual acuity and visual perception ability; The first stimulus includes a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether an orientation displayed at the center of the screen is horizontal or vertical in order to search for the preferred retinal site; The step of performing training related to strengthening the preferred retinal region includes: After the first stimulus, a second stimulus is provided to the preferred retinal region capable of object recognition through the stimulus providing device, and the patient is requested to detect the second stimulus; The method, wherein the second stimulus comprises a training task utilizing a collinear arrangement of target and peripheral stimuli.

6. The step of performing training related to central fixation includes:

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying diagonal lines across the patient's visual field through the stimulus delivery device and requesting the patient to fixate on a point where the diagonal lines are expected to intersect.

7. A method for searching for and training a preferred retinal region in a patient with visual field damage, which is carried out by a device, providing a first stimulus to the patient via a stimulus delivery device associated with the device; receiving a response to the first stimulus from the patient through the stimulus providing device; If the response is correct, analyzing the patient's head movement in response to the first stimulus; Identifying the preferred retinal site based on the analyzed results; conducting training relating to central fixation of the patient; conducting training related to strengthening the patient's preferred retinal location; Including, The preferred retinal area is a specific area in the patient's peripheral visual field where the patient recognizes objects, and is set as a target for training at least one of the patient's visual acuity and visual perception ability; The first stimulus includes a behavioral task requiring a judgment as to whether an orientation displayed at the center of a screen of the stimulus providing device is horizontal or vertical in order to search for the preferred retinal site; The step of performing training related to strengthening the preferred retinal region includes: After the first stimulus, a second stimulus is provided to the preferred retinal region capable of object recognition through the stimulus providing device, and the patient is requested to detect the second stimulus; The method, wherein the second stimulus comprises a training task utilizing a collinear arrangement of target and peripheral stimuli.

8. An apparatus for carrying out the search method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

9. A program that causes a computer to execute the search method according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute the training method according to claim 5 or 6.

11. A program that causes a computer to execute the search and training method according to claim 7.

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