Binocular Eye Measurement Device for Brain Function Assessment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for evaluating brain function, such as measuring eye blinking and involuntary eye movement, tend to burden subjects and fail to properly assess differences between the two eyes, making them inconvenient and ineffective for quantitative evaluation.
Innovation Solution
A binocular measurement device and method that uses a photodetector to detect light from both eyes, calculates feature amounts for each eye, and computes a comparison value based on these features to evaluate eye behavior differences, allowing for a simple and non-invasive assessment of brain function.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If evoked potential recording device with electrodes is used to measure reflexive eyeblink, then measurement capability is achieved, but subject burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/electrical measurement system (electrodes and evoked potential recording device) with an optical measurement system (imaging device that captures eye images). This substitution eliminates the need for physical electrode contact while maintaining measurement capability, thereby reducing subject burden without sacrificing measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If conventional eye movement measurement methods are used, then measurement capability is achieved, but ability to evaluate differences between both eyes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the measurement process by separately analyzing the right eye and left eye, calculating feature amounts for each eye independently. This segmentation enables detailed comparative evaluation between both eyes, allowing the system to detect and quantify differences in eye behavior that conventional methods would miss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a comparative dimension to the measurement by introducing feature amount calculation and comparison between the two eyes. This transforms the measurement from a single-eye or aggregate view to a multi-dimensional analysis that includes inter-eye differences, thereby preventing loss of comparative evaluation information.
3Reliability
If large-scale facilities such as PET, CT, and MRI are used for brain function evaluation, then evaluation credibility is achieved, but cost burden increases and specialized expertise is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simple, inexpensive imaging device instead of expensive large-scale facilities like PET, CT, and MRI. While the individual measurement capability is simpler, the system achieves practical reliability for eye behavior measurement through sophisticated image processing and feature analysis, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining sufficient evaluation credibility for the intended application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex medical imaging systems with a simpler optical imaging system combined with computational analysis. This substitution dramatically reduces device complexity and cost requirements while providing reliable measurements for eye behavior analysis, making the system accessible without requiring specialized medical facilities or expertise.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy and accurate evaluation of eye behavior differences, improving the quantitative assessment of brain function without subject burden, using a device configuration that calculates eyeblink and involuntary eye movement features to determine comparison values.
Implementation Method 1
a photodetector that detects light from the right eye and the left eye of a target person, and outputs detection signal of the light
Data Source
AI summary
An object is to simply and easily evaluate differences in behavior of the eyes of subjects. A binocular measurement system 1 includes a photodetector 7 that detects reflected light from the right eye ER and the left eye EL of a subject, and outputs image signal of the reflected light, a feature amount calculating unit 11 that calculates a feature amount corresponding to the right eye ER and a feature amount corresponding to the left eye EL based on the image signal, and a comparison value calculating unit 13 that calculates, based on the two feature amounts, a comparison value obtained by comparing the two feature amounts.