Eye Movement Tracking for Localizing Neurological Lesions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for assessing cranial nerve and ocular motility dysfunction are not sensitive for diagnosing and quantitating the extent of elevated intracranial pressure, concussion, and traumatic brain injury and traumatic brain injury can result in permanent neurologic impairment or death.

Innovation Solution

The methods and kits for assessing physiologic function of cranial nerves II, III, IV, and VI, screening for, diagnosing, and quantitating the extent of elevated intracranial pressure, transtentorial herniation, concussion, normal pressure hydrocephalus, posterior fossa mass effect, optic neuropathy, neurodegenerative diseases, and diagnosing, localizing and monitoring progression of intracranial lesions and disease processes, as well as assessing or quantitating structural and non-structural traumatic brain injury.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If automated eye movement tracking is used for calibration, then cognitive impairment detection is enabled, but the method requires relatively intact ocular motility and sufficient cerebral function which limits its applicability to severe neurological conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecognitive impairment detection accuracyVSAvoidapplicability to severe neurological conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using eye movement tracking to assess cognitive function (which requires intact ocular motility), the patent inverts the approach by using the absence or disruption of ocular motility patterns as the primary indicator of neurological dysfunction. The system detects disconjugate gaze and abnormal eye movement patterns that occur naturally in patients with severe brain injury, eliminating the need for calibrated voluntary eye movements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes the patient's own ocular motility patterns without requiring external calibration or voluntary cooperation. By analyzing natural eye movement disruptions and disconjugate gaze patterns, the system allows the patient's neurological state to self-reveal through their ocular behavior, enabling assessment even when the patient cannot follow calibration procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If spatial calibration is performed, then eye movement tracking accuracy is improved, but the procedure becomes complex and time-consuming requiring patient cooperation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeye movement tracking accuracyVSAvoidcalibration procedure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and eliminates the calibration step from the eye movement tracking system. By using uncalibrated tracking that relies on detecting abnormal eye movement patterns rather than measuring precise voluntary movements, the system removes the complex calibration procedure entirely while maintaining diagnostic accuracy for neurological conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses excessive tracking data collection without calibration, gathering abundant uncalibrated eye movement data that more than compensates for the lack of precise spatial calibration. The volume and variability of uncalibrated data provide sufficient information to detect neurological dysfunction without the need for time-consuming calibration procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of energy

If sampling rate is reduced to 60 Hz, then data processing load is decreased, but the power and sensitivity of the measurements is reduced 100-fold

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata processing loadVSAvoidmeasurement sensitivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the sampling rate parameter to high frequencies (500 Hz or higher) to capture rapid eye movement patterns and disconjugate gaze events. This high sampling rate preserves measurement sensitivity and allows detection of subtle neurological dysfunction that would be missed at lower sampling rates, while the automated analysis process manages the increased data processing load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Stability of the object's composition

If static stimuli moving in quasi-periodic way are used, then experimental control is improved, but the ability to detect dynamic neurological changes is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveexperimental controlVSAvoiddetection of dynamic neurological changes

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs dynamic visual stimuli that change over time, including moving patterns and varying presentations, to elicit and detect dynamic eye movement responses. This dynamic approach allows the system to capture real-time neurological changes and adapt to varying patient states, improving both experimental control and the ability to detect acute neurological dysfunction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS12514486B2Methods and kits for assessing neurological function and localizing neurological lesions

Publication Date: 2026.01.06 NEW YORK UNIV

AI summary

A method for assessing neurological function in a subject includes a) prompting a user to follow a moving saccade-evoking stimulus on a display, b) tracking eye movement of the subject while the user follows the moving stimulus, c) collecting a first eye conjugacy data of the subject relating to the saccade-evoking stimulus, and d) comparing the first eye conjugacy data with a second eye conjugacy data, the second eye conjugacy data relating to an anti-saccade stimulus.