HMD Pupillary Response Testing Under Controlled Light Exposure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current eye testing systems, particularly head-mounted displays (HMDs), lack the capability to efficiently and comprehensively test relative afferent pupillary responses for diagnosing neurological disorders such as glaucoma, ischemic optic neuropathy, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, strokes, brain tumors, and aneurysms, as they do not adequately account for ambient lighting conditions and do not provide standardized test results.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted display (HMD) system is utilized to alternately expose each eye to light stimulation, capturing image data to generate composite images for evaluating pupillary responses, and includes features like stereo vision and eye tracking to assess neurological deficits by determining relative afferent pupillary defects (RAPD) through binarized images and pupillary reflex detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a traditional swinging flashlight test is used, then the test can be administered with simple equipment, but the measurement precision and reliability are insufficient due to ambient lighting interference and lack of standardization
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a head-mounted display (HMD) as an intermediary device between the light source and the patient's eyes. The HMD presents virtual light stimuli in a controlled manner while blocking ambient light, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring complex external lighting control systems. The HMD acts as a mediator that creates a standardized testing environment portably.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical swinging flashlight test with an automated system using virtual reality technology. The HMD delivers precise light stimuli through displays, and pupillary responses are captured by integrated cameras and processed by algorithms, substituting the manual mechanical approach with automated optical and computational methods.
2Reliability
If ambient lighting is not controlled, then the testing procedure is simpler, but the reliability of RAPD test results deteriorates due to light interference
Solution Approach 1:
The HMD creates an optically controlled environment that isolates the patient's eyes from ambient light interference. By presenting light stimuli through the display and blocking external light, the system creates a standardized 'inert' optical atmosphere that ensures reliable measurements without requiring the tester to manually control room lighting conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The HMD performs multiple functions simultaneously: it presents light stimuli, blocks ambient light, captures pupillary responses, and provides a standardized testing environment. This multi-functionality integrates what would otherwise require separate components (light source, shutter, camera, lighting control) into a single portable device.
3Loss of time
If the flashlight is swung rapidly between eyes, then the test duration is shorter, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases due to timing precision requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The HMD system continuously captures video footage of both pupils throughout the testing period, rather than relying on discrete observations at specific moments. This continuous recording ensures that pupillary responses are captured regardless of the exact timing of light stimulus transitions, eliminating the need for precisely synchronized manual observations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides visual feedback by displaying the captured pupillary responses and providing real-time analysis. The automated detection algorithms continuously monitor pupil diameter changes and provide feedback on the quality of the response, allowing for immediate assessment without requiring the tester to mentally track and compare timing across both eyes.
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
The HMD system provides accurate and reliable RAPD test results by standardizing lighting conditions and minimizing ambient noise and light interference, enabling early diagnosis of neurological disorders.
Implementation Method 1
capturing image data of the first eye and then image data of the second eye with at least one imaging device
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for administering a modular and/or flexible eye test to patients are presented that leverages on the visualization, processing, and eye tracking capabilities of a head mounted display (HMD). In an embodiment, a method for evaluating the pupillary responses includes using a head mounted display (HMD) worn by a patient to expose a first eye to light stimulation in accordance with a relative afferent pupillary defects (RAPD) eye test, an imaging device of the HMD receiving image data of the first eye, then exposing a second eye to the same RAPD eye test and receiving image data of the second eye, and generating at least one test result by using the image data of the first eye and the image data of the second eye.