Intraocular Microdisplay Gaze Tracking for Natural Vision Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing intraocular micro-displays face challenges in providing a natural physio-optical user interface due to their compact form factor, lacking the ability to simulate natural eye movements and focal adjustments, which impacts the user experience.
Innovation Solution
An intraocular micro-display system with a gaze tracking module, near-vision fiducial, and autofocus mechanism that mimics natural eye movements and focal adjustments by using a gaze tracking module to select scene image portions and adjust focus based on user gaze and eyelid closure, while being entirely contained within the eye.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a transcutaneous tether is used to provide power and data communication to the intraocular micro-display, then the display can be powered and controlled, but the system becomes prone to physiological compatibility issues, inflammation, and infection risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the transcutaneous tether from the system entirely. Instead of having a physical connection extending outside the body, the intraocular micro-display is completely implantable with wireless power and data transmission capabilities, extracting the harmful external tether component while maintaining all necessary functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces wireless communication as an intermediary medium to transfer power and data between the external controller and the intraocular micro-display without physical contact. This mediator eliminates the need for direct physical connection while maintaining functional connectivity
2Reliability
If the intraocular micro-display is made compact to fit entirely within the eye, then physiological compatibility improves, but the ability to simulate natural eye movements and focal adjustments is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sensors that detect natural eye movements, gaze direction, and eyelid closure, providing feedback to the control system. This feedback loop enables the compact micro-display to simulate natural vision behaviors by responding to physiological signals from the user's eye movements and facial expressions
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the user's own physiological signals (eye movements, gaze, blinking) to control the micro-display functions. The display serves itself by automatically adjusting its operation based on detected physiological states without requiring external manual control
3Device complexity
If the intraocular micro-display lacks natural pan/tilt and accommodation mechanisms, then the device complexity is reduced, but the user experience is substantially impacted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical pan/tilt and accommodation mechanisms with electronic and optical systems. Instead of moving parts that physically reposition the display or change focal length mechanically, the system uses electronic control of light paths and software-based image processing to achieve the same visual effects
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 system provides a natural, holistic user experience by simulating eye movements and focal adjustments, restoring vision with real-time feedback and maintaining physiological compatibility.
Implementation Method 1
a gaze tracking module to monitor movements of the user's eye to generate gaze direction data
Implementation Method 2
autofocus mechanism that mimics natural eye movements and focal adjustments
Implementation Method 3
IOMD implant to project regenerated images onto a retina
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 1C
Figure 1D
AI summary
An intraocular micro-display (IOMD) system includes an auxiliary head unit. The auxiliary head unit includes a frame for mounting to a head of a user, a scene camera module mounted in or on the frame in a forward-facing orientation, a gaze tracking module disposed in or on the frame and configured to monitor an eye of the user, and an auxiliary controller. The auxiliary controller includes for: acquiring a scene image with the scene camera module, determining a gazing direction of the eye based upon gaze direction data from the gaze tracking module, identifying a sub-portion of the scene image based upon the gazing direction, and wirelessly relaying the sub-portion of the scene image to an IOMD implant within the eye for displaying to a retina of the eye.