Ocular Diagnostic System for Toxin Exposure Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods lack a real-time, non-invasive means to diagnose the existence and severity of exposure to chemical agents or biological toxins, particularly in mass casualty situations, as they do not effectively utilize ocular characteristics for rapid assessment and treatment prioritization.
Innovation Solution
A non-invasive, real-time method for diagnosing disease states based on ocular characteristics, including ocular blood vessel coloration, pupil size, and strobe cutoff frequency, to determine exposure to chemical agents or biological toxins such as cyanide, carbon monoxide, and botulinum toxin.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If traditional diagnostic methods are used, then diagnosis can be performed, but the process is time-consuming and invasive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical/invasive diagnostic procedures with optical detection methods. By using light to detect ocular characteristics (blood vessel coloration, pupil size, strobe cutoff frequency), the system eliminates the need for invasive sampling or complex mechanical interventions, achieving both speed and non-invasiveness simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces the eye as an intermediary diagnostic window. Instead of directly measuring systemic physiological parameters through invasive means, the system uses ocular characteristics as intermediate indicators that reflect underlying physiological states, enabling non-invasive and rapid assessment of disease conditions
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive disease diagnosis is performed, then accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent focuses diagnostic efforts on specific ocular characteristics (blood vessel coloration, pupil size, strobe cutoff frequency) rather than attempting comprehensive whole-body analysis. By concentrating measurement resources on these localized ocular parameters that provide high diagnostic value, the system achieves accurate disease detection without requiring complex comprehensive diagnostic equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent develops a multi-functional diagnostic system that can detect multiple different disease states (hypoxia, hypercapnia, acidosis, etc.) through a single ocular examination platform. By making the diagnostic device universal across different conditions, the system avoids the complexity of requiring separate specialized equipment for each disease type
3Productivity
If rapid assessment is implemented, then treatment prioritization improves, but diagnostic depth decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary rapid assessment of ocular characteristics to immediately identify patients requiring urgent treatment. The system captures baseline ocular parameters quickly, enabling immediate triage decisions, while the same platform can subsequently perform more detailed analysis if needed, thus maintaining both speed and diagnostic depth at different stages
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 rapid and accurate diagnosis of toxin exposure, providing a real-time assessment for prioritizing treatment strategies and serving as an early-warning system for potential complications, effectively addressing the limitations of existing diagnostic methods.
Implementation Method 1
U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,537 issued to Odom et al. discloses a method for monitoring a medical condition by analyzing light reflected back from a subject's eyes
Data Source
AI summary
A method for diagnosing a disease state in a subject, including examining the subject's eyes in order to determine whether the subject exhibits one or more symptoms of the disease state. Symptoms of the disease state include altered ocular characteristics, such as pupil size, pupil motility, ocular blood vessel coloration, and strobe light cutoff frequency. By evaluating changes to ocular characteristics, a disease state can be diagnosed in a subject. In addition, the seventy of the disease state also can be determined.