Synchronized Pupillometer Imaging for Anisocoria Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical tools are inadequate for quickly and accurately detecting and monitoring anisocoria and asymmetry in pupillary response to stimulus, which can be indicative of serious neurological conditions.
Innovation Solution
A Pupillometer with a display, imaging apparatus, and microprocessor that synchronizes and aligns video frames of left and right pupils to facilitate real-time comparison of their responses to a stimulus, enabling simultaneous display and analysis of pupillary asymmetry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional separate measurement methods are used for left and right pupils, then measurement capability is maintained, but detection speed and accuracy of anisocoria are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines separate measurement systems for left and right pupils into a single integrated pupillometer device that simultaneously captures and processes images from both eyes. The device uses a single imaging apparatus with synchronized timing to record pupillary responses from both pupils at the same moment, eliminating the need for sequential measurements and enabling direct comparison to detect anisocoria and asymmetry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporal synchronization as a new dimension for comparison by capturing images at precisely controlled time points during the pupillary light reflex response. By adding the time dimension to the measurement process and comparing responses at multiple time points (immediate, intermediate, and delayed phases), the system achieves more accurate detection of asymmetry while maintaining rapid monitoring capability.
2Ease of operation
If manual comparison methods are used for pupillary asymmetry, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation and diagnostic efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates automatic analysis and feedback mechanisms that process the captured pupillary images and provide immediate diagnostic information. The system automatically compares the size and response characteristics of left and right pupils, calculates asymmetry metrics, and presents the results in an easily interpretable format, eliminating the need for manual measurement and comparison while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-measurement and self-analysis functions by automatically capturing images, processing the data, and generating diagnostic results without requiring complex manual operations from the user. The system autonomously identifies pupillary boundaries, measures diameters, compares responses between eyes, and flags potential anisocoria cases, making the device easy to operate while incorporating sophisticated analysis capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer program is disclosed for performing the following method: recording images of a response of a left pupil to a stimulus thereby resulting in a first set of sequential images; recording images of a response of a right pupil to the same stimulus at the same time as the first images were recorded, thereby resulting in a second set of sequential images; displaying on a display simultaneously the first set of images and the second set of image, wherein the two sets of images are synchronized, and wherein a center of the left pupil of each image from the first set of sequential images is aligned with a center of the right pupil from the second set of sequential images on the display.