Sensor-Equipped Eye Patch for Head Position Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
In ophthalmology, maintaining the optimal position of the eye or head during healing processes, such as after retinal detachment surgery or lamellar keratoplasties, is challenging due to unintentional changes in position, especially during sleep, and existing technologies lack effective means to detect and correct these changes for precise healing support.
Innovation Solution
An eye patch equipped with a sensor unit, including inertial sensors for measuring spatial acceleration and rotation movements, a microcontroller for data processing, and a wireless data interface for bidirectional communication, which allows for continuous detection and storage of movement and position data, providing feedback to the wearer to return to the optimal position and aiding in healing assessment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an eye patch with basic protective function is used, then the eye is protected from mechanical and electromagnetic influences, but the position of the head cannot be detected or corrected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple functions into a single eye patch device: protective covering function, position sensing function, data processing function, and feedback function. The sensor unit with inertial sensors, microcontroller, and wireless interface is integrated directly into the eye patch structure, eliminating the need for separate monitoring devices and enabling comprehensive healing support.
Solution Approach 2:
The eye patch is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it protects the eye from external influences, detects head position and movement, processes sensor data, provides feedback to the wearer, and enables remote monitoring. This multi-functional design resolves the contradiction by making the single device versatile enough to address both protection and position monitoring needs.
2Measurement precision
If the eye patch includes sensor units and data processing components, then position detection capability is improved, but the weight and size of the eye patch increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical position monitoring systems with electronic inertial sensors and wireless communication. Instead of using mechanical linkages or physical measurement devices, the system uses microelectromechanical sensors (accelerometers and gyroscopes) to detect position and movement, significantly reducing the mechanical complexity and weight while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the measurement parameters from direct physical measurement to electronic signal detection. By using inertial sensors that measure acceleration and rotation rates, the system achieves precise position detection through mathematical integration of these parameters, allowing for accurate tracking without heavy mechanical measurement apparatus.
3Loss of information
If continuous position monitoring is implemented, then healing assessment capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic sampling of position data rather than truly continuous monitoring. The inertial sensors take measurements at defined intervals, and the microcontroller processes these periodic data points to track position changes over time. This periodic approach maintains sufficient information for healing assessment while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous high-rate sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the eye patch itself as both the monitoring device and the data storage medium. The microcontroller onboard processes and stores the movement data locally, eliminating the need for constant external power or continuous wireless transmission. The device serves its own data logging needs, reducing energy requirements for data management.
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 eye patch enables precise detection and correction of head position changes, supporting healing by ensuring the gas tamponade remains in the optimal position, facilitating healing success through precise data recording and evaluation, and providing protective functions against mechanical and electromagnetic influences.
Implementation Method 1
one sensor unit or one sensor module, respectively, which comprises at least one position sensor and/or movement sensor or one inertial sensor, respectively
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Proposed is an eye patch (10) for at least partially covering one eye and for shielding it from mechanical, climatic influences and/or from electromagnetic radiation. The eye patch (10) comprises a shell (12) covering the eye and its surrounding, which shell is made of bending-resistant material, as well as a sensor unit (14), which comprises a position sensor and/or movement sensor (16) for the continuous acquisition of movement data and/or of position data of the eye patch (10), a microcontroller (18) for processing the output signals (20) of the position sensor and/or of the movement sensor (16), a data interface (22) designed for wireless bidirectional communication, as well as an electrical energy storage (24) for the electrical energy supply of at least the microcontroller (18) and the data interface (22). Further proposed is a method for the continuous detection of movement data and/or of position data of a head by means of such an eye patch (10) and by means of a data processing device (30). The data processing device (30) comprises at least one computer unit (34) for data processing, at least one monitor (36) for the visualization of the processed data (32), and at least one data interface (38) designed for wireless bidirectional communication. The method has at least the following steps: positioning the eye patch (10) and the sensor device (14) at the eye, activating the sensor device (14), transferring the movement data and/or position data detected by the sensor device (14) to the data processing device (30), evaluating the transferred movement data and/or position data in the data processing device (30), and visualizing the evaluated movement data and/or position data.