Psychophysical Visual Symptom Testing With Bayesian Response Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Intraocular lens designs suffer from visual symptoms like glare and halos, which are challenging to characterize clinically due to variability in patient responses and subjective bias in self-reported questionnaires, leading to uncertain and unreliable assessments.

Innovation Solution

A psychophysical method using a display to present visual stimuli and elicit binary responses from patients, combined with a Bayesian approach to iteratively update probabilities based on patient responses, allowing for objective measurement of visual symptoms.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional visual tests (e.g., Snellen chart, Amsler grid) are used to assess visual symptoms, then the testing process is simple and quick, but the tests cannot detect subtle or early-stage visual disturbances and provide limited diagnostic information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precision of visual symptomsVSAvoidcomplexity of visual testing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The visual test stimulus is divided into multiple segments or elements that can be independently controlled and presented. This allows systematic variation of different visual parameters (contrast, orientation, spatial frequency) to detect specific types of visual disturbances with higher precision while keeping each individual test component simple

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces multiple dimensions of visual stimulation beyond traditional 2D patterns. By adding temporal dimensions (changing over time), spatial dimensions (different locations), and contrast dimensions (varying luminance), the system detects visual symptoms that conventional single-dimension tests miss, improving measurement precision without requiring complex equipment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If detailed psychophysical testing is performed to characterize visual symptoms, then diagnostic information is improved, but the testing time and patient burden increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic information qualityVSAvoidtesting time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary characterization of visual symptoms by automatically detecting key features (contrast sensitivity, spatial frequency response, temporal patterns) before comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. This preliminary psychophysical profiling guides subsequent targeted testing, reducing overall testing time while maintaining high diagnostic information quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The testing system incorporates real-time feedback where patient responses are immediately processed to adjust stimulus parameters dynamically. This adaptive feedback mechanism efficiently characterizes visual symptoms by eliminating unnecessary test trials and focusing on critical diagnostic parameters, significantly reducing testing time while improving information quality

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Ease of operation

If standard visual acuity testing is used, then the test is easy to administer, but it cannot detect functional visual disturbances or provide insight into visual processing deficits

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of visual testingVSAvoidreliability of visual diagnosis
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The visual testing system is designed to perform multiple functions through a single integrated platform. It can assess visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, spatial processing, temporal processing, and functional vision all through one system. This multi-functionality maintains ease of operation while significantly improving diagnostic reliability by providing comprehensive visual characterization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system varies multiple visual parameters simultaneously (contrast, spatial frequency, temporal frequency, orientation) to create a comprehensive profile of visual function. By changing parameters systematically rather than testing single functions in isolation, the system maintains operational simplicity while providing reliable diagnostic information about visual processing deficits

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3749170B1Psychophysical method to characterize visual symptoms
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 AMO GRONINGEN
  • EP3749170B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3749170B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3749170B1 patent drawingFigure 4A~4C

AI summary

A psychophysical method, system, and apparatuses to characterize visual symptoms. A method may include presenting one or more stimuli to a patient indicating one or more visual symptoms. The patient may produce one or more responses to the stimuli. A determination of a measure of visual symptoms of the patient may be made utilizing a Bayesian method based on the responses.