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Publication Number
US-12042226-B2
Publication Date
2024-07-23
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method of screening a pupil of a subject to determine whether the pupil reflex resembles a canonical pupil reflex is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of stimulating the pupil with a stimulus source, such as a pupilometer and determining whether one of various pupillary response conditions is met.
Core Innovation
The disclosed invention provides a hand-held pupilometry system and method for screening whether a subject’s pupil light reflex resembles a canonical reflex. A pupil data profile comprising pupil diameter measurements as a function of time is collected using a pupilometer that includes an imaging sensor and stimulus delivery with illumination sources. Software modules extract pupil features from the diameter time profile and analyze the reflex dynamics in order to determine whether the reflex pattern is canonical.
A canonical-reflex characterization is performed by determining whether multiple quantitative conditions are met on the pupil diameter time profile. Conditions include constraints on duplicate data points representing the same pupil diameter during a short time window, characterization of a first phase of the pupillary reflex response with a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, and quantitative time separation constraints between duplicate diameter measurements. The characterization also includes checking whether, during the first phase, the diameter of the pupil does not increase before it decreases.
If one or more of the conditions is not met, the system provides an output indicating that the pupil reflex does not resemble a canonical reflex. The system additionally supports diagnostic uses via comparison with stored data and includes analysis of reflex dynamics and irregularities, including computation of latency, velocities, amplitudes, and irregularity location, while invalidating statistically anomalous data as described.
Claims Coverage
The partial content provides one independent claim. It covers a program product that performs a method for analyzing a pupil diameter time-series profile and outputting whether the reflex resembles a canonical reflex based on multiple specified quantitative conditions.
Canonical reflex determination from pupil diameter time profile conditions
A method performed by a program product for collecting a pupil data profile comprising pupil diameter measurements as a function of time; determining whether specified conditions are met on duplicate diameter data points within a short time window, a first phase duration characterized by a period of non-constriction immediately subsequent to stimulating the pupil, minimum time separation between duplicate diameter measurements, and monotonic behavior during the first phase where the diameter does not increase before it decreases; and providing an output indicating that the pupil reflex does not resemble a canonical reflex if one or more conditions is not met.
Across the single independent claim, the core inventive concept is outputting whether a pupil reflex resembles a canonical reflex by evaluating the collected pupil diameter-versus-time profile against the specified condition set, including duplicate-data constraints, non-constriction first-phase duration, separation between duplicate diameter measurements, and direction of diameter change during the first phase.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Glaucoma screening using regional flicker stimulation [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Detection related to elevated intracranial pressure using amplitude-modulated reflex dynamics [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Brain function/eye tracking using expected gaze history [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Afferent/efferent pathway testing using timed noxious stimulation [procedural detail omitted for safety].
Hearing screening with timed sound stimuli [procedural detail omitted for safety].
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