Apparatus and method for diagnosis of optically identifiable ophthalmic conditions

Abstract

An apparatus that can discriminate various conditions of neurological health of a medical subject. The apparatus and method use the Frequency Doubling Technique to obtain data that is indicative of a state of health of a person being tested. Correlations to features such as for patterns of loss such as point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, and time to complete the test can be used to identify the condition of the person. The apparatus and method thereby provide guidance as to the presence of a medical condition in a patient. The apparatus and method can be used in an iterative measurement process, in which the apparatus attempts to discern normal health from a state of health that is not normal health.

1 . An apparatus configured to differentiate a condition of normal health and at least one condition of impaired neurological health other than glaucoma, comprising:
 a Frequency Doubled Technology (“FTD”) apparatus configured to present to an eye of a medical subject of interest a time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones;   a data collection apparatus configured to collect data from said medical subject based on a response of said medical subject to said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones; and   a data analysis apparatus configured to differentiate a condition of health of said medical subject based on said response of said medical subject.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is based at least in part on a test time and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health, cognitive complaint, Mild Cognitive Impairment (“MCI”) and Alzheimer's Disease (“AD”). 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to different zones of said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health, cognitive complaint, Mild Cognitive Impairment (“MCI”) and Alzheimer's Disease (“AD”). 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to a combination of at least two variables selected from test time, point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, superior vs. inferior loss, left side vs. right side loss, left eye vs. right eye loss, and point-by-point parameters; and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health, cognitive complaint, Mild Cognitive Impairment (“MCI”), and Alzheimer's Disease (“AD”). 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data analysis apparatus is configured to compare said data collected by said data collection apparatus with data obtained by at least one of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Positron Emissions Tomography, and Optical Coherence Tomography; and to provide a diagnosis of a condition of health selected from one of normal health and AD based on said comparison. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is based at least in part on a test time and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and head trauma. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to different zones of said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and head trauma. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to a combination of at least two variables selected from test time, point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, superior vs. inferior loss, left side vs. right side loss, left eye vs. right eye loss, and point-by-point parameters; and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and head trauma. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data analysis apparatus is configured to compare said data collected by said data collection apparatus with data obtained by at least one of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Positron Emissions Tomography, and Optical Coherence Tomography; and to provide a diagnosis of a condition of health selected from one of normal health and head trauma based on said comparison. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is based at least in part on a test time and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and Parkinson's Disease. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to different zones of said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and Parkinson's Disease (“PD”). 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to a combination of at least two variables selected from test time, point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, superior vs. inferior loss, left side vs. right side loss, left eye vs. right eye loss, and point-by-point parameters; and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and Parkinson's Disease. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data analysis apparatus is configured to compare said data collected by said data collection apparatus with data obtained by at least one of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Positron Emissions Tomography, and Optical Coherence Tomography; and to provide a diagnosis of a condition of health selected from one of normal health and Parkinson's Disease based on said comparison. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is based at least in part on a test time and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and Multiple Sclerosis (“MS”). 
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to different zones of said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and MS. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to a combination of at least two variables selected from test time, point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, superior vs. inferior loss, left side vs. right side loss, left eye vs. right eye loss, and point-by-point parameters; and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and MS. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data analysis apparatus is configured to compare said data collected by said data collection apparatus with data obtained by at least one of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Positron Emissions Tomography, and Optical Coherence Tomography; and to provide a diagnosis of a condition of health selected from one of normal health and MS based on said comparison. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is based at least in part on a test time and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and any neurological disease which is manifest by an inappropriate response to contrast sensitivity patterns. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to different zones of said time varying FTD optical pattern having a plurality of zones and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and any neurological disease which is manifest by an inappropriate response to contrast sensitivity patterns. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said response is a response of said medical subject to a combination of at least two variables selected from test time, point-wise loss, peripheral vs. central loss, pattern standard deviation, mean deviation, superior vs. inferior loss, left eye vs. right eye loss, and point-by-point parameters; and said condition of health is a selected one of normal health and any neurological disease which is manifest by an inappropriate response to contrast sensitivity patterns. 
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said data analysis apparatus is configured to compare said data collected by said data collection apparatus with data obtained by at least one of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging, functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Positron Emissions Tomography, and Optical Coherence Tomography; and to provide a diagnosis of a condition of health selected from one of normal health and any neurological disease which is manifest by an inappropriate response to contrast sensitivity patterns based on said comparison.