Portable high speed pupil dilation tracking system

Abstract

A high speed pupil dilation tracking can be incorporated into a light-weight VOG system which includes at least one digital camera connected to and powered by a laptop computer through a firewire connection. An EOG system may be incorporated directly into a VOG system base. The digital camera may digitally center the pupil in both the X and Y directions. A calibration mechanism may be incorporated onto the VOG system base. The VOG system may track and record head position and VOG system base slippage. An animated eye display may provide data in a more meaningful fashion. The VOG system may be a modular design whereby the same goggle frame or base is used to build a variety of digital camera VOG systems.

1 . A pupil dilation tracking system comprising:
 a base adapted to be positioned adjacent to a patient's head;   at least one digital camera attached to the base, operating at least at 30 frames per second and configured to take images of one of the patient's eyes; and   a controller coupled to each digital camera and receiving and storing data signals there from, the controller configured to calculate eye related data including pupil dilation from the digital camera images, and configured to display the eye related data to users.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further including a control and data coupling extending to each digital camera for transmitting control signals to each digital camera and receiving data there from; and a controller coupled to each digital camera through the control and data coupling, the controller providing power and control signals to each digital camera. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the base is a head mounted base and further including a laser attached to the base, wherein the laser is visible to the clinician while the patient is wearing the head mounted base. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the controller is used to digitally center the eye position of the patient during operation in at least two directions. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  further including a z-axis camera lens position adjustment mechanism positioned on the base and accessible while the base is worn by the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of digital cameras adapted to be selectively, re-movably mounted to the base. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  further including a plurality of caps that can be selectively, removably mounted on the base. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  further including head tracking sensor mounted to the base. 
     
     
         9 . A video oculography system comprising:
 a base adapted to be positioned adjacent to a patient's head;   at least one digital camera attached to the base, operating at least at 30 frames per second and configured to take images of one of the patient's eyes; and   a controller coupled to the at least one digital camera, the controller receiving and storing data signals there from, the controller configured to calculate eye related data including pupil dilation from the digital camera images, and wherein the controller is configured to display the eye related data to users.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  further including a laser attached to the base, wherein the laser is visible to the clinician while the patient is wearing the head mounted base and wherein the laser is directed away from the base and is configured to be utilized to calibrate the system. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the base is a pair of light weight goggles. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the goggles form an occluded environment for the at least one camera. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the controller is a laptop computer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the controller displays an animated image of the patients' eye. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11  further including an array of light elements on the goggle base directed at the patients eye. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the array of light elements includes a plurality of infrared light elements and a plurality of visible light elements facing the patient. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the array of light elements is an annular array and includes at least a pair of infrared LED elements and at least a pair of visible light LED elements facing the patient. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 9  wherein system forms a modular video oculography system and the base is formed of a head mounted goggle base adapted to be attached to a patient's head. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  further including an array of light elements on the goggle base directed at the patients eye. 
     
     
         20 . A video oculography system comprising:
 a light weight head mounted base adapted to be attached to a patient's head, wherein the base is goggles having a face engaging skirt;   a plurality of digital cameras adapted to be selectively, removably mounted to the base and configured to obtain video images of at least one of the patient's eyes when attached to the base;   a plurality of caps that can be selectively, removably mounted on the base;   a power, control and data coupling extending to each digital camera for transmitting power and control signals to at least each digital camera and transmitting data there from;   a controller coupled to the control and data coupling, the controller providing at least control signals to at least each digital camera and receiving and storing data signals there from, wherein the controller provides a single source for substantially all of the control and data acquisition for the video oculography system, and wherein the controller is used to digitally center the eye position of the patient during operation in at least two directions, whereby a region of interest substantially centered on the patients eye is identified and data outside of the region of interest may be ignored, and wherein the controller includes a CPU and a display for analyzing and displaying the data from each digital camera and wherein the controller is a laptop and the system has a total weight of less than about 5 kilograms, wherein the display will display the data of each digital camera including an animated eye image of the patients' eye;   a laser attached to the base, wherein the laser is visible to the clinician while the patient is wearing the head mounted base and the laser is controlled through the control and data coupling by the controller;   a plurality of physiologic data sensors mounted on the base, wherein the physiologic data sensors provide physiologic data to the controller, wherein the physiologic data sensors provide electro-oculography data to the controller and wherein the physiologic data sensors are mounted in the face engaging skirt, the power, control and data coupling extending to the plurality of sensors for transmitting power and control signals there to and transmitting data there from;   a z-axis camera lens position adjustment mechanism positioned on the base and accessible while the base is worn by the patient; and   a calibrating device mounted on the base, wherein the calibrating device can provide data to the controller accounting for movement of the patient's head.