Macular Pigment Measurement Device with Data Quality Indexing Feature

Abstract

A system measures macular pigment of a macula of a human eye of a subject. The system comprises a light source having a first light and a second light that modulate at variable frequencies, an input device for receiving an input indicating the frequency at which the user perceives the modulation of the first light and a second light, a display device, at least one processor, and one or more memory devices. The one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the system to (i) display, on the display device, test data corresponding to the user's inputs from the input device, (ii) determine whether the test data are valid or invalid through a curve-fitting algorithm, (iii) automatically indicate that the test data are valid or invalid.

1 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a measurement system for measuring macular pigment from an eye of a subject, comprising:
 receiving, from an input device associated with the measurement system, input data from the subject corresponding to when the subject perceives a flicker in two lights; and   displaying, on a display device associated with the measurement system, the input data in a manner that automatically indicates whether the input data is valid or invalid.   
     
     
         20 . A method of using a measurement system for measuring macular pigment from an eye of a subject, comprising:
 receiving, from an input device associated with the measurement system, input data from a subject corresponding to when the subject perceives a flicker in two lights; and   automatically displaying, on a display device associated with the measurement system, whether the input data is acceptable for measuring the macular pigment of the subject.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 arranging the two lights at an initial modulation frequency;   decreasing modulation frequency of the two lights; and   wherein the receiving input data occurs when a modulation frequency is reached at which the subject indicates that the flicker in the two lights is perceived.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the modulation frequency at which the subject perceives a flicker is between about 15 Hz and about 35 Hz. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the modulation frequency is decreased at a rate of between 3 Hz per second and 7 Hz per second. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the two lights include a blue light and a green light. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 determining whether the test data is valid or invalid through a curve-fitting algorithm; and   displaying the curve that is fitted to the test data on the display device.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising displaying on the display device, a macular-pigment value indicative of the amount of the subject's macular pigment. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the macular-pigment value is displayed on a scaled bar graph. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the manner of automatic indication includes a message field providing a message on the display device. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the manner of automatic indication includes the use of at least two colors, a first color indicating the test data is valid, and a second color indicating the test data is invalid. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 arranging the two lights at an initial modulation frequency;   decreasing modulation frequency of the two lights; and   wherein the receiving input data occurs when a modulation frequency is reached at which the subject indicates that the flicker in the two lights is perceived.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the modulation frequency at which the subject perceives a flicker is between about 15 Hz and about 35 Hz. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the modulation frequency is decreased at a rate of between 3 Hz per second and 7 Hz per second. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the two lights include a blue light and a green light. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 determining whether the test data is acceptable through a curve-fitting algorithm; and   displaying the curve that is fitted to the test data on the display device.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising displaying on the display device, a macular-pigment value indicative of the amount of the subject's macular pigment. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the macular-pigment value is displayed on a scaled bar graph. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the manner of automatic display includes a message field providing a message. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the manner of automatic display includes the use of at least two colors, a first color indicating the test data is acceptable, and a second color indicating the test data is unacceptable.