Apparatus for health correlation assessment

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method for performing a health correlation assessment based upon results an eye contrast sensitivity measurement test of a person. The health correlation assessment yields a predictive and probabilistic measure of the likelihood of the person appropriately assigned to a particular clinical health classification. Such an eye contrast sensitivity measurement can be used to identify people who are likely to be within a pre-Alzheimer's disease state or within Alzheimer's disease state of health and identify those who should seek further clinical and/or other types of testing to ascertain their actual health status and to determine an appropriate course of medical treatment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for performing a probabilistic assessment for one or more Alzheimer's disease related clinical health classifications based upon results of a contrast sensitivity eye examination test, comprising:
 an eye contrast sensitivity testing device that is configured to perform an eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to a first subject, and that is further configured to generate eye contrast sensitivity test result data, representing a result of said eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to said first subject;   a data access component for obtaining at least a portion of eye contrast sensitivity test result data from a first eye contrast sensitivity test performed by a first subject, from said eye contrast sensitivity testing device;   a health correlation assessment component that exercises a first algorithm in accordance with a correlation model, said component outputs at least one numerical probability value representing an estimated probability of said first subject being clinically assigned into at least one of a plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications, said probabilistic health classifications including at least one classification indicating a presence of an Alzheimer's disease related state of health; and   an output component that outputs information representing said probabilistic health classifications.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first algorithm employs mathematical coefficients each having values that are periodically re-determined from re-processing of a repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data, and wherein said repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data evolves via periodic addition of said other eye contrast sensitivity test result data over time. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said first algorithm further processes personal attribute data associated with said first subject, for determining at least one said plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications for said first subject. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said probabilistic health classifications include one probability of a subject being appropriately classified as having a pre-clinical or clinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said correlation model is based, at least in part, upon an amount of time required for said test subject to complete said eye contrast sensitivity test. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said probabilistic health classifications include one probability of a subject being appropriately classified as having an absence of an Alzheimer's related disease. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said at least a portion of a contrast sensitivity test result includes at least one contrast sensitivity test parameters of RightDurationTime, LeftDurationTime, MDLeftEye, MDRightEye, SuperiorLeftEye and SuperiorRight Eye. 
     
     
         8 . A system for performing a probabilistic assessment for one or more Alzheimer's disease related clinical health classifications based upon results of a contrast sensitivity eye examination test, comprising:
 an eye contrast sensitivity testing device that is configured to perform an eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to a first subject, and that is further configured to generate eye contrast sensitivity test result data, representing a result of said eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to said first subject;   a data access component for obtaining at least a portion of eye contrast sensitivity test result data from a first eye contrast sensitivity test performed by a first subject, from said eye contrast sensitivity testing device;   a health correlation assessment component that exercises a first algorithm in accordance with a correlation model, said component outputs at least one numerical probability value representing an estimated probability of said first subject being clinically assigned into at least one of a plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications, said probabilistic health classifications including at least one classification indicating a presence of an Alzheimer's disease related state of health; and   an output component that outputs information representing said probabilistic health classifications.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said first algorithm employs mathematical coefficients each having values that are periodically re-determined from re-processing of a repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data, and wherein said repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data evolves via periodic addition of said other eye contrast sensitivity test result data over time. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said first algorithm further processes personal attribute data associated with said first subject, for determining at least one said plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications for said first subject. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said probabilistic health classifications include one probability of a subject being appropriately classified as having a pre-clinical or clinical stage of Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein said correlation model is based, at least in part, upon an amount of time required for said test subject to complete said eye contrast sensitivity test. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said probabilistic health classifications include one probability of a subject being appropriately classified as having an absence of an Alzheimer's related disease. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said at least a portion of a contrast sensitivity test result includes at least one contrast sensitivity test parameters of RightDurationTime, LeftDurationTime, MDLeftEye, MDRightEye, SuperiorLeftEye and SuperiorRight Eye. 
     
     
         15 . A method for performing a probabilistic assessment for one or more Alzheimer's disease related clinical health classifications based upon results of a contrast sensitivity eye examination of a first subject, comprising the steps of:
 providing an eye contrast sensitivity testing device that is configured to perform an eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to a first subject, and that is further configured to generate eye contrast sensitivity test result data, representing a result of said eye contrast sensitivity test with respect to said first subject;   providing a data access component for obtaining at least a portion of eye contrast sensitivity test result data from a first eye contrast sensitivity test performed by a first subject, from said eye contrast sensitivity testing device;   providing a health correlation assessment component that exercises a first algorithm in accordance with a correlation model, said component outputs at least one numerical probability value representing an estimated probability of said first subject being clinically assigned into at least one of a plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications, said probabilistic health classifications including at least one classification indicating a presence of an Alzheimer's disease related state of health; and   providing an output component that outputs information representing said probabilistic health classifications.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first algorithm employs mathematical coefficients each having values that are periodically re-determined from re-processing of a repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data, and wherein said repository of sample eye contrast sensitivity test data evolves via periodic addition of said other eye contrast sensitivity test result data over time. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said first algorithm further processes personal attribute data associated with said first subject, for determining at least one said plurality of Alzheimer's disease related probabilistic health classifications for said first subject. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said probabilistic health classifications include one probability of a subject being appropriately classified as having a pre-clinical or clinical stage of Alzheimer's disease or the absence of Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said correlation model is based, at least in part, upon an amount of time required for said test subject to complete said eye contrast sensitivity test. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15  wherein said at least a portion of a contrast sensitivity test result includes at least one contrast sensitivity test parameters of RightDurationTime, LeftDurationTime, MDLeftEye, MDRightEye, SuperiorLeftEye and SuperiorRight Eye.