# US 11,298,266 B2 · Depth filter for visual prostheses

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- Number: US 11,298,266 B2
- Document ID: US11298266B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/835,315
- Filed: 2017-12-07
- Published: 2018-06-21
- Granted: 2022-04-12
- Earliest claimed: 2016-12-07
- Assignees: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.
- Applicants: Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.; Advanced Medical Electronics Corporation; The Johns Hopkins University
- Inventors: Arup Roy; Avraham I. Caspi; Gislin Dagnelie; Greg Seifert; Paul Gibson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11298266B2

## CPC

- A61F 9/08: Devices or methods enabling eye-patients to replace direct visual perception by another kind of perception
- A61F 9/0017: {implantable in, or in contact with, the eye, e.g. ocular inserts}
- A61N 1/36046: {of the eye}
- G06V 20/20: in augmented reality scenes
- A61F 2/1624: {having adjustable focus; power activated variable focus means, e.g. mechanically or electrically by the ciliary muscle or from the outside}
- A61F 9/022: {Use of special optical filters, e.g. multiple layers, filters for protection against laser light or light from nuclear explosions, screens with different filter properties on different parts of the screen; Rotating slit-discs (optical filters per se G02B5/20)}
- A61F 2250/0002: for data transfer
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

The present invention is a depth sensing visual prosthesis. By depth sensing objects within an image, items located at a certain depths from the user can be removed to declutter an image. The resulting image presents only objects within a range of depth from the visual prosthesis user. Depth sensing can be accomplished in various ways including structured light, time of flight, or preferably, a stereo camera pair.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A visual prosthesis comprising:
a camera for producing a visual image;
a video processor receiving data from the camera and including a digital image processing system that creates a disparity map, detects and digitally removes portions of the visual image that represent information outside of a preset range of depth from the visual prosthesis user based on the disparity map, and producing stimulation signals based on a portion of the visual image found within the range of depths from the visual prosthesis user;
user controls on the video processor adapted to control depth filtering modes and a band pass filter with adjustable width to control the range of depths visible to the user;
an implantable neurostimulator configured to stimulate visual neural tissue in accordance to the stimulation signals.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein a second camera with the camera for producing a visual image form stereo cameras and provide depth information to the image processing system.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 2, wherein the digital image processing system applies the disparity map to data from the stereo cameras to determine depth information.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 3, wherein the disparity map is developed using a block matching algorithm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the camera is configured to be mounted on, and move with, a visual prosthesis user's head.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 1, further comprising an inertial sensor to provide orientation information of the camera to the digital image processing system.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the digital image processing system removes unwanted image information with a mask.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 7, wherein the mask is refined using open and close morphology operations.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The visual prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation signals are based on the presence or absence of an object within the range of depth, regardless of the luminance level of the object.