Flicker-induced interocular transfer-of-oxygenation for non-invasively assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system
AssigneeUniversite de Montreal
InventorsJocelyn Faubert, Vasile Diaconu
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Abstract
In the method and apparatus for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, the patient is stimulated with a visual or auditory flickering stimulus, and oxygenation in the patient's second eye is sensed. Finally, the method and apparatus detects whether a change in the sensed oxygenation occurs in response to stimulation of the patient with the visual or auditory flickering stimulus. This change in the sensed oxygenation is indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
Claims18
A method for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- stimulating the patient with a visual or auditory flickering stimulus;
- sensing oxygenation in at least one eye of the patient;
- and
- detecting whether a change in the sensed oxygenation occurs in response to stimulation of the patient with the flickering stimulus, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
An apparatus for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- a generator of a visual or auditory flickering stimulus, said flickering stimulus being applied to the patient to stimulate said patient;
- and
- a neural integrity assessment instrument responsive to oxygenation in at least one eye of the patient, said neural integrity assessment instrument comprising:
- a sensor of oxygenation in at least one eye of the patient;
- and
- a detector of a change in the level of the sensed oxygenation in response to stimulation of said patient with the flickering stimulus, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
A method for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- stimulating a first eye of the patient with a flickering light;
- sensing oxygenation in the patient's second eye;
- and
- detecting whether a change in the sensed oxygenation occurs in response to stimulation of the patient's first eye with flickering light, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
An apparatus for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- a generator of flickering light, said flickering light being applied to a first eye of the patient to stimulate said patient's first eye;
- a neural integrity assessment instrument responsive to oxygenation in the patient's second eye, said neural integrity assessment instrument comprising:
- a sensor of oxygenation in the patient's second eye;
- and
- a detector of a change in the level of the sensed oxygenation in response to stimulation of the patient's first eye with flickering light, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
A method for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- stimulating at least one ear of the patient with an auditory flickering stimulus;
- sensing oxygenation in at least one eye of the patient;
- and
- detecting whether a change in the sensed oxygenation occurs in response to stimulation of said patient's at least one ear with the auditory flickering stimulus, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
An apparatus for assessing neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system, comprising:
- a generator of an auditory flickering stimulus, said auditory flickering stimulus being applied to at least one ear of the patient to stimulate said patient's at least one ear;
- a neural integrity assessment instrument responsive to oxygenation in at least one eye of the patient, said neural integrity assessment instrument comprising:
- a sensor of oxygenation in said patient's at least one eye;
- and
- a detector of a change in the level of the sensed oxygenation in response to stimulation of said patient's at least one ear with the auditory flickering stimulus, said change being indicative of neural integrity of the patient's central nervous system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.