# US 2014/0191140 A1 · Systems and methods for altering visual acuity

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- Number: US 2014/0191140 A1
- Document ID: US20140191140A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/188,435
- Filed: 2014-02-24
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2009-01-23
- Assignees: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
- Applicants: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
- Inventors: Ashley J. Welch; Rebecca L. Vincelette; Henry Grady Rylander, III; Thomas E. Milner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191140A1

## CPC

- F41H 13/0056: {for blinding or dazzling, i.e. by overstimulating the opponent's eyes or the enemy's sensor equipment}
- F41H 13/0087: {the high-energy beam being a bright light, e.g. for dazzling or blinding purposes (F41H13/0056 takes precedence)}
- F41H: ARMOUR; ARMOURED TURRETS; ARMOURED OR ARMED VEHICLES; MEANS OF ATTACK OR DEFENCE, e.g. CAMOUFLAGE, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Provided are methods, systems, and apparatus for altering a modulation transfer function of an imaging system. The described methods, systems and apparatus can be used to temporarily alter visual acuity of a subject.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system operable to effect a temporary change in a modulation transfer function (MTF) of a target imaging system, comprising:
a light source operable to produce light for transient propagation onto at least a portion of the target imaging system;
a power source in operative communication with the light source and configured to effect the production of light from the light source; and
a transmission unit in operative communication with the light source and configured to propagate the produced light onto at least a portion of the target imaging system, wherein the propagated light is configured for absorbance by the portion of the target imaging system; the absorbance causing an increase in temperature and a change in a refractive index profile of at least the portion of the imaging system, the change in refractive index profile producing a temporary change in the MTF of the imaging system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the propagated light has a wavelength in the range of 1100 nanometers (nm) to 2500 (nm).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the imaging system is an eye.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the portion of eye that absorbs the light is anterior to the retina.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the portion of the eye that absorbs the light is selected from the group consisting of the vitreous humor, the lens, the aqueous humor, and the cornea.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein the absorption of light causes a non-uniform index of refraction change in the cornea, aqueous humor, lens or vitreous humor.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the portion of the eye that absorbs the light is the retina or tissue posterior to the retina.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the absorption of light disrupts visual acuity.

### Claim 9 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, wherein the eye is a human eye.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein an irradiance of the propagated light at a location where the target imaging system receives the propagated light is between 0.001 W/cm2 and 500 W/cm2.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein an irradiance of the propagated light at a location where the target imaging system receives the propagated light is between 0.005 W/cm2 and 50 W/cm2.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein an irradiance of the propagated light at a location where the target imaging system receives the propagated light is between 0.1 W/cm2 and 5 W/cm2.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the light source is a first laser light source.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a second light source operable to produce light for transient propagation onto at least a portion of the target imaging system.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the transmission unit is in operative communication with the second light source and is configured to propagate light produced by the second light source onto at least a portion of the target imaging system.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the propagated light from the second light source has a wavelength in the range of 450 nm to 650 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the transmission unit is operable to co-align light from the first and second light sources for propagation onto at least a portion of the target.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein an irradiance of light from the second light source at a location where the target imaging system receives the propagated light is greater than 0.001 mW/cm2.

### Claim 19

A system to temporarily alter visual acuity of a subject, the system comprising:
a first light source configured to produce infrared light in an infrared wavelength spectrum for transient propagation into an eye of the subject;
a second light source configured to produce visible light in a visible wavelength spectrum for transient propagation into the eye of the subject; and
a transmission unit configured to propagate the infrared light and the visible light into the eye,
wherein the light propagated into the eye temporarily alters visual acuity of the subject.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the first light source is configured to produce the infrared light having a first irradiance sufficient to cause temperature gradients in the eye, the temperature gradients causing changes in a refractive index profile in the eye.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein second light source is configured to produce the visible light at a second irradiance sufficient to saturate light receptors in the eye.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, the transmission unit further comprising an optical system configured to co-align the infrared light and the visible light.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, wherein the optical system is configured to produce a co-aligned infrared light and visible light with a spot size of about 10 cm to 2.0 m at a target distance of about 500 meters (m).

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the first light source produces infrared light in a wavelength range of 1100 nm to 2500 nm.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The system of claim 24, wherein the first light source produces infrared light in a wavelength range of 1100 nm to 1700 nm.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The system of claim 25, wherein the first light source produces infrared light having a wavelength of about 1318 nm.

### Claim 27 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the second light source produces visible light in a wavelength range of 450 nm to 650 nm.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The system of claim 27, wherein the second light source produces visible light having a wavelength of about 535 nm.

### Claim 29 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the transmission unit is configured to propagate the infrared light and visible light for a distance greater than 2 km before entering the eye.

### Claim 30 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the transmission unit is configured to propagate the infrared light and visible light for a distance of about 100 m before entering the eye.

### Claim 31 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the transmission unit is configured to propagate the infrared light and visible light for a distance of about 10 m before entering the eye.

### Claim 32 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one additional light source configured to produce infrared light in an infrared wavelength spectrum for transient propagation into the eye,
wherein the infrared wavelength of the infrared light produced by the first light source is different from the infrared wavelength of the infrared light produced by the at least one additional light source.

### Claim 33 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, further comprising at least one additional light source configured to produce visible light in visible wavelength spectrum for transient propagation into the eye,
wherein the visible wavelength of the visible light produced by the at least one additional light source is different from the visible wavelength of the visible light produced by the second light source.

### Claim 34

A method for altering visual acuity of a subject comprising:
propagating visible light in a visible wavelength spectrum into the eye, the visible light generating glare at a glare angle, wherein an area of the retina on which the visible light is incident is related to the glare angle; and
modifying the propagated visible light to increase the glare angle, an area of the retina on which the modified visible light is incident being greater than the area of the retina on which the propagated visible light is incident, wherein the modified visible light alters visual acuity of the subject.

### Claim 35 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein a power required to propagate the modified visible light is less than a power required to propagate the visible light that is not modified.

### Claim 36 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein the visible light is a laser having a retinal spot size, wherein modifying the visible light to increase the glare angle increases the retinal spot size of the visible laser.

### Claim 37 (depends on 34)

The method of claim 34, wherein modifying the visible light comprises:
propagating an infrared light in an infrared wavelength spectrum;
co-aligning the infrared light with the visible light to form co-aligned light; and
propagating the co-aligned light into the eye.

### Claim 38 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the visible light has an irradiance sufficient to saturate the receptors in the portion of the eye on which the visible light is incident, and
wherein the infrared light has an irradiance sufficient to cause a temperature gradient at the portion of the eye, the temperature gradient causing a change in a refractive index profile of the portion of the eye.

### Claim 39 (depends on 37)

The method of claim 37, wherein the visible light is incident on the retina, and
wherein the infrared light causes the temperature gradient at a region anterior to the retina.

### Claim 40

A method for temporarily altering the visual acuity of a subject, comprising:
projecting infrared wavelength light into an eye of the subject;
projecting visible wavelength light into the eye of the subject, wherein the projected infrared and projected visible wavelength light are co-aligned, and wherein the infrared wavelength light and visible wavelength light temporarily alter visual acuity of the subject.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method of claim 40, wherein the infrared wavelength light is projected in co-alignment with the projected visible wavelength light.