US 5,392,776 A · Method and apparatus for detecting cataractogenesis

A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue, comprising the steps of:

(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue;
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
(e) detecting cataractogenesis from the signature.

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Apparatus for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue, comprising:

a light source producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
optics directing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue;
a light collector collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue;
correlation means for performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
analysis means for detecting cataractogenesis from the signature.

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A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:

(1) For each subject in a population of subjects:
(a) producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the subject's ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
(2) developing a frequency distribution of at least one of the parameters;
(3) for the individual subject:
(a) producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the individual subject's ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the individual subject's ocular tissue;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
(4) determining a rate of cataractogenesis for the individual subject, based on the position of a value of at least one variable for the individual subject relative to the frequency distribution for that variable.

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A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:

(1) For the individual subject, at a first time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
(2) for the individual subject, at a second time following the first time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
(3) determining a rate of change of at least one of the variables of the individual subject's ocular tissue as a function of age by comparing the at least one variable determined at said first time with the at least one variable determined at said second time;
(4) for each individual in a population of individuals, at a third time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of each individual subject;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of each individual subject;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including a dimensionless parameter F.sub.mos and a diffusion decay time parameter (.tau..sub.S), where F.sub.mos is a measure of the proportion of an intensity of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue and .tau..sub.S is a diffusion decay time of the particles that move slowly relative to the diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
(5) comparing the rate of change with individual age of the at least one variable for the particular individual subject to a normal value of the rate of change with age of the at least one variable for the population of subjects by comparing the rate of change of the at least one variable determined at said second time with the at least one variable determined at said third time to detect cataractogenesis in the ocular tissue of the individual subject.

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A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue, comprising the steps of:

(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue;
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine a signature of cataractogenesis, the signature including an intensity (I.sub.mof) of the light scattered by fast moving particles, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.f) of fast moving particles, an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of slow moving particles, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to a diffusion speed of other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
(e) determining from the signature the degree of cataractogenesis.

3 more elements

A method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:

(1) For each subject in a population of subjects:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on subject's ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine values of variables which include an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to a diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
(2) developing a frequency distribution of at least one of the variables;
(3) for the individual subject:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the individual subject's ocular tissue;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the individual subject's ocular tissue;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine values of variables which include an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to a diffusion speed of the other particles in the ocular tissue;
and
(4) determining a rate of cataractogenesis for the individual subject, based on the position of the value of at least one variable for the individual subject relative to the frequency distribution for that variable.

12 more elements

The method for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising the steps of:

(1) For the individual subject, at a first time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject over a predetermined first time period;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine values of variables, including an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles in the individual subject's ocular tissue, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles in the individual subject's ocular tissue, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the first time period over which the light is collected in the individual subject's ocular tissue;
(2) for the individual subject, at a second time following the first time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
(c) collecting light that is scattered form the ocular tissue of the individual subject over a predetermined second time period;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine values of variables, including an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles in the individual subject's ocular tissue, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles in the individual subject's ocular tissue, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the second time period over which the light is collected in the ocular tissue;
(3) determining a rate of change of at least one of the variables of the individual subject's ocular tissue as a function of age;
(4) for each individual in a population of individuals, at a third time:
(a) producing a substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
(b) causing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of each individual in the population of individuals;
(c) collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of each individual in the population of individuals over a predetermined third time period;
and
(d) performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine normal values of the rate of change with individual age of the variables for the population, including an intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles within the ocular tissue of individuals in the population of individuals, a diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles in the subject's ocular tissue, and an intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the their time period over which the light is collected in the ocular tissue;
and
(5) comparing the rate of change with individual age of the at least one variable for the particular individual subject to the normal value of the rate of change with age of the at least one variable for the population of subjects to detect cataractogenesis in the ocular tissue of the individual subject.

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Apparatus for in vivo detection of cataractogenesis in ocular tissue of an individual subject, comprising:

means for analyzing the ocular tissue of the individual subject at a first time, for analyzing the ocular tissue of the individual subject at a second time following the first time and for analyzing the ocular tissue of each individual in a population of individuals at a third time including:
a light source for producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
optics for directing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject and individuals in the population;
a light collector for collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject over a predetermined first time period;
and
electrical circuitry for performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables, including the intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, the diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles, and the intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the first time period over which the light is collected in the ocular tissue of the subject;
means for analyzing the ocular tissue of the individual subject at a second time following the first time, including:
a light source for producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
optics for directing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of the individual subject;
a light collector for collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of the individual subject over a predetermined second time period;
and
electrical circuitry for performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine the values of variables, including the intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, the diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles, and the intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the second time period over which the light is collected in the ocular tissue of the subject;
apparatus for determining the rate of change of at least one of the variables o the individual subject's ocular tissue as a function of age;
means for analyzing the ocular tissue of each individual in a population of individuals at a third time, including:
a light source for producing substantially monochromatic, coherent, collimated light;
optics for directing the light to impinge on the ocular tissue of each individual subject;
a light collector for collecting light that is scattered from the ocular tissue of each individual subject over a predetermined third time period;
and
electrical circuitry for performing a correlation analysis on the collected light to determine normal values of the variables for the population, including the intensity (I.sub.mos) of the light scattered by slow moving particles, the diffusion decay time (.tau..sub.S) of the slow moving particles, and the intensity (I.sub.movs) of the light scattered by particles in the ocular tissue that move very slowly relative to the third time period over which the light is collected in the ocular tissue of the subject;
and
electrical circuitry comparing the rate of change of the at least one variable for the particular individual subject to the normal value of the rate of change with age of the at least one variable for the population of subjects to detect cataractogenesis in the ocular tissue of the individual subject.

18 more elements

Method and apparatus for detecting cataractogenesis

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Method and apparatus for detecting cataractogenesis

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Abstract

Claims56