Pupilometer with pupil irregularity detection, pupil tracking, and pupil response detection capability, glaucoma screening capability, intracranial pressure detection capability, and ocular aberration measurement capability

A method for detecting glaucoma comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer;
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, pupilary response data from an eye of a patient, said pupilary response data being representative of one or more pupilary response characteristics of said eye;
• storing within a database data representative of a plurality of pupilary response characteristics;
• comparing within an automated data analysis system said pupilary response data obtained from said patient with said data representative of a plurality of pupilary response characteristics to determine whether the patient's pupilary response data indicates Glaucoma.

A system for use in diagnosing impairment to brain function, said system comprising:

• a pupilometer for obtaining data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from a subject;
• a movable target;
• a database for storing data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics associated with a set pattern of target movement;
• and
• a central processing unit coupled to the pupilometer and the database for comparing the data obtained by the pupilometer to the data stored within the database to assess the subject's level of brain function.

A method for diagnosing impairment to brain function comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer;
• providing a movable target in the visual field of a subject;
• moving the target within the visual field of the subject in a set pattern of target movement;
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, a first set of data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from an eye of the subject as the subject follows the target;
• storing within a database a second set of data descriptive of plurality of pupilary characteristics associated with the set pattern of target movement;
• comparing within a data analysis system said first set of data with said second set of data to determine whether the subject's brain function is impaired.

A system for diagnosing neurological disease or trauma, said system comprising:

• a pupilometer for obtaining data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from an eye of a patient;
• a stimulus source in communication with the pupilometer;
• and
• a central processing unit coupled to the pupilometer and in communication with the stimulus source, said central processing unit being capable of activating the stimulus source thereby sending a stimulus to an anatomical structure of the patient.

A method for diagnosing neurological disease or trauma, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer comprising a central processing unit and a memory;
• providing a stimulus source, said stimulus source in communication with the pupilometer;
• activating the stimulus source with the pupilometer thereby causing the stimulus source to send a stimulus to an anatomical structure of a patient;
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, temporal data with respect to the activation of the stimulus source;
• and
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, a first set of data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from an eye of the patient.

A system for testing the functional integrity of a patient's auditory pathways, said system comprising:

• a pupilometer for obtaining data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics of the patient;
• a sound generating transducer;
• and
• a central processing unit in communication with the pupilometer and sound generating transducer, said central processing unit capable of activating and controlling the sound generating transducer and synchronizing the pupilometer with the sound generating transducer.

A method for testing the functional integrity of a patient's auditory pathways, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer;
• providing a central processing unit in communication with the pupilometer;
• providing a sound generating transducer capable of transmitting an auditory stimulus, said sound generating transducer in communication with the central processing unit, wherein the central processing unit is capable of activating and controlling the sound generating transducer;
• using the pupilometer, activating the transducer to produce a sound;
• and
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, a first set of data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from an eye of the patient.

A method for diagnosing a medical condition, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer;
• providing a central processing unit in communication with the pupilometer;
• providing an amplitude modulated light source for generating light, said light source in communication with the central processing unit, wherein the central processing unit is capable of activating and controlling the amplitude modulated light source;
• continuously projecting the light for a given length of time onto the eye of a patient in a predetermined pattern of amplitude modulation;
• and
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, a first set of data representative of a pupil's response to the modulated light.

A method for correlating a pupilary response with pathological indications, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing within a database data representative of a plurality of pupilary response characteristics associated with one or more pathological indications;
• using a pupilometer, obtaining pupilary response data from a patient, said pupilary response data being representative of one or more pupilary response characteristics of said patient;
• providing a data analysis system comprising a microprocessor, said microprocessor in communication with the database and the pupilometer;
• and
• comparing within said data analysis system said pupilary response data obtained from said patient with said data representative of a plurality of pupilary response characteristics to identify one or more pathological indications of said patient.

A method for correlating pupilary measurements with pathological indications, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing within a database data representative of a plurality of pupilary data and associated pathological indications;
• using a pupilometer, obtaining pupilary data from a patient;
• providing a data analysis system comprising a microprocessor, said microprocessor in communication with the database and the pupilometer;
• and
• comparing with said data analysis system said pupilary data obtained from said patient with said data from said database to identify one or more pathological indications of said patient.

A method for assessing a state of health of an individual or physiological system of said individual, said method comprising the steps of:

• using a pupilometer, obtaining pupilary response data from a patient, said pupilary response data being representative of one or more pupilary response characteristics of said patient;
• providing a data analysis system comprising a microprocessor, said microprocessor in communication with the pupilometer;
• and
• using the data analysis system to derive a scalar value based on the pupilary response data from the patient.

A system for use in diagnosing pathological conditions, said system comprising:

• a pupilometer for obtaining a first set of data descriptive of one or more pupilary characteristics from a patient;
• a database for storing a second set of data descriptive of a plurality of pupilary characteristics and associated physical conditions;
• and
• a central processing unit in communication with said pupilometer and said database for comparing said first set of data with said second set of data such that a pathological condition of said patient may be diagnosed based on said comparison.

A pupilometer comprising:

• a display, an imaging device and a microprocessor, said microprocessor being coupled to said display, and said imaging device, said microprocessor comprising a memory, wherein said memory has stored therein a program comprising:
• image acquisition code for enabling said microprocessor to cause said imaging device to acquire a plurality of images of a first pupil of an individual's eye;
• image analysis code for enabling said microprocessor to process data sets representative of said images of said pupil to obtain information descriptive of said pupil;
• and
• display code for enabling said microprocessor to cause said information to be depicted on said display.

A medical diagnosis system comprising:

• a pupilometer for obtaining data descriptive of one or more eye movement characteristics from a subject;
• a movable target;
• a database for storing data descriptive of one or more eye movement characteristics associated with a set pattern of target movement;
• and
• a central processing unit coupled to the pupilometer and the database for comparing the data obtained by the pupilometer to the data stored with the database to assess the subject's level of brain function.

A method for diagnosing a medical condition, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer;
• providing a movable target in the visual field of a subject;
• moving the target with the visual field of the subject in a set pattern of target movement;
• obtaining, using the pupilometer, a first set of data descriptive of one or more eye movement characteristics from an eye of the subject as the subject follows the target;
• storing within a database a second set of data descriptive of a plurality of eye movement characteristics associated with the set pattern of target movement;
• comparing within a data analysis system said first set of data with said second set of data to determine whether the subject's brain function is impaired.

A method for examining an individual comprising the steps of:

• providing a pupilometer comprising an imaging sensor, a data processor, and a program executable by said data processor for analyzing pupilary response to stimuli;
• using the pupilometer to acquire a first set of data representative of a response of a first eye of the patient to a first stimulus;
• using the pupilometer to acquire of second set of data representative of a response of a second eye of the patient to a second stimulus, the second stimulus being applied at a predetermined time following termination of the first stimulus;
• and
• using the pupilometer to correlate the first set of data with the second set of data to derive a value.