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US 8,137,271 B2Granted
System and method for assessing risk of glaucoma onset
AssigneeHeidelberg Engineering GmbH
InventorJosef F. Bille
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for predicting the onset of glaucoma uses a Finite Element Model (FEM) to obtain a response profile of the Optical Nerve Head (ONH) inside an eye. To do this, the FEM is programmed with data from first and second images of the ONH that are respectively taken at the beginning and the end of an imposed pressure differential (e.g. over a range of about 8 kPa). The FEM is then subjected to a sequence of pressure increments and the resultant profile is compared with empirical data to predict an onset of glaucoma.
Claims9
A method for determining an onset of glaucoma in an eye which comprises the steps of:
- providing a programmable Finite Element Model (FEM) of an Optical Nerve Head (ONH) of a patient having elements with tensor parameters respectively representative of a Lamina Cribrosa (LC), Prelaminar Neural Tissue (PrNT), Postlaminar Neural Tissue (PoNT), and Sclera;
- measuring data of stress-strain characteristics for tissue at each of a plurality of locations in the ONH of the patient in response to a predetermined pressure differential, wherein each location corresponds to a respective element of the FEM;
- entering the data into the FEM;
- varying the tensor parameters of the FEM to obtain a patient-specific pressure response profile for the ONH of the patient;
- and
- using a computer to evaluate the profile in comparison with an empirical statistic to predict the onset of glaucoma.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.