Background
Vision problems are widespread and common in the United States with 11 million Americans over age 12 needing vision correction. A partial list of the most common eye diseases diagnosed includes cataract, Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, Dry eyes, Strabismus (misalignment/deviation of eyes), Proptosis (bulged eyes), excessive tearing (tear duct obstruction), uveitis and eye tumors. In order to diagnose patients who may have one or more of such diseases, patients may undergo eye examinations that measure for Visual acuity, Refraction, Ocular tonometry to determine intraocular pressure, Slit lamp examination and Retina examination. Ophthalmologists thus measure or test a patient’s sensitivity to light in various regions of the light-sensitive retina to measure function, as well as to quantify any disorders of the eye and the retina, the optic nerve, the optic chiasm, the visual pathways to the brain, and the brain itself. In addition, visual field testing is mandatory for glaucoma diagnosis and treatment. Many of these instruments are relatively complex and the eye doctor must step through various functions with the patient during an eye exam. Some of the complexity involved with using such apparatus can tire patients, or cause them to become inattentive to visual and/or audio cues.
Head-mounted display devices, such as Virtual Reality (VR) headsets are known to visually simulate a user's physical presence in virtual spaces. Such simulations typically include a three-hundred and sixty (360) degree view of the user's surrounding virtual space so that when the user turns his head he or she can view different portions of the surrounding space. Head-mounted display devices have also been used for visual field testing of patients.
Description
Researchers at the University of Nevada, Reno have developed a head-mounted display (HMD) system for efficient measurement of visual function that leverages the stereo vision and eye-tracking to identify and diagnose vision problems. This mixed reality apparatus and mechanism is capable of assessing visual function measures such as Visual Acuity (VA), Contrast Sensitivity (CS), Color Vision (CV), Stereo Vision (SV), and Visual Fields (VF) tests.
Patents
UNR20-032
