Rapid measurement of visual sensitivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9700201-B2
Application number	US-201314399136-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2013
Priority date	May 9, 2012
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

Data is received characterizing a result of a first visual sensitivity test assessing capacity to detect spatial form across one or more different target sizes, and different contrasts. Using the received data, one or more first parameters defining a first estimated visual sensitivity for a first range of contrasts and a second range of spatial frequencies is determined. One or more second parameters defining a second estimated visual sensitivity for a third range of contrasts and a fourth range of spatial frequencies is determined using the one or more first parameters and a statistical inference by at least presenting a first visual stimulus, receiving a response, and determining a second visual stimulus based at least on the response and at least a rule. The one or more second parameters is provided. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving data characterizing a result of a first visual sensitivity test assessing capacity to detect spatial form across one or more different target sizes and different contrasts, the results of the first visual sensitivity test characterizing a line generated on a spatial frequency image that indicates a transition between a visible contrast and an invisible contrast;
determining, using the received data, one or more first parameters defining a first estimated visual sensitivity for a first range of contrasts and a second range of spatial frequencies;
determining, using the one or more first parameters and a statistical inference, one or more second parameters defining a second estimated visual sensitivity for a third range of contrasts and a fourth range of spatial frequencies by at least presenting a first visual stimulus, receiving a response, and determining a second visual stimulus based at least on the response and at least a rule; and
providing the one or more second parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the results of the first visual sensitivity test further includes:
an indication of at least one of a presence or an absence of targets of differing spatial frequency.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visual stimulus and second visual stimulus include one or more of: a band-pass frequency stimulus, a band-pass frequency letter, and a localized windowed grating.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first visual stimulus and second visual stimulus includes a flickering and a band-pass filtered letter, wherein one or more of a temporal frequency of the flickering and a spatial frequency of the band-pass filtered letter varies between the first visual stimulus and the second visual stimulus.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first visual stimulus and the second visual stimulus comprise dynamic band-pass letter charts.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first parameters include one or more of a peak sensitivity, a peak spatial frequency, low-frequency truncation, and a bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visual sensitivity test is performed using a mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the determining the one or more second parameters further comprises:
providing instructions to view the first visual stimulus at a viewing distance, the viewing distance determined by using a camera associated with the mobile device to measure a viewing distance; wherein the determination of the one or more second parameters is based on the viewing distance.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assessing a visual function by at least using the one or more second parameters to compare visual sensitivity based on at least one or more of the following: at different visual field locations, in different illumination conditions, in photopic and mesopic conditions, and at two or more levels of external illumination noise.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the one or more second parameters further comprises:
selecting the first visual stimulus based on at least previously determined parameters, the first visual stimulus being a band-pass frequency stimulus and the previously determined parameters characterizing a probability;
presenting the first visual stimulus using a display;
receiving a response relating to the first visual stimulus;
updating the probability based on at least a Bayes rule and a received response; and
iterating until a stopping criterion is satisfied.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing comprises one or more of a transmitting, a displaying, a storing, and a computing of the one or more second parameters.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the one or more second parameters comprises:
iteratively presenting visual stimulus, receiving a response, and determining second visual stimulus for presenting using the response and at least the rule, the rule based on at least a Bayes rule.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first parameters are used as a priori values for a Bayesian inference.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the first stimulus by adding a deterministic temporal pattern to each pixel, the deterministic temporal pattern based on a fractional part of an intensity of the pixel.

15. An apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
receive data characterizing a result of a first visual sensitivity test assessing capacity to detect spatial form across one or more different target sizes and different contrasts, the results of the first visual sensitivity test characterizing a line generated on a spatial frequency image that indicates a transition between a visible contrast and an invisible contrast;
determine, using the received data, one or more first parameters defining a first estimated visual sensitivity for a first range of contrasts and a second range of spatial frequencies;
determine, using the one or more first parameters and a statistical inference, one or more second parameters defining a second estimated visual sensitivity for a third range of contrasts and a fourth range of spatial frequencies by at least presenting a first visual stimulus, receiving a response, and determining a second visual stimulus based at least on the response and at least a rule; and
provide the one or more second parameters.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein, wherein the results of the first visual sensitivity test further includes:
an indication of a presence or absence of targets of differing spatial frequency.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first visual stimulus and second visual stimulus include one or more of: a band-pass frequency stimulus, a band-pass frequency letter, and a localized windowed grating.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the first visual stimulus and second visual stimulus includes a flickering and a band-pass filtered letter, wherein one or more of a temporal frequency of the flickering and a spatial frequency of the band-pass filtered letter varies between the first visual stimulus and the second visual stimulus.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein each of the first visual stimulus and the second visual stimulus comprise dynamic band-pass letter charts.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more first parameters include a peak sensitivity, a peak spatial frequency, a low frequency truncation, and a bandwidth.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer code, which when executed by a computer processor provides operations comprising:
receiving data characterizing a result of a first visual sensitivity test assessing capacity to detect spatial form across one or more different target sizes and different contrasts, the results of the first visual sensitivity test characterizing a line generated on a spatial frequency image that indicates a transition between a visible contrast and an invisible contrast;
determining, using the received data, one or more first parameters defining a first estimated visual sensitivity for a first range of contrasts and a second range of spatial frequencies;
determining, using the one or more first parameters and a statistical

Assignees

• The Schepens Eye Res Inst Inc
• Univ Ohio State

Inventors

• Bex Peter
• Dorr Michael
• Lesmes Luis
• Lu Zhong-Lin

Classifications

• A61B3/06

  for testing light sensitivity, e.g. adaptation; for testing colour vision · CPC title

• A61B3/022 Primary

  for testing contrast sensitivity · CPC title

• A61B3/032

  Devices for presenting test symbols or characters, e.g. test chart projectors (A61B3/036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B3/0025

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title