Device and Method for Testing Human Vision

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

The patent describes a device and method for objectively and simultaneously measuring various aspects of human visual function, specifically the ability to focus at different distances (accommodation) and the direction of gaze (viewing direction) in one or both eyes. The system uses customizable test images, optical modules with adjustable focus, and specialized measurement units to stimulate and monitor both visual accommodation and eye movement. It allows for high-resolution, continuous measurement and advanced analysis, making it possible to diagnose a wide range of vision disorders and study neurophysiological vision processes more accurately and reproducibly than previous solutions.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Clinical diagnosis of refractive, accommodative, or strabological eye disorders such as strabismus (tropias, phorias) and binocular vision deficits.
• Routine vision screening in clinics, optometry practices, or mass screening settings like schools and kindergartens.
• Assessment and monitoring of therapy progress for visual training, rehabilitation, or post-surgical follow-up.
• Research on the dynamics of human accommodation and eye movement, especially in response to virtual or 3D stimuli.
• Telemedicine or remote diagnosis, where the measurement results are recorded, visualized, and evaluated off-site.
• Validation and optimization of displays and content for virtual reality, 3D television, or related media to reduce eye strain ('asthenopia') and vision discomfort.
• Comparative analysis of large datasets for epidemiological or scientific studies on vision function.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables simultaneous, objective, and high-resolution measurement of accommodation and gaze direction, improving both accuracy and reproducibility.
• Allows for individualized and flexible stimulation and measurement for each eye, including independent adjustment of accommodation and convergence stimuli.
• Supports dynamic and continuous monitoring, not just single 'snapshot' readings, revealing the time-course and transient responses (useful for studying reaction times, adaptation, and neurophysiologic processes).
• Enables detection and diagnosis of a broader range of vision problems, including those provoked by virtual or 3D environments, which are stemming from mismatched accommodation and convergence stimuli.
• Integrates automated control, data recording, and visualization, facilitating easier documentation, follow-up, and large-scale data analysis.
• Highly suitable for diverse contexts: from routine clinical use to research, remote diagnostics, and high-volume screening.
• Reduces subjectivity in vision assessment, offering more standardized and comparable results across different examiners and locations.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a device and a method for checking human vision, comprising an image-generating module (e.g., 2a) for generating any test images, an imaging module (e.g., 3a), which is used to image the test image provided by the image-generating module (e.g., 2a) on the retina of the eye as a stimulus, the imaging module (e.g., 3a) containing at least one optical component having variable focal length, such that the test image of the image-generating module (e.g., 2a) is perceptible to the eye from virtually simulated and variable distances, an accommodation measuring apparatus (e.g., 4a) for measuring the accommodation of the eye, a viewing direction measuring apparatus (e.g., 5a) for measuring the viewing direction of the eye, and a control and evaluation module (6), which records and/or further processes the information and/or measured values originating from the individual modules and/or controls the operation sequence. In order to achieve the aim of providing an improved device for checking human vision and a corresponding method, a device is proposed, which is characterized in that the accommodation of the eye can be stimulated by means of the particular test image, and/or the viewing direction can be stimulated by means of the particular test image, the accommodation of the eye and the viewing direction of the eye can be measured simultaneously or in alternation, and the measured values of the accommodation of the eye and of the viewing direction of the eye can be fed to a control and evaluation module (6). In an especially advantageous embodiment of the device and of the method in accordance with the invention, both eyes can also be checked simultaneously by generating virtual binocular images, which cannot be distinguished from visual reality, for example in regard to visual physiology.