Optics: eye examining – vision testing and correcting – Eye examining or testing instrument – Eye exercising or training type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-12
2002-04-02
Chang, Kent (Department: 2673)
Optics: eye examining, vision testing and correcting
Eye examining or testing instrument
Eye exercising or training type
C345S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06364485
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the field of orthoptic treatment. More specifically, the present invention teaches methods and systems for use in exercising eye muscles, especially for the relief and prevention of eye strain.
BACKGROUND
A growing proportion of the population in the industrialized world spends time performing tasks that are known to cause eye fatigue and/or eye strain. Office workers increasingly are required to work at computer terminals to perform tasks such as word processing, data entry, and generating computer graphics. Students and children are using computers for study and in the classroom. Even at home, computers and televisions are commonly viewed for entertainment and information purposes. Thus, it comes as no surprise that an increasing number of people in the industrialized world are seeking relief from discomfort and decreased vision due to eye strain.
The human eye includes various muscles which, like any part of the human body, will tire and strain when kept in a fixed configuration for sufficiently long periods. Immediate symptoms of eye fatigue and eye strain include headaches and difficulty focusing one's vision. In the long term, prolonged or severe eye fatigue and strain may decrease the strength of eye muscles and require corrective lenses (or an increased prescription for those already requiring corrective lenses).
Some of the most common causes of eye fatigue and/or strain include viewing close objects, viewing objects displayed on a light emitting medium, and simply viewing images for excessive time periods. By way of example, a typical computer user may spend hours viewing a computer display screen while performing computer-related tasks. The light emitting display screen forces the computer user's eyes to constantly adjust, while simultaneously diminishing the eyes movement which normally helps the eyes to stretch and relax and thereby relieve eye fatigue and eye strain. Furthermore, objects being viewed on the display screen are often close enough to the viewer to cause the viewer's eye difficulty in maintaining a clear focus on the objects, possibly causing eye strain and fatigue. As will be appreciated, the effects of such causes on a particular viewer vary depending upon the visual abilities of that particular viewer.
When an object is too close to a viewer, the viewer is forced to bring her eyes inward (towards her nose). The motion of the eyes turning inward is called convergence. Convergence requires intensive exertion of the eye muscles, in particular the ocular muscles. When the eyes are not properly relaxed through either visual exercise or rest, the viewer may experience eye fatigue and/or eye strain. Repeated and/or prolonged convergence can permanently decrease the strength of the eye muscles.
In addition, a viewer's eyes must focus in order to properly perceive an object. Focusing causes strain to the viewer's eyes. In order to focus on close objects, the eye's lens thickens. That is, the closer an object to the viewer, the thicker the eye's lens must shape themselves. Thickening the eye's lens is particularly exhausting on the eye muscles, serving to exacerbate the fatigue and strain brought on by the convergence that also accompanies viewing close objects.
One result of eye fatigue and eye strain is a diminished synchronization between a viewer's pair of eyes. That is, the viewer's left and right eyes are not working synchronously to provide the visual information required to visually perceive one's surroundings. Accordingly, common orthoptic tests involve monitoring the eye's ability to synchronize, while common orthoptic treatments involve the viewer performing eye exercises that promote synchronization, either through stretching and strengthening the eye muscles, or via forced relaxation.
FIG. 1
illustrates an orthoptical exercise method
100
commonly performed with a synoptophore by optometrists (or other medical professionals), together with their patients, to examine and promote eye synchronization. The method
100
begins in a step
102
involving any initialization requirements. These depend, in part, upon the equipment being used. However, in general, a viewer (i.e., the patient) places their face over the viewing portion of eye synchronization test equipment such that each eye is looking into an individual scope. Once the viewer is prepared, a step
104
displays two associated images, one in each scope. Typically, the two associated images are not identical, but have many common portions. After the two associated images are displayed, in a step
106
the viewer focuses the two images into a single perceived “merged” image. In general, the merged image is a mapping of the two associated images. In a simple case, the single perceived merged image will replicate all the common portions of the associated images, as well as each of the associated images' unique portions. An example of a single perceived merged image of this type is described below in reference to FIGS.
2
(
b
) and
2
(
c
). In other cases, however, the single perceived image might replicate all the common portions but create a portion perceived as three dimensional out of the associated images' unique portions. This is due to the operation of the viewer's eyes intended to provide stereoscopic vision. As will be appreciated, “stereoscopic vision” is the ability to perceive distance and the three dimensional properties of a viewed object.
Once the viewer has focused on a single perceived merged image, it is determined in a step
108
whether the method
100
is done. For example, has the viewer completed his or her exercises, or has the optometrist completed the tests? If so, then the method is complete in a step
110
. If the method
100
is not complete, then step
108
passes control to a step
112
. In a step
112
, the optometrist manually adjusts the two associated images along the horizontal plane, disrupting the viewer's focus and thereby causing the viewer to once again perceive the two associated images as distinct and not one single perceived merged image. After step
112
, the method
100
loops back to step
106
where, once again, the viewer is allowed to focus the two images into a single perceived merged image.
FIG.
2
(
a
) illustrates a patient
136
utilizing a synoptophore
140
suitable for performing the method
100
of FIG.
1
. The synoptophore includes a left scope
126
and a right scope
128
coupled with a viewing screen
142
. The patient
136
places her face up against the synoptophore
140
such that the patient's left and right eyes are directly in front of the left scope
126
and the right scope
128
, respectively. Two associated images, such as those described above with reference to
FIG. 1
, are displayed by the viewing screen
142
, one in each scope. As described above, the patient
136
then focuses her eyes to perceive a single, merged image.
With reference now to FIGS.
2
(
b
) and
2
(
c
), a specific example of two associated stick house images
120
and
122
along with a perceived merged image
124
will be described. Broken lines represent the left scope
126
and right scope
128
of the synoptophore
140
described above with reference to FIG.
2
(
a
). Thus, a viewer gazing only into the left scope
126
would perceive just the image
120
. Similarly, a viewer gazing only into the right scope
128
would perceive just the image
122
. However, a viewer gazing into both scopes appropriately would initially see both images, as described above with reference to steps
104
and
106
of FIG.
1
. Then, as described above with reference to step
106
of
FIG. 1
, the viewer would begin to focus and shortly thereafter perceive just the single merged image
124
of FIG.
2
(
b
). Note that a chimney portion
130
, only presented in the image
120
, and a doorway portion
132
, only presented in the image
132
, are both perceived by the viewer in the single perceived merged image
124
.
While th
Chang Kent
Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly
Vega Vista, Inc.
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