US4408846A
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Method and apparatus for increasing visual acuity
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1981-02-02
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Granted: 1983-10-11
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Expires: 2001-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for increasing visual acuity of a person wherein a target is selectively moved toward or away from the person to different positions at accurately determined distances therefrom. At each of the positions, the person is required to identify the appearance of the target which is randomly changed to any one of a plurality of different appearances. The concept includes the moving of the target further away from the person whenever the identification of the target appearance is correct at a given position and moving the target closer to the person whenever the identification is incorrect. The invention comprehends moving the target incrementally at smaller distances away from the person than toward the person. A Badal lens is interposed between the person and the target for causing the focal points to be at the nodal point of the eye of the person. The target is illuminated with red light in the illustrated embodiment and is defined by line gratings wherein the different appearances of the target are provided by different diagonal line orientations. A display is provided for indicating to the user at all times the target distance and recording apparatus is provided for recording the respective distance and identifications for subsequent use in analysis of the visual training. The system is advantageously adapted for increasing the far-point acuity of a myopic person, as well as increasing the visual acuity of an emmetropic person.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard F. Balliet
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 11:09
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61H; A61H5/00; A61B; A61B3/00; A61B3/02; A61B3/028; A61B3/032
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 33
Claim 1
Independent Claim
185 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of a myopic person, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the myopic person's visual acuity; providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
185 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of a myopic person, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the myopic person's visual acuity; providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
189 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of an emmetropic person to a greater distance, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the emmetropic person's visual acuity; providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
189 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of an emmetropic person to a greater distance, comprising the steps of: determining the far point of the emmetropic person's visual acuity; providing a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point with the target randomly displaying one of said appearances for identification by said person moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect; and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
23 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein said identifications are caused to be made monocularly by said person.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
19 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein said target displays two mirror image appearances.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
39 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the movement of the target toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification is larger than the movement away from said person pursuant to a correct identification.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
44 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the movement of the target toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification is at least approximately three times larger than the movement away from said person pursuant to a correct identification.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
28 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is moved approximately 0.10 diopter away from said person pursuant to a correct identification.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
27 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is moved approximately 0.30 diopter toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
29 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the further step of recording the target distances and corresponding correct and incorrect identifications for further analysis.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
39 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the further step of recording the target distances and corresponding correct and incorrect identifications for further analysis and provision of mean and standard deviation computation based thereon.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
28 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 including the provision of a readout display of the target distance at all times to the person.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
19 words
The method of increasing visual acuity of claims 1 or 2 wherein the target is illuminated with red light.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for increasing visual acuity of a person having a determined far point, comprising: means defining a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; means for positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point; means for randomly causing one of said target appearances to be displayed at said first position for identification by the person; means for moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect, and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
187 words
Apparatus for increasing visual acuity of a person having a determined far point, comprising: means defining a target having randomly different appearances each of which can be identified by a person when positioned at an effective optical distance from the person equal to said person's far point; means for positioning the target at a first position closer to the person than said far point; means for randomly causing one of said target appearances to be displayed at said first position for identification by the person; means for moving the target away from the person to a second position further from the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was correct, or alternatively moving the target toward the person to a third position closer to the person than said first position in the event the identification of the target appearance at said first position was incorrect, and repeating such alternative movement of the target alternatively toward or from the person to new positions in accordance with the correctness or incorrectness of the identifications at each new position.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for positioning the target comprises a support and means for incrementally moving the support toward or away from the person.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 13 including means for fixing the nodal point of the person's eye in a preselected position adjacent said target.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 13 including a bite bar for fixing the nodal point of a person's eye in a preselected position adjacent said target.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said means for positioning the target comprises an optical bench-like device having a support and means for incrementally moving the support toward or away from the person.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said target comprises gratings.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said target comprises gratings equal to 20 cycles per degree.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a stop aperture is positioned between the person and the target, said stop aperture having small visual angle field such as approximately 3°.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for illuminating said target.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for illuminating said target with red light.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein means are provided for transilluminating said target with red light having a 632 n.m. dominant wavelength.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a positive lens is positioned for viewing of the target therethrough by said person.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a +10 diopter lens is positioned for viewing of the target by said person.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 13 further including means for recording the respective identifications made by the person and corresponding target distances in the use of the apparatus.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 13 further including a display indicating the target distance to the person.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said positioning means comprises means for causing the movement of the target away from said person pursuant to a correct identification to be smaller than the movement toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said positioning means comprises means for causing the movement of the target away from said person pursuant to a correct identification to be at least approximately three times smaller than the movement toward said person pursuant to an incorrect identification.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a Badal lens is positioned for viewing of the target by said person.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4105302A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1986-10-10 | 1987-04-11 | 1987-10-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1990-10-10 | 1991-04-11 | 1991-10-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1994-10-10 | 1995-04-11 | 1995-10-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |