Method of and apparatus for diagnosing and treating amblyopic conditions in the human visual system

Abstract

A method of and apparatus for treating amblyoptic conditions within the human vision system, wherein optical magnification is used to provide an amblyopic eye with more photonic energy than the non-amblyopic eye during treatment so as to over-stimulate the neural pathways along the visual channel of the amblyopic eye, and eventually achieve harmony along the both visual channels of the patient over the course of treatment, without the use of occlusion therapy.

1 . A method of treating amblyoptic conditions within the human vision system, wherein optical magnification is used to provide an amblyopic eye with more photonic energy than the non-amblyopic eye during treatment so as to over-stimulate the neural pathways along the visual channel of the amblyopic eye, and eventually achieve harmony along the both visual channels of the patient over the course of treatment.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein selective optical magnification is used to achieve harmony among the visual channels of the patient's visual system.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein occlusion or penalization therapy is only used initially, at the earliest stage of treatment, when the depth of suppression has been determined to be very deep, and neural pathways need to be rapidly generated in the amblyopic visual channel while severely penalizing the non-amblyopic eye during this early stage of treatment.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 4 , which can be used for cases of both monocular and binocular amblyopia.  
   
   
       5 . Apparatus in the form of an afocal binocular lens system applied before the amblyopic eye of a patient so as to treat monocular amblyopia by using selective magnification along the visual channel along which the amblyopic eye resides, so that said amblyopic eye is provided with more photonic energy than the non-amblyopic eye during treatment so as to over-stimulate the neural pathways along the visual channel of the amblyopic eye until a state of harmony between both visual channels is achieved and binocular vision is persistent in the patient's vision system.  
   
   
       6 . Apparatus in the form of a pair of reverse-afocal binocular lens systems applied before a pair of amblyopic eyes in a patient so as to treat binocular amblyopia by using selective magnification along both visual channels in the patient's vision system, so that a state of harmony between both visual channels is achieved and binocular vision is persistent in the patient's vision system.  
   
   
       7 . Apparatus in the form of workstation for carrying out the method of  claim 1  in clinical settings.  
   
   
       8 . Apparatus for treating monocular amblyopia in the vision system of a patient, comprising: 
 an afocal binocular lens system applied before an amblyopic eye of the patient so as to treat amblyopia by achieving harmony among the visual channels of the vision system by producing selective magnification along one visual channel of the vision system afflicted by amblyopia, and without applying prolonged occlusion therapy or penalization therapy along the visual channel of the vision system not afflicted by amblyopia;    wherein said afocal binocular lens system includes a lens element applied before the amblyopic eye of the patient and a contact lens applied to the surface of said amblyopic eye.    
   
   
       9 . Apparatus for treating binocular amblyopia in the vision system of a patient, comprising: 
 a pair of reverse-afocal binocular lens systems applied before a pair of amblyopic eyes in a patient so as to treat binocular amblyopia by achieving harmony among the visual channels thereof using selective magnification along both visual channels according to the principles of the present invention,    wherein each said reverse-afocal binocular lens system includes a lens element applied before the amblyopic eye of the patient and a contact lens applied to the surface of said amblyopic eye.    
   
   
       10 . Apparatus in the form of a complex binocular lens system applied before the amblyopic eye of a patient so as to treat monocular amblyopia by achieving harmony among the visual channels thereof using selective magnification along one visual channel according to the principles of the present invention.  
   
   
       11 . Apparatus in the form of a pair of complex binocular lens systems applied before a pair of amblyopic eyes in a patient so as to treat binocular amblyopia by achieving harmony among the visual channels thereof using selective magnification along both visual channels according to the principles of the present invention.  
   
   
       12 . Apparatus for treating monocular amblyopia in the vision system of a patient, comprising: 
 a complex binocular lens system applied before an amblyopic eye of the patient so as to treat amblyopia by achieving harmony among the visual channels of the vision system by producing selective magnification along one visual channel of the vision system afflicted by amblyopia, and without applying prolonged occlusion therapy or penalization therapy along the visual channel of the vision system not afflicted by amblyopia;    wherein said complex binocular lens system includes a lens element applied before the amblyopic eye of the patient and a contact lens applied to the surface of said amblyopic eye.    
   
   
       13 . Apparatus in the form of a complex binocular lens system applied before the amblyopic eye of a patient, including a contact lens on the amblyopic eye, so as to treat monocular amblyopia by using selective magnification along the visual channel along which the amblyopic eye resides, so that said amblyopic eye is provided with more photonic energy than the non-amblyopic eye during treatment so as to over-stimulate the neural pathways along the visual channel of the amblyopic eye until a state of harmony between both visual channels in the patient's vision system is achieved and binocular vision is persistent in the patient's vision system.  
   
   
       14 . Apparatus in the form of a pair of complex binocular lens systems applied before a pair of amblyopic eyes in a patient so as to treat binocular amblyopia by using selective magnification along both visual channels in the patient's vision system, so that a state of harmony between both visual channels is achieved and binocular vision is persistent in the patient's vision system.  
   
   
       15 . A computer-based ophthalmic workstation for carrying out and managing a method diagnosis and treatment of amblyopia in a patient's vision system using selective magnification along at least one visual channel thereof afflicted by amblyopia, said computer-based ophthalmic workstation comprising: 
 a processor having an expandable memory volume for storing and running a computer software program for managing said method;    a visual display panel for displaying information from said computer program; and    a keyboard for manually inputting data and information to said computer program;    wherein said computer software program is capable of performing the following functions: (1) helping ophthalmologists and others collect, record, analyze and manage patient information during the diagnostic stage of said method; (2) helping ophthalmologists and others manage the equalization of a patient's visual channels during the treatment stage of said method, which involves computing/determining optical parameters required to achieve optical equalization in both left and right visual channels of a particular patient, during the course of the patient treatment; and (3) helping ophthalmologists and others monitor and record the patient's visual performance in response to treatment.    
   
   
       16 . The computer-based ophthalmic workstation of  claim 15 , wherein said computer software program comprises a number of software modules, including: 
 a patient information management module for managing information on each patient diagnosed and/or treated using said method;    a left visual channel modeling module for constructing and managing information models (and optical parameters) relating to the structure and function of the optical components natively present in each patient's left optical/visual channel and provided therealong as part of treatment;    a right visual channel modeling module for constructing and managing information models (and optical parameters) relating to the structure and function of the optical components natively present in each patient's right optical/visual channel and provided therealong as part of treatment; and    a visual system performance metric modeling module for managing information relating to the performance of the patient's visual system, before, during and after each stage of treatment.    
   
   
       17 . The computer-based ophthalmic workstation of  claim 15 , which further comprises: 
 at least one input device selected from the group consisting of a slit-lamp microscope with an electronic image detector, a keratometer, a contrast threshold chart, and evoked visual potential (EVP) sine wave and square wave generators.