Methods and apparatus for making a determination about an eye

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods and apparatus for making a determination about an eye comprising detecting light reflected out of an eye of a subject from a retina of the eye of the subject and making a determination about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device, one or more images of an eye of a subject, wherein non-relevant reflections from a cornea and a lens of the eye of the subject are managed while capturing the one or more images;   determining, using the computing device:
 an overall intensity of light from a plurality of pixels located within at least a portion of a pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the plurality of pixels comprise red, green, and blue pixels; 
 determining an average red intensity from the plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images; 
 determining an average blue intensity from the plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of a pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images; and 
 determining using the average red intensity, the average blue intensity and the determined overall intensity an optical quality of the eye. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein making a determination about the optical quality of the eye comprises making a determination of a refractive error for the eye. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein making a determination about the optical quality of the eye comprises an autorefraction or a photorefraction measurement. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the average red intensity is brighter relative to the average blue intensity and the overall intensity is relatively brighter, and the determined optical quality of the eye is a positive value or hyperopia. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the average red intensity is dimmer relative to the average blue intensity and the overall intensity is relatively dimmer, and the determined optical quality of the eye is a negative value or myopia. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the computing device:
 making a first determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light from a first plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images;   making a second determined optical quality about the eye from a second plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the second plurality of pixels are a subset of the first plurality of pixels;   making a third determined optical quality about the eye from a third plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the third plurality of pixels are a subset of the first plurality of pixels and are separate from the second plurality of pixels; and   comparing the first determined optical quality, the second determined optical quality and the third determined optical quality to make the determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the computing device comparing the determined optical quality, the second determined optical quality and the third determined optical quality to make the determination about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light comprises the computing device performing one or more of determining a standard deviation of the first determination to the second determination, a standard deviation of the first determination to the second determined optical quality, or a standard deviation of the second determined optical quality to the third determined optical quality, wherein the determined standard deviation indicates the determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the determined optical quality of the eye is a presence or an absence of astigmatism. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the presence of astigmatism is detected and an amount of astigmatism is determined by comparing the overall intensity and the average red intensity or the average blue intensity of various regions of the pupil. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the amount of astigmatism is determined by measuring one or more of hyperopia or myopia at the various regions of the pupil. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein managing non-relevant reflections from the cornea and the lens of the eye of the subject while capturing the one or more images comprises blocking light that would lead to reflections from a corneal surface or the lens of the eye. 
     
     
         12 . An apparatus comprised of:
 a computing device comprising at least a processor, wherein the computing device receives one or more images of an eye of a subject, wherein non-relevant reflections from a cornea and a lens of the eye of the subject are managed while capturing the one or more images,   wherein the computing device determines:
 an overall intensity of light from a plurality of pixels located within at least a portion of a pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the plurality of pixels comprise red, green, and blue pixels; 
 an average red intensity from the plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images; 
 an average blue intensity from the plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of a pupil captured in the at least one of the one or more images; and 
 determines, using the average red intensity, the average blue intensity and the determined overall intensity an optical quality of the eye. 
   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the processor executing computer-readable instructions stored in the memory that cause the processor to make a determination about the optical quality of the eye comprises the processor executing computer-readable instructions stored in the memory that cause the processor to make a determination of a refractive error for the eye. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the determination about the optical quality of the eye comprises an autorefraction or a photorefraction measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the computing device further comprises a display, wherein the determined optical quality of the eye or information about the optical quality of the eye is displayed to on the display of the computing device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the average red intensity is brighter relative to the average blue intensity and the overall intensity is relatively brighter, and the determined optical quality of the eye is a positive value or hyperopia. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the average red intensity is dimmer relative to the average blue intensity and the overall intensity is relatively dimmer, and the determined optical quality of the eye is a negative value or myopia. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises the computing device:
 making a first determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light from a first plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images;   making a second determined optical quality about the eye from a second plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the second plurality of pixels are a subset of the first plurality of pixels;   making a third determined optical quality about the eye from a third plurality of pixels located within the at least a portion of the pupil of the eye of the subject captured in the at least one of the one or more images, wherein the third plurality of pixels are a subset of the first plurality of pixels and are separate from the second plurality of pixels; and   comparing the first determined optical quality, the second determined optical quality and the third determined optical quality to make the determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the computing device comparing the determined optical quality, the second determined optical quality and the third determined optical quality to make the determination about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light comprises the computing device performing one or more of determining a standard deviation of the first determination to the second determination, a standard deviation of the first determination to the second determined optical quality, or a standard deviation of the second determined optical quality to the third determined optical quality, wherein the determined standard deviation indicates the determined optical quality about the eye of the subject based upon the reflected light. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the determined optical quality of the eye is a presence or an absence of astigmatism. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the presence of astigmatism is detected and an amount of astigmatism is determined by comparing the overall intensity and the average red intensity or the average blue intensity of various regions of the pupil. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the amount of astigmatism is determined by measuring one or more of hyperopia or myopia at the various regions of the pupil. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein managing non-relevant reflections from the cornea and the lens of the eye of the subject while capturing the one or more images comprises blocking light that would lead to reflections from a corneal surface or the lens of the eye.