EP1133251A1

EP1133251A1 - Method for selecting measured eye position data and device for carrying out the method

Info

Publication number: EP1133251A1
Application number: EP99962182A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jean-Cyriaque Barry; Stefan Rensing
Original assignee: Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen; Universitaetsklinikum Tuebingen
Current assignee: Eberhard Karls Universitaet Tuebingen; Universitaetsklinikum Tuebingen
Priority date: 1998-11-27
Filing date: 1999-11-29
Publication date: 2001-09-19
Also published as: CA2352304A1; US20020063850A1; DE19854852C2; WO2000032087A1; DE19854852A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for selecting measured eye position data which is suitable for further processing, from a stream of measured data associated with at least one eye. Said data relate to a proband. The data stream is supplied by an eye position measuring device within a certain time interval. The measured data are initially stored. Individual data from the data stream which occur within a predetermined window range are then combined to form clusters. Each cluster is allocated to a group respectively, the first group having the cluster with the temporally first measuring data and the remaining clusters being allocated to further groups according to the chronological order of the measured data. Finally, the group containing the most measured data is selected as suitable for further processing. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the inventive method.

Description

Process for the selection of eye position measurement data and device for carrying out the process

The invention relates to a method for the selection of eye position measurement data of a subject suitable for further processing from a measurement data row assigned to at least one eye, which is supplied by an eye position measurement device within a specific time interval. The invention further relates to a device for the selection of eye Position measurement data, with an eye position measuring device, which provides measurement data forming at least one eye for at least one eye within a predeterminable time interval, and a measurement data evaluation device.

Eye position is measured in the field of behavioral psychology, in science, in animal experiments and in many other technical fields. Various methods and devices for detecting eye movements are known, for example, from the publications DE 19624 135 AI, US 4,859,050 A or DE 44 08 858 AI. In many of the known methods, it is necessary to first carry out an individual calibration, which requires the test subjects to cooperate insofar as they have to look at the specified calibration gaze targets precisely and for a sufficiently long time when requested.

In ophthalmic diagnostics, objective eye position examinations are carried out, which are used, for example, for the early detection of squinting. The basis of such an examination is formed by eye position measurement data which can be measured objectively, that is to say without specifying the persons / patients to be examined, using different measurement methods, such as, for example, the Purkinje reflex pattern method. These recorded eye position measurement data must now be evaluated by the examiner. Each measurement data includes, for example, a horizontal and a vertical eye position angle specification for each eye. The examiner must relate these measurement data to a fixation point that the patient had to look at during the examination. The examiner is generally unable to use the available measurement data to decide whether the patient actually wants the desired one Has fixed the fixation point. Especially with children, disabled people, animals etc., who do not understand or do not want to implement the instructions given by the examiner, the evaluation of the measurement data very often leads to erroneous findings, since the examiner may start from an actually unfixed fixation point.

In addition, the eye position measurement data itself is error-prone. A possible source of error lies in the methodical inaccuracy of the eye position measurement, for example a systematic error (offset) and an unsystematic error (noise). A second source of error is the patient-related, age-related fixation blur. This is to be understood to mean that the ability to fixate fluctuates within a certain range depending on age, this range of fluctuation becoming smaller with visual maturation and increasing due to illnesses or due to age.

Another source of error arises from an individual offset between the right and left eye, which is different between the eye position and the actual viewing direction, depending on the measurement parameters: when measuring the eye position using corneal reflexes, for example, there is an angle between the visual axis or line of sight and the Corneal apex normal axis, the so-called angle kappa in optics. This angle differs between individuals and is usually not exactly the same in the right and left eye.

Ultimately, errors can also occur if the patient does not fix monocularly and binocularly properly. The eye position measurement data are consequently more or less subject to errors or disturbances, depending on the patient and the measurement method.

The examiner now has the task of determining on the basis of the eye position measurement data in which direction the patient has been looking, or whether he is not correctly fixing monocularly (i.e. squinting) or whether he is not correctly fixing binocularly, i.e. just looked in a different direction (incorrect fixation). For this it is necessary for the examiner to set this eye position measurement data in relation to the fixation point to be fixed by the patient. If the differences in the measured values over time are much greater than the measuring accuracy and the fixation blur, it is not too difficult for the examiner to make such a division of the eye measurement data using large thresholds. However, it becomes problematic when the measurement accuracy and / or the fixation blur or incorrect fixations come in the size of the eye position to be detected, and when e.g. an evaluation is to be carried out online with video frequency. A human examiner cannot do this exactly, objectively, reproducibly and quickly. In addition, the necessary evaluations of the eye position measurement data can only be carried out by highly qualified persons, so that e.g. an early detection check-up as part of a non-specialist check-up in children is not possible.

Against this background, the object of the invention is to create a method and a device which enable an economical, objective, reproducible examination-independent examination and evaluation of the eye position. In particular, the process should also be able to be carried out by persons without special training. Furthermore, the method and the device should recognize from the measured eye position measurement data the measurement data indicating incorrect fixation.

The object on which the invention is based is achieved by a method for selecting a subject's eye position measurement data, which comprises the following steps: storing the measurement data;

Combining individual measurement data of the measurement data series lying within a predefinable window area into clusters;

Assigning a cluster to a group, the first group having the cluster with the first measurement date and the further clusters being assigned to other groups according to the chronological order of the measurement data; and

Selection of the group as suitable for further processing which contains the most measurement data.

This method has the advantage that the measurement data indicating incorrect fixation are marked as unsuitable for further processing and are therefore discarded. With the method according to the invention it is therefore possible to determine those eye position measurement data which indicate with a high degree of probability that the test subject has fixed a given point with at least one eye. These data can then be further processed by appropriate calculation algorithms so that a first finding can be made without the intervention of an experienced examiner. Another advantage of the method according to the invention is that the test subject does not have to fix a predetermined fixation point. For an eye position examination, it is sufficient to carry out the measurement over a certain period of time, the method according to the invention being used to select only those measurement data which indicate with high probability that any point in space is fixed. This can be used for the self-calibration of devices for a certain test subject, so that even uncooperative test subjects or test animals without the need for repetition by repeated, uncontrolled looking at predetermined calibration gaze targets finally the data required for linking a measurement signal of a certain strength and configuration with the given gaze targets is possible because sooner or later every conspicuous structure is looked at more often and more precisely than, for example, a uniform background.

The great advantage of the method according to the invention lies in the fact that an examination of the eye position, the fixation, and possible eye anomalies of a subject is possible on an objective basis.

In an advantageous development of the method according to the invention, the measurement data series assigned to an eye consists of measurement data pairs, each measurement data pair specifying the horizontal and the vertical eye position angle. A separate series of measurement data is preferably recorded and stored for each eye. The clustering is preferably carried out for the individual measurement data of the measurement data pairs. The chronological sequence is preferably measured. The use of horizontal and vertical angles to describe the eye position and the acquisition of a series of measurement data for each eye has proven to be particularly simple and advantageous. Of course, other coordinate and reference systems, such as polar coordinates and vector representation, are also conceivable.

In a preferred development of the method according to the invention, the window area is selected depending on the age of the test subject. It has been shown that the fixation ability is age-dependent, with older children and adults being able to fix an object better over a certain period of time than, for example, infants and toddlers or eye-sick patients or animals are able to do so.

The advantage lies in the fact that this age-dependent difference in the ability to fixate flows into the method, so that ultimately the selection of the eye position measurement data can be carried out more reliably.

In a preferred development of the method according to the invention, the selected measurement data for the left and right eyes are compared with one another, a deviation exceeding a certain value indicating squinting on the subject.

This has the advantage that an initial finding is possible automatically without the intervention of a person who specializes in eye examinations. The object on which the invention is based is also achieved by a device of the type mentioned at the outset, which is characterized in that the measurement data evaluation device comprises a storage means, as well as means for combining measurement data into clusters, means for assigning clusters to groups and means for Selection of a group of measurement data as suitable for further processing.

This device, which is suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention, also has the advantage that an examination of eye position abnormalities on an objective basis is also possible for non-specialists. In particular, the device according to the invention has the advantage that measurement data indicating incorrect fixation can be recognized and can thus be discarded, for example.

In a preferred development of the device according to the invention, the means for summarizing measurement data is designed such that it combines individual measurement data of the measurement data series lying within at least one predefinable window area, the largest measurement date in the first cluster and the smallest measurement date in the last cluster is classified. The means for assigning preferably divides the clusters into groups, the cluster falling into the first group with the first measurement date and the further clusters being assigned to further groups in accordance with the further chronological order of the measurement data. The means for selection preferably selects the group which contains the most measurement data. A device designed in this way has proven to be particularly advantageous with regard to the quality of the selection of measurement data.

In a preferred development of the invention, the eye position measuring device has an infrared light source directed at the eyes and a video camera for recording the eyes.

The use of an infrared light source has the advantage that the test person is not disturbed or irritated by a blinding light, since an infrared light source is hardly visible to the test person. With the help of the so-called Purkinje reflex pattern method, for example, the images of the eyes recorded by the video camera can be evaluated and the eye position angles can be calculated relative to the eye position when looking straight ahead. Of course, other methods for determining eye position measurement data can also be used, such as, for example, electro-oculography, search coil method, foveal bi-refringence (FB) scanning, corneal reflex measurement, infrared reflectometry, displacement of eye structures (eg limbus corneae , Pupil) using a CCD line or image processing, dual-Purkinje image eye tracking, determination of iris torsion, PowerRefractor according to Weiss and Schaeffel (Uni Tübingen) and OVAS system (Ocular Vergence and Accommodation System). The method according to the invention is not dependent on the eye position measurement data determined by one of these special methods.

Further advantages and refinements of the invention result from the description and the accompanying drawing. It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those yet to be explained below can be used not only in the combination indicated in each case, but also in other combinations or on their own without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The invention will now be explained in more detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Show:

Fig. La a table with various eye position measurement data;

Fig. Lb is a diagram for explaining the summary of clusters on the basis of the measurement data given in Fig. La;

1c shows an example of the age-related dependency of the fixation accuracy when using a hand-held device for the early detection of malocclusions;

2a-d show four tables with pairs of measurement data relating to the left and right eyes to explain the method according to the invention;

3a-d show four tables with the measurement data pairs relating to the left and the right eye according to a second exemplary embodiment to explain the method according to the invention;

4a shows a schematic representation of a device according to the invention for the selection of eye position measurement data; and

4b is a schematic block diagram of a measurement data evaluation device according to the invention. The method according to the invention is described below by way of example for examining eye position abnormalities (squint). It goes without saying that the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention can also be used in other areas. For example, it is conceivable to use the method according to the invention to find out which object or which area within the shop window is viewed most frequently and longest for people looking at a shop window. Valuable conclusions can then be drawn from this, for example, about which product receives the greatest attention or which area of the shop window is particularly well suited for the presentation of goods.

An eye position measuring device described later supplies a large number of measurement data over a certain period of time, for example ten minutes. The measurement data are arranged in two measurement data rows, each measurement data row containing the horizontal and vertical eye position angles of the left and right eyes. The eye position angles are measured relative to an eye position that corresponds, for example, to a straight look. In FIG. 1 a, measurement data relating to the vertical eye position for one eye are given, for example limited to a spatial direction. The first measured value is 7.9 °, the temporally following measured values are 1.9 °, 3.1 °, 1.0 °, 3.2 °, 5.8 ° and 6.7 °. It can clearly be seen that the measurement data fluctuate very strongly, so that the impression initially arises that the test person has not only fixed one object during the measured period. In order to be able to process the measurement data further, those measurement data that indicate incorrect fixation must be separated out. For this purpose, the measurement data are assigned to so-called clusters. A cluster denotes a measurement data area of a certain width, in which as many individual measurement data as possible fall, which occur, for example, within a certain time interval. The width of this measurement data area is given by the diagram shown in FIG. 1c, in which a permissible fixation fluctuation, typical for the respective eye position measurement method, is given in degrees over the age in months of the subject. This diagram takes into account the fact that the ability to fixate, ie the ability to hold the fixation with as little fluctuation as possible, improves with age. The fixation fluctuations in an infant for this eye position measurement method are in the range of 2.5 °, while the fixation fluctuation in an adult person decreases to a few tenths of a degree. With regard to the evaluation of the measurement data supplied, this has the consequence that measurement data lying in a range of 1.5-2.5 ° in a small child certainly indicate the fixation of a certain point, whereas such a fluctuation in the case of an adult person is a false fixation would be classified.

In Fig. Lb the measurement data given in Fig. La are plotted on a number line. This number line is used to check which measurement data areas can be formed with the maximum number of measurement data in each case. The width of the measurement data area is determined based on the age of the test person from the diagram shown in FIG. 1c. Of course, other values can also be included in this measurement data area, such as the eye position measurement method used. dependent values. Otherwise, it is also conceivable to use different measurement data areas for the left and right eyes or for the vertical and horizontal viewing directions.

In the present exemplary embodiment, a fixation fluctuation or width, also referred to below as the window interval, of 1 ° is used. The aim is to determine whether a subject has looked at an offered fixation point with one or both eyes or not.

A sorting algorithm, which can be flexibly adapted to the evaluation purposes, is used to actually determine which data are to be assigned to a particular gaze position. This example deals with the analysis of 4-dim data sets (generally: n-dim), so that the process runs in 4 (n) steps, the final selection taking place in the last step. The steps are carried out in a specific order:

• 1. Cluster formation in two stages in order to determine which one-dimensional data of an eye (horizontal or vertical line of sight) can be arranged at most within a certain window interval,

• 2. formation of groups for chronological classification according to order and duration,

• 3. Formation of upper groups to determine which groups of the right and left eyes fit together. • 4. Assignment of the upper groups of the right and the left eye to determine which groups of both eyes fit together.

This is followed by the final selection of the data depending on the application.

Stage 1 of cluster formation: To determine the clusters, the measured values are considered in order of size in descending order, as shown in Fig.lb. For each cluster, the number of elements and as a density, e.g. whose sum of squares is determined. The first cluster from the right begins with the largest value 1, 9 °, and in this case contains only 1 element, and therefore the distance squared sum 0, since the distance to the next measured value is more than 1 °.

The next cluster begins with the second largest element, contains two values (6.7 ° and 5.8 °) and the sum of squares of 0.81 °°. This continues to the last cluster from the right, which only contains the last and smallest value.

Stage 2 of cluster formation: Now the clusters are numbered according to the number of elements, so that all elements of the cluster have the same cluster number, namely the cluster with the most elements the "1", the cluster with the second most elements the "2" and so continue in descending order of number of elements. For the sake of uniqueness, each number only occurs once: If there are several clusters with the same number of elements, so that their intersection is not 0, then the subordinate criterion, for example, is the size of the sum of the squares to decide which values be marked as belonging to the cluster: the smallest sum receives the highest rating, ie leads to the next cluster formation etc. Further criteria, random mechanisms and case distinctions can be used to ensure the uniqueness of the assignment.

At the end of the cluster formation, see FIG. 1b, each value is uniquely assigned to a cluster, so that as many elements as possible are always in a cluster, and the predetermined window width is maintained. If you want to take into account the temporal occurrence of the measurements, you can e.g. are required to take into account only those values in a cluster that follow one another directly, and the duration of the uninterrupted fixation of a particular location can be derived from this. Further temporal selection criteria are applicable.

In the present case, the temporal dimension should not be considered any further: there are four clusters, as shown in FIG. 1b, three with two values each and one with one. Cluster 1 contains the value numbers 3 and 5; since it has the smallest sum of distance squares, the cluster elements are particularly close together. The two other clusters with the same number of elements have the same distance square sums, namely 0.81 °°. In this case, the cluster that contains the largest value is preferred. The fourth cluster is the one with the smallest number of elements, here one element.

The clusters therefore each contain those measurement data that lie within the permissible range of fixation fluctuations and thus indicate with high probability that the eye has fixed an object during the acquisition of these measurement data.

After cluster formation, the individual clusters are assigned to so-called groups, if a temporal view is desired. While the order of the clusters takes into account the number of measurement data contained, the assignment to groups should take into account the time order of the acquisition of the measurement data.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the measurement date 7.9 ° was recorded first. This is followed by the measurement data 1.9 °, 3.1 °, 1.0 °, 3.2 °, 5.8 ° and 6.7 °. Recording number 1 is assigned to group 1. All elements that are in the same cluster are also assigned to this group (here only element 1 from cluster 4). This means that the values in this group are no longer assigned to the group. The smallest, not yet assigned admission number determines the affiliation to the following, here 2nd group, with admission numbers 2 and 4 from cluster 3. Group 3 comprises admission numbers 3 and 5 from cluster 1. The remaining admission numbers 6 and 7 form group 4 from cluster 2.

So far only one range of values of one eye has been considered, for example the horizontal eye position. On the basis of this group formation, the decision is now made as to which measurement data are to be marked for further processing, ie which measurement data indicate with a high probability that the subject has fixed an object. This selection will now be explained using the tables shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. Fig. 2a shows a table in which 4 rows of measurement data (horizontal and vertical eye positions of the right (RAH and RAV) and left eye (LAH and LAV)) are arranged in columns. The values of 5 measurements in chronological order are listed in 5 lines.

The same cluster and group formation is carried out for each of the four corresponding measurement data series (columns). In this example, a window interval of 1.75 ° is used as a basis.

This means that there are assignments as shown in a table in FIG. 2b.

Now there is an upper group formation for each eye separately. Each horizontal and vertical group number combination forms an upper group. This results in:

Picture number 1, right eye: group 1 & group 1 results in group 1; Picture number 2, right eye: 1 & 2 results in group 2; Picture number 3, right eye: same upper group as picture number 2, right eye; Picture number 4, right eye: 2 & 3 results in group 3; Picture number 5, right eye: same upper group as picture number 1, right eye.

The same procedure is then followed for the measurement data of the left eye.

The upper groups represent horizontal and vertical pairs of values that fall within a common window interval. In this For example, these are the value pairs that represent the same horizontal and vertical eye position of an eye.

The results of this upper group formation are summarized in Figure 2c.

Now the final selection is made based on the upper group assignment. The decisive criterion in this application is the largest number of value pairs in a supergroup: in this example there are 2 largest supergroups with 2 value pairs each for the right eye, and 1 largest supergroup with 3 value pairs for the left eye.

All pairs of values (exposure number) that belong to a maximum upper group of an eye, regardless of whether there are only one maximum or more groups of the same size, are marked as belonging to a maximum upper group. This marking is represented by an "x" in FIG. 2c.

The result of this is that the pair of values 4 of the right eye and the pairs of values 1 and 4 of the left eye become recognizable as incorrect fixations (ie the condition that at least one eye fixes the fixation object is not fulfilled) because they are not are included in one of the largest major groups.

For the final selection of the pairs of values, here for recognizing the associated eye positions, it is taken into account how many pairs of measured values each upper group comprises. The more similar pairs of values appear, the more likely it is that a certain object has been fixed continuously or repeatedly. This selection criterion is used in this exemplary embodiment. set without this always having to belong to the selection of the data records belonging to both eyes.

The largest upper group of the right eye is compared with the largest upper group of the left eye. This is irrespective of whether there are several groups of the same size in one eye. If one of the two groups contains a larger number of elements than the other, the lines of the measured value table that belong to this main group are finally taken for further use.

If the maximum upper groups of both eyes contain the same number of elements, first the lines are selected in which both the value pair of the right eye and the value pair of the left eye are marked together as belonging to one upper group. If there are fewer common value lines than the maximum number of elements in a largest parent group, then those lines are also selected in which only one pair of values is marked as belonging to a largest parent group. As a random criterion, it starts with the right eye.

In this exemplary embodiment, a maximum of 5 value lines (recordings) should be selected. As a result of the final selection, the recording numbers 2, 3 and 5 are marked for further use, which is shown in FIG. 2d in the column (Wa) with an "x".

One can define a minimum number of value lines, which must be present in order for the eye position determination to be considered reliable in the present example there are three value lines (recordings and associated 4-dim data sets).

The evaluable recordings of an examination are composed of the selected data from the two eyes. To do justice to special cases in which e.g. A one-sided or alternating fixation, or an eyebrows of a strabismus patient, or in which other borderline cases occur, case distinctions are made in the upper group selection and in the final selection in order to achieve certain evaluation goals.

The measurement data selected according to this scheme can now be sent to a squint evaluation. A squint evaluation of the data can be carried out independently of the examiner, for example with the help of the so-called Strabismus Index method.

A description of this methodology can be found, for example, in the publication "Statistical validation of a strabismus index calculated from objective ocular alignment data", J.C. Barry et al., Strabismus-1996, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 57-68, the disclosure content of which is hereby incorporated into the present description with regard to the methodology described.

The preferably computer-assisted evaluation of the measurement data given in FIG. 2 on the basis of this strabismus index methodology leads to an inconspicuous finding, so that it can be assumed that the examined subject did not squint and fixed a certain point. FIGS. 3a-d show tables whose structure corresponds to that of FIG. 2 and which contain the measurement data of a second subject by way of example. Here too, as already described, measurement data are first combined to form clusters, which in turn are then assigned to groups in a next step. It can be clearly seen that the horizontal measurement data of the right eye (RAH) lie within the window interval of one degree, and thus all are assigned to cluster 1. In contrast, the vertical measurement data of the left eye (LAV) fluctuate to a large extent, so that the measurement data are assigned to a total of four clusters.

A comparison of the superordinate groups formed with regard to the left and right eyes reveals that the group with the most measurement data is group 1 for the right eye and group 3 for the left eye. The comparison of group 1 of the right eye and group 3 of the left eye with regard to the number of measurement data contained shows that group 1 of the right eye contains the most measurement data and must therefore be selected for further processing and evaluation. The measurement data with the numbers 3 and 4 are thus separated out, while the measurement data marked with an "x" in FIGS. 3c and d are supplied with a further data evaluation with the numbers 1, 2 and 5.

With the help of the Strabismus Index methodology, it follows from these selected data that the test subject has a high probability of squinting, so that an ophthalmological examination appears necessary. The advantage of the method described above is thus, inter alia, that the data can be selected and subjected to evaluation without intervention by the examining person. A corresponding device for carrying out this method will now be explained with reference to FIG. 4.

The measuring device is identified in FIG. 4a with the reference number 10. It comprises an eye position measuring device 12 which is connected to a selection and evaluation device 14 via a data line 16. The selection and evaluation device 14 is in turn connected to a monitor 18, a printer 20 and a control panel, for example a keyboard 22, via corresponding data lines. The keyboard 22 is used to enter data, for example personal data of the subject, while the monitor 18 and the printer 20 are used to display the measurement data and the evaluation result.

The eye position measuring device 12 comprises, for example, an infrared light source 24 and a video camera 26. The IR light source 24 is provided to irradiate the eyes 28 of a subject. The video camera 26 is aligned with the two eyes 28 in order to record them. The subject's eye position is determined on the basis of the video recordings using known methods.

For the selection and evaluation of this eye position measurement data according to the above-described method, the selection and evaluation device 14 has a memory 30 in which the measurement data are stored. A device 32 for combining measurement data into clusters accesses this memory 30. This device 32 is followed by an assignment Device 34 which assigns the clusters to specific groups. The groups determined in this way are classified into "fixing" and non-fixing "groups by a selection device 36. The measurement data classified as" fixing "are fed from the selection device 36 to an evaluation device 38 which evaluates the measurement data and the evaluation result for visual display to the monitor 18 and / or the printer 20. The individual devices 30 - 38 are each connected to one another via a separate data line in Fig. 4b. Of course, a connection of the individual device via a common bus line is also conceivable.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the selection and evaluation device 14 is part of a computer.

In a further advantageous embodiment, the measuring device 10 comprises an optical stimulus generator 27, for example a lamp, and a fixation support means 29 (abbreviated to FU means), for example in the form of a melody player. Both the stimulus generator 27 and the frequency converter 29 are connected to the selection and evaluation device 14 via data lines and are controlled by the latter.

At the beginning of an examination / measurement, the optical stimulus generator 27 is used to direct the subject's gaze to a specific point, for example by means of a flashing lamp, in order in this way to determine reference or calibration data which indicate fixation. Since, especially in small children, the gaze quickly drifts away from such a stimulator, there are usually only a few measurement data available that indicate fixation, which complicates the evaluation of the data to produce a finding.

In order to achieve positive reinforcement to specifically support the fixation of a specific point, the test subject is presented with different visual stimuli (fixation objects) by the stimulus generator 27 during the examination. At the same time, the eye position measurement data are evaluated and compared with the calibration data. If the selection and evaluation device 14 determines that the fixation object is fixed, i.e. that the test person has viewed the fixation object spontaneously, this drives the FU means 29, which, for example, plays a melody in response to it or "rewards" the test person in another way. This positive reinforcement during the examination leads, especially in small children, to the fact that a larger number of measurement data is available, which indicates a fixation of a certain point.

It has been shown that the device 10 described enables automated recording and evaluation of eye position measurement data of a test subject, so that, for example, a squint examination can also be carried out by non-ophthalmologists without the quality of the examination result suffering.

As already mentioned, the method and the device according to the invention are not restricted to use in the medical field. The device 10 can also, for example can be used to find out the points which are particularly frequently fixed by a person within a certain time interval. This also enables self-calibration of eye position measurement methods, which require the test subject to fix certain points before the measurement. This can be used, for example, for individual calibration in camera viewfinders, which measure the viewing direction of the photo or videographer and automatically focus on the corresponding part of the image.

The method and the device according to the invention can also be used when the eye position measurement data are supplied as a series of individual measurements of the eye position up to quasi-continuous measurements or a real-time measurement. Examples of this are checking the correct eye position in perimetry (visual field examination) or in photorefractive laser surgery of the cornea, e.g. for the correction of refractive errors.

The eye position measurement data, which are supplied when a movable object is fixed, can also be further processed by the method and the device according to the invention. In this case, the measured eye position data are offset against the known space-time trajectory of the object and the deviation from the target position is subjected to the selection method according to the invention. The depth of view or the level of fixation can also be determined via the convergence of the eye position if fixation is permitted not only in one plane but in several planes. The description concerned exemplary embodiments in which horizontal and vertical eye position components were selected. Of course, the method according to the invention can also be applied to measurement data which indicate the rotation of the eye about the position axis (cyclorotatory) and / or the depth of accommodation (focal plane of the eye), or further measurement parameters which accompany the eye position. All that is required is to use the appropriate window intervals.

Of course, the method according to the invention can be used not only for the selection of eye position data, but generally also for the selection of any data of a measurement data series.

Claims

claims

1. A method for the selection of eye position measurement data of a test person suitable for further processing from a measurement data series assigned to at least one eye, which is supplied by an eye position measurement device within a specific time interval, with the steps:

Storage of the measurement data;

Combining individual measurement data of the measurement data series lying within at least one predeterminable window area into clusters;

Assigning a cluster to a group, the first group having the cluster with the first measurement date and the further clusters being assigned to other groups according to the chronological order of the measurement data; and selection of the group as suitable for further processing which contains the most measurement data.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the measurement data associated with an eye consists of measurement data pairs, each measurement data pair indicating the horizontal and the vertical eye position angle.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a series of measurement data is stored for each eye.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the combination of clusters is carried out for the individual measurement data of the measurement data pairs.

5. The method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the assignment of the measurement data to clusters and then to groups is carried out for each measurement date of a measurement data pair, so that there is a group pair for each measurement data pair, and that subsequently the measurement data pairs are assigned to upper groups, an upper group each containing the measurement data pairs which are assigned to the same group pair.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the window area is selected depending on the age of the subject.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the selected measurement data for the left and right eyes are compared with each other, a deviation exceeding a certain value indicating squinting of the test subject.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measurement data lying within the window area are temporally successive measurement data.

9. Device for the selection of eye position measurement data, with an eye position measurement device (12), which provides measurement data forming a measurement data series for at least one eye (28) within a predefinable time interval, and a measurement data evaluation device (14), characterized that the measurement data evaluation device (14) comprises a storage means (30) and means for summarizing sen of measurement data to clusters, means (34) for assigning clusters to groups and means (36) for selecting a group of measurement data as suitable for further processing.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the means (32) for summarizing measurement data summarizes individual measurement data lying within at least one predeterminable window area of the measurement data series, the largest measurement date in the first cluster and the smallest measurement date in the last cluster falls.

11. The device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the means (34) for assigning the clusters divided into groups, the cluster falls with the first measurement date in the first group and the other clusters according to the further chronological order of the measurement data assigned to other groups.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the means for assigning means for assigning groups to super groups, wherein data pairs of two measurement series are formed and these data pairs are assigned to a super group, each super group contains measurement data pairs that are assigned to the same groups.

13. Device according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the means (36) for selection selects the group that contains the most measurement data.

14. The apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that the eye position measuring device (12) has an infrared light source (24) directed towards the eyes and a video camera (26) for recording the eyes.

15. Device according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterized in that an optical stimulus generator (27) for emitting an optical stimulus and a fixation support means (29) are provided, both of which can be controlled by the selection and evaluation device (14) , wherein the fixation support means (29) is controlled depending on the delivery of the optical stimulus and the evaluation of the eye position measurement data.

16. Use of the method according to one of claims 1 to 8 for self-calibration of an eye position measuring device.

17. A method for selecting measurement data suitable for further processing from a series of measurement data which is supplied by a measurement device within a specific time interval, with the steps:

Storage of the measurement data;

Allocate a cluster to a group, the first group having the cluster with the first measurement date and the other clusters assigned to other groups according to the chronological order of the measurement data; and selection of the group as suitable for further processing which contains the most measurement data.