Abstract:
A system includes human-wearable eyewear that utilizes an imager in communication with displays via a microprocessor to transform the central pixels of an image into a ring shaped image that may be presented on the displays. Patients with macular degeneration may be enabled to visualize the central pixels of an image using their peripheral vision. Various lenses are also disclosed for providing an optical-only solution for producing a ring-shaped image.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present application relates generally to human-wearable eyeware to alleviate the effects of macular degeneration. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A patient suffering from macular degeneration loses his central vision before losing his peripheral vision, effectively blinding the patient. The symptoms of macular degeneration are sought to be cured, but to date no absolute cure exists and damage done by the disease cannot be reversed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Present principles recognize there may be alternatives to curing the disease such as focusing images onto the functional, peripheral portions of the eye, thereby allowing macular degeneration patients to perceive objects in front of them. 
         [0004]    An apparatus configured to redirect light onto a patient&#39;s peripheral vision eye location includes human-wearable eyeware frame that supports an input element onto which a light beam impinges, a transition member receiving light from the input element, and an output element. The input surface and transition member cooperate to spread the light into a ring-shaped pattern. The output element then receives the ring-shaped pattern and presents a human-visible representation thereof. 
         [0005]    The apparatus may be embodied as human-wearable eyeglasses. The light beam can define a first radius and the ring-shaped pattern can define a second radius larger than the first radius. The ring-shaped pattern may be a substantially hollow ring such that substantially all of the light beam can be spread into the substantially hollow ring. The input element may transform light into electrical signals and the transition member can include a processor programmed to spread a digital representation of the electrical signals from a solid circular pattern to a hollow ring shaped-pattern. 
         [0006]    The input element may be a first surface of a lens and the output element can be a second surface of a lens. The transition member can be defined by one or more optical components arranged between the surfaces. The first surface may be concave, may include plural prisms, and/or may be established at least in part by a cuspate surface. The second surface can be convex. The first surface and second surface may be defined by a common lens or can be defined by respective lenses. 
         [0007]    In another aspect, an electro-optical apparatus is wearable by a person to direct incoming light in a substantially solid pattern into a hollow ring perceivable by peripheral vision of the person. The apparatus has a processor and at least one imager receiving the incoming light and sending signals representative thereof to the processor. One or more output elements such as matrix displays controlled by the processor visibly present representations of at least some of the signals in the hollow ring. 
         [0008]    In another aspect, a lens includes a substrate and concentric rings of Fresnel ridges formed on the substrate. The spacing between adjacent concentric Fresnel ridges becomes progressively less from the perimeter of the lens toward the center of the lens. Also, slopes relative to an axis of light entering the lens of non-vertical sides of the ridges become progressively steeper, ridge to ridge, from the perimeter of the lens to the center of the lens, such that light entering the lens is diverted into a hollow ring-shaped pattern of light exiting the lens. 
         [0009]    In another aspect, concentric rings of Fresnel ridges are formed on a thin flexible substrate configured for being held onto an outer surface of an eyeglass lens by adhesive or by simple friction/static charge. The Fresnel ridges have a configuration such that light impinging at and near the center of the lens is redirected radially outwardly into a hollow ring, whereas light impinging on outer portions of the lens is allowed to propagate into the hollow ring without substantial redirection. The configuration of the Fresnel ridges may focus substantially most or all of the light incident on the lens into the hollow outer ring. In this way, the configuration of the Fresnel ridges is established such that the width of the hollow ring substantially matches a remaining width of peripheral vision of a patient suffering from macular degeneration. 
         [0010]    The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a non-limiting example of human-wearable eyeglass frames in accordance with present principles; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a cuspate lens; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view, partly in cross-section, of the lens of  FIG. 2  receiving light from a parallel light source across line  2 - 2 ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross section of a lens in which the concentrating prisms run in parallel straight lines and the supplementary spreading prisms are in parallel straight lines perpendicular to the first prisms and form a square or diamond shaped design; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an electro-optical embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a flow chart of example logic; 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  is a schematic diagram showing mapping incoming light into an outer hollow ring; 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  is plan view of an alternate optical-only embodiment, showing a thin substrate with a Fresnel lens pattern on it to spread light into a hollow ring; 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a cross-section taken along the line  9 - 9  in  FIG. 8 , i.e.,  FIG. 9  shows one half of the diameter of the lens in cross-section elevation view, showing that the substrate may be placed over the outer surface of a conventional glass lens; 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  is another elevation view of a part of the lens shown in  FIG. 8 , juxtaposed with a portion of the cuspate lens shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  to illustrate the relationship between groove spacing and configuration in the Fresnel version versus slope of the cuspate lens; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of the ring into which light is focused by the lens of  FIGS. 8-10 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]    Referring initially to  FIG. 1 , a schematic diagram of a human-wearable eyeglass frame, generally designated  10 , is shown and includes left and fight focusing assemblies  12 . The frame  10  material may be made of durable material such as, but not limited to, fiberglass, nylon, zyl, or other plastic. The focusing assemblies  12  are medially connected by a connector piece  14  that may or may not be composed of the same material as the rest of the eyeglass frame  10 . Left and right foldable arms  16  may be included as part of the frame  10  and can be connected by hinges to the lateral aspects of the focusing assemblies  12 . 
         [0023]    The focusing assemblies  12  may be established by optical components exclusively or by electro-optical assemblies.  FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate a focusing assembly  12  embodied by an example of the former. A refractive device or lens  18  is shown and can be made by lathing or molding of an optically transmissive material such as, for example, glass, polymethylmethacrylate or the like. The lens  18  has a central longitudinal axis  20 , front surface  22 , and rear surface  24 . The front surface  22  extends laterally from the axis  20  toward a circular periphery  26  and is radially symmetric with respect to the axis  20 . The front surface  22  is formed with a cusp  28  on the axis  20 . The slope magnitude is greatest at the cusp  28  and decreases from the cusp  28  to a minimum at the periphery  26 . 
         [0024]    As best shown in  FIG. 3 , the lens  18  receives incident light I 0  oriented parallel with respect to the axis  20 . The light is bent or refracted at the front surface  22  as shown. It is to be understood that the path of the light through the lens  18  depends on the angle of the surface  22  through which the light is received and the refractive index of the lens material. The decreasing slope magnitude of the surface  22  generally refracts the light away from the axis  20 . For example, path A followed by the light received at the surface  22  adjacent to the cusp  28  is bent more sharply away from the axis  20  than the light received at the surface  22  adjacent to the periphery  26  which follows a path B substantially parallel to the axis  20 . The result is that the light E transmitted through the surface  24  is generally refracted away from the axis  20  producing a darkened central circle  30  from which the light E is generally excluded and a generally bright ring  32  into which the light is directed. The lens  18  may or may not have a focal plane, depending on the geometry of the front surface  22 , the refractive properties of the material of which the lens  18  is made, and the geometry of the rear surface  24 . Additional details of the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,484, incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0025]      FIG. 4  illustrates another optical-only embodiment of a focusing assembly  12 , incorporating the light spreading prisms. A light source is shown at  36 . This section includes some of the prisms  34  on the inside surface, or input surface, of a convex lens. These act to reduce the angle of incidence at the inner surface and thereby decrease the deviation obtained at the inner surface and to increase the deviation obtained at the outer surface, or output surface, so that the net result is a spreading of the light rays which come through this portion of the lens in the plane shown in  FIG. 4 . Typical light rays  38 ,  40 ,  42 , and  44  indicate this spreading effect. Light rays  46  and  48  outside of the area covered by the interior prisms are not changed in direction and such light has only the normal spread of the light from the light source itself. Thus the use of the inside prisms  34  produces a greater spread of light in directions parallel to the prisms on the outer surface than would otherwise be obtained. The resulting light distribution is concentrated completely in one set of parallel planes and is spread to a wide degree in the parallel planes at right angles. A lens with a concave outer surface may receive light exiting the prisms on an inner surface opposite the concave outer surface to focus the light into a ring-shaped pattern. Additional details of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4  are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 2,082,100, incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0026]      FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate an electro-optical embodiment of the focusing assemblies  12  shown in  FIG. 1 . An imager  50 , such as, but not limited to, a CCD imager, establishes an input surface and receives incoming photons and converts them into electron charges that are processed by appropriate circuitry and communicated to a microprocessor  52 . The microprocessor  52  establishes a transition member and may access instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium  54  such as disk-based or solid state storage to execute logic herein. The microprocessor  52  outputs image signals to a left display  56  and a right display  58 . The left and right displays  56 ,  58  establish an output surface and may be matrix-type displays such as liquid crystal diode (LCD) displays or light emitting diode (LED) displays mounted into left and right lens rims of the eyeglass frame  10  in  FIG. 1  to establish portions of the focusing assemblies  12 , respectively, of the eyeglass frame  10 . Note that the imager  50  may be mounted on the element  14  in  FIG. 1  to receive incoming light and the microprocessor with storage medium may be supported at any convenient location on the frame of the eyeglasses. 
         [0027]      FIG. 6  diagrams example logic for the execution of instructions stored on the storage media  54  by the microprocessor  52  and begins with the microprocessor  52  receiving signals from the imager  50  at block  60 . The microprocessor  52  may distinguish the centermost circle of pixels at block  62  and map them onto the displays  56 ,  58  in the shape of respective hollow rings at block  64 . Patients with macular degeneration experience difficulty focusing the center, circular-shaped portion of a perceived image. Thus, mapping the centermost pixels received by the imager  50  in the form of a ring onto displays  56 ,  58  effectively allows patients with macular degeneration to see the center, circular-shaped portions of images in the form of a ring using their peripheral vision. 
         [0028]      FIG. 7  illustrates the above logic and divulges additional processing details that may be employed. Light is received from in front of the wearer of the glasses typically spread to fill a center circle pattern  70 . The light is converted into pixels as described above and mapped into a hollow ring-shaped pattern  72  for display on the LCDs  56 ,  58 . The width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  may be established by programming of the processor to approximate the width of a particular patient&#39;s remaining peripheral vision. Thus, patients with greater peripheral vision can be fitted with glasses in which the ring-shaped pattern  72  has a relatively wide width, whereas patients with less peripheral vision can be fitted with glasses in which the ring-shaped pattern  72  has a relatively small width, to better match the glasses with the patient. 
         [0029]    Pixels derived from the center circle pattern  70  must be mapped into the ring-shaped pattern  72 . In one example, pixels along a radial in the center circle pattern  70  such as pixels  74  along a radial  76  are mapped to pixel locations  78  in the ring-shaped pattern  72 , arranged along the same radial  76 . When the width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  is equal to the radius of the center circle pattern  70 , the mapping may be one-to-one, i.e., if N pixels lie along the radial  76  within the center circle pattern  70 , these N pixels will be mapped to N corresponding pixel positions in the ring-shaped pattern  72  along the radial  76 . On the other hand, when the width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  is less than the radius of the circle  70 , not all N pixels along the radial  76  within the circle  70  will be mapped to the ring-shaped pattern  72  along the radial  76 . To select which of the N pixel(s) in the circle  70  will not appear in the ring-shaped pattern  72 , every other pixel may be omitted when the width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  is one-half the radius of the circle  70 , or every third pixel may be omitted when the width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  is two-thirds of the circle  70 , and so on. Or, the pixel values along one or more radials may be averaged, and pixels with values with the greatest deviation from the average value may be omitted from the ring-shaped pattern  72 , from greatest deviation first, to next greatest deviation, and so on until only sufficient pixels remain to completely fill the width of the ring-shaped pattern  72 . 
         [0030]    Yet again, the opposite heuristic may be used. That is, the pixel values along one or more radials may be averaged, and pixels with values with the least deviation from the average value may be omitted from the ring-shaped pattern  72 , from least deviation first, to next least deviation, and so on until only sufficient pixels remain to completely fill the width of the ring-shaped pattern  72 . 
         [0031]    In the case in which the width “w” of the ring-shaped pattern  72  is greater than the radius of the circle  72 , additional pixels may be generated based on those along a radial in the circle  70  to completely fill the pixel positions along the corresponding radial in the ring-shaped pattern  72 . This may be done by interpolation, e.g., when only N pixels are arranged along a radial in the circle  70  but owing to w wide width “w” in the ring-shaped pattern  72 , N+M pixel locations are available to be filled in the ring-shaped pattern  72 , either some pixel locations in the ring-shaped pattern  72  may be left unfilled or additional pixel values may be generated by interpolating a value between first and second adjacent pixel values and then inserting a pixel with the interpolated value between the first and second pixel values in the ring-shaped pattern  72 . 
         [0032]    The same principles may be used between adjacent radials. Since the distance between radials spread from the circle  70  to the ring-shaped pattern  72 , the pixel values along a first radial in the circle  70  can be averaged, on a pixel-by-pixel basis, with pixel values along a second, immediately adjacent radial in the circle  70 , with the pixels being averaged with other pixels of the same distance from the center of the circle  70 . The resulting new line of pixels may then be inserted between the radials in the ring-shaped pattern  72  corresponding to the first and second radials in the circle  70 . In this way, the effect of geometric spreading between the circle  70  and ring-shaped pattern  72  is accounted for. 
         [0033]      FIGS. 8-10  show an alternate lens  100  which may be implemented by forming concentric and in some embodiments circular rings of Fresnel ridges  102  on a thin flat substrate such as a flexible plastic substrate that may be held onto the outer surface of a conventional eyeglass lens  104  by adhesive or by simple friction/static charge. The periphery of the lens  100  may be round as shown, so that the lens is a flat disc. The periphery may assume other shapes generally to confirm to an eyeglass lens on which the disc may be placed for adherence by friction or adhesive. Thus, the periphery of the lens  100  may be ovular or rectilinear or other shape. 
         [0034]    Referring briefly to  FIG. 11 , the lens  100  focuses light impinging at and near the center of the lens radially outwardly into a hollow ring “R” the width “W” of which is established by the configuration of the ridges described below to match the remaining width of the peripheral vision of a patient suffering from macular degeneration. Light impinging on the outer portions of the lens  100  ( FIGS. 8-10 ) is allowed to propagate into the hollow ring “R” shown in  FIG. 11  without substantial redirection, so that substantially most or all (e.g., 70%, more preferably 85%, and more preferably still upward of 95%) of the light incident on the lens  100  is focused into the hollow outer ring. In one example, the width “W” of the ring refers to the width of the ring in the focal plane of the lens  100 , which typically can be anywhere from a fraction of a centimeter to several centimeters behind the lens to coincide with the expected location of the patient&#39;s peripheral vision receptors when the frame on which the lens (typically, left and right lenses) is supported. 
         [0035]    To accomplish this and referring back to  FIG. 10 , as shown the spacing “S” between adjacent concentric Fresnel ridges  102  may become progressively less from the perimeter  106  of the lens  100  to the center  108  of the lens. Also, as best shown in  FIG. 10 , the slopes or tangents (relative to the axis of light entering the lens) of the curvilinear non-vertical sides  110  of the ridges  102  may become progressively steeper, ridge to ridge, from the perimeter  106  of the lens  100  to the center  108  of the lens, with the ridge  102   a  nearest the center  108  having the steepest non-vertical side  110  slope “S 1 ” and the ridge  102   b  nearest the perimeter  106  having the shallowest non-vertical side  110  slope. As shown by registration lines  112 , the curvatures of the non-vertical sides  110  of the ridges  102  may vary according to the curvature of the surface  22  of the cuspate lens shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  at the same radial location on the cuspate lens as the Fresnel ridge is on the Fresnel lens  100 . The curvature of the slopes of the non-vertical sides  110  of the ridges may be established using the equations in the &#39;484 patent. 
         [0036]    Note further in looking at  FIGS. 9 and 10  that the peaks of the ridges  102  are substantially (e.g., within a millimeter or two) co-planar with each other, and that the plane in which the peaks of the ridges  102  lie is parallel to the plane defined by the smooth, flat output side  120  of the lens  100 . 
         [0037]    While the particular EYEWEAR TO ALLEVIATE AFFECTS OF MACULAR DEGENERATION is herein shown and described in detail, it is to be understood that the subject matter which is encompassed by the present invention is limited only by the claims.