Patent ID: 8613710

Claim:
A non-invasive method for diagnosing hypertension in a subject, the method comprising: a) acquiring one or more ocular images; b) processing said ocular images; c) extracting one or more ocular characteristics from said ocular images; and d) classifying, by a processor, said ocular characteristics, wherein the classifying comprises: measuring said ocular characteristics; assigning a numerical character corresponding to markers of end organ damage from said measured ocular characteristics; comparing the numerical character to a normal numerical character based on a normal eye under similar conditions; converting the comparison of the numerical character corresponding to the markers of end organ damage from said measured ocular characteristics and the normal numerical character based on a normal eye under similar conditions to a classification of average diastolic and systolic blood pressure; indicating a presence or absence of a hypertensive state; and if a hypertensive state exists, indicating a severity of the hypertensive state by grouping based on average diastolic and systolic blood pressure.