Blink detection system for electronic ophthalmic lens

摘要

A blink detection algorithm and associated circuitry for an ophthalmic lens comprising an electronic system is described herein. The blink detection algorithm is implemented in the system controller which is part of an electronic system incorporated into the ophthalmic lens. The electronic system includes one or more batteries or other power sources, power management circuitry, one or more sensors, clock generation circuitry, control algorithms and circuitry, and lens driver circuitry. The blink detection algorithm implements the steps of sampling, at a predetermined rate, light incident on an eye of an individual and at least temporarily saving collected samples, determining when an eyelid is open or closed in order to divine the number, time period and pulse width of the blinks from the collected samples, calculating a number of blinks and the duration of the blinks in a given time period, and comparing the number of blinks, the durations of the blinks in the given time period, and the time between blinks in the given time period to a stored set of samples to determine patterns in blinking.

主权项

1. A method for detecting blinks and blink patterns, the method comprising:
sampling, at a predetermined rate, light incident on an eye of an individual and at least temporarily saving collected samples; determining when an eyelid is open or closed in order to characterize blinking by calculating a number, time period and pulse width of one or more of a plurality of blinks from the collected samples; calculating a number of blinks and a duration of the blinks in a given time period; comparing the number of blinks, the durations of the blinks in the given time period, and a time between blinks in the given time period to a stored set of samples representative of one or more predetermined intentional blink sequences to determine patterns in blinking; and determining if the blinks correspond to one or more of a predetermined intentional blink sequences, the step of determining including allowance for deviations in the durations of the blinks from the durations of the blinks in the one or more predetermined intentional blink sequences; and utilizing the one or more intentional blink sequences as feedback signals for a control system to activate and control one or more properties of an electronic contact lens that fits on or in the eye of a user.