US 12,186,093 B2
Method and system for determining touch sensitivity threshold
Mika Salkola, Espoo (FI)
Assigned to ICARE FINLAND OY, Vantaa (FI)
Appl. No. 16/973,207
Filed by ICARE FINLAND OY, Vantaa (FI)
PCT Filed Jun. 3, 2019, PCT No. PCT/FI2019/050421
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/234292, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 12, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 20185528 (FI), filed on Jun. 8, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0251569 A1, Aug. 19, 2021
Int. Cl. A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 3/16 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 5/4827 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0053 (2013.01); A61B 5/4041 (2013.01); A61B 5/6821 (2013.01); A61B 3/16 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for determining a touch sensitivity threshold at an eye surface, the system comprising:
a housing comprising:
a probe detachably arranged within the housing, wherein the probe comprises a tip part and a body part, the tip part is fabricated using a bio-compatible material, and the body part is magnetic material, and the probe is operable to impact the eye surface with a predefined impact attribute and rebound from the eye surface;
a probe attachment means operable to retain the probe within the housing; and
a probe release means operable to release the probe towards the eye surface, wherein the probe release means is a driver coil, wherein the driver coil is operable to produce a magnetic force to actuate the probe:
in a first direction to release the probe from the housing; or
in a second direction to retract the probe into the housing;
a feedback means to receive feedback from a human after the impact of the probe with the eye surface; and
a controller operatively coupled to the probe attachment means, the probe release means and the feedback means, wherein the controller is operable to:
(a) set a first value for an impact attribute of the probe;
(b) release the probe towards the eye surface, to impact the eye surface with the first value for the impact attribute;
(c) from the human, receive a first feedback in response to perceiving touch sensation from the impact of the probe with the first value for the impact attribute at the eye surface;
(d) change, by randomly increasing or decreasing the first value of the impact attribute to set a second value for the impact attribute of the probe;
(e) release the probe towards the eye surface, to impact the eye surface with the second value for the impact attribute;
(f) from the human, receive a second feedback in response to perceiving touch sensation from the impact of the probe with the second value for the impact attribute at the eye surface; and
(g) repeat steps (d) to (f) until the touch sensitivity threshold is determined as either:
a lowest value of sensing of the probe based on the feedback; or
a highest value of senselessness of the probe based on the feedback,
wherein the feedback corresponds to sensing of the probe or senselessness of the probe.