Patent Application
20110119123
The present invention relates to processes and methods for providing incentives to modify the performance of patients or of other users during sensory system therapy.
Stimulating the vision system of human subjects with vision impairment may improve their visual performance. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,356, and US Published Patent Application No. 2005/0213033, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety, presenting visual stimuli to areas of a human's visual system may allow improvement in the user's vision. NovaVision, of Boca Raton, Fla., produces VRT™ (Visual Restoration Therapy) devices for effecting optical stimulation of defined locations of a patient's retina. During a course of VRT, a finite number of stimulation events are available. Therefore, these stimulation events should be judiciously directed to the particular visual field regions for which treatment is desired.
VRT may be used to treat neurological deficits of the visual system of a patient. Such deficits may result from retinal damage, damage to the optic nerve or damage to the visual cortex, such as may occur due to stroke or traumatic brain injury. For example, age related macular degeneration (AMD) may be treated with VRT.
VRT therapy may be very demanding. For example, VRT may require two 30-minute sessions per day, 6 days per week, for 6-12 months. Because of such rigorous schedules, patient compliance may be problematic. Patients commonly skip sessions, days or weeks of therapy.
However, visual system therapy requires dedication to performing the process. Thus, embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods of providing incentives to patients to perform visual system therapy, or to perform well in such therapy.
In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, incentives are provided to a user (e.g., a patient, while the application to other users is described below) performing computer-based visual therapy, such as visual restoration therapy. The user's responses to visual stimuli are recorded during therapy. Based on those responses, reward points are provided to the user.
The reward may be automatically assigned to the user or the user may be allowed to redeem the reward points, either at a pre-determined time, or at a time chosen by the user. After redeeming reward points for a piece of the puzzle, the user is allowed to place one or more pieces of the puzzle together.
Based on the number of accumulated reward points, the user may be rewarded with one or more pieces of a puzzle. The particular puzzle from which the pieces are selected may be chosen by the user from a collection of one or more puzzles. After completing a puzzle scene, the user may be provided with an option of requesting a hardcopy of the puzzle scene.
In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, there is a method of providing incentives to a stimulative visual therapy user performing computer based visual therapy. The method includes recording user compliance with a recommended schedule of visual therapy, providing reward points to the user based on compliance, and rewarding a user based on the number of accumulated reward points awarded to the user.
In a related embodiment the user may be rewarded by attributing one or more pieces of a puzzle to the user based on the number of accumulated reward points. The number of reward points may be tracked by updating a sum with reward points awarded to the user. The user may select a puzzle from one or more puzzles. Rewarding the user may include allowing the user to redeem reward points for one or more pieces of a puzzle; and allowing the user to place the one or more pieces of a puzzle together. After the puzzle scene is completed, the user may be given the option of requesting a tangible reward. Examples of tangible rewards include a hardcopy of the puzzle scene, an engraved copy of the puzzle scene, and a framed copy of the puzzle scene.
In another related embodiment, the reward is a tangible reward, which may be, for example, frequent flyer mileage points, store discount points or a gift card.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is a computer program product for use on a computer system for providing incentives to a visual therapy user performing computer-based visual therapy. The computer program includes a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon. The computer readable program code includes program code for recording user compliance with a recommended schedule of visual therapy and program code for providing reward points to the user based on the responses.
The computer program product may include program code for rewarding the user with one or more pieces of a puzzle based on the number of accumulated reward points. The visual therapy may include VRT. The product may include program code for emitting spoken communications adapted based on a number of reward points issued to the user.
The foregoing features of the invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Definitions. As used in this description and the accompanying claims, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated, unless the context otherwise requires:
A “puzzle scene” is an image that may be divided into several computer-displayable pieces to form a puzzle.
A “special piece” is one or more pieces of the puzzle that have not been placed into the puzzle scene.
As used herein, a “schedule” of stimulative visual therapy shall mean one or more recommended stimulative visual therapy sessions.
Illustrative embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a process and device for fostering a user's participation or performance in a therapeutic procedure to improve a human's vision. The therapeutic procedure may include presentation of optical stimuli that are allocated and directed to specific regions of the patient's visual field that are deemed to have high potential to induce recovery. In many cases, presentation of optical stimuli to an impaired visual system may allow recovery of visual-system performance. Embodiments of the invention may be used prophylactically for maintenance of visual systems.
In some embodiments, the present invention includes systems and methods for providing incentives to users performing vision therapy. The methods may be performed on any suitable VRT device, or in combination with therapeutic methods such as, for example, the devices and methods disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,356 (hereby incorporated herein by reference), as well as co-pending U.S. patent applications, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference:
A puzzle screen 100 is shown in
The specific puzzle scene used may be pre-determined, or may be selected by the user. Puzzle scenes or collections of puzzles scenes may be selected and presented to the user based on patient demographics. For example, children may be offered puzzle scenes of sports, or film characters, while more mature users may be offered puzzle scenes of beautiful vistas or classic artwork. Custom scenes may be also be used, for example, by uploading jpeg-format digital images.
A visual therapy workstation 410 may emit audio instructions. For example, the workstation 410 may emit digitally recorded or computer generated verbal communications to the patient via a computer speaker. These communications may include instructions for proper set-up of the device, information regarding the commencement and termination of therapy, transmittal of therapy results, and the like.
Audible communications may also be used to foster a high level of patient participation and compliance. The audible communications may be selected or modified based on a patient's cumulative reward score. For example, if the reward scoring system shows that the patient has input very few false positive responses, the patient may be complimented with spoken positive reinforcement (e.g., “Good job!”). If the patient reward score or other measure of patient response shows problem areas, then the spoken instructions can be used to provide the patient with specific encouragement aimed at improving their compliance and performance with respect to these specific problem areas. Example of such specific problems, which my be indicative of a low level of patient concentration, include: a high number of false positive responses, too many prematurely aborted therapy sessions, a slow response time in responding to stimuli or fixation test cues.
The following are further examples of ways in which reward points may be accumulated. These examples are non-limiting and are presented only by way of explanation.
In an embodiment of the invention, the reaction of the person to be trained upon the presentation of one or more stimuli is measured, and the performance of the person is rewarded. This may happen in a way that reward points are added to a “reward account” when the responses fulfill a predetermined criterion. For example, when the person to be trained is instructed to perform as quickly as possible, reward points are added to the reward account only in those cases where the response is recorded within a predetermined time delay (reaction time). Alternatively, reward points could be assigned to the reward account when a discrimination is properly made (e.g. correct form; color; or time discrimination of a stimulus). Reward points could also be provided for continuous therapy, completion of a given number of responses, or for maintaining visual fixation upon a target. Reward points may be provided automatically.
In an embodiment of the invention, the number of reward points is used to automatically increase the difficulty of the next task. In this way, a way to increase the therapy difficulty is provided, depending upon the recordation of the reaction/response shown by the person to be trained. Depending upon the performance of the trained person in processing the presented optical stimuli by the visual system, the intact visual zone may be newly defined. Due to the therapy of the defined intact visual zone, vision in the intact visual zone may be improved. For example, therapy may improve a function of the visual system (e.g. peripheral vision, visual acuity, ability to discriminate between different colors, shapes, movement; reduction of squinting; increase of the visual angle), visual function in general, or help repair partial visual system injuries. As a result, the intact vision zone may be enlarged, or at least improved, with respect to its contribution to the person's vision. As found in practice, treated persons experienced an improvement of overall vision, as evidenced subjectively and by better performance in the therapy.
In alternative embodiments, the disclosed methods for fostering therapy may be implemented as a computer program product for use with a computer system. Such implementations may include a series of computer instructions fixed either on a tangible medium, such as a computer readable medium (e.g., a diskette, CD-ROM, ROM, or fixed disk) or transmittable to a computer system, via a modem or other interface device, such as a communications adapter connected to a network over a medium. The medium may be either a tangible medium (e.g., optical or analog communications lines) or a medium implemented with wireless techniques (e.g., microwave, infrared or other transmission techniques). The series of computer instructions embodies all or part of the functionality previously described herein with respect to the system. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that such computer instructions can be written in a number of programming languages for use with many computer architectures or operating systems.
Furthermore, such instructions may be stored in any memory device, such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical or other memory devices, and may be transmitted using any communications technology, such as optical, infrared, microwave, or other transmission technologies. It is expected that such a computer program product may be distributed as a removable medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over the network (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web). Of course, some embodiments of the invention may be implemented as a combination of both software (e.g., a computer program product) and hardware. Still other embodiments of the invention are implemented as entirely hardware, or entirely software (e.g., a computer program product).
All aforementioned embodiments of the invention are intended to be merely exemplary and numerous variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. All such variations and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
This patent application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/782,379, entitled “PROCESS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES TO INCREASE VISION-THERAPY PERFORMANCE”, filed Jul. 24, 2007 and, like that application, claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/833,033, filed Jul. 25, 2006, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in the entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60833033 | Jul 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11782379 | Jul 2007 | US |
| Child | 12883418 | US |
