Patents by Inventor Sascha Birkner

Sascha Birkner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230329548
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking eye movement during a diagnostic procedure include an eye tracker capturing images of an eye, and a control processor configured to detect an eye position and orientation in each of the images, determine an eye fixation position and orientation relative to an optical axis of the eye tracker, estimate eye fixation parameters based at least in part on the determined eye fixation position and orientation, and track the eye position and orientation by analyzing the images to determine the eye position and orientation relative to the eye fixation parameters. The eye fixation parameters may comprise a reference position and orientation of the eye when fixated. A histogram is constructed of detected eye positions and orientations and analyzed to determine an eye fixation position and orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig
  • Patent number: 11717156
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking eye movement during a diagnostic procedure include an eye tracker capturing images of an eye, and a control processor configured to detect an eye position and orientation in each of the images, determine an eye fixation position and orientation relative to an optical axis of the eye tracker, estimate eye fixation parameters based at least in part on the determined eye fixation position and orientation, and track the eye position and orientation by analyzing the images to determine the eye position and orientation relative to the eye fixation parameters. The eye fixation parameters may comprise a reference position and orientation of the eye when fixated. A histogram is constructed of detected eye positions and orientations and analyzed to determine an eye fixation position and orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig
  • Patent number: 11712161
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking eye movement during a diagnostic procedure include a retina imaging system configured to capture a first plurality of images of an eye and detect a presence of a fovea, an eye tracker configured to capture a second plurality of images of the eye and track a position and orientation of the eye; and a control processor configured to synchronize the first and second plurality of images, determine a time at which the fovea is detected in the first plurality of images, and determine one or more images from the second plurality of images to be classified as representative of fixation. The classified images are analyzed to determine eye fixation status during the diagnostic procedure based on eye tracking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig
  • Patent number: 11490807
    Abstract: A system and method for determining eye surface contour using multifocal keratometry is disclosed. The system includes a light source, a light detector, a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, and instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable medium. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to project a light, using the light source, onto a plurality of surfaces of an eye; create, using the light detector, an image of a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections created by reflecting the light off of one of the plurality of surfaces of the eye; determine that the plurality of reflections are in focus in the image; and calculate, based on the determination, a curvature of the plurality of surfaces of the eye based on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Eil, Ole Massow, Carsten Thomas, Sascha Birkner
  • Patent number: 11071453
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for aligning an ophthalmic device with respect to an eye of a patient. In one disclosure, the system may include an ophthalmic device with an on-axis and an off-axis. The system may include an on-axis illuminator that emits light that is reflected by the eye of the patient to form an on-axis reflection having a center. The system may include an on-axis camera pointed along the on-axis. The system may include an off-axis illuminator that emits light that is reflected by the eye to form an off-axis reflection having a center. The system may include an off-axis camera pointed along the off-axis. The ophthalmic device may be operable to be aligned with respect to the eye of the patient when the on-axis is substantially normal to the center of the on-axis reflection and the off-axis is substantially normal to the center of the off-axis reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Zieger, Martin Gruendig, Sascha Birkner
  • Publication number: 20210093193
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking the position and condition of an eye during an ophthalmic procedure include an ophthalmic device configured to measure characteristics of an eye, an eye tracker configured to capture a stream of eye images, and a logic device configured to analyze the stream of images to determine whether the eye is fixating on a target object, detect a predetermined blink sequence in the first stream of images, delay for a predetermined tear stabilization period, start a stable tear film interval, and during the stable tear film interval, capture at least one measurement of the eye using the ophthalmic device when the eye is fixating. The blink sequence may include a plurality of blinks in succession and the detection of the blink sequence may include processing the images through a neural network trained to detect an open eye and/or a closed eye.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig, Peter Zieger
  • Publication number: 20210045630
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking eye movement during a diagnostic procedure include a retina imaging system configured to capture a first plurality of images of an eye and detect a presence of a fovea, an eye tracker configured to capture a second plurality of images of the eye and track a position and orientation of the eye; and a control processor configured to synchronize the first and second plurality of images, determine a time at which the fovea is detected in the first plurality of images, and determine one or more images from the second plurality of images to be classified as representative of fixation. The classified images are analyzed to determine eye fixation status during the diagnostic procedure based on eye tracking data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig
  • Publication number: 20210045631
    Abstract: Systems and methods for tracking eye movement during a diagnostic procedure include an eye tracker capturing images of an eye, and a control processor configured to detect an eye position and orientation in each of the images, determine an eye fixation position and orientation relative to an optical axis of the eye tracker, estimate eye fixation parameters based at least in part on the determined eye fixation position and orientation, and track the eye position and orientation by analyzing the images to determine the eye position and orientation relative to the eye fixation parameters. The eye fixation parameters may comprise a reference position and orientation of the eye when fixated. A histogram is constructed of detected eye positions and orientations and analyzed to determine an eye fixation position and orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Sascha Birkner, Martin Gründig
  • Publication number: 20200337555
    Abstract: A system and method for determining eye surface contour using multifocal keratometry is disclosed. The system includes a light source, a light detector, a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, and instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable medium. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to project a light, using the light source, onto a plurality of surfaces of an eye; create, using the light detector, an image of a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections created by reflecting the light off of one of the plurality of surfaces of the eye; determine that the plurality of reflections are in focus in the image; and calculate, based on the determination, a curvature of the plurality of surfaces of the eye based on the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Martin Eil, Ole Massow, Carsten Thomas, Sascha Birkner
  • Patent number: 10729320
    Abstract: A system and method for determining eye surface contour using multifocal keratometry is disclosed. The system includes a light source, a light detector, a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, and instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable medium. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to project a light, using the light source, onto a plurality of surfaces of an eye; create, using the light detector, an image of a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections created by reflecting the light off of one of the plurality of surfaces of the eye; determine that the plurality of reflections are in focus in the image; and calculate, based on the determination, a curvature of the plurality of surfaces of the eye based on the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Alcon Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Eil, Ole Massow, Carsten Thomas, Sascha Birkner
  • Publication number: 20190374102
    Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods for aligning an ophthalmic device with respect to an eye of a patient. In one disclosure, the system may include an ophthalmic device with an on-axis and an off-axis. The system may include an on-axis illuminator that emits light that is reflected by the eye of the patient to form an on-axis reflection having a center. The system may include an on-axis camera pointed along the on-axis. The system may include an off-axis illuminator that emits light that is reflected by the eye to form an off-axis reflection having a center. The system may include an off-axis camera pointed along the off-axis. The ophthalmic device may be operable to be aligned with respect to the eye of the patient when the on-axis is substantially normal to the center of the on-axis reflection and the off-axis is substantially normal to the center of the off-axis reflection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Peter Zieger, Martin Gruendig, Sascha Birkner
  • Publication number: 20190307325
    Abstract: A system and method for determining eye surface contour using multifocal keratometry is disclosed. The system includes a light source, a light detector, a processor, a non-transitory machine-readable medium communicatively coupled to the processor, and instructions stored on the non-transitory machine-readable medium. The instructions, when loaded and executed by the processor, cause the processor to project a light, using the light source, onto a plurality of surfaces of an eye; create, using the light detector, an image of a plurality of reflections, each of the plurality of reflections created by reflecting the light off of one of the plurality of surfaces of the eye; determine that the plurality of reflections are in focus in the image; and calculate, based on the determination, a curvature of the plurality of surfaces of the eye based on the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2016
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: Martin Eil, Ole Massow, Carsten Thomas, Sascha Birkner
  • Patent number: 8501787
    Abstract: This invention is directed to compounds of structure (I). Particularly this invention is directed to compounds of structure (VIII) wherein the variables are defined as in the description. These compounds are integrin inhibitors and are useful in the treatment of diseases in which an inhibition of angiogenesis is desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Shire Orphan Therapies GmbH
    Inventors: Grit Zahn, Roland Stragies, Frank Osterkamp, Gunther Zischinsky, Jochen Knolle, Gerd Hummel, Sascha Birkner, Ulrich Reineke
  • Publication number: 20070155712
    Abstract: This invention is directed to compounds of structure (I). Particularly this invention is directed to compounds of structure (VIII) wherein the variables are defined as in the description. These compounds are integrin inhibitors and are useful in the treatment of diseases in which an inhibition of angiogenesis is desired.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Applicant: Jerini AG
    Inventors: Grit Zahn, Roland Stragies, Frank Osterkamp, Gunther Zischinsky, Jochen Knolle, Gerd Hummel, Sascha Birkner, Ulrich Reineke