Eye tracking technology is an emerging field that offers a rapidly expanding array of diagnostic, monitoring, and predictive tools.

At the most basic level, eye tracking is the monitoring of eye position, movement, focus, and the duration of that focus. Often included in corollary are pupil dilation, blink rate and pattern, and choice of objects to observe or ignore. The human eye’s acuity is concentrated in a small area around the fovea, which means the eye must move and refocus to gain detailed information. Therefore, the way in which it does so (i.e., the factors listed above) offer a direct line of study into human cognition.¹

Physically, eye tracking is accomplished through use of a non-intrusive infrared (IR) light directed into the pupil, and a camera that records the shifting IR reflections from the cornea as the eye moves.² Specifically, four parameters are assessed and compared: fixations (when eye movement stops so the eye can collect data at the fovea), saccades (the fast transitions between fixations), and smooth pursuits (when the eye follows the path of a moving object), and pupil dilation.

We will begin with the most direct application: ophthalmology. Eye tracking is employed in this field to monitor everything from diabetic retinopathy to macular degeneration. For example, glaucoma patients take longer to exhibit saccade response, which is easily identifiable and quantifiable with IR detection; but the implications are physiologically much broader: consider that the wasting effects of myasthenia gravis are pronounced in the eye muscles, therefore eye tracking is a quicker diagnostic tool for the condition than traditional techniques.³

Neurology stands to benefit equally from eye tracking technology. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been found to exhibit less eye contact and abnormal transition patterns among the four eye tracking parameters. Papagiannopoulou performed a literature analysis which revealed that by quantifying gaze shifts and analyzing the resulting patterns, not only can eye tracking be used to help diagnose ASD, but its precision can help distinguish ASD from other developmental disorders.⁴

Transonic’s flow measurement technology is used to assist cardiothoracic surgeons in confirming graft patency, as in a similar manner, eye tracking technology is now being used to augment surgical efficacy. When integrated with surgical robotics, eye tracking can predict the order of a surgeon’s instrument choices, and thereby remove certain background tasks, like suction or retraction, from their decision-making, allowing greater focus on the central tasks of surgery.⁵ Perhaps flow measurement could one day become an eye-tracking-automated process as well, giving valuable insight into graft patency at exactly the right time without requiring the surgeon to consciously choose to measure. As we continue to improve our cardiothoracic product offerings, we look forward to seeing the new ways that eye tracking will evolve alongside, and perhaps one day even integrate with, flow measurement.

Thanks for reading,

               Transonic Systems, Inc              

                              The Measure of Better Results

References:

1. Eye tracking technology in medical practice: a perspective on its diverse applications - PMC
2. Eye Tracking 101: What Is It & How Does It Work In Real Life? - Eyeware
3. Tracking Eye Movements for Diagnosis in Myasthenia Gravis: A Comprehensive Review - PubMed
4. A systematic review and meta-analysis of eye-tracking studies in children with autism spectrum disorders - PubMed

Eye Tracking Use in Surgical Research: A Systematic Review - PubMed