The development of a white cane which navigates the visually impaired.

In this paper, we describe about a developed navigation system that supports the independent walking of the visually impaired in the indoor space. This system is composed of colored navigation lines, RFID tags and an intelligent white cane. In our system, some colored marking tapes are set on along the walking route.

The BOLD signal response for fluctuating stimulation images.

In the measurement of brain function by using fMRI, increasing of blood flow and decreasing of de-oxy-hemoglobin concentration as a cause of this increasing (BOLD: Blood Oxygenation Level-Dependent) are measured. And brain activity is evaluated as the function of BOLD signal. In the f-MRI measurement, MRI data under stimulation and resting are measured periodically, and these data are compared and analyzed.

Development of voice navigation system for the visually impaired by using IC tags.

There are about 300,000 visually impaired persons in Japan. Most of them are old persons and, cannot become skillful in using a white cane, even if they make effort to learn how to use a white cane. Therefore, some guiding system that supports the independent activities of the visually impaired are required.

Development of the navigation system for the visually impaired by using white cane.

A white cane is a typical support instrument for the visually impaired. They use a white cane for the detection of obstacles while walking. So, the area where they have a mental map, they can walk using white cane without help of others.

[Verification of multifocal electroretinogram Veris III system for clinical problems].

Purpose: To verify the usefulness of the Veris III system, which is said to be problematic in clinical applications for recording multifocal electroretinograms (mfERG) by an ophthalmologist.

Methods: A test wave was input to the system and the data were analyzed using Veris Science software. The items tested were overlapping, spatial averaging, combination procedures, and emission properties of the cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor (B 4).

Mutation screening and haplotype analysis of the rhodopsin gene locus in Japanese patients with retinitis pigmentosa.

Purpose: To identify nucleotide sequence variations in the rhodopsin (RHO) gene of Japanese patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in order to search for mutations or haplotypes responsible for RP.

Methods: The entire region of RHO locus including a promoter region and introns was sequenced using blood-derived genomic DNA samples donated by 68 patients with RP and 68 control subjects.

Results: We found 39 single nucleotide substitutions including 17 rare substitutions of less than 1% in frequency, one insertion/deletion polymorphism, and one CA-repeat polymorphism in a 7.

Development of a simple diagnostic method for the glaucoma using ocular Fundus pictures.

There are approximately 2 million people who have glaucoma. And about 90% of glaucoma patients have chronic type disease, and most of them do not notice of their disease. Finally they will lost their eyesight by this disease.

Analysis of brain activation by visual and auditory stimulation after visual and auditory simultaneous stimulation using F-MRI.

It is said that the auditory spatial perception is strongly affected by visual cues, and when auditory and visual stimulation are given form different positions simultaneously, the source position of sound is mislead to the direction of visual stimulation. The purpose of this study is analyzing the brain response on f-MRI by simultaneous stimulation of auditory and visually sensors. f-MRI of some subjects were measured by using simultaneous stimulation, and the results of these experiments were analyzed and assessed.

Development of the navigation system for visually impaired.

A white cane is a typical support instrument for the visually impaired. They use a white cane for the detection of obstacles while walking. So, the area where they have a mental map, they can walk using white cane without the help of others.

Development of the visually impaired person guidance system using GPS.

Most of the visually impaired are able to walk independently, if they have the mental map of their walking area. However, in their unknown area, they cannot walk alone and they need a guide dog or help of others for walking. And not only a supporter of the visually impaired but a visually impaired person receives stress while walking.

[Evaluation of time resolution of the primary motor cortex by a single paradigm using a stimulation system].

Many researchers are investigating brain function by using a block paradigm in fMRI measurement. However, time resolution has been limited because the block paradigm employed data collection by consecutive image acquisition after stimulation began. Because of this problem, the evaluation of early brain activity was not adequate.

[Electrophysiological and histopathological study on visual toxicity of clioquinol].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of clioquinol on the optic nerve and retina of rhesus monkeys by ophthalmoscopy, electrophysiology and histopathology.

Methods: Clioquinol was given orally to 5 monkeys, gradually increasingly from 100 mg/kg/day up to 14 months(total dosage 227 g/kg). Ophthalmoscopy, erectroretinogram(ERG), visual evoked potential(VEP) and histopathological examination of enucleated eyeballs were done periodically up to 10 years.

Nonlinear component of the electroretinogram recorded from the posterior pole of normal and highly myopic human eyes.

To extract the nonlinear component of the electroretinogram (ERG) from the posterior pole (pp) of the human ocular fundus and to evaluate the possibility of its clinical application, three types of stimulus modes - double-flash, single-flash, and delayed single-flash stimuli - were produced using a conventional electrophysiological system. A large hexagonal element was presented on a CRT monitor, and ppERGs were recorded from 14 normal eyes and 16 eyes of eight highly myopic patients. The nonlinear component of the ppERG was obtained by subtracting the single-flash ERG and delayed single-flash ERG responses from the double flash ERG response.

Multifocal visual evoked potential is dependent on electrode position.

Purpose: To investigate whether the multifocal visual evoked potential (mVEP) is dependent on the electrode position, and to confirm the reproducibility of the mVEP.

Methods: The mVEPs were recorded using the Veris III system with two different bipolar electrode settings. In Position 1, electrodes were placed at equal distances in vertical alignment 2 cm above and below the inion.