A Novel Optical Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor-Based Tracking of Eye Saccades for Early Level Diagnosis of Neurological Disorders

Neurological disorders represent a major global health burden, contributing significantly to disability and mortality. Early diagnosis is critical for effective management, yet conventional neurological assessments often require complex, non-portable systems. Since eye saccades, rapid eye movements between fixation points, serve as reliable indicators of neurological function, a wearable, noninvasive eye-tracking method can enable convenient, point-of-care screening. This study presents a spectacle-mounted optical eye-tracking device that employs Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors to detect minute strain variations in the lower eyelid during saccadic motion. FBG technology, embedded within optical fiber cores, offers high sensitivity, fast response, and immunity to electromagnetic and chemical interference, making it ideal for biomedical sensing. The device captures real-time eye movement data through a compact optical fiber system, while an integrated LabVIEW-based backend processes saccadic parameters such as amplitude, velocity, and duration. These features allow clinicians to assess the neurological status of individuals with precision and comfort, demonstrating the system’s potential as a wearable, point-of-care diagnostic tool for early detection of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.