Instead of examination under Fresnel lenses, infrared videonystagmography is now commonly used in cases of nystagmus. Nystagmus images are stored on a video recorder or a computer, and the information of the head positions is also saved using voice in the video. The method using voice is a simple way to record positions of the head, because it needs no additional hardware. However, judgment of the head position is difficult during playback if it is started from the middle of the recorded nystagmus images, which forces the examining clinician to continue to talk about the position of the head during the entire examination.
We developed a motion sensor device and related software to record information about the position of the head which we have been using in our clinic since 2010. Recently the price and size of integrated circuitry, such as sensors, have fallen dramatically, concomitantly with improved performance. Even as amateurs, we can assemble a motion sensor device with a small number of parts and cheaply.
Herein we explain how to make the motion sensor device and related software, which generate data on head animation from the sensor, correlate these data with the nystagmus images before saving them, and enable us to utilize the recorded images in various ways.