US 10,242,467 B2 · Optical tomography apparatus

Abstract

An optical tomography apparatus has a measurement unit that divides light output from a light source into measurement light and reference light, that repeatedly scans a subject with the measurement light, and that causes a detector to detect interference between reflected light of the measurement light and the reference light, and a processor. The processor performs an acquisition process of are temporally sequentially acquiring tomographic images at the same transverse position in the subject based on a signal output from the detector. The processor performs a video image generation process of generating a synthetic image on a real time basis by synthesizing a new tomographic image frequently and one or more past images, and causing a monitor to display a real time video image formed from the synthetic image.

Drawings

Claims14

Dependent claims

An optical tomography apparatus comprising:

a coupler configured to divide light output from a light source into measurement light and reference light;
a detector configured to detect interference between the reference light and reflected light of the measurement light that is repeatedly scanned on a subject;
and
a processor configured to perform:
an acquisition process of chronologically sequentially acquiring a plurality of tomographic images at the same transverse position in the subject are based on a signal output from the detector, and
a video image generation process of generating a synthetic image on a real time basis by synthesizing a new tomographic image frequently obtained by the acquisition process and one or more past images which are the tomographic images acquired in the past prior to the new tomographic image and which are included in a range of a predetermined number of images whose acquisition timing is sequential to acquisition timing of the new tomographic image, and causing a monitor to display a real time video image formed from the synthetic image,
wherein in the video image generation process, the processor performs a correction process of correcting at least any one of misalignment and distortion between the new tomographic image and the past image, and generates the synthetic image based on the respective tomographic images obtained after the correction process.

4 more elements

An optical tomography apparatus comprising:

a coupler configured to divide light output from a light source into measurement light and reference light;
a detector configured to detect interference between the reference light and reflected light of the measurement light that is repeatedly scanned on a subject;
and
a processor configured to perform:
an acquisition process of chronologically sequentially acquiring a plurality of tomographic images at the same transverse position in the subject are based on a signal output from the detector, and
a video image generation process of generating a synthetic image on a real time basis by synthesizing a new tomographic image frequently obtained by the acquisition process and one or more past images which are the tomographic images acquired in the past prior to the new tomographic image and which are included in a range of a predetermined number of images whose acquisition timing is sequential to acquisition timing of the new tomographic image, and causing a monitor to display a real time video image formed from the synthetic image,
wherein in the video image generation process, the processor selects one image from the new tomographic image and the past image, performs linear transformation including at least any one of shear and scaling on the remaining tomographic image, with reference to the selected tomographic image, and generates the synthetic image based on the selected tomographic image and the remaining tomographic image obtained after the linear transformation.

4 more elements

An optical tomography apparatus comprising:

a coupler configured to divide light output from a light source into measurement light and reference light;
a detector configured to detect interference between the reference light and reflected light of the measurement light that is repeatedly scanned on a subject;
and
a processor configured to perform:
an acquisition process of chronologically sequentially acquiring a plurality of tomographic images at the same transverse position in the subject are based on a signal output from the detector, and
a video image generation process of generating a synthetic image on a real time basis by synthesizing a new tomographic image frequently obtained by the acquisition process and one or more past images which are the tomographic images acquired in the past prior to the new tomographic image and which are included in a range of a predetermined number of images whose acquisition timing is sequential to acquisition timing of the new tomographic image, and causing a monitor to display a real time video image formed from the synthetic image, wherein
the processor performs a selection process of selecting a target of a synthesis process using the new tomographic image in order to obtain the synthetic image, from the past images which are included in the range of the predetermined number of images whose acquisition timing is sequential to acquisition timing of the new tomographic image, and
in the selection process, the processor determines whether or not each of the past images is the target of the synthesis process, based on a pattern matching result between each of the past images and the new tomographic image, and selects the target based on the determination result.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,894 words

Summary641 words

#This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-040516 filed on Mar. 2, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

#This disclosure relates to an optical tomography apparatus which captures a tomographic image of a tissue of a subject.

#In the related art, as an apparatus which can capture a tomographic image in a predetermined site of a subject, an apparatus using optical coherence tomography (OCT) is known. An optical tomography apparatus using OCT divides light emitted from a light source into measurement light and reference light, and performs irradiation while scanning the tissue of the subject with the divided measurement light. The measurement light reflected from the tissue is synthesized with the reference light so as to acquire information in a depth direction of the tissue from an interference signal of the synthesized light. The optical tomography apparatus can generate the tomographic image by using the acquired information in the depth direction.

Brief description of the drawings9 figures

#FIG. 1 is a view illustrating a schematic configuration of an optical tomography apparatus and peripheral equipment.

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in the vicinity of a distal end portion of a probe.

#FIG. 3 is a view schematically illustrating a tomographic image expressed using a polar coordinate system.

Detailed description8,100 words

#Hereinafter, an embodiment according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

#First, referring to FIG. 1, a schematic configuration of an optical tomography apparatus (hereinafter, abbreviated as an “imaging apparatus”) 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. The imaging apparatus 1 captures a tomographic image (B-scan image) of a tissue inside a subject by using a probe 2 inserted into the subject.

#Hereinafter, as a specific example, it is assumed that the imaging apparatus 1 is an ophthalmic imaging apparatus. That is, a tomographic image of an internal tissue (for example, a retina) of a subject's eye E is captured by the imaging apparatus 1. However, this disclosure is also applicable to an apparatus for capturing the tomographic image of a subject other than the eye (for example, internal organs and ears). The imaging apparatus 1 includes a measurement unit 10 and a control unit 30.

Facts

Application

15/446,147Filed 1 Mar 2017

Priority

JP 2016-0405162 Mar 2016

Published

US 2017/0256078 A17 Sep 2017

Granted

26 Mar 2019

Term ends

8 Apr 2037

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 38 days of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification19 codes

G06T 12/30
Tomographic reconstruction from projections: image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction
A61B 3/0025
Operational features thereof: characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
A61B 3/102
Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions: for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
A61B 5/0066
Arrangements for scanning: optical coherence imaging

Timeline

2 Mar 2016Priority claimedJP 2016-040516
1 Mar 2017Application filedUS 15/446,147
11 Apr 2017Assigned to Nidek Co., Ltd.assignment of assignor's interest
7 Sep 2017PublishedUS 2017/0256078 A1
26 Mar 2019GrantedUS 10,242,467 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
8 Apr 2037Term endsEstimated, includes 38 days of adjustment

Optical tomography apparatus

Life of this patent

Optical tomography apparatus

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims14

Description8,894 words

Drawings

Classification19 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,894 words