# US 10,307,055 B2 · Image processing apparatus, image processing method and storage medium > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,055 B2 - Document ID: US10307055B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/465,900 - Filed: 2014-08-22 - Published: 2014-12-11 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2011-02-01 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hiroshi Imamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307055B2 ## CPC - A61B 3/12: for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence) - A61B 3/102: {for optical coherence tomography [OCT]} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 2207/10101: Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT] - G06T 2207/30041: Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic - G06T 2210/41: Medical - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract An image processing apparatus includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomogram of an eye portion of a patient to be examined; an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information of a predetermined portion and position information of a predetermined tissue structure from the tomogram; and a calculation unit configured to calculate an evaluation value based on a relationship between the information of the predetermined portion and a position of the predetermined tissue structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program executed by the processor, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as units comprising: (1) an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; (2) a detection unit configured to extract at least an inner limiting membrane in the tomogram and detect the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the detection unit detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; and (3) a calculation unit configured to calculate a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected by the detection unit; and (4) a comparison unit configured to compare the thickness of the cribrosa lamina calculated by the calculation unit with a reference value of the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit extracts a retinal pigment epithelium in the tomogram, and detects the Mariotte blind spot based on the retinal pigment epithelium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a data storage unit configured to store the reference value of the thickness. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a detection unit configured to detect an anomaly portion of the eye to be examined based a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information associated with a visual function of the eye to be examined based on the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a data storage unit configured to store the reference value of the thickness and a reference value of the shape of a boundary of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a data storage unit configured to store the reference value of the thickness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a detection unit configured to detect an anomaly portion of the eye to be examined based on a comparison result obtained by the comparison unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information associated with a visual function of the eye to be examined based on the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the information associated with the visual function is information indicating a visual function drop risk degree. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tomogram is a two-dimensional tomogram including a depth direction of the fundus. ### Claim 12 A processor-implemented image processing method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; an extraction step of extracting at least an inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a detection step of detecting the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired in the acquisition step, wherein the detection step detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected in the detection step; and a comparison step of comparing the thickness of the cribrosa lamina calculated by the calculation step with a reference value of the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, wherein the detection step extracts a retinal pigment epithelium in the tomogram, and detects the Mariotte blind spot based on the retinal pigment epithelium. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a computer to execute respective steps of an image processing method, the method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; an extraction step of extracting at least an inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a detection step of detecting the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired in the acquisition step, wherein the detection step detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected in the detection step; and a comparison step of comparing the thickness of the cribrosa lamina calculated by the calculation step with a reference value of the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 15 An image processing apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program executed by the processor, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as units comprising: (1) an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; (2) a detection unit configured to extract at least an inner limiting membrane and to detect the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the cribrosa lamina is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; (3) a calculation unit configured to calculate (a) a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected by the detection unit and (b) a roughened pattern of a boundary of the cribrosa lamina detected by the detection unit; and (4) an evaluation unit configured to evaluate a visual function of the eye using (a) the thickness of the cribrosa lamina and a reference value of the thickness of the cribrosa lamina and (b) the roughened pattern of the boundary of the cribrosa lamina and a reference value of the roughened pattern of the boundary of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 16 An image processing apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory storing a program executed by the processor, wherein the processor and the memory are operatively coupled to function as units comprising: (1) an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; (2) a detection unit configured to extract at least an inner limiting membrane and to detect the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired by the acquisition unit, wherein the detection unit detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; (3) a calculation unit configured to calculate a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected by the detection unit; and (4) an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information associated with a visual function of the eye to be examined based on the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 17 A processor-implemented image processing method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; a detection step of extracting at least an inner limiting membrane and of detecting the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired in the acquisition step, wherein the detection step detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected in the detection step; and an information acquisition step of acquiring information associated with a visual function of the eye to be examined based on the thickness of the cribrosa lamina. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for controlling a computer to execute respective steps of an image processing method, the method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a tomogram of a fundus of an eye to be examined, wherein the tomogram includes a cribrosa lamina and at least one tissue other than the cribrosa lamina; a detection step of extracting at least an inner limiting membrane and of detecting the cribrosa lamina in the tomogram acquired in the acquisition step, wherein the detection step detects a Mariotte blind spot in the tomogram and detects an area having luminance being larger than a threshold in the detected Mariotte blind spot as the cribrosa lamina, wherein the area is located deeper than the inner limiting membrane in the tomogram; a calculation step of calculating a thickness of the cribrosa lamina detected in the detection step; and an information acquisition step of acquiring information associated with a visual function of the eye to be examined based on the thickness of the cribrosa lamina.