Ophthalmologic apparatus, and method of controlling the same

An ophthalmologic apparatus comprising:

• a front image acquiring device configured to acquire a front image of a fundus of a subject's eye;
• a second search processor configured to search for an interested region by template matching between the front image and a template image;
• and
• a third search processor configured to detect a blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the front image and search for the interested region based on a distribution of the blood vessel region in the event that the interested region has not been detected by the second search processor, wherein
• the front image acquiring device is configured to acquire another front image of the fundus acquired using a modality different from a modality used for acquisition of the front image, and
• the third search processor is configured to detect a first blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the another front image, perform registration between the front image and the another front image, identify a second blood vessel region of the front image corresponding to the first blood vessel region based on a result of the registration, and search for the interested region based on a distribution of the second blood vessel region.

An ophthalmologic apparatus comprising:

• a front image acquiring device configured to acquire a front image of a fundus of a subject's eye;
• a first search processor configured to search for an interested region corresponding to an interested site of the fundus based on a brightness variation in the front image;
• and
• a third search processor configured to detect a blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the front image and search for the interested region based on a distribution of the blood vessel region in the event that the interested region has not been detected by the first search processor, wherein
• the front image acquiring device is configured to acquire another front image of the fundus acquired using a modality different from a modality used for acquisition of the front image, and
• the third search processor is configured to detect a first blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the another front image, perform registration between the front image and the another front image, identify a second blood vessel region of the front image corresponding to the first blood vessel region based on a result of the registration, and search for the interested region based on a distribution of the second blood vessel region.

A method of controlling an ophthalmologic apparatus that includes a processor configured to process a front image of a fundus of a subject's eye, a movement mechanism configured to move an illumination system and a photographing system, and a movement processor configured to control the:

• movement mechanism based on a moving image obtained by the photographing system, the method comprising:
• illuminating the fundus with near infrared light from the illuminating system;
• acquiring the front image by digitally photographing the fundus with the near infrared fight using a front image acquiring device that includes the photographing system having an image sensor and configured to repeatedly perform digital photography of the fundus illuminated with the near infrared light, and the front image is a frame of the moving image obtained by the repeatedly digital photographing of the fundus illuminated with the near infrared light;
• a first search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of searching for an interested region corresponding to an interested site of the fundus based on a brightness variation in the front image;
• and
• a second search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of searching for the interested region by template matching between the front image and a template image in the event that the interested region has not been detected by the process performed in the first search control step.

A method of controlling an ophthalmologic apparatus that includes a processor configured to process a front image of a fundus of a subject's eye, the method comprising:

• a second search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of searching for an interested region by template matching between the front image and a template image;
• a third search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of detecting a blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the front image, and a process of searching for the interested region based on a distribution of the blood vessel region, in the event that the interested region has not been detected by the process performed in the second search control step;
• the processor is further configured to acquire another front image of the fundus acquired using a modality different from a modality used for acquisition of the front image;
• and
• the third search control step causes the processor to perform a process of detecting a first blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the another front image, perform registration between the front image and the another front image, identifying a second blood vessel region of the front mage corresponding to the first blood vessel region based on a result of the registration, and searching for the interested region based on a distribution of the second blood vessel region.

A method of controlling an ophthalmologic apparatus that includes a processor configured to process a front image of a fundus of a subject's eye, the method comprising:

• a first search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of searching for an interested region corresponding to an interested site of the fundus based on a brightness variation in the front image;
• a third search control step that causes the processor to perform a process of detecting a blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the front image, and a process of searching for the interested region based on a distribution of the blood vessel region, in the event that the interested region has not been detected by the process performed in the first search control step;
• the processor is further configured to acquire another front image of the fundus acquired using a modality different from a modality used for acquisition of the front image;
• and
• the third search control step causes the processor to perform a process of detecting a first blood vessel region corresponding to a blood vessel of the fundus by analyzing the another front image, perform registration between the front image and the another front image, identifying a second blood vessel region of the front image corresponding to the first blood vessel region based on a result of the registration, and searching for the interested region based on a distribution of the second blood vessel region.