# US 11,896,310 B2 · Ophthalmologic information processing apparatus, ophthalmologic system, ophthalmologic information processing method, and recording medium

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- Number: US 11,896,310 B2
- Document ID: US11896310B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/878,625
- Filed: 2020-05-20
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-24
- Assignees: Topcon Corporation
- Applicants: Topcon Corporation
- Inventors: Kanichi Tokuda; Taiki Aimi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11896310B2

## CPC

- A61B 3/12: for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence)
- G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection}
- A61B 3/0041: {characterised by display arrangements}
- A61B 3/102: {for optical coherence tomography [OCT]}
- A61B 3/1225: {using coherent radiation}
- A61B 3/14: Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography
- G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation
- G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
- G06T 2207/10101: Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT]
- G06T 2207/30041: Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

An ophthalmologic information processing apparatus includes an analyzer, a storage unit, and a display controller. The analyzer is configured to specify an atrophy region in a fundus by analyzing data of the fundus of a subject's eye acquired using optical coherence tomography. The storage unit stores image data of the fundus. The display controller is configured to cause a fundus image of the subject's eye to be displayed on a display means based on the image data stored in the storage unit, and to cause a region corresponding to the atrophy region in the fundus image to be displayed on the display means so as to be identifiable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ophthalmologic information processing apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry that specifies an atrophy region in a fundus by analyzing data of the fundus of a subject's eye acquired using optical coherence tomography;
a storage memory storing image data of the fundus;
the processing circuitry generates position information representing vector information indicating a movement direction and a movement distance of a representative position of the atrophy region with respect to a representative position of a macular region in a predetermined period by analyzing the data, the representative position of the macular region including one of a position of the fovea, a position of a center of gravity of the macular region, a closest position to the atrophy region in an outline of the macular region, and a farthest position to the atrophy region in the outline of the macular region, the representative position of the atrophy region including one of a center position of the atrophy region, a position of a center of gravity of the atrophy region, a closest position to the macular region or the fovea in an outline of the atrophy region, or a farthest position to the macular region or the fovea in the outline of the atrophy region; and
a display controller that causes a fundus image of the subject's eye to be displayed on a display based on the image data stored in the storage memory, to cause a region corresponding to the atrophy region in the fundus image to be displayed on the display so as to be identifiable, and to cause the generated position information to be displayed on the display.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the analyzer includes:
a segmentation processor that specifies a plurality of layer regions in an A scan direction based on the data, and
a distribution information generator that generates distribution information on ratio between integrated values of pixel values in the A scan direction of the layer regions located on a sclera side with reference to a Bruch membrane and integrated values of pixel values in the A scan direction of the layer regions located on a cornea side with reference to the Bruch membrane, the layer regions being specified by the segmentation processor, and
the analyzer specifies the atrophy region based on the distribution information.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 2, further comprising
a position matching processor that performs position matching between the fundus image and an image representing the atrophy region specified based on the distribution information, wherein
the display controller causes the fundus image, on which the image representing the atrophy region is overlaid, to be displayed on the display, the image having been performed position matching by the position matching processor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the analyzer includes a morphology information generator that generates morphology information representing morphology of the atrophy region by analyzing the data, and
the display controller causes the morphology information to be displayed on the display.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein
the morphology information includes at least one of an area of the atrophy region and an outer perimeter of the atrophy region.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein
the display controller causes at least one of the area of the atrophy region and the outer perimeter of the atrophy region to be displayed on the display for each of the plurality of atrophy regions specified by the analyzer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein
the morphology information includes a total value of the areas of the plurality of atrophy regions specified by the analyzer or a total value of the outer perimeters of the plurality of atrophy regions specified by the analyzer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein
the morphology information includes number of the atrophy regions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the analyzer specifies a position of the macular region in the fundus based on the data, and
the display controller causes the fundus image, on which the image representing the position of the macular region is overlaid, to be displayed on the display, the image being specified by the analyzer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the fundus image is a shadowgram of a range from a retinal pigment epithelium layer to the Bruch membrane generated based on the data, a fluorescent fundus angiogram obtained by photographing the fundus, a fundus photographic image obtained by photographing the fundus, a projection image, or a C scan image.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein
the display controller causes a tomographic image of the fundus formed based on the data as the fundus image to be displayed on the display, and a region corresponding to the atrophy region in the tomographic image to be displayed on the display so as to be identifiable.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

An ophthalmologic system, comprising:
a data acquisition unit including a scanner that acquires the data by scanning the subject's eye using optical coherence tomography;
the display; and
the ophthalmologic information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the atrophy region is a geographic atrophy region.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The ophthalmologic information processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the position information of the atrophy region is displayed on the display in association with the atrophy region corresponding to the position information.

### Claim 15

An ophthalmologic information processing method, comprising:
specifying an atrophy region in a fundus by analyzing data of the fundus of a subject's eye acquired using optical coherence tomography;
generating position information representing vector information indicating a movement direction and a movement distance of a representative position of the atrophy region with respect to a representative position of a macular region in a predetermined period by analyzing the data, the representative position of the macular region including one of a position of the fovea, a position of a center of gravity of the macular region, a closest position to the atrophy region in an outline of the macular region, and a farthest position to the atrophy region in the outline of the macular region, the representative position of the atrophy region including one of a center position of the atrophy region, a position of a center of gravity of the atrophy region, a closest position to the macular region or the fovea in an outline of the atrophy region, or a farthest position to the macular region or the fovea in the outline of the atrophy region;
causing a fundus image of the subject's eye to be displayed on a display based on the image data of the fundus;
causing a region corresponding to the atrophy region in the fundus image to be displayed on the display so as to be identifiable; and
causing the generated position information to be displayed on the display.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The ophthalmologic information processing method of claim 15, wherein
the specifying the atrophy region includes:
specifying a plurality of layer regions in an A scan direction based on the data,
generating distribution information on ratio between integrated values of pixel values in the A scan direction of the layer regions located on a sclera side with reference to a Bruch membrane and integrated values of pixel values in the A scan direction of the layer regions located on a cornea side with reference to the Bruch membrane, the layer regions being specified in the segmentation processing step, and
specifying the atrophy region based on the distribution information.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The ophthalmologic information processing method of claim 16, further comprising
performing position matching between the fundus image and the atrophy region specified based on the distribution information, wherein
the causing the fundus image of the subject's eye to be displayed is performed to cause the fundus image, on which the image representing the atrophy region is overlaid, to be displayed on the display, the image having been position matched in the performing position matching.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The ophthalmologic information processing method of claim 15, further comprising:
generating morphology information representing morphology of the atrophy region by analyzing the data, and
causing the morphology information to be displayed on the display.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The ophthalmologic information processing method of claim 18, wherein
the morphology information includes at least one of an area of the atrophy region, an outer perimeter of the atrophy region.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The ophthalmologic information processing method of claim 19, further comprising:
causing at least one of the area of the atrophy region and the outer perimeter of the atrophy region to be displayed on the display for each of the plurality of atrophy regions specified in the analysis step.

### Claim 21

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a program of causing a computer to execute each step of an ophthalmologic information processing method comprising:
specifying an atrophy region in a fundus by analyzing data of the fundus of a subject's eye acquired using optical coherence tomography;
generating position information representing vector information indicating a movement direction and a movement distance of a representative position of the atrophy region with respect to a representative position of a macular region in a predetermined period by analyzing the data, the representative position of the macular region including one of a position of the fovea, a position of a center of gravity of the macular region, a closest position to the atrophy region in an outline of the macular region, and a farthest position to the atrophy region in the outline of the macular region, the representative position of the atrophy region including one of a center position of the atrophy region, a position of a center of gravity of the atrophy region, a closest position to the macular region or the fovea in an outline of the atrophy region, or a farthest position to the macular region or the fovea in the outline of the atrophy region;
causing a fundus image of the subject's eye to be displayed on a display based on the image data of the fundus;
causing a region corresponding to the atrophy region in the fundus image to be displayed on the display so as to be identifiable; and
causing the generated position information to be displayed on the display.