System and method for enhancing visualization of an eye image

A system for enhancing visualization of an original image of an eye, the system comprising:

• a visualization module having a photosensor;
• a controller in communication with the visualization module and having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded;
• wherein execution of the instructions causes the controller to:
• convert an output of the visualization module to a first pixel cloud in a first color space, the first color space being an RGB color space;
• map the first pixel cloud to a second pixel cloud in a second color space;
• identify a single selected zone in the second pixel cloud such that the single selected zone includes particles that are suspended in the eye, the single selected zone being composed of pixels selected based on respective coordinates in the second pixel cloud in a portion of the eye for which visual enhancement is desired;
• move the single selected zone from an original location to a modified location in the second color space;
• update the second pixel cloud in the second color space to obtain a modified second pixel cloud;
• transform the modified second pixel cloud in the second color space to a third pixel cloud in the first color space;
• and
• form an enhanced image of the eye based in part on the modified second pixel cloud, the enhanced image providing selective visual enhancement in the single selected zone, the enhanced image of the eye providing a virtual dye by digitally staining the particles with a predetermined color;
• wherein the second color space is defined by a first axis with a lightness factor representing a white to black continuum, a second axis representing a green to red continuum and a third axis representing a blue to yellow continuum;
• wherein the controller is adapted to obtain a new lightness factor for the single selected zone in the second color space based in part on respective values of R, G, B in the first color space and a predefined weighting factor W chosen to enhance at least one component of the RGB color space;
• and
• wherein the controller is adapted to obtain the new lightness factor as:
• R*W+[(G*C1+B*C2)*(1−W)] for red reflex enhancement, where C1 and C2 are predefined constants having a respective value of less than 1.0, the weighting factor extending between about 0.30 and 1.0, the weighting factor being selected to be higher for increasing the red reflex enhancement.