# US 2014/0152957 A1 · Optic neuropathy detection with three-dimensional optical coherence tomography

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- Number: US 2014/0152957 A1
- Document ID: US20140152957A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/071,745
- Filed: 2013-11-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30
- Assignees: Topcon Corporation
- Applicants: Kabushiki Kaisha TOPCON
- Inventors: Charles A. Reisman; Qi Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152957A1

## CPC

- 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
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL

## Abstract

Based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of a portion of an eye, a mask of an anatomical feature is derived. Using the mask as a reference, a scan path is determined that is at least partially fitted to and/or partially enclosing the mask. OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path is acquired and analyzed to detect optic neuropathies.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging, comprising:
obtaining imaging data of a region of interest of a subject, the region of interest including at least one anatomical marker;
generating a mask of the anatomical marker based on the imaging data;
determining a scan path based at least in part on the mask, the scan path traversing at least a portion of an arbitrary enclosing shape at least partially fitted around the mask; and
acquiring three-dimensional (3D) optical coherence tomography (OCT) scan data corresponding to the scan path.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path further comprises directly scanning the scan path with an OCT imaging apparatus.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the imaging data further comprises performing a 3D OCT scan of the region of interest including the anatomical marker.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path further comprises performing a simulated scan of 3D OCT scan data of the region of interest including the anatomical marker.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein performing the simulated scan comprises extracting data from the 3D OCT scan data within the scan path.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the data extracted are a plurality of A-scans from the 3D OCT scan data within an area of the region of interest covered by the scan path.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising generating a simulated B-scan from the plurality of A-scans.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring at least one measurement from the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the measurement comprises at least one of a layer thickness, an attenuation coefficient, an image-derived coefficient or a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the region of interest is a retina and the anatomical marker is an optic disc, and
acquiring the at least one measurement comprises measuring a characteristic of at least a nerve fiber layer of the retina within the scan path.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the region of interest is a retina and the anatomical marker is a fovea, and
acquiring the at least one measurement comprises measuring a characteristic of a ganglion cell layer of the retina within the scan path.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the region of interest is a retina, and
acquiring the at least one measurement comprises measuring the characteristic over one layer or a combination of layers of retina, the one layer or combination of layers including at least one of:
a ganglion cell layer (GCL);
an inner plexiform layer (IPL);
a nerve fiber layer (NFL);
a combination of the GCL and the IPL;
a combination of the NFL, the GCL, and the IPL; or
all retinal layers.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the measurement is an atrophic measure indicating a percentage of an area of the scan path in which peripapillary atrophy is detected.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising displaying information derived from at least one of the at least one measurement, the imaging data, or the 3D OCT scan data.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein displaying the information comprises displaying a visual representation of measurement results as an overlay on an OCT-derived image.

### Claim 16 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising comparing the at least one measurement to a normative database.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the arbitrary enclosing shape is a substantially annular shape.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein an inner dimension of the substantially annular shape corresponds to a margin of the mask.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the scan path comprises one or more sub-sections of the substantially annular shape.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more sub-sections are discontinuous.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the scan path further comprises selecting a first enclosing shape, aligning the first enclosing shape with the mask, and adjusting at least one dimension of the first enclosing shape such that a minimum value of the at least one dimension is greater than or equal a dimension of a margin of the mask.

### Claim 22

A method for detecting optic neuropathies from OCT imaging data, comprising:
acquiring imaging data of a region of a retina that includes an optic disc;
determining an optic disc mask based on the imaging data;
determining a scan path based at least in part on the optic disc mask, wherein the scan path comprises one or more sub-paths, the one or more sub-paths being positioned based in part on an outer dimension of the optic disc mask; and
acquiring 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein obtaining the imaging data further comprises performing a 3D OCT scan of the region of the retina including the optic disc.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein acquiring the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path further comprises performing a simulated scan from results of the 3D OCT scan of the region of the retina including the optic disc.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising acquiring at least one measurement value from the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying information derived from at least one of the at least one measurement value, the imaging data, or the 3D OCT scan data.

### Claim 27 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more sub-paths traverse a minimally fitted annular shape having an inner dimension corresponding to the outer dimension of the optic disc mask.

### Claim 28

An OCT imaging system, comprising:
an imaging apparatus for capturing OCT scan data of a region of interest of a subject, the region of interest including at least one anatomical marker;
a neuropathy analysis apparatus for processing the OCT scan data to output analysis results relevant to diagnosis of optic neuropathies,
wherein the neuropathy analysis apparatus is configured to:
generate a mask for the anatomical marker based on image processing of the OCT scan data,
determine a scan path based at least in part on the mask, the scan path traversing at least a portion of an arbitrary enclosing shape at least partially fitted around the mask,
extract portions of the OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path,
aggregate measurement values, relative to at least one characteristic of the region of interest, over the portions of the OCT scan data extracted, and
output, as the analysis results, information derived from at least one of the measurement values aggregated or the portions of the OCT scan data extracted.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The OCT imaging system of claim 28, wherein the neuropathy analysis apparatus is further configured to receive input, the input specifies at least one of:
a size and location of the arbitrary enclosing shape,
one or more sub-regions of the arbitrary enclosing shape included in the scan path, or
a width of the arbitrary enclosing shape.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28)

The OCT imaging system of claim 28, wherein the neuropathy analysis apparatus is further configured to control the imaging apparatus to directly capture imaging data corresponding to the scan path.

### Claim 31 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path is acquired from the imaging data of the region of interest of the subject.

### Claim 32 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, wherein the 3D OCT scan data corresponding to the scan path is acquired from the imaging data of the region of the retina that includes the optic disc.