US 2019/0335996 A1Published application

Shear wave based elasticity imaging using three-dimensional segmentation for ocular disease diagnosis

AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California

InventorsZhongping Chen, Youmin He, Yueqiao Qu

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Abstract

Retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are the leading cause of blindness in the elderly population. Since no known cures are currently present, it is crucial to diagnose the condition in its early stages so that disease progression is monitored. Systems and methods for detecting and mapping the mechanical elasticity of retinal layers in the posterior eye are disclosed herein. A system including confocal shear wave acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (SW-ARF-OCE) is provided, wherein an ultrasound transducer and an optical scan head are co-aligned to facilitate in-vivo study of the retina. In addition, an automatic segmentation algorithm is used to isolate tissue layers and analyze the shear wave propagation within the retinal tissue to estimate mechanical stress on the retina and detect early stages of retinal diseases based on the estimated mechanical stress.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of in vivo detection of elasticity of retinal layers in a posterior of the eye, the method comprising:

(a) providing a confocal shear wave acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (SW-ARF-OCE) system comprising (i) an ultrasound transducer (ii) an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system confocal and co-aligned with the ultrasound transducer, wherein the OCT system and the ultrasound transducer are disposed exterior to and on a same side of the eye;
(b) generating a shear wave displacement at a first location of the retinal layers using the ultrasound transducer;
(c) detecting OCT signals from multiple locations along retinal layers, the multiple locations being lateral to the first location, the OCT signals providing a measure of a propagation of the shear wave displacement along the multiple locations of the retinal layers;
(d) performing a three-dimensional (3-D) segmentation analysis on the OCT signals detected to segment the retinal layers and isolate different retinal layers for layer specified shear wave elastic analysis;
(e) tracing shear wave propagation with 3-D segmentation;
(f) calculating a shear wave propagation speed at each segmented retinal layer and generate a shear velocity map at each segmented retinal layer;
(g) determining a shear modulus of each segmented retinal layer based on the shear velocity map;
(h) determining an elastic modulus of each segmented retinal layer based on the shear modulus;
and
(i) generating an elastogram of the elastic modulus of each segmented retinal layer, thereby spatially mapping elasticity of different posterior ocular layers of the retina to enable early detection of disease in the retina based on changes in the elasticity occurring at the different layers of the retina.

7 more elements

A non-invasive system for detection of elasticity of retinal layers in a posterior of the eye, the system comprising:

(a) a confocal shear wave acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography (SW-ARF-OCE) system comprising:
(i) an ultrasound transducer;
and
(ii) an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system confocal and co-aligned with the ultrasound transducer, wherein the OCT system and the ultrasound transducer are configured to be disposed exterior to and on a same side of the eye;
(b) a processor operatively coupled to the SW-ARF-OCE system;
and
(c) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
(i) pulsing the ultrasound transducer to generate a shear wave displacement at a first location of the retinal layers;
(ii) receiving OCT signals from multiple locations along retinal layers, the multiple locations being lateral to the first location, the OCT signals providing a measure of a propagation of the shear wave displacement along the multiple locations of the retinal layers;
(iii) performing a three-dimensional (3-D) segmentation analysis on the OCT signals detected to segment the retinal layers and isolate different retinal layers for layer specified shear wave elastic analysis;
(iv) tracing shear wave propagation with 3-D segmentation;
(v) calculating a shear wave propagation speed at each segmented retinal layer and generate a shear velocity map at each segmented retinal layer;
(vi) determining a shear modulus of each segmented retinal layer based on the shear velocity map;
(vii) determining an elastic modulus of each segmented retinal layer based on the shear modulus;
and
(viii) generating an elastogram of the elastic modulus of each segmented retinal layer, thereby spatially mapping elasticity of different posterior ocular layers of the retina.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/402,591Filed 3 May 2019
Priority: 4 May 2018
Published: 7 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification28 codes

A61B 8/10
Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves: eye inspection
A61B 3/102
Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions: for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
A61B 3/1225
For looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes: using coherent radiation
A61B 3/14
Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions: arrangements specially adapted for…