US 7,113,818 B2Granted

Apparatus for high resolution imaging of moving organs

AssigneeOTI Ophthalmic Technologies Inc.

InventorsAdrian Podoleanu, John Rogers

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Abstract

Apparatus for high resolution imaging of a moving object comprises a source of low coherence light, an optical coherence tomography imaging instrument or a dual channel, optical coherence tomography/confocal imaging instrument, a transverse scanner, an interferometer, depth adjustment means, and interface optics. First and an optional second sensing blocks sense the axial and respectively the transverse position of the object. A splitting element is shared so that the interface optics and the sensing blocks have a common axis of light transmitted to and from the object. Timing means establishes a timing, and timing intervals and reference times for images as they are taken. The acceptability of each scanned image is determined according to predetermined criteria. A series of en-face OCT images, or of longitudinal OCT images of the object may be taken at different depths or transverse coordinates, and the stack of collected images is used to build 3D profiles of the object.

Claims42

Dependent claims

Apparatus for high resolution imaging of an object located at an object location and subject to movement during imaging, comprising:

a) an imaging instrument employing optical coherence tomography (OCT) for scanning said object with an optical sample beam, said imaging instrument including:
(i) a source of low coherent light;
(ii) an interferometer for receiving light from said source and outputting said optical sample beam, said interferometer including a first optical path for said optical sample beam and a second optical path for a reference beam;
(iii) a transverse scanner to effect transverse scanning of the object with said optical beam;
(iv) depth adjustment means comprising electronically controllable optical path altering means for altering the optical path difference between said first and second optical paths in said interferometer so as to obtain imaging information different axial depth positions relative to said imaging instrument;
and
(v) interface optics for transferring said optical sample beam from the transverse scanner to said object and for transferring said sample beam reflected and scattered from said object back to said interferometer;
b) a first sensor for sensing the axial position of said object relative to said imaging instrument independently of said imaging instrument so as to detect movement of said object relative to said imaging instrument;
and
c) a processor for acquiring with said imaging instrument a stack of sectional en-face OCT images of said object at different axial depths within said object obtained by altering the optical path difference in said interferometer, said processor being programmed to reject any sectional images for which the movement of said object during the scanning thereof falls outside predetermined acceptable limits in response to a signal from said first sensor.

7 more elements

Apparatus for high resolution imaging of an object located at an object location and subject to movement during imaging, comprising:

a) an imaging instrument employing optical coherence tomography (OCT) for scanning said object with an optical sample beam, said imaging instrument including:
(i) a source of low coherent light;
(ii) an interferometer for receiving light from said source and outputting said optical sample beam, said interferometer including a first optical path for said optical sample beam and a second optical path for a reference beam;
(iii) depth adjustment means comprising electronically controllable optical path altering means for altering the optical path difference between said first and second optical paths in said interferometer so as to obtain imaging information at different axial depth positions relative to said imaging instrument;
(iv) transverse coordinate adjustment means comprising electronically controllable optical path altering means for altering the rectangular transverse coordinate along an axis which is orthogonal to a transverse scanning axis to permit a series of sectional OCT longitudinal images of the object to be obtained;
and
(v) interface optics for transferring said optical sample beam from the transverse scanner to said object and for transferring said sample beam reflected and scattered from said object back to said interferometer;
b) a first sensor for sensing the axial position of said object independently of said OCT imaging instrument;
c) a second sensor for sensing the transverse position of said object independently of said OCT imaging instrument;
and
d) a processor for acquiring with said imaging instrument a stack of said sectional longitudinal OCT images of said object said processor being programmed to reject any sectional images for which the movement of said object during the scanning of said images falls outside predetermined acceptable limits in response to signals from said first and second sensors.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/117,322Filed 8 Apr 2002
Published: US 2003/0199769 A123 Oct 2003
Granted: 26 Sep 2006
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

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 3/1025
Objective types, i.e. instruments for examining the eyes independent of the patients' perceptions or reactions: for confocal scanning
G01B 9/0203
Combination with non-interferometric systems, i.e. for measuring the object: with imaging systems
G01B 9/02077
Caused by motion: of the object