Monitoring blood flow in the retina using a line-scanning laser ophthalmoscope
AssigneePhysical Sciences, Inc.
InventorsR. Daniel Ferguson, Daniel X. Hammer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Real time, high-speed image stabilization with a retinal tracking scanning laser ophthalmoscope (TSLO) enables new approaches to established diagnostics. Large frequency range (DC to 19 kHz), wide-field (40-deg) stabilized Doppler flowmetry imaging is described for human subjects. The fundus imaging method is a quasi-confocal line-scanning laser ophthalmoscope (LSLO). The retinal tracking system uses a confocal reflectometer with a closed loop optical servo system to lock onto features in the ocular fundus and automatically re-lock after blinks. By performing a slow scan with the laser line imager, frequency-resolved retinal perfusion and vascular flow images can be obtained free of eye motion artifacts.
Claims27
A method of monitoring blood flow in a retina, comprising:
- illuminating the retina with a line of light at a first position and a second position;
- recording a first plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the first position and a second plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the second position, each of the first plurality of images recorded at a first set of successive time periods to form a first spatial-temporal image plane and each of the second plurality of images recorded at a second set of successive time periods to form a second spatial-temporal image plane;
- and
- combining the first spatial-temporal image plane and the second spatial-temporal image plane to form a three-dimensional image of the retina, wherein one dimension is a temporal dimension including a time varying signal representing the flow of blood in the retina.
An apparatus for monitoring blood flow in a retina, comprising:
- a retinal tracking device for locking onto a feature of the retina;
- a line-scanning laser ophthalmoscope for illuminating the retina with a line of light at a first position and at a second position, including a linear array detector for confocally receiving a first plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the first position for a first set of successive time periods and a second plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the second position for a second set of successive time periods;
- and
- a processor for forming a first spatial-temporal image plane from the first plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the first position versus the first set of successive time periods, forming a second spatial-temporal image plane from the second plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the second position versus the second set of successive time periods, and combining the first spatial-temporal image plane and the second spatial-temporal image plane to form a three-dimensional image of the retina, wherein one dimension is a temporal dimension including a time varying signal representing the flow of blood in the retina.
An apparatus for monitoring blood flow in a retina, comprising:
- a means for illuminating the retina with a line of light at a first position and a second position;
- a means for recording a first plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the first position and a second plurality of images of the line of light on the retina at the second position, each of the first plurality of images recorded at successive time periods to form a first spatial-temporal image plane and each of the second plurality of images recorded at a respective time period to form a second spatial-temporal image plane;
- and
- a means for combining the first spatial-temporal image plane and the second spatial-temporal image plane to form a three-dimensional image of the retina, wherein one dimension is a temporal dimension including a time varying signal representing the flow of blood in the retina.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.