Methods, systems and computer program products for diagnosing conditions using unique codes generated from a multidimensional image of a sample

A method for providing a diagnosis using a digital code in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system, the method comprising:

• acquiring interferometric cross-correlation data representative of multidimensional information unique to a sample, the multidimensional information including at least one of one or more spatial dimensions and one or two time dimensions;
• processing the multidimensional interferometric cross-correlation data into one or more images to represent one or more of slowly time variant information about the sample, time variant structural and functional information about the sample;
• selecting a subset of the multidimensional data;
• reducing the selected subset of data to a two dimensional subset of data;
• performing one or more spatial or temporal frequency transforms of the two dimensional subsets to derive a unique representation of the sample;
• reducing the transform into a unique digital code associated with the sample;
• comparing the unique digital code associated with the sample to a library of reference codes, each of the reference codes in the library of reference codes being indicative of a class of objects;
• determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objects associated with the reference codes based on a result of the comparison;
• and
• formulating a diagnostic decision based on the whether the unique digital code associated with the sample falls into at least one of the classes associated with the reference code,
• wherein determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objections further comprises determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code has changed classes over time;
• and
• wherein formulating the diagnostic decision comprises formulating the diagnostic decision based on the change of class over time.

A method of providing a diagnosis using a digital code using a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography imaging system, the method comprising:

• acquiring frequency-dependent interferometric cross-correlation data representative of multidimensional information unique to a sample, the multidimensional information including at least two of at least one frequency dimensions, one or more spatial dimensions and one or two time dimensions;
• processing the multidimensional interferometric cross-correlation data into one or more images to represent one or more of slowly time variant information about the sample and time variant structural or functional information about the sample;
• selecting a subset of the multidimensional data;
• reducing the subset of data to a two dimensional subset of data;
• performing one or more spatial or temporal frequency transforms of the two dimensional subsets to derive a unique representation of the sample;
• reducing the transform into a unique digital code that provides a unique signature of the multidimensional data;
• comparing the unique digital code associated with the sample to a library of reference codes, each of the reference codes in the library of reference codes being indicative of a class of objects;
• determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objects associated with the reference codes based on a result of the comparison;
• and
• formulating a diagnostic decision based on the whether the unique digital code associated with the sample falls into at least one of the classes associated with the reference code,
• wherein determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objections further comprises determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code has changed classes over time;
• and
• wherein formulating the diagnostic decision comprises formulating the diagnostic decision based on the change of class over time.

An optical coherence tomography imaging system comprising:

• means for acquiring interferometric cross-correlation data representative of multidimensional information unique to a sample, the multidimensional information including at least one of one or more spatial dimensions and one or two time dimensions;
• means for processing the multidimensional interferometric cross-correlation data into one or more images to represent one or more of, slowly time variant information about the sample, time variant structural and functional information about the sample;
• means for selecting a subset of the multidimensional data;
• means for reducing the selected subset of data to a two dimensional subset of data;
• means for performing one or more spatial or temporal frequency transforms of the two dimensional subsets to derive a unique representation of the sample;
• means for reducing the transform into a unique digital code associated with the sample;
• means for comparing the unique digital code associated with the sample to a library of reference codes, each of the reference codes in the library of reference codes being indicative of a class of objects;
• means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objects associated with the reference codes based on a result of the comparison;
• and
• means for formulating a diagnostic decision based on the whether the unique digital code associated with the sample falls into at least one of the classes associated with the reference code,
• wherein the means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objections further comprise means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code has changed classes over time;
• and
• wherein the means for formulating the diagnostic decision comprises means for formulating the diagnostic decision based on the change of class over time.

A Fourier domain optical coherence tomography imaging system comprising:

• means for acquiring frequency-dependent interferometric cross-correlation data representative of multidimensional information unique to a sample, the multidimensional information including one or more of one frequency dimensions;
• one or more spatial dimensions;
• and one or two time dimensions;
• means for processing the multidimensional interferometric cross-correlation data into one or more images to represent one or more of, slowly time variant information about the sample and time variant structural or functional information about the sample;
• means for selecting a subset of the multidimensional data;
• means for reducing the subset of data to a two dimensional subset of data;
• means for performing one or more spatial or temporal frequency transforms of the two dimensional subsets to derive a unique representation of the sample;
• means for reducing the transform into a unique digital code that provides a unique signature of the multidimensional data;
• means for comparing the unique digital code associated with the sample to a library of reference codes, each of the reference codes in the library of reference codes being indicative of a class of objects;
• means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objects associated with the reference codes based on a result of the comparison;
• and
• means for formulating a diagnostic decision based on the whether the unique digital code associated with the sample falls into at least one of the classes associated with the reference code;
• wherein the means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code falls into at least one of the classes of objections further comprise means for determining if the sample associated with the unique digital code has changed classes over time;
• and
• wherein the means for formulating the diagnostic decision comprises means for formulating the diagnostic decision based on the change of class over time.