Depolarizing region identification in the retina

A system for analysing tissues of a retina, the system comprising:

• a memory for storing data and a computer program;
• a processor coupled to the memory for storing data and a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions for:
• receiving a polarization-sensitive (PS-OCT) image data set of the retina from a polarization-sensitive device, each element in the polarization-sensitive image data set being associated with an intensity value ({I1, . . . , IL}) and a polarization direction ({P1, . . . , PL});
• determining a likelihood score for each element of the polarization-sensitive image data set based on the intensity value of the element and a degree of divergence (μ*TP or D2) of the polarization direction associated with the element from a reference polarization direction (μ*) associated with the polarization sensitive image data set, wherein the likelihood score indicates whether said element is drawn from a directionally polarized distribution or a depolarizing distribution;
• and
• classifying elements of the polarization-sensitive image data set using the determined likelihood scores to analyse tissues of the retina.

An apparatus for analysing tissues of a retina, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a polarization-sensitive (PS-OCT) image data set of the retina from a polarization-sensitive device, each element in the polarization-sensitive image data set being associated with an intensity value ({I1, . . . , IL}) and a polarization direction ({P1, . . . , PL});
• means for determining a likelihood score for each element of the polarization-sensitive image data set based on the intensity value of the element and a degree of divergence (μ*TP or D2) of the polarization direction associated with the element from a reference polarization direction (μ*) associated with the polarization sensitive image data set, wherein the likelihood score indicates whether said element is drawn from a directionally polarized distribution or a depolarizing distribution;
• and
• means for classifying elements of the polarization-sensitive image data set using the determined likelihood scores to analyse tissues of the retina.

A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon for analysing tissues of a retina, the program comprising:

• code for receiving a polarization-sensitive (PS-OCT) image data set of the retina from a polarization-sensitive device, each element in the polarization-sensitive image data set being associated with an intensity value ({I1, . . . , IL}) and a polarization direction ({P1, . . . , PL});
• code for determining a likelihood score for each element of the polarization-sensitive image data set based on the intensity value of the element and a degree of divergence (μ*TP or D2) of the polarization direction associated with the element from a reference polarization direction (μ*) associated with the polarization sensitive image data set, wherein the likelihood score indicates whether said element is drawn from a directionally polarized distribution or a depolarizing distribution;
• and
• code for classifying elements of the polarization-sensitive image data set using the determined likelihood scores to analyse tissues of the retina.

A computer-implementable method of determining physical properties of tissues of a retina, the method comprising:

• receiving a polarization-sensitive image data set of the retina from a polarization-sensitive device, each element in the polarization-sensitive image data set being associated with an intensity value and polarization data;
• determining, for each element of the polarization-sensitive image data set, a likelihood score (D) that said element is drawn from a polarization scrambling signal based on a reference polarization direction (μ*) associated with the polarization-sensitive image data set, the intensity value and the polarization data of the element;
• and
• classifying the elements of the polarization-sensitive image data set using the determined likelihood scores to determine physical properties of tissues of the retina.