Method and system for three-dimensional thickness mapping of corneal micro-layers and corneal diagnoses
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating an eye, the method comprising:
- segmenting, using an image processor, a plurality of high-resolution images of a cornea of the eye, to identify one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the plurality of high-resolution images comprising a plurality of images for a plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea;
determining thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, from the segmentation of the plurality of high-resolution images;
developing, from the thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, a thickness map, the thickness map identifying differences in corneal thickness across the identified biologically-defined micro-layer; and
displaying the thickness map, wherein the thickness map comprises one of;
(i) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of micro-layer thickness mean, variance, and standard deviation;
(ii) a bull'"'"'s-eye map or heat map of a ratio or comparison of micro-layer thickness to a total corneal thickness;
(iii) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of a ratio or comparison of thickness of the micro-layer to normative data;
(iv) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of a ratio or comparison between micro-layer thickness of a region to the thickness of the micro-layer in another region;
(v) a heat map of a ratio between micro-layer thickness of a region to the thickness of the micro-layer in another region;
(vi) a heat map or bulls-eye map of basal epithelial layer, the heat map having a color coding that differentiates minimum thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer, normal thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer, and maximum thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer;
or(vii) a heat map or bull'"'"'s-eye map of a collagen crosslinking layer.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Techniques for improved diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of corneal pathologies use enhanced mapping of the cornea or corneal regions, to develop three-dimensional mapping of corneal thickness, while retaining particular corneal micro-layer thickness data. Anterior and posterior surface identifications, along with surface apex determinations, are used for registration of segmentation of these micro-layers. 3D heat maps and bull'"'"'s-eye maps are generated from resulting thickness date. The maps provided enhanced evaluation and diagnosis of a corneal pathologies, such as keratoconus, pellucid marginal degeneration, post-refractive surgery ectasia, keratoglobus, corneal transplant rejection and corneal transplant failed grafts, Fuchs dystrophy, corneal limbal stem cell deficiency, dry eye syndrome, and post-corneal collagen crosslinking evaluation.
12 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method of evaluating an eye, the method comprising:
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segmenting, using an image processor, a plurality of high-resolution images of a cornea of the eye, to identify one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the plurality of high-resolution images comprising a plurality of images for a plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea; determining thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, from the segmentation of the plurality of high-resolution images; developing, from the thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, a thickness map, the thickness map identifying differences in corneal thickness across the identified biologically-defined micro-layer; and displaying the thickness map, wherein the thickness map comprises one of; (i) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of micro-layer thickness mean, variance, and standard deviation; (ii) a bull'"'"'s-eye map or heat map of a ratio or comparison of micro-layer thickness to a total corneal thickness; (iii) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of a ratio or comparison of thickness of the micro-layer to normative data; (iv) a bull'"'"'s-eye map of a ratio or comparison between micro-layer thickness of a region to the thickness of the micro-layer in another region; (v) a heat map of a ratio between micro-layer thickness of a region to the thickness of the micro-layer in another region; (vi) a heat map or bulls-eye map of basal epithelial layer, the heat map having a color coding that differentiates minimum thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer, normal thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer, and maximum thickness regions of the basal epithelial layer;
or(vii) a heat map or bull'"'"'s-eye map of a collagen crosslinking layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system comprising:
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one or more processors; a computer-readable memory storing non-transient instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to; segment, using an image processor, a plurality of high-resolution images of a cornea of the eye, to identify one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the plurality of high-resolution images comprising a plurality of images for a plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the segmentation causing the system to; (a) perform an image registration on the plurality of high-resolution images by (i) identifying an anterior surface of one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the anterior surface being a registration reference surface, (ii) comparing a plurality of image frames in the plurality of high-resolution images to the anterior surface, (iii) extracting frames that do not satisfy a registration condition, and (iv) for the remaining frames performing a summation and averaging process to produce a high-resolution composite image of the one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers; (b) identify one or more contrast transition surfaces for the high-resolution composite image, the transition surfaces corresponding to interfaces between the different corneal micro-layers; and (c) perform (a) for an adjacent biologically-defined micro-layer to produce a second high-resolution composite image, the adjacent biologically-defined micro-layer being identified by the one or more contrast transition surfaces; determine thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, from the segmentation of the plurality of high-resolution images; develop, from the thickness data for each of the identified one or more of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers, a thickness map, the thickness map identifying differences in corneal thickness across the identified biologically-defined micro-layer; and display the thickness map. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A system comprising:
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one or more processors; a computer-readable memory storing non-transient instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to; perform a two-surface registration on each of a plurality of high-resolution images of the cornea, the plurality of high-resolution images comprising a plurality of images for a plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, and generate a high-resolution composite image of the cornea, wherein the two-surface registration comprises an anterior surface registration and a posterior surface registration; segment the high-resolution composite image to identify each of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, wherein segmentation of the high-resolution composite image comprises flattening the high-resolution composite image and performing a vertical projection of a flattened rendition of the high-resolution composite image to produce a segmented high-resolution composite image; determine the thickness of at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea from the segmented high-resolution composite image; develop a thickness map for at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the thickness map identifying visual differences in thickness across the at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers; and display the thickness map. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A system comprising:
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one or more processors; a computer-readable memory storing non-transient instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the system to; perform an image registration on a plurality of high-resolution images of a cornea to generate a high-resolution composite image of the cornea from a plurality of high-resolution images of the cornea, the plurality of high-resolution images comprising a plurality of images for a plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea; segment the high-resolution composite image to identify each of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea using a multiple surface flattening on the high-resolution composite image, the segmentation generating a segmented high-resolution composite image; determine the thickness of at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea from the segmented high-resolution composite image; develop a thickness map for the at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers of the cornea, the thickness map identifying visual differences in thickness across the at least one of the plurality of biologically-defined micro-layers; and display the thickness map. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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Specification