Fundus observation device, fundus image display device and fundus observation program

• US 20070070295A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroyuki, Tsukada, Hisashi, Fukuma, Yasufumi, Kikawa, Tsutomu, Harumoto, Koki
• Granted Patent: US 7,566,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]

Abstract

To provide a technology that makes it easy to capture a positional relation of a 2-dimensional image of the surface of a fundus oculi and a tomographic image of the fundus oculi. The fundus observation device 1 is provided with a fundus camera unit 1A for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of a fundus oculi Ef of an eye to be examined, an OCT unit 150 for forming a tomographic image of the fundus oculi Ef, a scanning unit 141 as well as an image processing part 220, a display 207, and a controlling part 210 of a computer 200 for displaying the 2-dimensional image formed by the fundus camera unit 1A and a tomographic image formed by the OCT unit, etc. in parallel on the display 207, and also for displaying the cross-sectional position information (attention line L, attention region P) indicating the cross-sectional position of the tomographic image on the surface of the fundus oculi Ef, so as to be overlapped with the 2-dimensional image.

Claims

1. A fundus observation device comprising:

a first image forming means for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of a fundus oculi of an eye to be examined;

a second image forming means for forming a tomographic image of said fundus oculi;

a display means; and

a controlling means for displaying said 2-dimensional image formed by said first image forming means and said tomographic image formed by said second image forming means in parallel on said display means, and also for displaying the cross-sectional position information indicating the cross-sectional position of said tomographic image on the surface of said fundus oculi, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

2. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, further comprising,

an operating means,

wherein when one point on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, said controlling means displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said tomographic image.

3. A fundus observation device according to claim 2, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

4. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, further comprising,

an operating means,

wherein when one point on said tomographic image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, said controlling means displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

5. A fundus observation device according to claim 4, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

6. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein said first image forming means is a fundus camera comprising:

an illuminating optical system for emitting illumination light onto said fundus oculi;

a photographing optical system for receiving the fundus reflection light of said emitted illumination light; and

a first image processing means for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of said fundus oculi, based on said received fundus reflection light.

7. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein said second image forming means is an optical image measuring device comprising:

a light source;

an interference light generating means for splitting the light output from the light source into signal light directed towards said fundus oculi and reference light directed towards a reference object, and also for generating interference light by overlaying the signal light reflected at said fundus oculi and the reference light reflected at said reference object;

a detecting means for outputting a detection signal upon receipt of said generated interference light; and

a second image processing means for forming a tomographic image of said fundus oculi, based on said detection signal that has been output.

8. A fundus observation device according to claim 7, wherein:

said optical image measuring device further has a scanning means for scanning the incident position of said signal light with respect to said fundus oculi in a given main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction respectively;

said second image processing device

respectively forms a tomographic image along said main scanning direction at a plurality of positions that are different in said sub-scanning direction and forms a 3-dimensional image of said fundus oculi based on the plurality of formed tomographic images; and

also

forms an image of a partial region of the 3-dimensional image and a tomographic image at a boundary of the partial region, and forms a 3-dimensional partial image corresponding to said partial region based on the formed image of said partial region and the tomographic image of said boundary; and

said controlling means

displays the formed 3-dimensional partial image parallel to said 2-dimensional image on said display means, and also

displays the cross-sectional position information indicating said boundary, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

9. A fundus observation device according to claim 8, wherein the fundus observation device further comprises an operating means for designating said partial region of said 3-dimensional image.

10. A fundus observation device according to claim 9, wherein:

said second image processing means, when one point on said 3-dimensional partial image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at the depth in the depth direction at the designated one point of said fundus oculi;

said controlling means, and

displays the 2-dimensional image formed at the depth of said one point parallel to said 3-dimensional partial image, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the 2-dimensional image at the depth of said one point.

11. A fundus observation device according to claim 10, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

12. A fundus observation device according to claim 10, further comprising a storing means,

wherein said controlling means, when said one point is designated by said operating means on the image displayed on said display means, stores the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image in said storing means so as to be read-out.

13. A fundus observation device according to claim 9, wherein:

said second image processing means forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at a given depth in the depth direction of said fundus oculi based on said 3-dimensional image;

said controlling means displays the formed 2-dimensional image at the given depth on said display means;

said second image processing means, when one point on the displayed 2-dimensional image at said given depth is designated by said operating means, forms a 3-dimensional partial image including the designated said one point based on said 3-dimensional image; and

said controlling means

displays the formed 3-dimensional partial image including said one point parallel to the 2-dimensional image at said given depth on said display means, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the 3-dimensional partial image including said one point.

14. A fundus observation device according to claim 13, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

15. A fundus observation device according to claim 13, further comprising a storing means,

wherein said controlling means, when said one point is designated by said operating means on the image displayed on said display means, stores the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image in said storing means so as to be read-out.

16. A fundus observation device according to claim 9, wherein,

said second image processing means of said optical image measuring device, when a cross-sectional position is designated by said operating means on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means, forms a tomographic image at the designated cross-sectional position based on said 3-dimensional partial image, and

said controlling means

displays the formed tomographic image parallel to said 2-dimensional image on said display means, and also

displays the cross-sectional position information indicating the designated cross-sectional position, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

17. A fundus observation device according to claim 9, wherein said controlling means, when one point on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 3-dimensional image.

18. A fundus observation device according to claim 9, wherein said controlling means, when one point on said 3-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

19. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein,

said first image forming means is a fundus camera comprising:

an illuminating optical system for emitting illumination light onto said fundus oculi;

a photographing optical system for receiving the fundus reflection light of said emitted illumination light; and

a first image processing means for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of said fundus oculi based on said received fundus reflection light, and

said second image forming means is an optical image measuring device comprising;

a light source;

an interference light generating means for splitting the light output from the light source into signal light directed towards said fundus oculi through a part of the optical path of the photographing optical system of said fundus camera and into reference light directed towards a reference object, and also for generating interference light by overlaying the signal light reflected at said fundus oculi and guided through a part of said optical path and the reference light reflected at said reference object;

a detecting means for outputting a detection signal upon receipt of said generated interference light; and

a second image processing means for forming a tomographic image of said fundus oculi, based on said detection signal that has been output.

20. A fundus observation device according to claim 19, further comprising an operating means, wherein:

said optical image measuring device further has a scanning means for scanning the incident position of said signal light with respect to said fundus oculi in a given main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction respectively;

said second image processing device

respectively forms a tomographic image along said main scanning direction at a plurality of positions that are different in said sub-scanning direction and forms a 3-dimensional image of said fundus oculi based on the plurality of tomographic images that have been formed, and also when a cross-sectional position is designated by said operating means on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means, forms a tomographic image at the designated cross-sectional position based on said 3-dimensional image; and

said controlling means

displays the tomographic image at the designated cross-sectional position parallel to said 2-dimensional image, and also

displays the cross-sectional position information indicating the designated cross-sectional position, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

21. A fundus observation device according to claim 20, wherein:

said second image processing means, when one point on said tomographic image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at a depth in the depth direction at the designated one point of said fundus oculi; and

said controlling means

displays the 2-dimensional image formed at the depth of said one point parallel to said tomographic image, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the 2-dimensional image at the depth of said one point.

22. A fundus observation device according to claim 21, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

23. A fundus observation device according to claim 20, wherein:

said second image processing means forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at a given depth in the depth direction of said fundus oculi based on said 3-dimensional image;

said controlling means displays the 2-dimensional image formed at the given depth on said display means;

said second image processing means, when one point on the displayed 2-dimensional image at said given depth is designated by said operating means, forms a tomographic image including the designated said one point based on said 3-dimensional image; and

said controlling means

displays the formed tomographic image including said one point, parallel to the 2-dimensional image at said given depth on said display means, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the tomographic image including said one point.

24. A fundus observation device according to claim 23, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

25. A fundus observation device according to claim 19, wherein:

said optical image measuring device further has a scanning means for scanning the incident position of said signal light with respect to said fundus oculi in a given main scanning direction and in a sub-scanning direction perpendicular to the main scanning direction respectively;

said second image processing device

respectively forms a tomographic image along said main scanning direction at a plurality of positions that are different in said sub-scanning direction and forms a 3-dimensional image of said fundus oculi based on the plurality of formed tomographic images; and

also

forms an image of a partial region of the 3-dimensional image and a tomographic image at a boundary of the partial region, and forms a 3-dimensional partial image corresponding to said partial region based on the formed image of said partial region and the tomographic image of said boundary; and

said controlling means

displays the formed 3-dimensional partial image parallel to said 2-dimensional image on said display means, and also

displays the cross-sectional position information indicating said boundary, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

26. A fundus observation device according to claim 25, wherein the fundus observation device further comprises an operating means for designating said partial region of said 3-dimensional image.

27. A fundus observation device according to claim 26, wherein:

said second image processing means, when one point on said 3-dimensional partial image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at the depth in the depth direction at the designated one point of said fundus oculi;

said controlling means, and

displays the 2-dimensional image formed at the depth of said one point parallel to said 3-dimensional partial image, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the 2-dimensional image at the depth of said one point.

28. A fundus observation device according to claim 27, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

29. A fundus observation device according to claim 27, further comprising a storing means,

wherein said controlling means, when said one point is designated by said operating means on the image displayed on said display means, stores the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image in said storing means so as to be read-out.

30. A fundus observation device according to claim 26, wherein:

said second image processing means forms a 2-dimensional image perpendicular to said depth direction at a given depth in the depth direction of said fundus oculi based on said 3-dimensional image;

said controlling means displays the formed 2-dimensional image at the given depth on said display means;

said second image processing means, when one point on the displayed 2-dimensional image at said given depth is designated by said operating means, forms a 3-dimensional partial image including the designated said one point based on said 3-dimensional image; and

said controlling means

displays the formed 3-dimensional partial image including said one point parallel to the 2-dimensional image at said given depth on said display means, and also

displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to said one point, so as to be overlapped with the 3-dimensional partial image including said one point.

31. A fundus observation device according to claim 30, wherein

said controlling means,

when said one point is designated by said operating means on an image displayed on said display means, displays the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image on said display means, and

changes the position of said designated positional information to be displayed on said display means, in response to the change in the displayed coordinate value made by said operating means.

32. A fundus observation device according to claim 30, further comprising a storing means,

wherein said controlling means, when said one point is designated by said operating means on the image displayed on said display means, stores the coordinate value of said one point in a coordinate system predefined with respect to the image in said storing means so as to be read-out.

33. A fundus observation device according to claim 26, wherein,

said second image processing means of said optical image measuring device, when a cross-sectional position is designated by said operating means on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means, forms a tomographic image at the designated cross-sectional position based on said 3-dimensional partial image, and

said controlling means

displays the formed tomographic image parallel to said 2-dimensional image on said display means, and also

displays the cross-sectional position information indicating the designated cross-sectional position, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

34. A fundus observation device according to claim 26, wherein said controlling means, when one point on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 3-dimensional image.

35. A fundus observation device according to claim 26, wherein said controlling means, when one point on said 3-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

36. A fundus image display device connected to a first image forming means for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of a fundus oculi of an eye to be examined and to a second image forming means for forming a tomographic image of said fundus oculi,

comprising:

a display means; and

a control means for displaying said 2-dimensional image formed by said first image forming means parallel to said tomographic image formed by said second image forming means on said display means, and also for displaying the cross-sectional position information indicating the cross-sectional position of said tomographic image of the surface of said fundus oculi, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

37. A fundus image display device according to claim 36, further comprising

an operating means,

wherein said controlling means, when one point on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said tomographic image.

38. A fundus image display device according to claim 36, further comprising

an operating means,

wherein said controlling means, when one point on said tomographic image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, displays the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

39. A fundus observation program, wherein

a computer, which is connected to a first image forming means for forming a 2-dimensional image of the surface of a fundus oculi of an eye to be examined and to a second image forming means for forming a tomographic image of said fundus oculi, and which is equipped with a display means,

is made to function as a controlling means for displaying said 2-dimensional image formed by said first image forming means parallel to said tomographic image formed by said second image forming means on said display means, and also for displaying the cross-sectional position information indicating the cross-sectional position of said tomographic image of the surface of said fundus oculi, so as to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.

40. A fundus observation program according to claim 39, wherein

said computer further comprises an operating means, and

when one point on said 2-dimensional image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, said controlling means is made to function to display the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so as to be overlapped with said tomographic image.

41. A fundus observation program according to claim 39, wherein

said computer further comprises an operating means, and

when one point on said tomographic image displayed on said display means is designated by said operating means, said controlling means is made to function to display the designated positional information indicating a position corresponding to the designated one point, so to be overlapped with said 2-dimensional image.