Fundus Observation Device, An Ophthalmologic Image Processing Unit, An Ophthalmologic Image Processing Program, And An Ophthalmologic Image Processing Method

• US 20070285619A1
• Filed: 06/08/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon
• Inventors: Aoki, Hiroyuki, Fukuma, Yasufumi, Tsukada, Hisashi, Kikawa, Tsutomu, Fujimura, Takashu
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/102 for optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10101 Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/174 involving the use of two or more images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/181 involving edge growing; involving edge linking

Abstract

First image forming part forms a two-dimensional surface image of a fundus oculi of an eye based on optically obtained data. Second image forming part forms tomographic images of fundus oculi based on data obtained by optically scanning a region of the surface of fundus oculi corresponding to at least part of two-dimensional image. Accumulated image generating part generates an accumulated image by accumulating the formed tomographic images in a depth-wise direction. Extracting part extracts first vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from two-dimensional image formed by first image forming part, and also extracts second vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from accumulated image generated by accumulated image generating part. Specification part specifies a position of a vascular cross sectional region corresponding to a cross section of a fundus oculi vessel in the tomographic image based on extracted first vascular territory and extracted second vascular territory.

Claims

1. A fundus observation device comprising:

a first image forming part configured to form a two-dimensional image of a surface of a fundus oculi of an eye based on optically obtained data;

a second image forming part configured to form tomographic images of said fundus oculi based on data obtained by optically scanning a region of the surface of said fundus oculi corresponding to at least part of said two-dimensional image;

an accumulated image generating part configured to generate an accumulated image by accumulating the formed tomographic images in a depth-wise direction;

an extracting part configured to extract a first vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said two-dimensional image formed by said first image forming part, and also extract a second vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said accumulated image generated by said accumulated image generating part; and

a specification part configured to specify a position of a vascular cross sectional region corresponding to a cross section of a fundus oculi vessel in the tomographic image based on said extracted first vascular territory and said extracted second vascular territory.

2. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, further comprising an interpolating part configured to interpolate a boundary region corresponding to a boundary of layers included in said fundus oculi in the tomographic image based on the position of said vascular cross sectional region specified by said specifying part.

3. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, further comprising an interpolating part configured to interpolate a layer region corresponding to a layer included in said fundus oculi in the tomographic image based on the position of said vascular cross sectional region specified by said specifying part.

4. A fundus observation device according to claim 2, further comprising a display part configured to display an image region obtained by said interpolation by said interpolating part in a superimposed state on the tomographic image formed by said second image forming part.

5. A fundus observation device according to claim 3, further comprising a display part configured to display an image region obtained by said interpolation by said interpolating part in a superimposed state on the tomographic image formed by said second image forming part.

6. A fundus observation device according to claim 2, further comprising a calculation part configured to calculate thickness of the layer included in said fundus oculi based on a result of said interpolation by said interpolating part.

7. A fundus observation device according to claim 3, further comprising a calculation part configured to calculate thickness of the layer included in said fundus oculi based on a result of said interpolation by said interpolating part.

8. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein said specification part comprises an aligning part configured to align said first vascular territory and said second vascular territory extracted by said extracting part, and a position in said tomographic image corresponding to said first vascular territory aligned with said second vascular territory is specified as a position of said vascular cross sectional region.

9. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein said second image forming part comprises:

a light source;

an interference light generating part configured to split light output from the light source into signal light that travels toward said fundus oculi and reference light that travels toward a reference object, and also generate interference light by superposing the signal light passed through said fundus oculi and the reference light passed through said reference object;

a detecting part configured to receive the generated interference light and output a detection signal; and

a scanning part configured to scan an incident position of said signal light to said fundus oculi in a predetermined main scanning direction and a sub scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction,

wherein, for each of a plurality of said incident positions along said main scanning direction, an image in the depth-wise direction of said fundus oculi in the incident position is formed based on said detection signal based on the interference light generated with the signal light and reference light passed through the incident position, and a tomographic image along said main scanning direction is formed based on the formed image in the depth-wise direction for each of said incident positions, whereby said tomographic image at each of two or more positions along said sub scanning direction is formed, and

wherein said accumulated image generating part accumulates said tomographic images at said two or more positions in the depth-wise direction, respectively, thereby generating said accumulated image.

10. A fundus observation device according to claim 1, wherein said first image forming part comprises:

an illuminating optical system configured to illuminate illumination light on said fundus oculi; and

an imaging optical system configured to receive fundus reflection light of said illuminated illumination light, and

wherein it is a fundus camera configured to form the two-dimensional image of the surface of said fundus oculi based on said received fundus reflection light.

11. An opthalmologic image processing unit that is connected to a first image forming part configured to form a two-dimensional image of a surface of a fundus oculi of an eye and to a second image forming part configured to form a tomographic image in a region of the surface of said fundus oculi corresponding to at least part of said two-dimensional image, the opthalmologic image processing unit comprising:

an accumulated image generating part configured to generate an accumulated image by accumulating the tomographic images formed by said second image forming part in a depth-wise direction;

an extracting part configured to extract a first vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said two-dimensional image formed by said first image forming part, and extract a second vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said accumulated image generated by said accumulated image generating part; and

a specification part configured to specify a position of a vascular cross sectional region corresponding to a cross section of a fundus oculi vessel in the tomographic image based on said extracted first vascular territory and said extracted second vascular territory.

12. A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a predetermined process, the computer connected to a first image forming part configured to form a two-dimensional image of a surface of a fundus oculi of an eye and to a second image forming part configured to form a tomographic image in a region of a surface of said fundus oculi corresponding to at least part of said two-dimensional image, wherein the predetermined process comprising:

generating an accumulated image by accumulating the tomographic images formed by said second image forming part in a depth-wise direction;

extracting a first vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said two-dimensional image formed by said first image forming part, and extracting a second vascular territory corresponding to a fundus oculi vessel from said accumulated image; and

specifying a position of a vascular cross sectional region corresponding to a cross section of the fundus oculi vessel in the tomographic image based on said extracted first vascular territory and said extracted second vascular territory.

13. An opthalmologic image processing method, comprising the steps of:

forming a two-dimensional image of a surface of a fundus oculi of an eye;

forming a tomographic image based on data obtained by scanning a region of the surface of the fundus oculi corresponding to at least part of the two-dimensional image;

generating an accumulated image by accumulating the tomographic images in a depth-wise direction;

extracting a first vascular territory corresponding to the fundus oculi vessel from the two-dimensional image;

extracting a second vascular territory corresponding to the fundus oculi vessel from the accumulated image;

specifying a position of a cross sectional region corresponding to a cross section of the fundus oculi vessel in the tomographic image based on the first vascular territory and the second vascular territory.