DEVICE AND METHOD FOR IMAGING THE EAR USING OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY

• US 20090185191A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Original Assignee: Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois
• Inventors: Xi, Chuanwu, Boppart, Stephen A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,115,934 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/479
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/227 for ears, i.e. otoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2290/65 Spatial scanning object beam
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02004 using frequency scans
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02014 by using pulsed light
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02044 Imaging in the frequency domain, e.g. by using a spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0205 of probe head
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02083 characterised by particular signal processing and presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence

Abstract

A method of forming an image of tissue. The method includes non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient'"'"'s ear canal and acquiring OCT data from ear tissue while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal. The method also includes converting the OCT data into at least one image.

Claims

1. A method of forming an image of ear tissue, comprising:

non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient'"'"'s ear canal;

acquiring OCT data from ear tissue while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal; and

converting the OCT data into at least one image.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing further data analysis on the image while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the further data analysis includes enhancing the image.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the further data analysis includes classifying the ear tissue imaged using the OCT data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the OCT data is run through classification algorithms so as to classify the ear tissue imaged.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the classification algorithms analyze the OCT data and classify the ear tissue imaged using an optical property which is derived from the OCT data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the optical property is one of a refractive index, a scattering profile, a scattering coefficient, an anisotropy factor, birefringence, a spectral shift, texture, a Doppler shift, a phase resolution, a phase-resolved Doppler measurement, a phase-resolved spectroscopic measurement, a light scattering parameter, and spectroscopic absorption.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber-based device is connected with an otoscope.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ear tissue is a biofilm.

10. A system for imaging ear tissue in real-time comprising:

a core imaging unit which generates a low-coherence interferometry signal; and

a fiber-based device connected with an otoscope, wherein the fiber-based device is in communication with and receives the low-coherence interferometry signal from the core imaging unit and sends a second signal back to the core imaging unit, wherein OCT data is generated by the core imaging unit.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a core software unit which receives the OCT data and performs further data analysis on the OCT data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the further data analysis includes enhancing the image.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the core software unit includes classification algorithms.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the classification algorithms analyze the OCT data and classify tissue imaged using an optical property which is derived from the OCT data.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the otoscope is a pneumatic otoscope which comprises an ear speculum connected with a head unit.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the fiber-based device is positioned to receive light which enters the ear speculum.

17. (canceled)

18. A method of analyzing ear tissue comprising:

beginning a non-invasive procedure on a patient exposing middle ear tissue; and

acquiring OCT data from the middle ear tissue.

19-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method of examining a patient'"'"'s ear, comprising:

non-invasively acquiring OCT data from the patient'"'"'s middle ear; and

analyzing the data for the presence of a biofilm in the patient'"'"'s middle ear.

26. (canceled)

27. A method of examining a patient'"'"'s ear, comprising:

non-invasively acquiring OCT data from the patient'"'"'s middle ear; and

analyzing the data for the patient'"'"'s middle ear condition.

28-29. -29. (canceled)

30. An apparatus for examining a patient'"'"'s ear, comprising:

(a) a core imaging unit for acquiring OCT data of a tissue, and

(b) a device, adapted for selecting as the tissue the patient'"'"'s middle ear, connected to the core imaging unit.

31-32. -32. (canceled)