Processes, arrangements and systems for providing a fiber layer thickness map based on optical coherence tomography images

• US 7,782,464 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Raymond C., Mujat, Mircea, de Boer, Johannes F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Turner; Samuel A
• Application Number:
  US11/744,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20070263227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 356/477, 356/479, 356/497
• US Class Current: 356/479
• 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 2207/20116 Active contour; Active surface; Snakes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/149 involving deformable models, e.g. active contour models

Abstract

A system, arrangement, computer-accessible medium and process are provided for determining information associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure. For example, an interference between at least one first radiation associated with a radiation directed to the anatomical structure and at least one second radiation associated with a radiation directed to a reference can be detected. Three-dimensional volumetric data can be generated for the at least one portion as a function of the interference. Further, the information can be determined which is at least one geometrical characteristic and/or at least one intensity characteristic of the portion based on the volumetric data.

Claims

1. A system for determining information associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, comprising:

at least one arrangement configured to;

a. detect an interference between at least one first radiation associated with a radiation directed to the anatomical structure and at least one second radiation associated with a radiation directed to a reference,

b. generate three-dimensional volumetric data for the at least one portion as a function of the interference, and

c. determine the information based on the volumetric data and at least one of (i) a spatial distribution or (ii) a temporal distribution of an intensity of the interference.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first radiation is generated by a low coherence source.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the interference is detected simultaneously for separate wavelengths that are different from one another.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first radiation is generated by an automatically wavelength-tuned light source.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the anatomical structure is an ocular structure.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the information comprises at least one geometrical characteristic which includes at least one continuous boundary.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one arrangement is further configured to generate the at least one continuous boundary based on at least one of:

first data associated with a distribution which is at least one of the spatial distribution or the temporal distribution of intensity variations of the interference, or

second data associated with a motion of scattering objects within the anatomical structure.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one boundary is overlaid over an image of the at least one portion to generate a topological structure.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one arrangement is further configured to generate at least one visualization of the topological structure associated with the information.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one visualization is at least one image.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the at least one arrangement is further configured to determine at least one change of the information as a function of at least one condition.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arrangement is further configured to filter the three-dimensional volumetric data based on a priori knowledge associated with the anatomical structure, and wherein the information is determined as a function of the filtered volumetric data.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the priori knowledge is based on at least one characteristic of the system anatomical structure.

14. The system according to claim 12, wherein the priori knowledge is based on at least one characteristic of a known progression of at least one abnormality associated with the anatomical structure.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least first radiation comprises a first radiation signal provided at a first wavelength range and a second radiation signal provided at a second wavelength range which is different from the first range, and wherein the three-dimensional volumetric data is generated as a function of the first and second radiation signals.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the at least one first radiation further comprises a third radiation signal provided at a third wavelength range which is different from the first and second ranges, and wherein the three-dimensional volumetric data is generated as a function of the first, second and third radiation signals, and wherein the information is a color volume of the at least one portion of the anatomical structure.

20. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one arrangement is further configured to:

d. separate different wavelengths of the interference via a dispersive arrangement; and

e. simultaneously detect the interference for the different wavelengths using a plurality of detectors.

17. A process for determining information associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, comprising:

detecting an interference between at least one first radiation associated with a radiation directed to the anatomical structure and at least one second radiation associated with a radiation directed to a reference;

generating three-dimensional volumetric data for the at least one portion as a function of the interference; and

determining the information based on the volumetric data and at least one of (i) a spatial distribution or (ii) a temporal distribution of an intensity of the interference.

18. A computer accessible medium for determining information associated with at least one portion of an anatomical structure, and providing thereon a software program, which, when executed by a processing arrangement, is operable to perform the procedures comprising:

detecting an interference between at least one first radiation associated with a radiation directed to the anatomical structure and at least one second radiation associated with a radiation directed to a reference;

generating three-dimensional volumetric data for the at least one portion as a function of the interference; and

determining the information based on the volumetric data and at least one of (i) a spatial distribution or (ii) a temporal distribution of an intensity of the interference.

19. The computer accessible medium according to claim 18, wherein the processing arrangement, when the software is executed thereby, is configured to perform further procedures comprising:

separating different wavelengths of the interference via a dispersive arrangement; and

simultaneously detecting the interference for the different wavelengths using a plurality of detectors.