JP2023027961A - Information processing device and ophthalmologic examination device - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve visibility of an attention region of an eye to be examined.SOLUTION: An information processing device for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be examined using an interference light obtained by combining a return light from the eye to be examined irradiated with a measurement light and a reference light includes: control means for controlling scanning means for scanning the measurement light in the eye to be examined with a selected field angle when any one of a plurality of field angles including a first field angle and a second field angle narrower than the first field angle is selected as a field angle for acquiring the tomographic image of the eye to be examined; and display control means for displaying, in a display region, a first tomographic image acquired with the first field angle when the first field angle is selected, and displaying a partial image included in a second tomographic image acquired with the second field angle, which is shorter in the length in a depth direction of the eye to be examined than the second tomographic image so that it fits with the display region when the second field angle is selected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an information processing apparatus and an ophthalmologic examination apparatus.

Using a tomography apparatus such as an optical coherence tomography (OCT) allows three-dimensional observation of the internal structure of the subject's eye. OCT is widely used in ophthalmology because it is useful for more accurately diagnosing diseases.

As a type of OCT, for example, there is TD-OCT (Time domain OCT) combining a broadband light source and a Michelson interferometer. TD-OCT moves the position of the reference mirror at a constant speed and measures the interference light obtained by combining the reference light and the backscattered light acquired by the signal arm. Obtain the light intensity distribution.

Here, TD-OCT requires mechanical movement of the reference mirror, making high-speed image acquisition difficult. Therefore, SD-OCT (Spectral domain OCT), which acquires interference light through a spectroscope using a broadband light source, has been developed as a type of OCT that acquires images at a higher speed.

Furthermore, SS-OCT (Swept Source OCT) capable of detecting high-frequency interference light has been developed by temporally dispersing light using a wavelength-swept light source that sweeps wavelengths at high speed. By using SS-OCT, it is possible to obtain a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range that includes tissues such as the choroid and sclera of the subject's eye.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200003 discloses a technique that, when a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range is acquired, magnifies the tomographic image by 1:1 to make it easier to visually recognize the layer boundary.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-37170

Here, in addition to a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there are cases where a tomographic image with a narrower angle of view and a high depth range than the disclosed angle of view is acquired. Conceivable. At this time, even though the tomographic image acquired with the narrow angle of view is in the high depth range, for example, the tomographic image acquired with the wide angle of view is displayed so as to match the same display area. As a result, the target area such as the tissue of the eye to be inspected or the layer boundary of the retina collapses in the depth direction, which sometimes makes it difficult to see.

When a tomographic image acquired with a narrow angle of view and a high depth range is displayed in the display area, if the tomographic image is simply enlarged to the same size as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the depth of the eye to be examined A part of the tomographic image in the direction intersecting the direction is not displayed.

One of the disclosed technologies aims to improve the visibility of the attention area of the subject's eye.

In addition to the above object, it is also another object of the present invention to achieve an effect derived from each configuration shown in the mode for carrying out the invention described later, and an effect that cannot be obtained by the conventional technology. can be positioned as one.

The technology disclosed in this specification is
An information processing apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be inspected using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be inspected irradiated with measurement light,
when one of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as the angle of view for acquiring the tomographic image of the eye to be inspected; , a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light in the eye to be inspected at the selected angle of view;
When the first angle of view is selected, a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view is displayed in the display area, and when the second angle of view is selected, the second tomographic image is displayed. A partial image included in the second tomographic image acquired at the angle of view and having a shorter length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected than the second tomographic image is displayed so as to match the display area. a display control means for
Prepare.

According to the technology disclosed in this specification, it is possible to improve the visibility of the attention area of the subject's eye.

1 is a diagram illustrating an ophthalmologic system according to Examples 1 to 4; FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a measurement optical system included in the ophthalmologic examination apparatus according to Examples 1 to 4; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of display of tomographic images according to Examples 1 to 4; 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus according to Examples 1 to 4; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of the information processing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen according to Example 2; FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing apparatus according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a photographing screen according to Example 3; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing apparatus according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of display of a tomographic image according to Example 4; FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment;

Exemplary embodiments for implementing the technology disclosed herein will now be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions of components, and the like described in the following examples are arbitrary, and may vary depending on the configuration of the device to which the technology disclosed herein is applied or various conditions. can be changed by

For example, although the dimension in the depth direction of the tomographic image obtained by SD-OCT described in the examples is described as 2 mm, it is not limited to 2 mm. Also, the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction (imaging depth) of the eye to be examined, which is handled in the embodiments, is fixed for each type of ophthalmologic examination apparatus. The configuration may be such that a tomographic image can be acquired at an imaging depth.

Also, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings to indicate identical or functionally similar elements. In addition, in each drawing, some components, members, and processes that are not important for explanation may be omitted.

<Example 1>
An ophthalmologic system 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. The ophthalmologic system 10 displays a tomographic image by applying a different scale according to either the length of the acquired tomographic image in the depth direction of the eye to be examined or the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus that acquired the tomographic image. be able to.

Here, when a tomographic image having a long depth direction or a tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT is selected, only a partial region in the depth direction of the tomographic image, that is, a partial image is displayed so as to fit the display region. displayed on a scale that allows By displaying a partial image that is shorter in the depth direction than the tomographic image as it is acquired, the tomographic image is not crushed in the depth direction, and the region of interest can be easily recognized visually.

The length in the depth direction (imaging depth) of a tomographic image acquired by OCT, which is a tomographic imaging apparatus, depends on the properties of the measurement light that irradiates the eye to be inspected and the properties of the sensor that receives the interference light. . In order to change the length in the depth direction of the acquired tomographic image, it is necessary to make complicated changes and adjustments to the configuration of the optical system, such as changing the light source and changing the sampling speed. length may be immutable. In the present embodiment, by post-processing the acquired tomographic image, it is possible to display the attention area in an easy-to-visually-recognizable manner without complicated changes and adjustments of the configuration of the optical system.

(System configuration)
An example of the configuration of the ophthalmic system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ophthalmologic system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an ophthalmologic system 10 includes an ophthalmologic control device 110, which is an example of an information processing device, and a tomographic imaging device 100 (also called OCT), a storage unit 120, an input unit 130, and a display unit via an interface. 140 and a system communicatively connected thereto.

A tomographic image capturing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that captures a tomographic image of an eye to be examined, and includes a measurement optical system 101 , a stage section 102 and a base section 103 . The tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is an ophthalmologic examination apparatus that acquires a tomographic image using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be inspected irradiated with measurement light using a wavelength swept light source. A certain SS-OCT is described.

As will be described later, the ophthalmologic control apparatus 110 may be configured to be connectable to SD-OCT, which is another example of an ophthalmologic examination apparatus. SD-OCT detects interfering light through a spectroscope.

A measurement optical system 101 is an optical system for acquiring an anterior eye observation image, an SLO fundus image of an eye to be examined, and a tomographic image. The stage unit 102 enables the measurement optical system 101 to move forward, backward, leftward, and rightward.

The ophthalmologic control apparatus 110 is a computer that controls the stage unit 102, controls alignment operations, reconstructs tomographic images, displays images, and the like. The storage unit 120 stores programs for tomographic imaging (such as imaging patterns), patient information, imaging data and image data of past examinations, measurement data, and the like.

The input unit 130 gives instructions to the computer, and is specifically composed of a keyboard and a mouse. The display unit 140 is composed of, for example, a monitor. When using a touch panel, part or all of the input unit 130 is built into the display unit 140 .

(Configuration of tomography apparatus)
The configuration of the measurement optical system in the tomography apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the configuration of SS-OCT will be described as an example.

First, the inside of the measurement optical system 101 will be described. The tomography apparatus 100 includes a wavelength-swept light source 211 that sweeps the frequency of emitted light, an OCT interference unit 220 that generates interference light, a detection unit 230 that detects the interference light, and based on the interference light, and an ophthalmologic control device 110 that acquires information on the fundus of the subject 200 . Furthermore, the tomography apparatus 100 has a measurement arm 250 and a reference arm 260 .

The tomography apparatus 100 includes a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (hereinafter referred to as SLO) light source 212, an SLO optical system 280 for obtaining light reflected from the fundus, and an anterior segment imaging unit 290. It may be a configuration. Further, the tomography apparatus 100 may have a function of a fundus camera that illuminates the fundus with visible light and obtains a front image of the fundus.

In this embodiment, an example in which the subject 200 is a human eye will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this.

The OCT interference section 220 has couplers 221 and 222 . First, the coupler 221 splits the light emitted from the wavelength swept light source 211 into measurement light and reference light for irradiating the fundus. In this embodiment, the branching ratio is approximately 2:8, and the ratio of measurement light:reference light is 2:8.

The measurement light is applied to the fundus of the subject 200 via the measurement arm 250 . More specifically, the irradiation light that has entered the measurement arm 250 is emitted from the collimator 252 as spatial light after having its polarization state adjusted by the polarization controller 251 . Thereafter, the irradiated light passes through an X scanning scanner 253, lenses 254 and 255, a Y scanning scanner 256, a dichroic mirror 273, a lens 257, a focus lens 258 fixed to a focus stage 259, and an objective lens 276. is irradiated to

The X scanning scanner 253 and the Y scanning scanner 256 are scanning means having a function of scanning the fundus with irradiation light. The scanning means changes the irradiation position of the measurement light onto the fundus. Further, the dichroic mirror 103 has a characteristic of reflecting light with a wavelength of 1000 nm to 1100 nm and transmitting other light.

Then, the backscattered light (reflected light) from the fundus retraces the optical path described above and is emitted from the measurement arm 250 . Then, it enters the coupler 222 via the coupler 221 . 80% of the return light from the fundus is led to the coupler 222 according to the above branching ratio.

On the other hand, the reference light passes through reference arm 260 and enters coupler 222 . More specifically, the reference light incident on the reference arm 260 is emitted from the collimator 262 as spatial light after having its polarization state adjusted by the polarization controller 261 . After that, the reference light passes through the dispersion compensating glass 263 , the optical path length adjusting optical system 264 and the dispersion adjusting prism pair 265 , enters the optical fiber via the collimator lens 266 , exits from the reference arm 260 and enters the coupler 222 .

The coupler 222 multiplexes and interferes with the reflected light from the subject 200 that has passed through the measurement arm 250 and the light that has passed through the reference arm 260 . Then, the interference light is detected by the detector 230 . The detection section 230 has a differential detector 231 and an A/D converter 232 . First, in the detector 230 , the differential detector 231 detects the demultiplexed interference light immediately after the coupler 222 generates the interference light.

Then, the OCT interference signal converted into an electric signal by the differential detector 231 is converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 232 . Here, in the tomography apparatus 100 of FIG. 2, the interference light is sampled at equal light frequency (equal wavenumber) intervals based on the k clock signal generated by the k clock generator incorporated in the wavelength swept light source 211. is performed on The digital signal output by the A/D converter 232 is sent to the ophthalmic control device 110 .

The above is the process of acquiring information on a tomogram at one point on the subject 200, and acquiring information on a tomogram in the depth direction of the subject in this way is called A-scan. In addition, the scanning direction for acquiring information on the tomogram of the subject in a direction orthogonal to A-scan, that is, a two-dimensional image, is orthogonal to both A-scan and B-scan. Scanning in a direction is called a C-scan.

In addition, when two-dimensional raster scanning is performed in the fundus of the eye when acquiring a three-dimensional tomographic image, B-scan is the high-speed scanning direction, and C-scan is the low-speed scanning direction in which the B-scans are arranged in the orthogonal direction. call. A two-dimensional tomographic image can be obtained by performing A-scan and B-scan, and a three-dimensional tomographic image can be obtained by performing A-scan, B-scan and C-scan. B-scan and C-scan are performed by the X scanning scanner 253 and Y scanning scanner 256 described above.

The X-scanning scanner 253 and the Y-scanning scanner 256 are composed of deflection mirrors arranged so that their rotation axes are orthogonal to each other. The X scanning scanner 253 performs scanning in the X-axis direction, and the Y scanning scanner 256 performs scanning in the Y-axis direction. Each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction is a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the eyeball and perpendicular to each other. Also, the line scanning direction such as B-scan and C-scan does not have to match the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction. Therefore, the B-scan and C-scan line scanning directions can be appropriately determined according to the two-dimensional tomographic image or the three-dimensional tomographic image to be obtained.

Light emitted from the SLO light source 212 is applied to the fundus via the SLO optical system 280 . More specifically, the light incident on the SLO optical system 280 is emitted from the collimator 281 into space as parallel light. After that, it passes through the perforated portion of the perforated mirror 271 , passes through the lens 282 , the X scanning scanner 283 , the lenses 284 and 285 , and the Y scanning scanner 286 and reaches the dichroic mirror 272 .

The X scanning scanner 283 and Y scanning scanner 286 are examples of scanning means for SLO, and the X scanning scanner 253 and Y scanning scanner 256 for OCT may be configured as a common XY scanning scanner. The dichroic mirror 272 has the characteristic of reflecting light of 760 nm to 800 nm and transmitting other light. The light reflected by the dichroic mirror 272 reaches the fundus of the subject 200 via an optical path similar to that of OCT.

The measurement light applied to the fundus is reflected and scattered by the fundus, follows the optical path described above, and reaches the perforated mirror 271 . Light reflected by the perforated mirror 271 passes through a lens 287 and is received by an avalanche photodiode (APD) 288 , converted into an electrical signal, and sent to the computer 110 .

Here, the position of the perforated mirror 271 is conjugate with the position of the pupil of the eye to be examined. It is reflected by the aperture mirror 271 .

The anterior segment imaging unit 290 illuminates the anterior segment with an illumination light source 295 composed of an LED that emits illumination light with a wavelength of 860 nm. Light reflected by the anterior segment reaches the dichroic mirror 275 via the objective lens 276 . The dichroic mirror 275 has the characteristic of reflecting light of 820 nm to 920 nm and transmitting light of other wavelengths. The light reflected by the dichroic mirror 105 is received by an anterior eye camera 294 via lenses 291 , 292 and 293 . The light received by the anterior eye camera 294 is converted into electrical signals and received by the ophthalmic controller 110 .

The internal fixation light 225 is composed of an internal fixation light display unit 226 and a lens 227 . A plurality of light emitting diodes (LD) arranged in a matrix is used as the internal fixation lamp display unit 226 . The lighting position of the light-emitting diode is changed according to the part to be photographed. Light from the internal fixation lamp display unit 226 is guided to the subject's eye via the lens 227 . The light emitted from the internal fixation lamp display unit 226 has a wavelength of 520 nm, and the set desired pattern is displayed.

The ophthalmologic control apparatus 110 acquires a tomographic image by signal processing the interference signal converted into a digital signal. Additionally, an angiographic image may be obtained by analyzing the motion contrast data. Similarly, the ophthalmology controller 110 processes the digitally converted SLO fundus signal from the APD 288 and computes an SLO image. It also processes the signals sent from the anterior eye camera 294 to form an anterior eye image.

Subsequently, the display unit 140 displays the information of the fundus and the anterior segment obtained as a result of the signal processing.

Here, the optical system of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 has been described by taking SS-OCT as an example, but it is also possible to use a tomographic imaging apparatus having another configuration such as SD-OCT.

(Display of tomographic image)
Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a difference in display appearance due to arranging tomographic images having different lengths in the depth direction in display areas of the same size will be described. FIG. 3 shows tomographic images obtained from SD-OCT and SS-OCT, which are different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses, and an image when the entire tomographic image is displayed in the same size display area. shows an example of

FIG. 3(a) is a tomographic image 300 of the fundus of the subject's eye 200 photographed by SD-OCT, and a retinal layer 301 is projected on the tomographic image 300. FIG. Generally, in a normal eye, a tomographic image obtained by SD-OCT is an image in which the return light from the choroid part below the retinal pigment epithelium is attenuated and the middle part 302 of the choroid part is visualized.

FIG. 3(c) is a tomographic image 320 of the fundus of the subject's eye 200 captured by SS-OCT. A region 321 including the retina and the choroid can be displayed on the tomographic image 320 by imaging with SS-OCT, which can acquire a tomographic image in a high depth range.

When the tomographic image 300 or 320 is displayed on the display unit, the size of the image is changed based on the selected scale. For example, a scale that makes the length of one pixel in the depth direction and the horizontal direction the same (Real scale), or a scale that enlarges/reduces an image in the depth direction and the horizontal direction respectively so as to match the display area ( Fit scale), the aspect ratio of the image may be changed according to the type of scale selected.

When the tomographic images 300 and 320 are displayed in the display area of the same size on the Fit scale, the displayed retina looks different due to the difference in the aspect ratio of the original images. FIG. 3(b) is a tomographic image 310 displaying a tomographic image acquired by SD-OCT. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3D, in a tomographic image 330 displaying a tomographic image obtained by SS-OCT, the visibility of the retina portion, which is one of the attention areas, is reduced in the depth direction. descend.

(Configuration of ophthalmic control device)
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the configuration of the ophthalmic control device 110, which is an example of the information processing device, will be described. FIG. 4 schematically shows the configuration of the ophthalmic control device 110. As shown in FIG. The ophthalmologic control apparatus 110 is connected to the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, the input unit 130, and the display unit 140, and is provided with an imaging control unit 410, an image acquisition unit 420, a storage unit 120, and a display control unit 430.

The ophthalmologic control device 110, which is an example of an information processing device, may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a mobile terminal, or the like. Further, the ophthalmologic examination apparatus may be configured to implement the functions of the information processing apparatus disclosed in this specification. The functions of the disclosed information processing device may be realized by an ophthalmologic system in which a plurality of devices including an information processing device and an ophthalmologic examination device are communicably connected. The information processing apparatus is not limited to an information processing apparatus dedicated to an ophthalmologic examination apparatus, and may be connectable to, for example, a CT or MRI examination apparatus other than an ophthalmologic examination apparatus.

The imaging control unit 410 controls the tomography apparatus 100 to adjust the imaging alignment, perform imaging, and acquire signal data of the anterior ocular observation image/SLO fundus image and tomographic image. In addition, the storage unit 120 stores the photographing pattern of the photographed tomographic image, the photographing alignment parameter, the SLO fundus image, and the like.

Further, the imaging control unit 410 generates a tomographic image by signal processing from the signal data of the tomographic image captured by the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 via the image acquiring unit 420 and stores the generated tomographic image in the storage unit 120 . It should be noted that the signal data acquired at the time of photographing alignment is not stored in the storage unit 120 but sent to the display control unit 410 as a preview image.

When the captured data is an OCTA imaging pattern, the image acquisition unit 420 generates a motion contrast image from a tomographic image obtained by scanning the same position, and stores it in the storage unit 120 together with the generated tomographic image. The image acquiring unit 420 also analyzes the layer boundary of the acquired tomographic image and stores the analysis result together with the tomographic image in the storage unit 120 .

The display control unit 430 displays a preview of an anterior ocular observation image, an SLO fundus image, a tomographic image, an acquired tomographic image, and an SLO fundus image for performing imaging alignment, which are acquired from the imaging apparatus 100 via the imaging control unit 410 . The image is displayed on the display unit 140 . Here, the display unit 140 may be, for example, a display or a projector. Note that the display unit 140 may not be directly connected to the ophthalmologic control apparatus 110, and may be configured to be connectable to any information processing apparatus included in the ophthalmologic system through a wired or wireless communication connection, for example. .

Further, the display control unit 430 changes the display of the display unit 140 and instructs the imaging control unit 410 based on the contents input by the user via the input unit 130 . The input unit 130 is, for example, at least one of a mouse, a keyboard, a touch pen, and the like. Alternatively, a configuration using a touch panel display having both functions of the input unit 130 and the display unit 140 may be used.

Furthermore, the display control unit 430 displays the selected image on the display unit 140 in response to the user's instruction to select either the tomographic image or the SLO fundus image stored in the storage unit 120 through the input unit 130 .

The storage unit 120 holds patient information (patient's name, age, sex, etc.) and apparatus information (model name, OCT type, etc.) of the tomographic imaging apparatus 110 that took the image. Further, the storage unit 120 stores captured tomographic images, motion contrast images, SLO images, imaging pattern information (left and right eyes, imaging size, imaging format, number of scans in the X-axis direction, number of scans in the Y-axis direction, repeated scanning at the same position). number of times, etc.), imaging alignment parameter information (fixation lamp position, imaging position, SLO and OCT focus values, C-Gate position, etc.), and parameters set by the user (brightness/contrast adjustment value, imaging error judgment, etc.) do.

The images acquired by the image acquisition unit 420, which is an example of acquisition means, include not only the images acquired by the imaging control unit 410, but also the data stored outside the system. In this case, not only the image but also the information of the eye to be inspected, the device information, the imaging pattern information, the imaging alignment parameter information, the information of all the parameters set by the user, and the analysis result are acquired together and stored in the storage unit 120 . If the state of the fetched data is old or the analysis result is damaged, the old information is updated or re-analyzed with the fetched analysis contents of the ophthalmic system 10, and stored in the storage unit 120.例文帳に追加

(Display screen and enlarged display screen according to the present embodiment)
Display when the display control unit 430 of the present embodiment causes the display unit 140 to display a tomographic image as a report will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. FIG. 5 shows a display screen 500 as an example of a report, which displays tomographic images saved in the storage unit 120 and information associated with the tomographic images.

Here, at least one of the scan mode for scanning the measurement light, left and right eyes, examination date and time, and patient information may be displayed as information accompanying the tomographic image. Even when there is a lot of information to be displayed on the display unit and the display area for displaying the tomographic image is limited, changing the scale according to the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction makes it easier to visually recognize the region of interest. can.

Further, the display screen 500 may display a tomographic image of the selected patient's eye to be examined in response to an instruction to select a patient on a patient screen (not shown).

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged display screen 600 that enlarges and displays one of the tomographic images. The enlarged display screen 600 is displayed by transitioning from one of the tomographic images displayed on the display screen 500 to the enlarged display screen 600 .

The display screen 500 has an examination selection list display area 510 and a selected examination content display area 520 . In the examination selection list display area 510, the examination data stored in the storage unit 120 are arranged in a list with one imaging as one examination. Examinations are grouped by examination date and time, imaging model, and right and left eyes, and examinations in the grouping are arranged in order of imaging time in examination date and time. At this time, the photographing dates are arranged in descending order, and the photographing times are arranged in ascending order.

In addition, the examination selection list display area 510 can also be switched to a display grouped for each imaging pattern. When the user selects one of the examinations displayed in the examination selection list display area 510 as the selected examination 511 , examination information such as a tomographic image and imaging pattern information of the selected examination 511 is read from the storage unit 120 . , are displayed in the selected examination content display area 520 .

In the selected examination content display area 520, an examination display layout for each purpose such as one examination display, left and right eye display, and past examination comparison can be specified, and an image and examination information corresponding to the selected examination display layout are displayed. In the selected examination content display area 520, there are an SLO fundus image display area 521 and a tomographic image display area 522 as areas for displaying images.

The SLO image of the selected examination 511 is displayed in the SLO fundus image display area 521, and the position and direction of the tomographic image displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 are indicated on the SLO image. The tomographic image display area 522 can display at least one tomographic image of the selected examination 511 , and the tomographic image corresponding to the position and direction indicated in the SLO fundus image display area 521 is displayed. Further, on the tomographic image display area 522, a scale indicating the actual size of the tomographic image in the depth direction and the X-axis direction is displayed.

In examinations that handle multiple tomographic images, such as 3D imaging, in which a specific area on the fundus is scanned at equal intervals, a number indicating the total number of tomographic images and the number of displayed tomographic images is displayed. is displayed on the tomographic image display area 522 . In this case, the tomographic image to be displayed can be changed by mouse scrolling or mouse clicking on the SLO fundus image display area 521 or the tomographic image display area 522 . In response to an instruction to change the tomographic image to be displayed, the position of the tomographic image displayed on the SLO fundus image display area 521 and the number indicating the number of the tomographic image displayed on the tomographic image display area 522 are changed. .

The enlarged display screen 600 is displayed by an enlarged screen display operation such as a double-click, a right-click menu (not shown), or an enlargement button (not shown) in the tomographic image display area 522 . The enlarged display screen 600 has an enlarged tomographic image display area 610 and a tomographic image operation area 620 .

The enlarged tomographic image display area 610 has a larger area than the tomographic image display area 522, and the tomographic image displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 is displayed. The tomographic image operation area 620 has a tomographic image scale selection area 621 and can change the scale of the tomographic image in the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 . The scale when the enlarged display screen 600 is displayed is displayed with the same aspect ratio (default scale) as when the enlarged screen display operation of the tomographic image display area 522 is performed. to change the tomographic image displayed in the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 .

(Display flow of tomographic image captured by SS-OCT according to the present embodiment)
Next, a flow for displaying a tomographic image captured by SS-OCT according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 shows a flow chart of the operation for displaying a tomographic image according to this embodiment.

When a tomographic image with a long depth direction captured by SS-OCT is displayed so as to fit in the same display area, the retinal portion is displayed thinner than a tomographic image with a short depth direction captured by SD-OCT. be. Therefore, the display control unit 430 changes the scale according to either the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 that captured the tomographic image or the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction, so that the length in the depth direction is A highly visible tomographic image is displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 even when different tomographic images are acquired.

Specifically, in step S<b>701 , the user selects an examination to be displayed on the display screen 500 , and the display control unit 430 reads the tomographic image obtained by the selected examination from the storage unit 120 . At this time, device information and imaging pattern information of the tomographic image capturing apparatus 100 that captured the tomographic image are also acquired from the storage unit 120 .

In step S702, the display control unit 430 confirms the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, such as SD-OCT or SS-OCT, that captured the tomographic image from the apparatus information simultaneously acquired in step S701.

In step S703, the display control unit 430 determines the scale for displaying the tomographic image based on the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 confirmed in step S702. Here, when the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is SD-OCT, a Fit scale is selected so that the entire tomographic image is displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 . When the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is SS-OCT, instead of displaying the entire tomographic image, a partial image having the same length as 2 mm, which is the length in the depth direction of the SD-OCT Fit scale, is displayed. is displayed so as to match the tomographic image display area 522, a 2 mm depth scale is selected.

Note that the length of the acquired tomographic image in the depth direction may be checked in step S702, and the scale for displaying the tomographic image may be determined in step S703 according to the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction. At this time, if the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction is a predetermined length, for example, 2 mm or less, the entire tomographic image is displayed so as to be aligned with the tomographic image display area 522 . In addition, if the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction is longer than a predetermined length, for example, 2 mm, a partial image having a shorter length in the depth direction than the original tomographic image is displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 . display.

Here, 2 mm, which is the length of the depth range of a tomographic image captured by general SD-OCT, has been described as a reference for the length in the depth direction for switching the scale for displaying the tomographic image. Not limited. Alternatively, the scale may be set by default, and the scale may be changed later by the user's operation, or the scale may be set in advance by the user.

In step S704, the display control unit 430 acquires the actual lengths of the tomographic image read in step S702 in the horizontal direction and the depth direction. The actual horizontal dimension is acquired from the imaging size of the imaging pattern information, and the actual depth dimension is acquired from the device information if it is stored together with the device information. May be assigned as a fixed value. Alternatively, the actual length indicated by one pixel in the original size of the tomographic image and the number of pixels of the tomographic image may be obtained and calculated as image information.

In step S<b>705 , the display control unit 430 confirms the size of the tomographic image display area 522 .

In step S706, the display control unit 430 calculates enlargement/reduction magnifications in the horizontal and depth directions of the tomographic image from the scale confirmed in steps S703 to S705, the actual length of the tomographic image, and the size of the display area. In the case of the Fit scale, respective magnifications Rx and Rz are obtained as shown in Equation (1).

Here, Tx and Tz indicate the number of pixels in the horizontal direction and depth direction of the original tomographic image stored in the storage unit 120 . Ax and Az indicate the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the tomographic image display area 522 . In the case of the 2 mm depth scale, the magnifications Rx and Rz are calculated so that the number of pixels in the depth direction of 2 mm becomes the number of pixels in the display area, as shown in Equation (2).

Here, Tx, Tz and Ax, Az indicate the number of pixels in the horizontal direction and the depth direction of the original tomographic image and the number of pixels in the horizontal direction and the depth direction of the tomographic image display area 522 as in Equation 1. Stz indicates the actual length in the depth direction of the tomographic image obtained in step S704. Saz indicates the actual length displayed in the tomographic image display area 522, which is 2 mm here.

Here, when Rz is 1 or more, the depth direction of the tomographic image is enlarged. When the depth direction is enlarged, a portion of the tomographic image that does not fit within the display area is generated. Therefore, a scroll bar is provided for receiving an instruction to move the position of the tomographic image corresponding to the partial image and update the display to the partial image after the movement. When a scroll bar is displayed in the tomographic image display area 522, Ax is calculated by excluding the number of pixels for the scroll bar. It should be noted that a configuration may be adopted in which a portion outside the display area of the tomographic image is trimmed without providing the scroll bar.

In step S707, the display control unit 430 generates a tomographic image enlarged/reduced by the magnification obtained in S706. Enlarged/reduced tomographic images are generated by performing interpolation using the nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, bicubic method, super-resolution by machine learning, or the like.

In step S708, if the magnification obtained in S706 is 1 or more, the position of the partial image displayed in the display area on the subject's eye is determined. As a default position, it is desirable to designate a position where the center of the tomographic image is displayed as a partial image. Further, when the layer boundary is obtained by analyzing the tomographic image, the position may be specified so that the retina is displayed in the central portion of the partial image.

In the case of tomographic images taken by 3D imaging, the position of the retina differs for each tomographic image. good too. Alternatively, a position where the retina is arranged at the center may be specified for each tomographic image. Furthermore, since the height of the retina varies even within the tomographic image, by specifying that the lowest part of the retina is positioned slightly above the bottom of the tomographic image display area 522 instead of the central position, The entire retina can be displayed within the tomographic image display area 522 .

In step S709, the display control unit 430 displays the tomographic image generated in step S707 in the tomographic image display area 522 at the position specified in step S708. At this time, a scroll bar may be displayed so that the position of the tomographic image displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 in the depth direction of the eye to be examined can be changed according to the user's instruction. That is, by operating the scroll bar, the position of the subject's eye displayed as a partial image may be changed from the default position, and the display of the partial image may be updated to display a different partial image.

According to the above-described embodiment, even when displaying a tomographic image that is long in the depth direction and is captured by SS-OCT in the display area, it becomes easy to visually recognize the attention area. In addition, it is not necessary for the user to change the scale of the tomographic image or display the enlarged display screen 600 in order to make the retina portion appear larger, thereby improving usability.

In some cases, the tomographic image captured by SD-OCT is displayed in a Fit scale on the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 of the enlarged display screen 600 to display the tomographic image in a large size. Even when a tomographic image captured by SS-OCT is displayed in the same manner, by selecting the 2 mm depth scale in the tomographic image scale selection area 621, the SD-OCT Fit scale is displayed as shown in FIG. It can be displayed in the same appearance as the display.

In addition, in S702 and S703, the display scale is set according to the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, but it is also possible to associate a specified initial display scale with each examination in advance and use that information to determine the scale. For example, when an imaging pattern is created, an initial display scale can be set as examination information so that it can be linked.

The 2 mm depth scale may be set only when the tomographic image capturing apparatus 100 is of a type such as SS-OCT for capturing a wide angle of view/high depth of field tomographic image. In addition, by setting 2 mm depth to the initial state in the case of a narrow field angle imaging pattern, it is possible to set inspection conditions including display for each narrow field angle and wide field angle imaging before imaging.

Note that the 2 mm depth scale may be automatically set when displaying a tomographic image with a narrow angle of view instead of for each examination. In this case, it is possible to switch by designating a tomographic image having an angle of view equal to or less than a predetermined angle of view as a narrow angle of view tomographic image.

Moreover, regardless of the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, the scale may be set according to the length of the tomographic image acquired by the display control unit 430 in the depth direction. For example, if the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction is longer than a certain length, only a partial region of the tomographic image is displayed, and if the length of the tomographic image in the depth direction is less than or equal to the certain length, The entire tomographic image may be displayed. Specifically, when the length in the depth direction of the tomographic image exceeds 2 mm, only the region with the length in the depth direction of 2 mm is displayed, and the length in the depth direction of the tomographic image is 2 mm or less. In some cases, the entire tomographic image may be displayed. Note that the boundary for switching the display scale can be set as appropriate.

In addition, in this embodiment, the length in the depth direction is obtained in step S704, and the magnification is obtained using that length in step S706. The method is not limited to this. For example, even if there is no imaging depth for each tomographic imaging apparatus, if the ratio between the sizes of one pixel can be obtained, the magnification can be obtained by replacing the ratio with Sta/Stz in Equation 2.

This time, the method of displaying on the 2 mm depth scale when displaying an examination photographed with a narrow angle of view has been described, but it would be nice to be able to display on the 2 mm depth scale even when photographing with a wide angle of view. In that case, not only the depth direction but also the X-axis direction may be enlarged and displayed on a scale matching the angle of view of SD-OCT. Diagnosis efficiency is improved by switching between display of a bird's-eye view tomographic image with a wide angle of view and display of the same tomographic image as the conventional SD-OCT with a narrow angle of view.

Furthermore, in the embodiments, the type of tomographic imaging apparatus with a long imaging depth is described as SS-OCT, and the type of tomographic imaging apparatus with a short imaging depth is described as SD-OCT. A short SD-OCT may also be used.

<Example 2>
In this embodiment, in a configuration capable of displaying a plurality of examinations at the same time, an example will be described in which a scale is determined according to a comparison source examination when the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 that captured the comparison destination examination is different. In addition to the selected examination 511 selected in the examination selection list display area 510 , there are examinations selected as comparison targets with the selected examination 511 as the plurality of examinations to be displayed. In this case, it is desirable that the appearance of the tomographic images be the same even if the examinations to be compared are performed by different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 .

In this embodiment, even when displaying a plurality of tomographic images captured by different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses, displaying the tomographic structures with similar aspect ratios is expressed as having the same appearance. , It does not have to look exactly the same, as long as it is easy to visually compare the tomographic structures.

(Tomographic image comparison display screen according to the present embodiment)
An example of a screen displaying a plurality of different examinations side by side, which is displayed by the display control unit 430 of the present embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 shows a tomographic image comparison display screen 800 that displays two examinations including tomographic images stored in the storage unit 120 side by side.

Similar to the display screen 500, the tomographic image display screen 800 has an examination selection list display area 810 and a selected examination content display area 820. A selected examination 811 is selected from the examination selection list display area 810 and displayed in the selected examination content display area 820. . Note that when examinations captured by multiple types of tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 are mixed in the examinations stored in the storage unit 120, the type and model name of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, or an icon indicating the type and model name, or symbols may be displayed.

In the selected examination content display area 820 displayed in the examination selection list display area 810, a plurality of examinations can be displayed by designating comparison reports such as left-right eye comparison and past examination comparison. A selected examination display area 823 and a comparison destination examination display area 822 can be displayed in the comparison report, and examination information such as imaging date/time, left and right eyes, type of tomographic imaging apparatus 100, SLO fundus image, and tomographic image can be displayed in each of them. can be displayed.

The selected examination display area 823 displays examination information and images of the selected examination 811 selected from the examination selection list display area 810 . In the comparison destination examination display area 822, examinations of the same imaging pattern that have been photographed in the past are displayed. An examination to be compared can be specified by the user, and by selecting a comparison examination selection button 821, one or more past examinations can be specified from a comparison examination selection screen (not shown), and comparison destination examination display can be performed. They can be displayed side by side in area 822 . As an initial display, the examination of the same imaging pattern in the past that is closest to the selected examination 811 may be automatically displayed.

(Display Flow of Comparison Target Images Captured by Different Tomographic Imaging Apparatuses According to the Present Embodiment)
Referring to FIG. 9, a tomographic image display flow in the case where the tomographic image according to the present embodiment is an SS-OCT tomographic image and the comparison source image is an SD-OCT tomographic image and the tomographic images are displayed side by side will be described. do. FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of the operation for displaying a comparative tomographic image according to this embodiment.

When tomographic images captured by different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 are displayed side by side, the vertical resolution in the depth direction and the actual length of the captured tomographic images differ even if the images are captured using the same imaging pattern. A tomographic image is displayed with different thicknesses in the depth direction. Therefore, the display control unit 430 sets the scale of the comparison target tomographic image according to the type of the comparison source and comparison target tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 and the comparison source scale, so that the types of the tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 are different. To display the tomographic images side by side with the same appearance even in the case of

Specifically, in step S<b>901 , the display control unit 430 acquires from the storage unit 120 the tomographic image and the examination information of the examination selected by the user or the examination selected as the comparison target examination of the initial display. In step S902, the display control unit 430 confirms the type of the selected examination 811 serving as a comparison source and the type of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 of the comparison target examination selected in step S901.

In step S903, the display control unit 430 determines the scale of the tomographic image of the comparison target examination based on the type confirmed in S902 and the scale displayed on the comparison source tomographic image. If the same type of tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is used in the comparison source examination and the comparison destination examination, the same scale is selected. If the type of tomographic imaging apparatus 100 differs between the comparison source inspection and the comparison target inspection, the actual length of one pixel of the tomographic images of the comparison target inspection and the comparison source inspection is vertical and horizontal according to the scale of the comparison source inspection. Determine the scale to be the same.

For example, if the comparison source examination is an SD-OCT examination and the tomographic image is displayed in the Fit scale, and the comparison target examination is an SS-OCT examination, the tomographic image display area is SD-OCT. Select a 2 mm Depth scale that is the same length as the OCT depth dimension. In addition, when the comparison source examination is an examination taken by SS-OCT and the tomographic image is displayed on a 2 mm depth scale, if the comparison destination examination is SD-OCT, select it on the Fit scale, and select the SS- When the OCT tomographic image is displayed in the Fit scale, the 5 mm depth scale is selected for the SD-OCT tomographic image of the comparison target examination.

From step S904 to step S909, the tomographic image of the comparison target examination is displayed in the comparison target examination display area 822 with the scale set at step S903. The display method is the same as in steps S704 to S709. Note that the position of the scroll bar in step S908 may be set to the same position based on the layer boundary information of the tomographic image of the comparison source examination.

According to the present embodiment described above, when tomographic images of different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses 100 are comparatively displayed, a plurality of tomographic images can be displayed with the same appearance. Accordingly, it is possible to observe a plurality of tomographic images of different types of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 with the same appearance without adjusting the display by user operation, which is very preferable.

Note that although the case where the photographing sizes are the same is limited here, the present invention is not limited to this. Even if an examination with a different imaging size is selected, in steps S906 to S908, the tomographic image is rescaled by calculating the same enlargement/reduction ratio as in the depth direction of Equation 2 in the horizontal direction of the tomographic image, and the comparison source is rescaled. By determining the position of the scroll bar so that it is at the same position as the tomographic image, it can be displayed in the same appearance.

In addition, in this embodiment, the flow for displaying the comparison target examination has been described. , the display of the tomographic image to be compared can be made to have the same appearance. Furthermore, even when the display scale of the comparison target is changed, the display of the comparison source tomographic image can be made to have the same appearance by executing the flow from step S902 to step S909 by switching the comparison source and the comparison target. .

In addition, in this embodiment, comparison of tomographic images of SS-OCT and SD-OCT has been described as tomographic images of different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses, but the present invention is not limited to this. Among SD-OCT, even when tomographic images of SD-OCT with a long imaging depth and SD-OCT with a short imaging depth are displayed side by side, based on the type of display scale of each imaging depth and the comparison source tomographic image. Furthermore, by selecting the scale of the tomographic images to be compared, it is possible to display a plurality of tomographic images with the same appearance.

<Example 3>
In the present embodiment, an example of preview display of a tomographic image when capturing a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth of field will be described. In a tomographic imaging apparatus 100 such as SS-OCT, which has a wide angle of view and a high depth of field, it is desirable to be able to perform imaging with the same appearance as SD-OCT imaging when performing imaging using the same imaging pattern as SD-OCT imaging.

In this embodiment, even when displaying a plurality of tomographic images captured by different types of tomographic imaging apparatuses, displaying the tomographic structures with similar aspect ratios is expressed as having the same appearance. , It does not have to look exactly the same, as long as it is easy to visually compare the tomographic structures.

(Tomographic image comparison display screen according to the present embodiment)
An example of a photographing screen for photographing a tomographic image, displayed by the display control unit 430 of this embodiment, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows a tomographic image capturing screen 1000 for capturing and acquiring a tomographic image from the tomographic image capturing apparatus 100 via the capturing control unit 410 .

A tomographic imaging screen 1000 has an imaging pattern display area 1010 and an imaging preview display area 1020 . In the imaging pattern display area 1010, left and right eyes, adjustment mode, scan mode, type of fixation lamp, and the like are displayed. Note that the user can change the scan mode and the type of fixation lamp using the input unit 130 such as a mouse.

The imaging preview display area 1020 has an anterior ocular preview display area 1021, an SLO preview display area 1022, and a tomographic preview display area 1023, and displays an anterior ocular preview image, an SLO preview image, and a tomographic preview image acquired from the tomographic imaging apparatus 100. It is displayed in real time as a live image on each display unit. The SLO preview display unit 1020 displays the imaging pattern of the tomographic image and the fixation lamp position on the SLO preview image.

Also, the user can change the size and position of the tomographic image capturing pattern and the fixation lamp position via the input unit 130 . When the imaging pattern is changed, the imaging control unit 410 changes the content of the tomographic preview image acquired by the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 according to the change, and the tomographic preview image after the change is displayed on the tomographic preview display unit 1023 .

(Display flow of tomographic image when performing narrow-angle imaging with SS-OCT according to the present embodiment)
Using FIG. 11, a tomographic imaging apparatus 100 capable of acquiring a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range like SS-OCT according to the present embodiment can perform imaging with a narrow angle of view similar to SD-OCT. A display flow of a tomographic image when performing the operation will be described. FIG. 11 shows a flow chart of the operation for displaying a tomographic image during SS-OCT imaging with a narrow angle of view according to this embodiment.

When capturing a tomographic image with a narrow angle of view by SS-OCT, a tomographic image with a narrow angle of view, a long depth direction, and a thin retina is displayed in the tomographic preview display area 1023 . Here, the display control unit 430 changes the scale of the tomographic preview image during narrow-angle imaging, so that the tomographic preview image is displayed in the same appearance as the tomographic preview image in SD-OCT even in imaging with SS-OCT. be able to.

Specifically, the user selects an imaging pattern on the imaging pattern display area 1010 via the input unit 130 in step S1101. Note that the size of the imaging pattern can also be changed on the SLO preview display after the imaging pattern is selected.

In step S1102, the display control unit 430 determines whether the imaging pattern specified in step S1101 has a narrow angle of view. For example, when the angle of view is 10 mm or less, which is the angle of view for SD-OCT imaging, it is determined as a narrow angle of view.

In step S1103, the display control unit 430 determines the scale from the determination result of step S1102. If the angle of view is narrow, the 2 mm depth scale is set, and if the angle of view is not narrow, the Fit scale display is set. That is, when displaying a tomographic image captured with a narrow angle of view, a partial image having a short length in the depth direction of the tomographic image is displayed. At this time, in the case of a cross shooting pattern in which images are taken vertically and horizontally, the angle of view may differ for each. is determined, the scale may be uniformly set for a narrow angle of view.

In step S<b>1104 , the display control unit 430 confirms the actual vertical and horizontal lengths of the tomographic preview image acquired from the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 . The actual length in the horizontal direction is based on the imaging pattern set in step 1101, and the actual length in the depth direction is stored in advance as information of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, or information obtained by communicating with the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is used. do.

In step S<b>1105 , the display control unit 430 confirms the number of vertical and horizontal pixels in the tomographic preview display area 1023 .

In step S<b>1106 , the display control unit 430 checks the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the tomographic preview image acquired from the tomographic image acquiring apparatus 100 . The number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the tomographic preview image is stored in advance as information of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, or information obtained by communicating with the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is used.

In step S1107, the display control unit 430 calculates scaling factors for each of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the tomographic preview image from the scale confirmed in steps S1103 to S1106, the actual size of the tomographic preview image, the size of the display area, and the size of the tomographic preview image. do. The calculation method is the same as in step S706.

In step S<b>1108 , the imaging control unit 410 acquires a tomographic preview image from the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 via the image acquisition unit 420 and passes it to the display control unit 430 .

In step S1109, the display control unit 430 generates a tomographic image enlarged/reduced at the magnification calculated in step S1107. Enlarged/reduced tomographic images are generated by performing interpolation using the nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, bicubic method, super-resolution by machine learning, or the like.

In step S1110, when the magnification obtained in S1107 is 1 or more, the default position of the tomographic preview image is determined. Specify the position where the center of the tomographic image is displayed as a partial image as the default position. Since the tomographic image tends to become darker in the depth direction, a position may be set at which a bright portion can be photographed within a range where the retina does not protrude at a narrow angle of view. Also, the position may be changed depending on the object to be imaged, such as in the choroid observation mode.

Note that if the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 has a function of automatically determining the position where the tomographic image is displayed, the position where the tomographic image is displayed may match the initial display position, or the current tomographic preview display area 1023 may be You may make it match the displayed position.

In step S1111, the display control unit 430 displays the tomographic preview image generated in step S1109 in the tomographic preview display area 1023 at the position specified in step S1110.

The display control unit repeats steps 1109 to S1111 while continuously acquiring tomographic preview images as moving images from the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 via the imaging control unit 410 and the image acquiring unit 420 . Meanwhile, the display position in step S1110 maintains the previous state. To display a tomographic preview image while maintaining the changed position even when the display position is changed by the user.

According to the present embodiment described above, the tomographic preview display of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 that acquires a tomographic image that is long in the depth direction, such as SS-OCT, can be displayed in the same appearance as SD-OCT imaging. can. Thereby, the visibility of the attention area of the eye to be examined, for example, the retina can be improved.

Furthermore, when determining a narrow angle of view, by displaying an enlarged SLO preview image within the same SLO preview image range as SD-OCT, it becomes possible to adjust the position of the imaging pattern with higher accuracy, improving usability. .

Although the narrow angle of view is determined from the angle of view of the shooting pattern in step S1102, a method of determining whether the narrow angle of view mode is set in advance for the shooting pattern selected in step S1101 and making the determination based on the setting may be used. .

<Example 4>
The ophthalmologic system 10 of the present embodiment can display tomographic images by applying different scales according to the angle of view of the tomographic images acquired by the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, which is an example of an ophthalmologic examination apparatus.

Here, when a tomographic image captured with a narrow angle of view is selected, only a partial area in the depth direction of the tomographic image, ie, a partial image is displayed in the display area. By displaying a partial image that is shorter in the depth direction than the acquired tomographic image, it is possible to make it easier to visually recognize a region of interest, for example, the retina.

The length in the depth direction (imaging depth) of a tomographic image acquired by OCT, which is a tomographic imaging apparatus, depends on the properties of the measurement light that irradiates the eye to be inspected and the properties of the sensor that receives the interference light. . In order to change the length in the depth direction of the acquired tomographic image, it is necessary to make complicated changes and adjustments to the configuration of the optical system, such as changing the light source and changing the sampling speed. length may be immutable. In the present embodiment, by post-processing the acquired tomographic image, it is possible to display the attention area in an easy-to-visually-recognizable manner without complicated changes and adjustments of the configuration of the optical system.

Since the device configuration is the same as that of Examples 1 to 3, description thereof is omitted.

Display of a tomographic image when the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 switches between wide-angle and narrow-angle imaging will be described with reference to FIG. 12 .

By using the tomographic image capturing apparatus 100, for example, SS-OCT, it is possible to capture a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range as shown in FIG. 12(a). By acquiring a tomographic image with a wide angle of view and a high depth range, it is possible to observe a wide range of the retina and discover abnormalities at positions away from the macula.

Here, it is conceivable that a tomographic image with a higher lateral resolution than a tomographic image with a wide angle of view may be obtained by acquiring a tomographic image with a narrower angle of view. At this time, if the entire tomographic image with a narrow angle of view and a high depth range is displayed in the same display area as the tomographic image shown in FIG. For example, the retina may become difficult to see.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12B, a partial image having a depth direction shorter than that of the tomographic image as it is acquired is displayed. At this time, an area that is not displayed as a partial image may be newly displayed according to a user's instruction using a scroll bar or the like. Moreover, the area which is not displayed as a partial image may be trimmed in advance.

An operation flow for controlling the tomography apparatus 100 to acquire a tomographic image and changing the display scale according to the angle of view of the tomographic image will be described with reference to FIG. 13 .

In step S1301, the user selects/changes a photographing pattern for photographing. The shooting pattern includes an angle of view. As the photographing pattern, left and right eyes, photographing size, photographing format, the number of scans in the X-axis direction, the number of scans in the Y-axis direction, the number of repeated scans at the same position, and the like may be set.

In step S1302, the tomography apparatus 100 is controlled to acquire a tomographic image based on the imaging pattern set in S1301. Subsequently, the angle of view of the tomographic image acquired in step S1303 is confirmed. At this time, the angle of view information associated with the tomographic image may be checked, or the angle of view of the tomographic image set in the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 may be checked.

In step S1304, the display scale of the tomographic image is determined according to the angle of view. At this time, when a tomographic image captured with a narrow angle of view is selected, only a partial area in the depth direction of the tomographic image, that is, a partial image is displayed in the display area. Also, when a tomographic image captured with a wide angle of view is selected, the entire image is displayed on a scale that allows it to be displayed in the display area. For example, it may be set to 2 mm Depth for a narrow angle of view and Fit scale for a wide angle of view.

The operation flow of image processing and display in steps S1305 to S1310 is the same as that of the first embodiment, so description thereof will be omitted.

As a report for displaying tomographic images, a plurality of tomographic images acquired at different angles of view may be displayed side by side as shown in FIG. 12, or only tomographic images at the same angle of view may be displayed. Since the display method for displaying a plurality of other tomographic images is the same as that of the first embodiment, description thereof is omitted.

<Other Examples>
Examples 1 to 4 of the present specification may be practiced in combination as appropriate.

In addition, the technology disclosed in this specification supplies software (programs) that realize one or more functions of the various embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and the system or device can also be implemented by a process in which the computer reads and executes the program. A computer has one or more processors or circuits and may include separate computers or a network of separate processors or circuits for reading and executing computer-executable instructions.

As such, the processor or circuitry may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field programmable gateway (FPGA). Also, the processor or circuitry may include a digital signal processor (DSP), data flow processor (DFP), or neural processing unit (NPU).

Claims (19)

An information processing apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be inspected using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be inspected irradiated with measurement light,
when one of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as the angle of view for acquiring the tomographic image of the eye to be inspected; , a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light in the eye to be inspected at the selected angle of view;
When the first angle of view is selected, a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view is displayed in the display area, and when the second angle of view is selected, the second tomographic image is displayed. A partial image included in the second tomographic image acquired at the angle of view and having a shorter length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected than the second tomographic image is displayed so as to match the display area. a display control means for
Information processing device. An information processing apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be inspected using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be inspected irradiated with measurement light,
Among a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the eye to be inspected and a second tomographic image having a longer length in the depth direction than the length of the first tomographic image in the eye to be inspected Acquisition means for acquiring the selected tomographic image in accordance with a user's instruction to select at least one;
When the first tomographic image is selected, the first tomographic image is displayed in a display area, and when the second tomographic image is selected, it is a partial image included in the second tomographic image. display control means for displaying a partial image having a length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected that is shorter than the second tomographic image so as to match the display area;
Information processing device. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measurement light is emitted from a wavelength swept light source. A first tomographic image obtained by SD-OCT using interfering light obtained through a spectroscope, and the return light from the subject's eye irradiated with the measurement light by the wavelength swept light source and the reference light are combined. A second tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT that acquires a tomographic image of the eye to be inspected using the coherent light obtained by an acquisition means for acquiring an image;
When the first tomographic image is selected, the first tomographic image is displayed in a display area, and when the second tomographic image is selected, it is a partial image included in the second tomographic image. display control means for displaying a partial image having a length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected that is shorter than the second tomographic image so as to match the display area;
Information processing device. 5. The display control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display of the partial image in the second tomographic image is updated to display a partial image different from the partial image in accordance with a user's instruction. The information processing device described. 6. The display control means according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the partial image obtained using layer boundary information obtained by analyzing the second tomographic image is displayed so as to match the display area. 1. The information processing apparatus according to 1. The display control means causes a display unit to display at least one of the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image as a report, a scan mode for scanning the eye to be inspected with measurement light, left and right eyes, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein at least one of examination date and time and patient information is further displayed on the display unit. The display control means, in response to a user instruction to select at least two of a plurality of tomographic images including the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image as a comparison source image and a comparison destination image, Displaying the comparison source image and the comparison destination image side by side on the display unit so that the lengths of the regions in which the comparison source image and the comparison destination image are displayed are the same in the depth direction of the subject's eye. Item 8. The information processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the display control means displays at least one of the first tomographic image and the partial image as a live image on the display unit. 10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the display control means further displays a front image of the subject's eye as a live image on the display unit. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a tomographic image of the fundus of the eye to be inspected is acquired as the tomographic image of the eye to be inspected. An ophthalmologic system in which the information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 11 and an ophthalmologic examination apparatus comprising a detection means for detecting the interference light are communicably connected. An ophthalmologic examination apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be examined using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be examined irradiated with measurement light,
when one of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as the angle of view for acquiring the tomographic image of the eye to be inspected; , a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light in the eye to be inspected at the selected angle of view;
When the first angle of view is selected, a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view is displayed in the display area, and when the second angle of view is selected, the second tomographic image is displayed. A partial image included in the second tomographic image acquired at the angle of view and having a shorter length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected than the second tomographic image is displayed so as to match the display area. a display control means for
An ophthalmic examination device comprising: When acquiring the first tomographic image with the first angle of view and when acquiring the second tomographic image with the second angle of view, the depth of the acquired tomographic image in the eye to be examined 14. The ophthalmologic examination apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the length in the longitudinal direction is unchangeable. An ophthalmologic examination apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be examined using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be examined irradiated with measurement light,
at least of a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the eye to be inspected and a second tomographic image having a longer length in the depth direction than the length of the first tomographic image in the eye to be inspected Acquisition means for acquiring the selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select one;
When the first tomographic image is selected, the first tomographic image is displayed in a display area, and when the second tomographic image is selected, it is a partial image included in the second tomographic image. display control means for displaying a partial image having a length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected that is shorter than the second tomographic image so as to match the display area;
An ophthalmic examination device comprising: A control method for an ophthalmologic examination apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be examined using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be examined irradiated with measurement light, comprising:
when one of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as the angle of view for acquiring the tomographic image of the eye to be inspected; a step of controlling scanning means for scanning the measurement light in the eye to be inspected at the selected angle of view;
When the first angle of view is selected, a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view is displayed in the display area, and when the second angle of view is selected, the second tomographic image is displayed. A partial image included in the second tomographic image acquired at the angle of view and having a shorter length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected than the second tomographic image is displayed so as to match the display area. and
A control method for an ophthalmic examination apparatus comprising: A control method for an ophthalmologic examination apparatus for acquiring a tomographic image of an eye to be examined using interference light obtained by combining reference light and return light from an eye to be examined irradiated with measurement light, comprising:
at least of a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the eye to be inspected and a second tomographic image having a longer length in the depth direction than the length of the first tomographic image in the eye to be inspected Acquiring the selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select one;
When the first tomographic image is selected, the first tomographic image is displayed in a display area, and when the second tomographic image is selected, it is a partial image included in the second tomographic image. displaying a partial image having a length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected that is shorter than the second tomographic image so as to match the display area;
A control method for an ophthalmic examination apparatus comprising: A first tomographic image obtained by SD-OCT using interfering light obtained through a spectroscope, and the return light from the subject's eye irradiated with the measurement light by the wavelength swept light source and the reference light are combined. A second tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT that acquires a tomographic image of the eye to be inspected using the coherent light obtained by obtaining an image;
When the first tomographic image is selected, the first tomographic image is displayed in a display area, and when the second tomographic image is selected, it is a partial image included in the second tomographic image. displaying a partial image having a length in the depth direction of the eye to be inspected that is shorter than the second tomographic image so as to match the display area;
A control method for an information processing device including A program that causes a computer to execute the control method according to any one of claims 16 to 18.

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