KR101350740B1 - Optical coherence tomography followed movement of sample and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for optical coherence tomography following movements of a sample according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first step of detecting a degree of movement of the sample based on photography information acquired by photographing the sample; a second step of moving a sample stage for optical coherence tomography to respond to the movement of the sample; a third step of optical coherence tomography scanning after moving the sample stage. [Reference numerals] (100) Control unit; (102) Memory unit; (104) Operation panel; (106) Image output unit; (108) Light source; (110) Optical coupling unit; (112) Reference path unit; (116) Sample path unit; (118) Interference signal detect unit; (120) Signal processing unit; (124) Photographing module; (126) Movements correct unit; (128) Movements correct unit driving device

Description

Optical coherence tomography followed movement of sample and control method therefor}

The present invention relates to an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus, and more particularly, to an optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows a sample motion.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a system for capturing tomographic images using light in the near infrared region.

The optical coherence tomography apparatus uses an interferometer represented by a Michael interferometer to generate an interference signal when the optical path difference between the reference stage and the sample stage is within the interference distance of the light source, and according to the interference signal, two-dimensional or three-dimensional tomography Acquiring image information.

However, when acquiring tomographic image information as described above, it is often difficult to stably capture a desired area due to the shaking or movement of the sample stage. It also occurred inevitable when monitoring continuously.

In the related art, when a desired area is moved, a desired area is photographed by adjusting a position of a sample, or a desired area is photographed by moving a sample end of the optical coherence tomography apparatus.

However, this method has a problem that it takes an unnecessary time to find the area, which causes the observation point is not maintained when real-time monitoring is required.

In addition, in the case of continuously storing tomographic image information, tomographic image information of unnecessary areas is also stored unnecessarily, which causes a lack of storage space or a cumbersome problem of re-extracting desired tomographic image information from a large amount of tomographic image information. Caused.

Accordingly, various methods for solving the problems caused by the movement of the sample have been proposed in the related art, and related patents are disclosed in Korean Patent Offices, such as Nos. 10-2011-7016931, 10-2007-7005318, and 10- 2005-7017781, 10-2009-0098200, and the like.

The present invention provides an optical coherence tomography apparatus for tracking a sample movement such that the sample stage of the optical coherence tomography apparatus follows the movement of the sample so that the area captured by the sample stage does not change even when the sample movement is performed. It aims to provide.

The optical coherence tomography method for tracking sample motions according to the present invention includes: a first step of detecting a degree of motion of a sample based on sensing information obtained by capturing a sample; A second step of moving a sample stage for optical coherence tomography to correspond to the degree of movement of the sample; And a third step of optical coherence tomography after the movement of the sample stage.

The present invention has the effect that the sample stage of the optical coherence tomography apparatus can follow the movement of the sample so that the area captured by the sample stage is not changed even with the movement of the sample.

As a result, the present invention causes an effect that the position of the living body or the sample stage cannot be adjusted or the tomographic image information is not modified even when breathing or movement occurs during continuous monitoring of the living body.

In addition, the present invention unnecessarily consumes a storage area to store faulty tomographic image information photographed due to intermittent movement or shaking of a sample, and also extracts desired tomographic image information from a large amount of tomographic image information. It has a preventable effect.

1 is a block diagram of an optical coherence tomography apparatus for tracking sample motion according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a motion compensation unit of FIG. 1. FIG.
3 is a process diagram of an optical coherence tomography apparatus for tracking sample motion according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing an operation example of an optical coherence tomography apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The optical coherence tomography apparatus of the present invention allows the sample stage to follow the movement of the sample so that the area captured by the sample stage is not changed even with the movement of the sample.

<Configuration of Optical Coherence Tomography Device Following Sample Movement>

A configuration of an optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows a sample motion according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows the sample movement includes a control unit 100, a memory unit 102, an operation panel 104, an image output unit 106, a light source 108, an optical coupling unit 110, and a reference path. The unit 112, the reference mirror 114, the sample path unit 116, the interference signal detector 118, the signal processor 120, the imaging module 124, the motion compensator 126, and the motion compensator drive device ( 128).

The controller 100 controls the respective parts of the optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows the sample movement as well as the sample based on the imaging information obtained by capturing the sample 122 according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detects the degree of movement of the 122, and drives the motion compensator 126 corresponding to the degree of movement to move the sample stage including the sample path 116 and the imaging module 124 to move the motion compensator And control the optical coherence tomography region not to change even if the sample is moving.

The memory unit 102 stores various information including a processing program of the controller 100.

The operation panel 104 receives various commands or information from a user and provides them to the controller 100.

The image output unit 106 is a tomography image information taken according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention under the control of the control unit 100, a work window for setting the optical coherence tomography, a real-time signal graph, the imaging module 124 Image pickup information or the like captured by the display is displayed.

The control unit 100 emits light for optical coherence tomography.

The light coupling unit 110 divides the light from the light source 108 into first and second light, and provides the first light to the reference path unit 112 and the second light to the sample path unit 116. to provide. In addition, the light coupling unit 110 combines the reference light returned from the reference path unit 112 and the signal light returned from the sample path unit 116 to provide the interference signal detection unit 118.

The reference path unit 112 receives the first light and irradiates the reference mirror 114, and receives the reference light generated by the first light reflected by the reference mirror 114 to receive the first light. 110).

The reference mirror 114 reflects the first light provided from the reference path part 112, and returns the signal light according to the reference path part 112.

The sample path unit 116 receives the second light and irradiates the sample 122, and receives the reference light generated by the second light reflected by the sample 122 to the light coupling unit 110. To provide.

The interference signal detector 118 detects an interference signal from the combined signal of the reference light coupled with the signal light from the optical combiner 110 and provides the interference signal to the signal processor 120.

The signal processor 120 processes the interference signal detected by the interference signal detector 118 to generate optical tomography image information, and provides the same to the controller 100.

The imaging module 124 performs imaging on an area of a sample to which light is irradiated by the sample path unit 116, and provides imaging information according to the imaging to the controller 100.

The motion compensator 126 includes the sample path part 116 and the imaging module 124, including a vertical moving part, a left and right moving part, and an inclination changing part that are driven by the motion compensator driving device 128. Move the sample stage up, down, left or right, or change the tilt.

The motion compensator driving device 128 drives the up and down moving part, the left and right moving part, and the inclination changing part included in the motion compensating part 126 under the control of the controller 100.

<Configuration of the motion correction unit>

A detailed configuration of the motion compensator 126 of the optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows the sample motion according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

The motion compensator 126 includes the first rotating part 200, the second rotating part 208, the third rotating part 210, the fixing part 202, the vertical moving part 204, and the horizontal moving part 206. The moving part 212 is comprised.

The first rotating part 200 accommodates the sample path part 116 and the imaging module 124, and the light exiting surface of the sample path part 116 and the imaging surface of the imaging module 124 face the sample. In addition, the angle of opposition between the light entering and exiting surface and the imaging surface is changed by rotational movement along the rotation direction shown in FIG. 2. Here, the axis of rotation of the first rotating part 200 in the rotational direction is an arbitrary first line facing the sample.

The up and down moving part 204 is connected to the first rotating part 200 through the fixing part 202 and moves the first rotating part 200 in the vertical direction.

The left and right moving parts 206 are connected to the first rotating part 200 and the vertical moving part 204 to move the first rotating part 200 and the vertical moving part 204 in the left and right directions.

The second rotating part 208 rotates the first rotating part 200, the vertical moving part 204, and the left and right moving part 206 along the rotation direction shown in FIG. The opposing angle of the imaging surface is changed. Here, the axis of rotation of the second rotation part 208 in the rotational direction is an arbitrary second line perpendicular to the first line.

The third rotating part 210 is connected to the first rotating part 200, the vertical moving part 204, the left and right moving part 206, and the second rotating part 208, and the rotation direction illustrated in FIG. 2. It rotates according to and changes the opposing angle of the said light incident-emerged surface and the said imaging surface. Here, the axis of rotation of the third rotating part 210 in the rotational direction is an arbitrary third line perpendicular to the first and second lines.

The front and rear moving parts 212 are connected to the first rotating part 200, the vertical moving part 204, the left and right moving part 206, the second rotating part 208, and the third rotating part 210. The first rotating part 200, the up and down moving part 204, the left and right moving part 206, the second rotating part 208, and the third rotating part 210 are moved forward and backward.

As described above, the motion compensator 126 changes the position and the opposing angle of the light exit plane of the sample path unit 116 and the imaging plane of the imaging module 124 in six directions.

In addition, the robot arm device capable of moving in the six directions may be employed as the motion compensator 126.

<Process of the optical coherence tomography apparatus following the sample movement>

The processing procedure of the optical coherence tomography apparatus that follows the sample motion configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

The control unit 100 checks whether the user commands the operation of the sample movement following mode through the operation panel 104 (step 300). FIG. 4A illustrates a user interface window, and a user may provide various commands or information to the controller 100 through the user interface window.

When the user commands the operation in the sample motion following mode, it is checked whether the interference distance between the reference stage and the sample stage is the same (step 302). The reference stage is configured to include a reference path 112 and the reference mirror 114 and the sample stage is configured to include a sample path 116. In particular, the sample stage according to the invention further includes an imaging module (124). When the reference stage and the sample stage interference distance are the same, high-quality tomographic image information is obtained, and the interference distance between the reference stage and the sample stage can be equally adjusted by adjusting the interference distance between the reference stage and the sample stage. Upon completion of the adjustment, the controller 100 determines that the interference distance between the reference stage and the sample stage is equal. Here, since the adjustment process of the interference distance between the reference stage and the sample stage is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

If the reference distance and the sample end have the same interference distance, the controller 100 captures the sample 122 through the imaging module 124 and generates imaging information (step 304).

When the sensing information is generated, the control unit 100 preprocesses the sensing information (step 306). The preprocessing is to remove the noise and the like as the captured information has an attribute sensitive to the ambient light, and to segment the image to detect the location information.

The control unit 100 receives the preprocessed sensing information and detects reference position information (step 308). The reference position information is used to determine a reference position for determining whether the sample is moving, and is detected in a different manner according to the type of the sample. For example, if the sample 122 is an eye, the color of the white and the black is contrasted, so the location information is detected using color information. In the case of the skin, the wrinkles of the skin are different for each location. Detect. Fig. 4B shows an example of detecting the imaging information and the positional information of the pupil, and detects the pupil of the pupil and the position of the pupil as the reference position information.

When the location information is detected in the above manner, the location information is standardized to generate reference location information of the final sample (step 310). That is, according to the example of FIG. 4B, a portion drawn by a dashed line corresponding to the position of the pupil may be final reference position information.

Thereafter, the control unit 100 checks whether the optical coherence tomography command or the optical coherence tomography cycle has arrived (step 312).

When the optical coherence tomography is commanded or when the optical coherence tomography cycle arrives, the controller 100 captures the sample 122 through the imaging module 124 to generate imaging information. The current position information of the sample 122 is detected from the sensing information (step 314).

The controller 100 compares current position information of the sample 122 with reference position information of the sample 122 and checks whether the sample 122 has moved (step 316).

When the sample 122 is moved, the control unit 100 detects the movement degree of the sample 112 and moves the motion correction unit 126 to drive the sample stage corresponding to the movement degree. The government drive unit 128 is controlled (step 318). Here, when the position of the sample 122 is changed left and right or up and down, the shape of the area indicated by the reference position information (area information) of the final sample 122 and the position information (area information) of the newly detected sample 122 is In the same manner, only the position in the imaging information is changed. In this case, the controller 100 compensates the movement of the sample 122 by moving the sample stage corresponding to the changed position through the motion compensator 126.

When the angle between the sample 122 and the sample stage is changed, the shape of the area indicated by the reference position information (area information) of the final sample 122 and the current position information (area information) of the sample 122 is changed. The amount of inclination change is estimated based on the degree of change of the shape, and the position of the sample stage is corrected by changing the in inverse proportion to the amount of inclination change.

Then, the controller 100 drives the light source 108 to perform optical coherence tomography, and accordingly outputs tomographic image information output from the signal processor 120 through the image output unit 106 (step 320). . Fig. 4A shows an example of outputting tomographic image information.

Unlike the above, when the user commands the operation in the normal mode, the controller 100 checks whether the optical coherence tomography command or the optical coherence tomography cycle has arrived (step 324).

When the optical coherence tomography is commanded or when the optical coherence tomography cycle arrives, the optical coherence tomography is performed by driving the light source 108, and accordingly, the tomography image information output by the signal processor 120 is output to the image output unit ( Output through step 106 (step 326). Fig. 4A shows an example of outputting tomographic image information.

In the above-described preferred embodiment of the present invention, only when the optical coherence tomography is commanded or when the optical coherence tomography cycle arrives, only the optical coherence tomography is performed. However, the present invention may also be applied to continuous optical coherence tomography. It is apparent by the present invention. In addition, even in the case of continuous optical coherence tomography, the sample stage is quickly followed according to the movement of the sample, thereby minimizing unnecessary tomographic image information.

100:
102: memory
104: operation panel
106: video output unit
108: Light source
110: optical coupling part
112: reference path part
114: reference mirror
116: sample path part
118: interference signal detection unit
120: Signal processor
122: sample
124: imaging module
126: motion compensation unit
128: drive device for motion compensation

Claims (8)

In the optical coherence tomography apparatus which follows the sample movement,
A light source for emitting light for optical coherence tomography;
A light coupling unit that separates the light from the light source into first and second light and combines and outputs the signal light and the reference light when the light is incident;
An interference signal output unit configured to receive the combined signal of the signal light and the reference light output by the optical combiner to detect and output an interference signal;
A signal processor for generating image information from the interference signal output by the interference signal output unit;
Reference mirror;
A reference path unit receiving the first light and irradiating the reference mirror and providing the reference light generated by the first light reflected by the reference mirror to the light coupling unit;
A sample path part configured to receive the second light and irradiate the second light to a specific area of the sample, and provide the signal light generated by the second light reflected by the specific area of the sample to the light coupling part;
An imaging module for capturing the sample including the specific region and generating imaging information according to the sample;
A motion compensation unit which supports the sample path unit and the imaging module to face the sample and changes positions of the sample path unit and the imaging module;
A motion compensator driving device for driving the motion compensator; And
The motion compensation unit driving apparatus detects the degree of movement of the sample based on the imaging information obtained by capturing the sample, and drives the motion correction unit corresponding to the degree of movement to move the sample stage including the sample path unit and the imaging module. And a control unit for controlling the
The motion compensation unit,
An inclination changer for changing a sample path part and an opposing angle at which the imaging module and the sample face each other; And
And horizontally moving the sample path part and the imaging module so as to support the sample path part and the imaging module so as to move the sample path part and the imaging module in a plane. The method of claim 1,
The control unit,
Initially, the sample is taken, the image pickup information according to the image pickup is provided, and the reference position information is detected in a different manner according to the type of the sample,
Every time the optical coherence tomography is taken, the sample is picked up, current position information is detected from the picking-up information according to the pick-up,
And detecting the movement of the sample by comparing the reference position information with the current position information. 3. The method of claim 2,
The reference position information and the current position information are area information,
The control unit,
If only the position in the imaging information is changed while the shape of the area indicated by the reference position information and the current position information is the same, it is determined that the sample is moved in the plane, and the sample stage is moved in the plane.
And determining that the opposite angle with the sample is changed if the shape of the area is changed, thereby changing the opposite angle of the sample stage. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising: an operation panel for performing an interface with the user,
The control unit,
When the operation in the sample motion tracking mode is requested through the operation panel, optical coherence tomography is performed while moving the sample stage corresponding to the degree of movement of the sample,
The optical coherence tomography apparatus for tracking the movement of the sample, characterized in that the optical interference tomography is photographed when an operation in the normal photographing mode is requested through the operation panel. In the optical coherence tomography method which follows the sample motion,
A first step of detecting the degree of movement of the sample based on the imaging information obtained by imaging the sample;
A second step of moving a sample stage for optical coherence tomography to correspond to the degree of movement of the sample; And
And a third step of optical coherence tomography after the movement of the sample stage.
In the first step,
Imaging the sample and receiving the imaging information according to the imaging to detect the reference position information in a different manner according to the type of the sample;
Imaging the sample each time optical coherence tomography and detecting current position information from the imaging information according to the imaging; And
Detecting movement of a sample by comparing the reference position information with the current position information; And,
The reference position information and the current position information is characterized in that the area information,
In step 3, the reference position information is compared with the current position information.
Shapes of the area indicated by the reference position information and the current position information are the same, but if only the position in the image pickup information is changed, the plane is moved to the sample stage.
And changing the opposing angle of the sample stage if the shapes of the area have been changed. delete delete The method of claim 5,
When the user requests the operation in the sample motion tracking mode through the operation panel, the user enters the first step to perform optical coherence tomography while moving the sample stage corresponding to the degree of movement of the sample,
When the operation in the normal photographing mode is requested through the operation panel, performing optical coherence tomography;
Optical coherence tomography method for tracking the movement of the sample, characterized in that it further comprises.

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