Localized optical coherence tomography images for ophthalmological surgical procedures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11389249-B2
Application number	US-201716099705-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2017
Priority date	May 9, 2016
Publication date	Jul 19, 2022
Grant date	Jul 19, 2022

Abstract

Systems and method are provided which enhance ophthalmological surgical procedures. Systems may include camera(s) configured to capture and magnify eye image(s) (possibly stereoscopic), a tissue position and orientation (P&O) tracker configured in to track a P&O of a specified eye tissue, a tool P&O tracker configured to track a P&O of treatment tool(s) and derive a tool tip pointing vector therefrom, a processing unit configured to calculate an intersection between the tool tip pointing vector and the specified eye tissue and to relate spatially optical coherence tomography (OCT) image(s) of the eye tissue to the tool tip location and/or to the intersection, and a display module configured to display the magnified image(s) of the eye tissue with the OCT image(s) associated therewith according to the spatial relation. An OCT imager may be mounted on the tool tip to provide the OCT image(s) in real time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for ophthalmological surgical procedures, the system comprising:
at least one camera configured to capture and magnify at least one image of an eye tissue,
a tissue position and orientation (P&O) tracker configured to track a P&O of the eye tissue,
a tool P&O tracker configured to track a P&O of at least one tool and derive a tool tip pointing vector therefrom,
a processing unit configured to calculate an intersection between the tool tip pointing vector and the eye tissue and to determine an association between at least one optical coherence tomography (OCT) image and the calculated intersection, wherein the at least one OCT image is generated at a region of the eye tissue surrounding the calculated intersection, wherein there is no actual contact of the tool tip with the tissue, and
a display module configured to display the at least one magnified image of the eye tissue with the at least one OCT image.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye tissue is a retina or a part of a retina, and the at least one OCT image is at least one OCT retinal image.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the OCT images are captured at an intersection region enclosing the calculated intersection.

4. The system of claim 1 , where the tissue P&O tracker is configured to track fiducials placed on external parts of the eye which are captured by the at least one camera.

5. The system of claim 1 , where the tissue P&O tracker is configured to track the tissue P&O using at least one of: stereoscopic images, structured light 3D imaging and time of flight 3D imaging of the tissue.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tissue P&O tracker operates in infrared.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool comprises at least one fiducial marker used for the derivation of the tool tip pointing vector.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one OCT image is captured prior to or during a treatment of the eye.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one OCT image is received from at least one OCT image source which is independent of the tool tip or is mounted on the tool tip.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one OCT image comprises a plurality of consecutive OCT images captured during an eye treatment, the processing unit is further configured to carry out the spatial relating repeatedly with respect to the consecutive OCT images, and the display module is configured to update the displayed OCT image and position with respect to the consecutive OCT images and the repeated spatial relating, correspondingly.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the association of the position of the at least one OCT image with the related location of the tool tip comprises at least one of: display of the at least one OCT image at the intersection; display of the at least one OCT image at a current or at an expected intersection of the tool tip and a retina of the treated eye; a display of both the tool tip position and the at least one OCT image in a common plane; and a three dimensional reconstruction of a retinal region that is at a spatial relation to the tool tip, using the at least one OCT image.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing unit and the display module are further configured, respectively, to calculate and display a 3D OCT image, derived from a plurality of the OCT images, of the eye tissue at the intersection.

13. The system of claim 1 , at least partly integrated in a head mounted display (HMD).

14. A method of enhancing ophthalmological surgical procedures, the method comprising:
capturing and magnifying at least one image of an eye tissue;
tracking a position and orientation (P&O) of the eye tissue;
tracking a P&O of at least one tool and deriving a tool tip pointing vector therefrom;
calculating an intersection between the tool tip pointing vector and the specified eye tissue;
determining an association between at least one optical coherence tomography (OCT) image and the calculated intersection, wherein the at least one OCT image is generated at a region of the eye tissue surrounding the calculated intersection, wherein there is no actual contact of the tool tip with the tissue; and
displaying the at least one magnified image of the specified eye tissue with the at least one OCT image associated therewith.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising capturing the at least one OCT image.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the capturing is carried out before or during the eye treatment.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising reiterating the spatial relating during an eye treatment with updated tool tip pointing vectors or consecutive OCT images of the eye tissue.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tracking of the tissue P&O is carried out using at least one of: fiducials placed on captured external parts of the eye, stereoscopic images of the tissue, structured light 3D imaging of the tissue and time of flight 3D imaging of the tissue.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the tracking of the tissue P&O is carried out in infrared.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the eye tissue is a retina of the treated eye or part thereof, and the at least one OCT image is of the retina or the part thereof.

21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising using at least one fiducial marker for the tracking of the tool P&O.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the displaying comprises displaying the at least one OCT image as a cross section of the eye tissue at the intersection.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising calculating and displaying a 3D OCT image, derived from a plurality of the OCT images, of the eye tissue at the intersection.

Assignees

• Elbit Systems Ltd

Inventors

• Schneider Ron
• Zeitouni Avi

Classifications

• A61B3/12

  for looking at the eye fundus, e.g. ophthalmoscopes (A61B3/13 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B2034/2057

  Details of tracking cameras · CPC title

• A61B3/14 Primary

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title

• A61B3/0058

  for multiple images · CPC title

• A61F2009/00863

  Retina · CPC title