Signal processing device, OCT device, signal processing method, and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12467736-B2
Application number	US-202318362400-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2023
Priority date	Aug 3, 2022
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A signal processing device includes a controller which acquires an output signal output from a single light receiver that receives a plurality of interference beams in which a light beam that is output from a single light source and traces a sample arm toward a measurement target and a light beam that is output from the light source and traces a reference arm that is different from the sample arm interfere with each other, the plurality of interference beams each having a different wavelength dispersion characteristic difference between the sample arm and the reference arm traced by the light beams interfering with each other; and extracts an extraction signal that is a signal for each of the interference beams on the basis of the output signal acquired and a correction signal obtained by applying wavelength dispersion correction processing to the output signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An optical coherence tomography (OCT) device comprising:
a light source; a light receiver; an optical system configured to form a sample arm that is an optical path in which light output from the light source travels toward a measurement target and travels from the measurement target toward the light receiver, and a reference arm that is an optical path different from the sample arm, the reference arm being an optical path in which light output from the light source travels toward the light receiver, wherein a plurality of interference beams in which a light beam that is output from the light source and traces the sample arm and a light beam that is output from the light source and traces the reference arm interfere with each other, the plurality of interference beams each having a different wavelength dispersion characteristic difference between the sample arm and the reference arm traced by the light beams interfering with each other; and a controller configured to:
acquire an output signal output from the light receiver receiving the plurality of interference beams simultaneously and a correction signal obtained by applying wavelength dispersion correction processing to the output signal, and configured to repeat processing of extracting a maximum peak signal from the output signal and the correction signal and removing a signal corresponding to the peak signal from each of the output signal and the correction signal;
extract a combined signal of the output signal after the peak signal is removed and the peak signal removed from the output signal as an extraction signal indicative of one of a plurality of the interference beams; and
extract a combined signal of the correction signal after the peak signal is removed and the peak signal removed from said correction signal as an extraction signal indicative of the other one of a plurality of the interference beams.

2 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of interference beams are light in which a plurality of light beams tracing a plurality of optical paths that are the reference arm and a light beam tracing the sample arm interfere with each other.

3 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of interference beams are light in which a plurality of light beams tracing a plurality of optical paths that are the sample arm and a light beam tracing the reference arm interfere with each other.

4 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of interference beams are light in which light beams tracing the sample arms that are different from each other and light beams tracing the reference arms that are different from each other interfere with each other.

5 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is configured to acquire the output signal output from the single light receiver that is configured to receive the plurality of interference beams and an interference reference beam in which a light beam tracing a first optical path out of the reference arms and a light beam tracing a second optical path that is different from the first optical path out of the reference arms interfere with each other, the controller is configured to further extract the signal of the interference reference beam on the basis of the output signal and the correction signal, and the controller is further configured to derive a distance corresponding to the frequency of the peak of the signal of the interference reference beam as the difference between an optical path length of the first optical path and an optical path length of the second optical path.

6 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of light beams correspondingly tracing a plurality of optical paths as the sample arms are focused at different positions.

7 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of light beams correspondingly tracing a plurality of optical paths as the sample arms pass through different optical axes to travel toward the measurement target.

8 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller is further configured to cause a display to display a plurality of images generated for each of the interference beams on a basis of the extraction signal extracted for each of the interference beams.

9 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 8 , wherein
the controller is further configured to cause the display to display each of the plurality of images such that the images have a positional relationship in accordance with the positional relationship of a subject of the plurality of images.

10 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 9 , wherein
in a case where there is an overlap in the plurality of images, the controller is configured to cause display the images in an overlapping manner for overlapping portions.

11 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 5 , wherein
the controller is further configured to cause a display to display a plurality of images generated for each of the interference beams on a basis of the extraction signal extracted for each of the interference beams, wherein the controller is configured to cause the display to display the image corresponding to the interference beam including a light beam tracing the first optical path and the image corresponding to the interference beam including a light beam tracing the second optical path, such that the images have a positional relationship in which the images are separated from each other for a distance in accordance with the difference, and in a case where there is an overlap in the plurality of images, display the images in an overlapping manner for overlapping portions.

12 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 3 , wherein
a plurality of light beams correspondingly tracing a plurality of optical paths as the sample arms are focused at different positions.

13 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 3 , wherein
a plurality of light beams correspondingly tracing a plurality of optical paths as the sample arms pass through different optical axes to travel toward the measurement target.

14 . The optical coherence tomography device according to claim 2 , wherein
the controller is further configured to cause a display to display a plurality of images generated for each of the interference beams on a basis of the extraction signal extracted for each of the interference beams.

15 . A signal processing method that is executed by an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device including a light source, a light receiver, and an optical system configured to form a sample arm that is an optical path in which light output from the light source travels toward a measurement target and travels from the measurement target toward the light receiver, and a reference arm that is an optical path different from the sample arm, the reference arm being an optical path in which light output from the light source travels toward the light receiver, the signal processing method comprising:
outputting from the light source a plurality of interference beams in which a light beam that is output from the light source and traces the sample arm and a light beam that is output from the light source and traces the reference arm interfere with each other, the plurality of interference beams each having a different wavele

Assignees

• Tomey Corp

Inventors

• Kamo Takashi

Classifications

• G06T12/10

  Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction · CPC title

• G01B9/02028 Primary

  Two or more reference or object arms in one interferometer · CPC title

• A61B3/102

  for optical coherence tomography [OCT] · CPC title

• G01B2290/20

  Dispersive element for generating dispersion · CPC title

• G06T2211/456

  Optical coherence tomography [OCT] · CPC title