Spectral-spatial imaging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025093204-A1
Application number	US-202418778628-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2024
Priority date	Mar 10, 2016
Publication date	Mar 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

In general, an imaging system to synchronously record a spatial image and a spectral image of a portion of the spatial image is described. In some examples, a beam splitter of the imaging system splits an optical beam, obtained from a viewing device, into a first split beam directed by the imaging system to a spatial camera and a second split beam directed by the imaging system to the entrance slit of an imaging spectrograph that is coupled to a spectral camera. An electronic apparatus synchronously triggers the spatial camera and the spectral camera to synchronously record a spatial image and a spectral image, respectively.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
generating a recorded spatial image of a fundus or a part of a fundus of an eye of a subject and a recorded spectral image of the fundus or the part of the fundus of the eye of the subject; mapping a location of a feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus within the recorded spatial image to one or more spectra of the recorded spectral image; and detecting, from the one or more spectra of the recorded spectral image, an indication of a neurological disease of the subject.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded spectral image comprises multiple optical spectra in a defined area of an image of the fundus or the part of the fundus that map to corresponding points in the recorded spatial image to enable assignment of individual optical spectra of the recorded spectral image to the feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus in the recorded spatial image.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising assigning individual optical spectra of the recorded spectral image to the feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus in the recorded spatial image.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurological disease comprises Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or Huntington's disease.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurological disease comprises an amyloid-related neurological disease.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises:
processing the one or more spectra of the recorded spectral image to compute an absorption spectrum; and detecting, based on the absorption spectrum, the indication of the neurological disease of the subject.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the neurological disease comprises one of a retinal disease, ophthalmological condition, or another disease that presents symptoms through a retina.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the recorded spectral image comprises multiple evenly-spaced optical spectra along a first image dimension and a one-dimensional image of the fundus or the part of the fundus along a second image dimension that corresponds to a center horizon of the recorded spatial image.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus comprises one of an optic disc, a retinal area, or a perifovea.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fundus or the part of the fundus has inherent motion not directly under control of a user of a retinal imaging apparatus.

11 . A method comprising:
generating a recorded spectral image of a fundus or a part of a fundus of an eye of a subject, the recorded spectral image comprising multiple optical spectra; generating a recorded spatial image of the fundus or the part of the fundus of the eye of the subject, wherein the multiple optical spectra map to corresponding points in the recorded spatial image; and detecting, from the multiple optical spectra of the recorded spectral image, an indication of a disease of the subject, the disease presenting itself through the fundus or the part of the fundus.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising mapping a location of a feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus within the recorded spatial image to one or more spectra of the recorded spectral image.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising assigning individual optical spectra of the multiple optical spectra of the recorded spectral image to a feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus in the recorded spatial image.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the disease is a neurological disease.

15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the disease comprises Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, or Huntington's disease.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the disease is an amyloid-related neurological disease.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the detecting comprises:
processing the multiple optical spectra of the recorded spectral image to compute an absorption spectrum; and detecting, based on the absorption spectrum, the indication of the disease of the subject.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the recorded spectral image comprises multiple evenly-spaced optical spectra along a first image dimension and a one-dimensional image of the fundus or the part of the fundus along a second image dimension that corresponds to a center horizon of the recorded spatial image.

19 . A method comprising:
generating a recorded spatial image of a fundus or a part of a fundus of an eye of a subject and a recorded spectral image of the fundus or the part of the fundus of the eye of the subject; assigning individual optical spectra of the recorded spectral image to a feature of the fundus or the part of the fundus in the recorded spatial image; and detecting, from the individual optical spectra of the recorded spectral image, an indication of a presence of amyloid formations in the subject.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising diagnosing the subject as having a neurological disease based on the indication of the presence of amyloid formations in the subject.

Assignees

• Univ Minnesota

Inventors

• Vince Robert
• More Swati Sudhakar
• Beach James Melvin

Classifications

• G01J3/027

  Control of working procedures of a spectrometer; Failure detection; Bandwidth calculation · CPC title

• G01J3/0248

  using a sighting port, e.g. camera or human eye · CPC title

• A61B5/4088

  Diagnosing of monitoring cognitive diseases, e.g. Alzheimer, prion diseases or dementia · CPC title

• A61B5/14555

  specially adapted for the eye fundus · CPC title

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title