Control of scanning images during vitreoretinal surgery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9560959-B1
Application number	US-201514858701-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 18, 2015
Priority date	Sep 18, 2015
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

Control of scanning images during ophthalmic surgery may be performed with a scanning controller that interfaces to an optical scanner used with a surgical microscope. A scan control device may receive user input, including hands-free user input, for controlling an overlay image of scanning data that is overlaid on optical image data viewed using the surgical microscope. A selected location for optical scanning may also be displayed and controlled using the scanning controller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for performing ophthalmic surgery, the method comprising:
viewing an interior portion of an eye of a patient using a surgical microscope generating an optical image of the interior portion of the eye;
using a user input device, sending a first indication of a selected portion of the interior portion of the eye to a scanning controller coupled to an optical scanner, wherein the scanning controller is enabled to:
receive the first indication from the user input device;
send a command to an optical scanner coupled to the surgical microscope to generate scan data for the selected portion;
receive the scan data from the optical scanner;
based on the scan data, generate an overlay image indicative of the scan data;
generate a display element indicative of the selected portion;
combine the display element and the overlay image with the optical image to generate a display image, wherein the display element is aligned with the selected portion in the optical image; and
cause the surgical microscope to display the display image.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the user input device, sending a second indication of a marker located within the selected portion to the scanning controller, wherein the scanning controller is further enabled to:
receive the second indication from the user input device; and
based on the second indication, add the marker to the display element and to the overlay image.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display image is output to at least one of: an oculus included with the surgical microscope; and an external display for the surgical microscope.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion is a line and the overlay image corresponds to a two-dimensional depth profile along the line.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected portion is an area and the overlay image corresponds to a three-dimensional depth profile over the area.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical scanner is an optical coherence tomography scanner.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input device is a foot-operated device, and the first indication is generated by a movement of the foot-operated device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input device is an audio device, and the first indication is generated with a voice command received using the audio device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input device is a touch-sensitive device, and the first indication is generated by touching the touch-sensitive device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input device is an optical scanning device, and the first indication is generated with a gesture detected by the optical scanning device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the gesture includes motion by at least one of: a hand, a foot, a head, a surgical instrument and an eye.

12. A scanning controller to control scanning images during ophthalmic surgery, the scanning controller enabled to:
receive, from a user input device of a surgical microscope, a first indication of a selected portion of an interior portion of an eye of a patient;
send a command to an optical scanner coupled to the surgical microscope to generate scan data for the selected portion;
receive the scan data from the optical scanner;
based on the scan data, generate an overlay image indicative of the scan data;
generate a display element indicative of the selected portion;
combine the display element and the overlay image with an optical image generated by the surgical microscope to generate a display image, wherein the display element is aligned with the selected portion in the optical image; and
cause the surgical microscope to display the display image.

13. The scanning controller of claim 12 , further enabled to:
receive, from the user input device, a second indication of a marker located within the selected portion; and
based on the second indication, add the marker to the display element and to the overlay image.

14. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the display image is output to at least one of: an oculus included with the surgical microscope; and an external display for the surgical microscope.

15. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the selected portion is a line and the overlay image corresponds to a two-dimensional depth profile along the line.

16. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the selected portion is an area and the overlay image corresponds to a three-dimensional depth profile over the area.

17. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the optical scanner is an optical coherence tomography scanner.

18. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the user input device is a foot-operated device, and the first indication is generated by a movement of the foot-operated device.

19. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the user input device is an audio device, and the first indication is generated with a voice command received using the audio device.

20. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the user input device is a touch-sensitive device, and the first indication is generated by touching the touch-sensitive device.

21. The scanning controller of claim 12 , wherein the user input device is an optical scanning device, and the first indication is generated with a gesture detected by the optical scanning device.

22. The scanning controller of claim 21 , wherein the gesture includes motion by at least one of: a hand, a foot, a head, a surgical instrument and an eye.

Assignees

• Novartis Ag

Inventors

• Hopkins Mark
• Sanchez Robert
• Takakawa Ryan
• Yu Lingfeng
• Ren Hugang

Classifications

• A61F9/007

  Methods or devices for eye surgery · CPC title

• A61B3/0025 Primary

  characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models · CPC title

• A61B3/0058

  for multiple images · CPC title

• A61B3/13 Primary

  Ophthalmic microscopes · CPC title

• A61B3/0033

  characterised by user input arrangements · CPC title