Systems, methods, and computer program products for identifying the presence of conjugates in an image

Abstract

A system for identifying the presence of conjugates in an image is provided that includes one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The system is configured to acquire spectral data associated with a sample to be imaged. A dispersion coefficient is optimized to the acquired spectral data. A correction phase function is calculated using the optimized dispersion coefficient. A negative correction phase function is applied to the signal to provide a resulting image. It is determined whether the resulting image has a deteriorated signal strength or an enhanced signal strength relative to the original image. If it is determined that the resulting image enhances the signal strength, a reference arm offset is calculated. The position of a reference arm of the system is adjusted based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugate image out of view.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 62 / 987,377, filed March 10, 2020, entitled “Method, System, and Apparatus for Detecting Presence of Conjugate Images,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in full.

[0002] The present inventive concepts generally relate to imaging, and more particularly, to optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems. BACKGROUND

[0003] Optical coherence tomography imaging (OCT) uses Fourier processing of optical interferograms to obtain depth-resolved profiles of a sample. This processing produces a mirror image, i.e., a complex conjugate image, which can reduce or can prevent the possibility of accurate visualization of the desired image. Separating the complex conjugate image from the true image without complex hardware or other sources of information can be a significant challenge.

[0004] Traditional methods have been developed to reduce or can eliminate the complex conjugate image. However, these traditional methods often require complex hardware, multiple image acquisitions, complex software processing, and / or prior knowledge of the physical composition of the sample being imaged. Traditional methods are discussed, for example, in U.S. Patent Nos. 8,414,564 and 7,336,366 B2, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth in full. SUMMARY

[0005] Some embodiments of the present inventive concepts provide a system for identifying the presence of a conjugate in an image including one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The system is configured to acquire spectral data associated with a sample to be imaged. A dispersion coefficient is optimized to the acquired spectral data. A correction phase function is calculated using the optimized dispersion coefficient. A negative correction phase function is applied to a signal to provide a resulting image. It is determined whether the resulting image has a degraded signal strength or an enhanced signal strength relative to an original image. If it is determined that the resulting image has an enhanced signal strength, a reference arm offset is calculated. A position of a reference arm of the system is adjusted based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugate image out of view.

[0006] In further embodiments, the degraded signal strength can indicate a non-conjugate signal and the enhanced signal strength can indicate a conjugate signal.

[0007] In further embodiments, the spectral data includes one of: an entire image of the sample, a plurality of A-scans of the sample, data from the plurality of A-scans, and a sub-region of the image including a portion of the data from the plurality of A-scans.

[0008] In some embodiments, the resulting image may be an image generated after applying a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).

[0009] In a further embodiment, the system is further configured to adjust the position of the reference arm manually or automatically.

[0010] In a further embodiment, the system is further configured to calculate the correction phase function using the following equation.

[0011] φ c (k)=c1(kk o ) 2 +c2(kk o ) 3 ,

[0012] Where c1 is the first correction coefficient, c2 is the second correction coefficient, k is the source wavenumber, and k o The source center wavenumber is denoted as .

[0013] In some embodiments, the system is configured to adjust the position of the reference arm by providing feedback to the reference arm that causes the reference arm to move the reference reflector to a position where the upright image is in the view and the conjugate image is hidden.

[0014] In a further embodiment, the system may be an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system.

[0015] In a further embodiment, the system may further include a microscope.

[0016] Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method for identifying the presence of conjugation in an image in a system including one or more processors and one or more storage devices. The method includes acquiring spectral data associated with a sample to be imaged; optimizing the dispersion coefficients of the acquired spectral data; calculating a corrected phase function using the optimized dispersion coefficients; applying the negative corrected phase function to the signal to provide a resulting image; determining whether the resulting image has degraded or enhanced signal strength relative to the original image; if the resulting image is determined to have enhanced signal strength, calculating a reference arm offset; and adjusting the position of a reference arm of the system based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugated image out of view.

[0017] It also provides related computer program products. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a simplified block diagram illustrating a Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) system.

[0019] Figure 2This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal (rear) imaging system.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a block diagram illustrating an example of an OCT corneal (front) imaging system.

[0021] Figure 4A and Figure 4B The figure illustrates, according to an embodiment of the concept of the present invention, the effect of dispersion on the amplitude of the Fourier transform of a real signal on the positive (+f) and negative (-f) frequencies.

[0022] Figure 5A and 5B These are images of upright (orthogonal) and conjugate (inverted) images generated by an FD-OCT imaging system according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 An OCT image of a human cornea with overlapping conjugate is shown, where even showing only the lower half of the image may prevent accurate visualization of the desired upright image.

[0024] Figure 7 and 8 This is a flowchart illustrating conjugate evasion operations according to various embodiments of the concept of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of a data processing system that communicates with an imaging system, which can be used to implement processes according to various embodiments of the concept of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 10 This is a system block diagram based on some embodiments of the inventive concept, including a microscope. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The inventive concept will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the inventive concept are shown. However, the inventive concept may be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0028] Therefore, although the concept of the invention is readily adapted to various modifications and alternatives, specific embodiments thereof are illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the concept of the invention is not limited to the specific forms disclosed, but rather is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the inventive concept as defined in the claims. In the description of the drawings, the same numerals refer to the same elements.

[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the concept of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “this” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that, when used in this specification, the terms “comprising,” “including,” “including,” and / or “comprising” specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Furthermore, when an element is referred to as “responding” or “connected” to another element, it may directly respond to or be connected to the other element, or there may be intermediate elements. Conversely, when an element is referred to as “directly responding” or “directly connected” to another element, there are no intermediate elements. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated to “ / .”

[0030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) shall have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the concepts of this invention pertain. It will be further understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of this specification and the relevant field, and shall not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly defined herein.

[0031] Although some aspects are described in the context of an apparatus, it is clear that these aspects also represent a description of the corresponding method, where a block or device corresponds to a method step or a feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method step also represent a description of a corresponding block or item or feature of the corresponding apparatus.

[0032] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element without departing from the teachings of this disclosure. Although some diagrams include arrows along communication paths to show the main direction of communication, it should be understood that communication may occur in the opposite direction to the arrows depicted.

[0033] This document describes aspects of the disclosure with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a general-purpose computer processor, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing means for production machines, such that instructions executed via a computer's processor or other programmable instruction execution means create mechanisms for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart illustration and / or block diagram blocks. As used herein, "processor" can refer to one or more processors.

[0034] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable medium and, when executed, can instruct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to operate in a particular manner, such that when the instructions are stored in the computer-readable medium, they create an article of art including the instructions, which, when executed, cause the computer to perform the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus, provide processing for implementing the functions / actions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram blocks or blocks.

[0035] While many of the examples discussed herein refer to samples / objects that are eyes, specifically the retina, cornea, anterior segment, and lens of the eye, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to this type of sample. Any type of sample that can be used in conjunction with the embodiments discussed herein may be used without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

[0036] While embodiments of the present invention focus on scanning samples using OCT, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the use of OCT. It should be understood that any method and system for scanning samples may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0037] As used herein, “object” means a person or thing, or a part of a person or thing, that is being imaged. It should be understood that although embodiments of the inventive concept are directed toward the eye as the object as discussed herein, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited to this configuration. An object can be any object, including, for example, veterinary, cadaveric, or human objects, without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

[0038] As discussed above, optical coherence tomography (OCT) uses Fourier processing of optical interferograms to obtain a depth-resolved profile of a sample. This processing inherently results in a mirror image known as a “complex conjugate image,” which may reduce or prevent the accurate visualization of the desired image. Separating the conjugate image from the true image without sophisticated hardware or other sources of information is a significant challenge. Several conventional methods have been developed to reduce or potentially eliminate complex conjugate images. However, these conventional methods typically require sophisticated hardware, multiple image acquisitions, complex software processing, and / or prior knowledge of the physical composition of the imaged sample. Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for reducing the impact of complex conjugate images on arbitrary samples compatible with standard OCT systems.

[0039] Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a method for detecting whether a complex conjugate image exists in a given image, and if so, for moving the complex conjugate out of view by adjusting the position of a reference arm reflector. Traditionally, the presence of a complex conjugate image in an image is difficult to identify. As will be discussed below, complex conjugate images can be detected by processing portions of the original image with different dispersion parameters. If a complex conjugate image is detected, the position of the reference arm of the OCT system is adjusted to move the complex conjugate image out of view and bring the desired upright image into view. The method according to embodiments of the present invention can be implemented using existing OCT systems, thus requiring no modification to existing hardware. Details of the present invention will be provided below. Figures 1 to 10 Let's have a discussion.

[0040] First refer to Figure 1 A simplified block diagram of an example Fourier domain OCT (FD-OCT) imaging system will be discussed. The FD-OCT imaging system uses the principle of low-coherence interferometry to generate three-dimensional (3D) images of the sample. Figure 1 As shown, an FD-OCT system typically includes a light source 100, a detector 130 (detector), a beam splitter 120, a reference arm 110, and a sample arm 140.

[0041] A more detailed block diagram of an FD-OCT system that can be used according to embodiments of the present invention will now be presented. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Discussion. Understandable. Figures 1 to 3 The system described herein is provided for illustrative purposes only, and therefore, embodiments of the present invention should not be limited thereto. Figure 2 This is a block diagram of the FD-OCT retinal imaging system. (Example) Figure 2As shown, the system includes a broadband source 100, a reference arm 110, and sample arms 140 interconnected by a beam splitter 120. For example, the beam splitter 120 can be a fiber optic coupler or a bulk or miniature optical coupler. The beam splitter 120 can provide a beam splitting ratio of approximately 50 / 50 to approximately 90 / 10. Figure 2 As further shown, the beam splitter 120 is also coupled to a detection module 130 that samples wavelength or frequency on a detection path 106 that can be provided by optical fiber.

[0042] like Figure 2 As further shown, source 100 is coupled to beam splitter 120 via source path 105. For example, source 100 may be a continuous-wave broadband superluminescent diode, a pulsed broadband source, or a tunable source. Reference arm 110 is coupled to beam splitter 120 via reference arm path 107. Similarly, sample arm 140 is coupled to beam splitter 120 via sample arm path 108. Source path 105, reference arm path 107, and sample arm path 108 may all be provided by optical fiber or a combination of optical fiber, free space, and block or micro-optical elements.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the reference arm of the FD-OCT retinal imaging system may include a collimator assembly 180, a variable attenuator 181 which may include a neutral density filter or a variable aperture, a mirror assembly 182, a reference arm variable path adjuster 183, and a path length matching position 150, i.e., optical path length matching between the reference arm path length and the sample arm path length to the region of interest. Further shown, the sample arm 140 may include a dual-axis scanner assembly 190 and an objective lens with a variable focus 191.

[0044] Figure 2 The sample shown is an eye, including the cornea 195, iris / pupil 194, lens 193, and retina 196. An illustration of the FD-OCT imaging window 170 is shown near the retina 196. The retinal imaging system relies on the objective lens plus the optics of the subject eye, particularly the cornea 195 and lens 193, to image the posterior structures of the eye. As further shown, the region of interest 170 within the subject is selected by coordinating the focal position 196 and the reference arm path length adjustment 183, such that the path length matching position 197 within the subject is at the desired location.

[0045] Now for reference Figure 3 This section will discuss and illustrate the block diagram of the FD-OCT corneal (anterior) imaging system. As shown in the figure, Figure 3 The system and Figure 3 The systems are very similar. However, objective zoom is not necessarily included, nor is it included in... Figure 3 middle. Figure 3The front imaging system images the front structure directly, without relying on the object's optical system to focus on the front structure.

[0046] OCT processing requires a Fourier transform, also known as an A-scan, of the real-valued spectral interferogram signal. This produces a transformed signal containing both positive and negative frequency components of the mirror image. These components correspond to the positive or negative displacement of the optical path length between the sample reflector and the reference reflector, such as... Figure 4A and 4B As shown. OCT systems often suffer from optics mismatch between the sample arm and the reference arm. This optical mismatch can also be caused by the type of sample being imaged. These differences can lead to an effect called "dispersion," resulting in noticeably blurred images. Dispersion effects can be compensated for using numerical correction, which involves applying second- and third-order phase terms (or higher) to the obtained interference spectrum. Doing so is similar to... Figure 4B Compared to the conjugate signal shown, the signal in the upright image is enhanced. The conjugate signal can be corrected by applying the same numerical correction, but with the opposite sign, which will result in blurring of the upright signal.

[0047] Figure 4A The Fourier transform of a real signal affected by dispersion is shown to produce mirror-image blurred peaks at positive and negative frequencies +f and -f. Correcting for dispersion results in a peak at the positive frequency ( Figure 4B The +f) becomes sharper, while the negative frequency peak ( Figure 4B The complex conjugate image -f) in the image becomes wider in width, and... Figure 4A The height decreases with the -f peak value. Alternatively, correcting for dispersion in negative frequencies will cause the positive frequency signal to widen. A two-dimensional OCT image, called a B-scan, consists of multiple A-scans. When viewing an OCT image, typically only the signal range corresponding to one side of the frequency, i.e., the positive or negative frequency, is viewed, while the remaining or opposite frequencies (complex conjugate signals) are usually cropped from the view. Figure 5A The image shown is the upright image (normal image) and its corresponding conjugate image (inverted image). Figure 5B Two images after dispersion correction are specifically shown. In particular, Figure 5A and 5B An example of an OCT image of a human cornea is shown, illustrating the image before and after dispersion correction. Figure 5B The upright and conjugate images after dispersion correction Figure 5A As can be clearly seen from the images, after dispersion correction, the orthogonal image is sharper, while the conjugate image remains blurry. Typically, this is achieved by simply cropping the upper half of the image to display only the orthogonal image, i.e., only showing... Figure 5B The bottom.

[0048] During imaging, components may shift from one side to the other due to movement of the sample or reference arm reflector. For example... Figure 6 As shown, when this occurs, the component from the complex conjugate signal (top signal A) may overlap with the desired vertical signal component (bottom signal B) (overlapping at C), thus providing an inaccurate sample image. When the two signals A and B overlap at C, as... Figure 6 As shown, the imaging range of an OCT system can be limited because the complex conjugate occupies half the range, and the viewing area is restricted to avoid showing the conjugate image. Without significant changes and additions to the OCT system, there is no simple method to clearly distinguish between complex conjugate signals and positive signals.

[0049] Traditional techniques have been developed to suppress or eliminate complex conjugate artifacts. However, these methods require more sophisticated hardware and the acquisition of multiple images to generate a single complex conjugate free image. These traditional techniques may also increase costs, require longer imaging times, and may be more difficult to use for patient imaging due to motion artifacts and stability issues.

[0050] Therefore, some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for determining the presence of complex conjugate signals within a given image and reducing the likelihood that their presence will blur the desired OCT image. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of a method according to various embodiments of the concept of the present invention. For example... Figure 7 As shown, the operation begins at block 705 by acquiring the raw spectral interferometry data associated with the sample to be imaged using the OCT imaging system. For example, Figure 2 and 3The imaging system shown. Once the spectral data is acquired, it can be processed in two different ways, serially or in parallel. Specifically, the spectral data can be processed with optimized dispersion correction (block 710), and it can be processed with conjugate dispersion correction (block 715). First, the dispersion coefficients are optimized for a reference upright image. The conjugate dispersion coefficients have the opposite sign to the optimized coefficients. After performing a Fourier transform between the resulting image using the optimized dispersion coefficients and the result using the conjugate dispersion coefficients, only one of the positive or negative frequency components is compared (blocks 720 and 725). The presence of conjugate is determined (block 730). Specifically, if the image produced by the oppositely signed dispersion coefficients (conjugate) has a stronger signal (block 730), the original image can be marked as containing a component from the conjugate image (block 740). If the image contains a component from the conjugate (block 730), the reference arm can be offset (block 750) in response to the presence of the conjugate image to remove the conjugate image from the view. For example, the feedback system of the reference arm can offset the reference reflector to a position where the upright image is in the view and the conjugate image is hidden. On the other hand, if it is determined that no conjugate exists (block 735), the reference arm can remain stationary (block 745) because adjustment may not be necessary. It should be understood that, according to Figure 7 The method shown may not require additional hardware beyond a basic OCT instrument and can quickly manipulate real-time data to actively keep conjugate images out of view.

[0051] A more detailed description of the method according to embodiments of the concept of the present invention will follow. In OCT, a reflective sample target closely matched with the optical path of the reference arm generates an interference pattern at the detector, the cross-correlation terms of which have the following form:

[0052]

[0053] Where s(k) is the interference term of interest in the acquired spectral signal, a function of the source wavenumber k, and ρ(k) is the source spectral density; r R (k) is the reflectivity of the reference reflector; r S (k) is the reflectivity of the sample reflector, n is the refractive index of the sample target; ΔZS is the optical path difference between the sample and the reference reflector; and The phase shift is caused by dispersion. Having multiple reflectors in the sample will result in the sum of equation (1) over the interference signal generated from each reflector.

[0054] Phase Term The dispersion broadening effect is responsible for reducing the axial resolution of OCT images. Rewriting equation (1) using Euler's formula yields:

[0055]

[0056] A Fourier transform of the real-valued signal yields a signal with a mirror displacement at the zero-frequency position, as can be seen from the exponential conjugate pair in equation (2). Correction phase function It can have the following forms:

[0057] φ c (k)=c1(kk o ) 2 +c2(kk o ) 3 Equation (3)

[0058] Where c1 and c2 are correction coefficients, and k o It is the source center wavenumber. The correction coefficient can be determined such that φ... c (k)≈φ d (k) and iterative numerical optimization can be used to empirically compute the corrected phase function for a given target sample. It should be understood that equation (3) shows an embodiment of the corrected phase function, but the embodiments discussed herein are not limited thereto. The corrected phase function can be any polynomial with different coefficients.

[0059] Applying equation (3) to correct the dispersion in equation (2), we get:

[0060]

[0061] Therefore, if φ c (k)≈φ d (k), then the result is:

[0062]

[0063] As can be seen, the dispersive phase factor is essentially eliminated in one term (the positive frequency term in this example), while the conjugate term (the negative frequency term) is affected by twice the amount of dispersion. Typically, when displaying OCT images, only the positive or negative frequencies after the Fourier transform are visible, thus the bidispersive signal is not apparent. However, for samples with a large depth range or dynamically moving samples, the conjugate image may have components that appear and become visible across the zero-frequency line, blocking or hindering the visualization of the desired sample. Traditionally, there is no way to distinguish whether the content of an image originates from the positive or conjugate components of the signal.

[0064] Complex methods can be used to eliminate or suppress conjugate terms, but these are difficult to implement in practice. Some embodiments of the present invention use the methods and systems discussed herein to ensure that conjugate terms remain outside the desired visible frequency. In particular, it can be seen from equation (4) that if the phase function is corrected... Using the opposite sign for the factor, the negative frequency term will no longer be affected by the dispersive phase, while the positive frequency term will be doubly affected. From Figure 4Aand 4B It can be seen that the dispersion result is a broadening of the signal peak and a reduction in signal intensity after the Fourier transform. This is achieved by using the negative correction phase function... When applied to signals, the Fourier transform of the resulting image will reduce the signal strength if it is a positive frequency signal, and increase the signal strength if it is a conjugate signal. This allows for the detection of whether a signal in the current view is an upright image or a conjugate image. If a conjugate image is detected, the reference arm position can be adjusted to move the conjugate image out of the view.

[0065] Given that the signal from the target of interest appears at positive frequencies after the FFT of the spectral interferogram, the discussion will determine... The steps involve detecting conjugates. As shown therein, the method for determining the corrected phase function begins at block 800, using an optimization algorithm such as Nelder-Mead or other similar methods to determine the corrected phase function at the positive frequency. Use metrics to measure image quality, such as average or peak signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) or image sharpness, and adjust coefficients c1 and c2 (Equation (3)) until optimization finds the image with the best quality. For example:

[0066]

[0067]

[0068] Where FFT stands for Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). This represents the domain transformation resulting from the Fourier transform. At positive frequencies (z>0), the optimal dispersion correction coefficients c1 and c2 produce the OCT image with the strongest image quality function M, which is based on... The magnitude of M. M can be any suitable image quality metric. Once the coefficients c1 and c2 for a given sample are determined, they generally do not need to be recalculated unless the sample or optical medium changes.

[0069] For each acquired image, in addition to applying as in equation (4) In addition, it also uses Execute separate parallel processing routines. Specifically:

[0070]

[0071]

[0072] in Is using The result of the FFT, Is using The result of the FFT. Using The generated intensity image and the image quality measured using the above-mentioned image quality metrics The generated images are compared. If using... If the image quality index decreases, it can be inferred that an upright image exists. If using The image quality metric improved, indicating that the conjugate image was in the view and that the reference arm needed to be moved to bring the upright image back into the view and remove the conjugate image from the view. Specifically:

[0073]

[0074] Where C is a Boolean function describing whether the image of S(z) has a significant conjugate signal. In some embodiments, this processing can be performed on a subset of the image, i.e., a subset of A scans from a given frame, to reduce computation time.

[0075] Furthermore, for samples with a large depth range, such as the anterior segment of the eye, portions of the conjugate image may be visible alongside portions of the upright image. In these embodiments, a window range on z can be defined to analyze the presence of conjugate signals in specific portions of the image.

[0076] If conjugation is detected, the reference arm position can be adjusted to move the conjugate image out of view and keep it in the view of the upright image. Decision logic, such as a threshold, can be used to determine whether the reference arm should be moved based on the degree of difference between the metrics calculated for the positive and negative dispersion-corrected images. Further calculations can be performed to determine the location of the conjugate and the corresponding distance the reference arm needs to be moved for proper adjustment. Methods such as centroid calculation can derive the position of the entire signal within the frame and estimate how far the reference arm needs to be moved to move the conjugate image out of view. Other methods involving machine learning techniques can also be used to detect the presence of a sample target, or even to detect specific features within a sample, such as the cornea or lens in the anterior segment of the eye.

[0077] Some embodiments of the present invention provide access to different sub-regions or sub-samples of an image to more specifically determine which parts of the image contain conjugate artifacts and speed up processing time. The extent to which the conjugate image occupies each sub-region can be evaluated to determine whether the reference arm must be offset. In some embodiments, the conjugate artifact can directly overlap with the signal of interest. In these embodiments, the application of either the original or conjugate dispersion parameters can produce similar signals. This result can also provide information about conjugate overlap and image regions that may require offset. In some embodiments, additional dispersive elements can be introduced into the optical hardware subsystem to induce a greater dispersion effect, thereby enhancing the difference between the conjugate and upright images.

[0078] It should be understood that if adjustment of the reference arm is necessary, this adjustment can be made manually or automatically without departing from the scope of the inventive concept. In other words, some embodiments of the inventive concept involve automatically adjusting the position of the reference arm such that only the desired image is in the view.

[0079] While specific examples of identifying the presence of conjugated images have been discussed above, embodiments of the inventive concept are not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments, other signal properties may be used to distinguish conjugated components. In further embodiments, an image may be compared with a reference image to determine the presence of conjugation.

[0080] Now for reference Figure 8 The flowchart, according to some embodiments of the concept of the present invention, describes the operation for identifying the presence of conjugation in an image. As shown, the operation begins at block 800 by acquiring spectral data associated with the sample to be imaged. An OCT imaging system can be used, for example, in some embodiments... Figure 1 and 2 The system shown is used to acquire spectral data. The dispersion coefficients of the acquired spectral data can be optimized according to the method discussed above (block 810). As mentioned earlier, once the coefficients c1 and c2 for a given sample are determined, they generally do not need to be recalculated unless the sample or optical medium changes. The corrected phase function is calculated using the optimized dispersion coefficients (block 820). For example, the corrected phase function can be calculated using equation (3) described above. The negative corrected phase function can be applied to the signal to provide the resulting image (block 830). It is determined whether the signal strength of the resulting image relative to the original image (block 840) has degraded or enhanced signal strength. If it is determined that the resulting image has degraded signal strength (block 840), it can be concluded that a non-conjugate image (positive image) exists, and then the operation continues to the end because no adjustment of the reference arm is required.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined that the resulting image has enhanced signal strength (block 840), a "reference arm offset" is calculated (block 850). As used herein, "reference arm offset" refers to a representation of how much the reference arm should be adjusted when the signal is determined to be enhanced; therefore, a conjugate image exists. The position of the system's reference arm is adjusted based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugate image out of view (block 860). This adjustment can be performed manually or automatically in response to the detection of the conjugate signal without departing from the scope of the inventive concept.

[0082] Therefore, a degraded signal strength indicates a non-conjugate signal (orthogonal), while an increased signal strength indicates a conjugate signal. Thus, when a conjugate signal is present, the reference arm is adjusted to move the conjugate signal out of view. Therefore, feedback can be provided to the reference arm to cause it to move the reference reflector to a position where the orthogonal image is in view and the conjugate image is hidden.

[0083] It is understood that in some embodiments, it may not be necessary to determine the presence of a conjugate signal using the entire image. Therefore, in some embodiments, the determination in block 840 can be performed using multiple A-scans of a sample that is less than the entire image. Alternatively, the entire image of the sample, multiple A-scans of the sample, data from multiple A-scans, or a sub-region of an image that includes a portion of data from multiple A-scans can also be used.

[0084] As can be clearly seen from the above discussion of embodiments of the inventive concept, many of the methods discussed herein require processing provided by a computing device. Now refer to... Figure 9 , will refer to Figure 9 This discussion focuses on example embodiments of a data processing system 930 that communicates with an imaging system 985 configured according to embodiments of the present invention. As will be understood, the data processing system may include, for example... Figure 2 and 3 In the imaging system of 985, or it could be with Figure 2 and 3 The data processing system 930 is a separate device for system communication without departing from the scope of the present invention. As further shown, the data processing system 930 communicates with the display 988 to display images and with a correction module 987 to implement operations according to the above embodiments. The data processing system 930 may include a user interface 944, including, for example, input devices such as a keyboard or keypad, a display, a speaker and / or microphone that communicate with the processor 938, and a memory 936. The data processing system 930 may further include an I / O data port 946 that also communicates with the processor 938. The I / O data port 946 can be used to transmit information between the data processing system 930 and another computer system or network, for example, using an Internet Protocol (IP) connection. These components may be conventional components, such as those used in many conventional data processing systems, which may be configured to operate as described herein.

[0085] Some embodiments of the present invention relate to a microscope, which includes a combination of appendages Figures 1 to 9 One or more of the systems described herein. Alternatively, a microscope may be a combination of one or more... Figures 1 to 9 It is a part of the system described or connected to the system. Figure 10A schematic diagram of system 1000 is shown, configured to perform the methods described herein. System 1000 includes a microscope 1010 and a computer system 1020. Microscope 1010 is configured to capture images and is connected to computer system 1020. Computer system 1020 is configured to perform at least a portion of the methods described herein. Computer system 1020 may be configured to execute machine learning algorithms. Computer system 1020 and microscope 1010 may be separate entities, but may also be integrated together in a common enclosure. Computer system 1020 may be part of the central processing system of microscope 1010 and / or computer system 1020 may be part of a sub-component of microscope 1010, such as a sensor, actuator, camera, or illumination unit of microscope 1010.

[0086] Computer system 1020 can be a local computer device (e.g., a personal computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone) having one or more processors and one or more storage devices, or a distributed computer system (e.g., a cloud computing system having one or more processors and one or more storage devices distributed in different locations, such as local clients and / or one or more remote server farms and / or data centers). Computer system 1020 can include any circuit or combination of circuits. In one embodiment, computer systems 1-20 can include one or more processors that can be of any type. Here, a processor may refer to any type of computing circuitry, such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, microcontroller, complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, simplified instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, graphics processor, digital signal processor (DSP), multi-core processor, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), for example, a microscope or microscope component (e.g., a camera), or any other type of processor or processing circuitry. Other types of circuitry that may be included in computer system X20 may be custom circuitry, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), or similar circuitry, such as, for example, one or more circuits (e.g., communication circuitry) for wireless devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, two-way radios, and similar electronic systems. Computer system 1020 may include one or more storage devices, which may include one or more storage elements suitable for a particular application, such as main memory in the form of random access memory (RAM), one or more hard disk drives, and / or one or more drives that process removable media such as optical discs (CDs), flash memory cards, digital video discs (DVDs), etc. Computer system 1020 may also include a display device, one or more speakers, and a keyboard and / or controller, which may include a mouse, trackball, touchscreen, voice recognition device, or any other device that allows system users to input and receive information from computer system 1020.

[0087] Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) hardware devices, such as processors, microprocessors, programmable computers, or electronic circuits. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such devices.

[0088] Depending on specific implementation requirements, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in hardware or software. Implementation can be performed using non-transitory storage media, such as digital storage media like floppy disks, DVDs, Blu-ray discs, CDs, ROMs, PROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, or FLASH memories, storing electronically readable control signals that cooperate (or are capable of cooperating with) a programmable computer system to execute the corresponding methods. Therefore, the digital storage medium can be computer-readable.

[0089] Some embodiments of the concept according to the invention include a data carrier having electronically readable control signals, which is capable of cooperating with a programmable computer system to perform one of the methods described herein.

[0090] Generally, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented as a computer program product having program code that, when run on a computer, performs one of the methods. For example, the program code can be stored on a machine-readable medium.

[0091] Other embodiments include a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein, the program being stored on a machine-readable medium.

[0092] In other words, therefore, an embodiment of the concept of the present invention is a computer program having program code for performing one of the methods described herein when the computer program is run on a computer.

[0093] Therefore, a further embodiment of the inventive concept is a storage medium (or data carrier, or computer-readable medium) comprising a computer program stored thereon for executing one of the methods described herein by a processor. Data carriers, digital storage media, or recording media are typically tangible and / or non-transparent. A further embodiment of the inventive concept is an apparatus described herein comprising a processor and a storage medium.

[0094] Therefore, a further embodiment of the inventive concept represents a data stream or signal sequence for performing one of the methods described herein. For example, the data stream or signal sequence can be configured to be transmitted via a data communication connection, such as via the Internet.

[0095] Further embodiments include processing means, such as a computer or programmable logic device configured or adapted to perform one of the methods described herein.

[0096] Further embodiments include a computer on which a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein is installed.

[0097] Further embodiments of the concept according to the invention include means or systems configured to transmit (e.g., electronically or optically) a computer program for performing one of the methods described herein to a receiver. For example, the receiver may be a computer, mobile device, storage device, or similar device. For example, the means or system may include a file server for transmitting the computer program to the receiver.

[0098] In some embodiments, programmable logic devices (e.g., field-programmable gate arrays) may be used to perform some or all of the functions of the methods described herein. In some embodiments, the field-programmable gate array may cooperate with a microprocessor to perform one of the methods described herein. Generally, these methods are preferably performed by any hardware device.

[0099] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the structure, function, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various aspects of this disclosure. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing a specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may appear in the order indicated in the diagram. For example, two blocks shown consecutively may actually be executed in parallel, or these blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. Furthermore, it should be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowcharts, may be implemented by a system based on special-purpose hardware that performs the specified function or behavior, or by a combination of special-purpose hardware and computer instructions.

[0100] The description in this disclosure has been presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the form of disclosure disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. The aspects of this disclosure have been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical applications of this disclosure, and to enable others skilled in the art to understand this disclosure with various modifications suitable for the particular intended use.

Claims

1. A system comprising one or more processors and one or more storage devices for recognizing the presence of conjugations in an image, wherein the system is configured to: Acquire spectral data associated with the sample to be imaged; Optimize the dispersion coefficient of the acquired spectral data; The corrected phase function is calculated using the optimized dispersion coefficient; Apply a negative correction phase function to the signal to provide a resulting image; Determine whether the resulting image has degraded or enhanced signal strength compared to the original image; If the resulting image is determined to have enhanced signal strength, calculate the reference arm offset; as well as The position of the reference arm of the system is adjusted based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugate image out of the view.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the degraded signal strength represents a non-conjugate signal and the enhanced signal strength represents a conjugate signal.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the spectral data comprises one of: a whole image of the sample, a plurality of A-scans of the sample, data from the plurality of A-scans, and a sub-region of the image including a portion of the data from the plurality of A-scans.

4. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resulting image is an image generated after applying a Fourier transform.

5. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system is further configured to manually or automatically adjust the position of the reference arm.

6. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the system is further configured to calculate the correction phase function using the following equation. : ， Where c1 is the first correction coefficient, c2 is the second correction coefficient, k is the source wavenumber, and k o The source center wavenumber is denoted as .

7. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The system is configured to adjust the position of the reference arm by providing feedback to the reference arm that causes the reference arm to move the reference reflector to a position where the upright image is in the view and the conjugate image is hidden.

8. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system comprises an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system.

9. The system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the system further comprises a microscope.

10. A method for identifying the presence of conjugation in an image in a system including one or more processors and one or more storage devices, the method comprising: Acquire spectral data associated with the sample to be imaged; Optimize the dispersion coefficient of the acquired spectral data; The corrected phase function is calculated using the optimized dispersion coefficient; Apply a negative correction phase function to the signal to provide a resulting image; Determine whether the resulting image has degraded or enhanced signal strength compared to the original image; If the resulting image is determined to have enhanced signal strength, calculate the reference arm offset; as well as The position of the reference arm of the system is adjusted based on the calculated reference arm offset to move the conjugate image out of the view.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the degraded signal strength represents a non-conjugate signal and the enhanced signal strength represents a conjugate signal.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein acquiring the spectrum comprises acquiring one of: an entire image of the sample, multiple A-scans of the sample, data from the multiple A-scans, and a sub-region of the image including a portion of the data from the multiple A-scans.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of A-scans comprise less than the entire original image.

14. The method of claim 10 or 11, further comprising obtaining the resulting image by applying a Fourier transform.

15. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the adjustment further comprises adjusting the position of the reference arm in one of a manual or automatic manner.

16. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein calculating the corrected phase function further comprises calculating the corrected phase function using the following equation. : ， Where c1 is the first correction coefficient, c2 is the second correction coefficient, k is the source wavenumber, and k o The source center wavenumber is denoted as .

17. The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein, Adjusting the position of the reference arm further includes providing feedback to the reference arm that causes it to move the reference reflector to a position where the upright image is in view and the conjugate image is hidden.

18. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein acquiring spectral data comprises using an optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging system to acquire spectral data.

19. A computer program product having program code, the program code being used to perform the method according to any one of claims 10-18 when the computer program is run on a processor.

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