Ophthalmologic image-capturing apparatus and ophthalmologic image-capturing program

Abstract

To attain appropriate comparison even in a case of acquiring OCT data with a scanning pattern different from that in a past inspection.SOLUTION: An ophthalmologic image-capturing apparatus comprises: three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means which scans a subject eye with measurement light and receives interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; inspection information acquisition means which acquires information on OCT data in a past inspection; and data acquisition area setting means which sets an acquisition area of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means. In a case where a scanning pattern at the time when the inspection information acquisition means acquires the OCT data in the past inspection is different from a scanning pattern for acquiring the three-dimensional volume OCT data, the data acquisition area setting means sets a data acquisition area including the scanning pattern of the OCT data in the past inspection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ophthalmic imaging apparatus and an ophthalmic imaging program that use optical coherence tomography (OCT) that utilizes interference caused by coherent light. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, OCT imaging devices that use interference from coherent light to obtain tomographic images have been put into practical use. These OCT imaging devices can obtain 3D OCT images with a resolution equivalent to the wavelength of the light incident on the object being examined, making it possible to obtain high-resolution tomographic images of the object being examined.

[0003] OCT imaging devices are particularly useful as ophthalmic devices for obtaining tomographic images of the retina located at the fundus of the eye. With such ophthalmic devices, it is sometimes necessary to correlate and compare past examination data with current examination data during follow-up examinations (progression observations).

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for associating first test data with second test data using information on the subject's eye, the date of photography, device information, and the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-13210 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 for associating first test data with second test data assumes that the data is acquired using the same scanning pattern as in the previous test, and it is difficult to make a correct comparison if the data is acquired using a different scanning pattern.

[0007] The present invention aims to provide an ophthalmic imaging device and an ophthalmic imaging program that enable appropriate comparison even when OCT data is acquired using a scanning pattern different from that used in previous examinations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first embodiment of the present invention includes a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition unit that scans a subject's eye with measurement light, receives interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light, and acquires three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition means for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting means for setting an acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; An ophthalmic imaging apparatus having When the scan pattern acquired by the examination information acquisition means for acquiring OCT data of a past examination is different from the scan pattern for acquiring three-dimensional volume OCT data, The data acquisition area setting means The ophthalmologic imaging device sets a data acquisition region that includes the scanning pattern of the OCT data of the past examination.

[0009] A second embodiment of the present invention provides a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition unit that scans a subject's eye with measurement light, receives interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light, and acquires three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition means for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; An ophthalmic imaging apparatus having The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus has a determination means for determining whether or not the acquisition area of ​​the three-dimensional volume OCT data newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means includes the acquisition area of ​​the OCT data of the previous examination.

[0010] A third embodiment of the present invention provides a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition unit that scans a subject's eye with measurement light, receives interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light, and acquires three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition means for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting means for setting an acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; a front image acquiring means for sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; a display control means; and an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus having: The display control means displays the front image of the subject's eye sequentially acquired by the front image acquisition means, and also superimposes on the sequentially acquired front image of the subject's eye a first index indicating the acquisition area for the 3D volume OCT data to be acquired and a second index indicating the scanning pattern of the OCT data from a past examination.

[0011] In addition, a fourth embodiment of the present invention includes a step of acquiring three-dimensional volume OCT data by scanning a subject's eye with measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition step for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting step for setting an acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; An ophthalmic photography program comprising: When the scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data of the past examination acquired in the examination information acquisition step is a scanning pattern different from the scanning pattern used to acquire the three-dimensional volume OCT data, The data acquisition region setting step includes: The ophthalmologic imaging program includes a step of setting a data acquisition region that includes a scanning pattern of the OCT data of the past examination.

[0012] In addition, a fifth embodiment of the present invention is a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step of scanning the subject's eye with measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition step for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; An ophthalmic photography program comprising: The ophthalmologic imaging program includes a step of determining whether or not an acquisition region of newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data includes an acquisition region of the OCT data of the previous examination.

[0013] In addition, a sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a three-dimensional volume OCT data step of scanning a subject's eye with measurement light, receiving interference light between the measurement light and reference light associated with the measurement light, and acquiring three-dimensional volume OCT data; an examination information acquisition step for acquiring information about OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting step for setting an acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be newly acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; a front image acquiring step of sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; An ophthalmic photography program comprising: In the data acquisition area setting step, the ophthalmologic photography program displays sequentially acquired front images of the subject's eye, and also superimposes on the sequentially acquired front images of the subject's eye a first index indicating the acquisition area for the 3D volume OCT data to be acquired and a second index indicating the scanning pattern of OCT data from a past examination. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately compare acquired three-dimensional OCT data with OCT data acquired in a previous examination. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1]1A and 1B are schematic diagrams showing an example of the configuration of an OCT imaging device, and 1C is a schematic diagram showing an example of a control unit. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1A is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between a front image and a scanning pattern in a past inspection in Example 1. FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between a front preview image and a scanning pattern in a current inspection in Example 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a screen displayed on a display unit according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the steps of Example 3. [Figure 7] 10A is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the scan pattern in a past examination and the acquisition area of ​​newly acquired 3D volume OCT data in Example 3 and Modification Example 1. FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram showing an aspect in which the acquisition area of ​​newly acquired 3D OCT data is set larger than the scan pattern in the past examination by a predetermined margin width. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating steps according to Example 3 and Modification Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Exemplary embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of components used in the following description are arbitrary and can be changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the present invention is applied or various conditions. In addition, the same reference numerals are used between the drawings to indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

[0017] <Device configuration> An example of an ophthalmologic imaging apparatus according to this embodiment will be described.

[0018] 1(a), the ophthalmologic imaging apparatus of this embodiment includes an OCT imaging unit 1, a personal computer 102, a display unit 103, and an operation unit 104, and the personal computer 102 is connected to the OCT imaging unit 1. The personal computer 102 also includes a storage unit 101 and a control unit 105.

[0019] The CPU built into the control unit 105 reads a program stored in the memory unit 101, such as a hard disk, to generate an image, and also performs functions such as processing image data imported from the memory unit 101 and generating a screen to be displayed by the display unit 103, and also controls the OCT imaging unit 1, including controlling the stage unit 111.

[0020] 1(c), the control unit 105 includes a data acquisition unit 1a, an optical system control unit 1b, a front image acquisition unit 1c, a positional deviation calculation unit 1d, a data acquisition region setting unit 1e, an image generation unit 1f, a display control unit 1g, etc. The control unit 105 may also include a determination unit that determines whether or not the scan pattern of OCT data acquired in a previous examination is included in the acquisition region of the newly set three-dimensional volume OCT data (details will be described later in Example 3).

[0021] The OCT imaging unit 1 is composed of an optical head 110, which is a measurement optical system for acquiring anterior segment images, frontal images of the fundus, and tomographic images, a stage unit 111 that drives it up, down, left, and right using a motor or the like, a base unit 112 that incorporates a spectrometer, etc., and a chin rest 113 that fixes the subject's chin and forehead.

[0022] 1(b), the optical configuration of the OCT imaging section 1 will be described. The OCT imaging section 1 includes an imaging optical system 10 and a spectroscope 20.

[0023] The imaging optical system 10 is composed of a measurement optical system for capturing front images and tomographic images of the anterior eye Ea of the subject's eye E and the fundus Er of the subject's eye. An objective lens 101-1 is installed facing the subject's eye E, and the optical paths are separated by a first dichroic mirror 102 and a second dichroic mirror 103 provided behind the objective lens 101-1 on the optical axis, and an anterior eye observation optical path L1, a fundus observation and fixation target optical path L2, and an OCT optical system measurement optical path L3 are formed for each wavelength band.

[0024] A lens 141 and an imaging element 142 for anterior eye observation, which has sensitivity to the wavelength of irradiation light for anterior eye observation (not shown), specifically, around 970 nm, are arranged on the anterior eye observation optical path L1.

[0025] In the fundus observation and fixation lamp optical path L2, a relay lens 101-2 is disposed, and further behind it at a position conjugate with the pupil of the subject's eye, an X scanner 117-1 (for the main scanning direction) and a Y scanner 117-2 (for the sub-scanning direction intersecting the main scanning direction) are disposed for scanning light emitted from an illumination light source for fundus observation (not shown) over the fundus Er of the subject's eye E. Behind this, a focus lens 111 and a lens 112 are disposed, and a third dichroic mirror 118 separates the light into optical paths for each wavelength band to an APD (avalanche photodiode) 115 for fundus observation and a fixation lamp 116. The focus lens 111 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) for focus adjustment for the fixation lamp and fundus observation, and is capable of focusing (focus adjustment) between an aperture placed in front of the APD (avalanche photodiode) 115 for fundus observation and the fixation lamp 116 and the fundus of the subject's eye. The APD 115 is a light-receiving element for detecting light scattered and reflected back from the fundus Er, and is sensitive to the wavelength of the SLO light source (not shown), specifically, around 780 nm. The SLO light source (not shown) and the APD 115 are typically arranged in a manner that separates the light emitted from the light source and the light returned from the fundus Er using a perforated mirror (not shown) or a prism with a hollow mirror deposited thereon. Meanwhile, the fixation lamp 116 emits visible light and is used to generate a fixation target to encourage the subject to fixate their eyes.

[0026] As described above, the OCT optical system measurement light path L3 constitutes an OCT optical system and is used to capture a tomographic image of the fundus Er of the subject's eye. Specifically, it is used to obtain an interference signal for forming a tomographic image. The OCT optical system measurement light path L3 includes a lens 101-3, a mirror 121, and an X scanner 122-1 and a Y scanner 122-2, which function as scanning optical systems to scan the fundus Er of the subject's eye E with light. The X scanner 122-1 and the Y scanner 122-2 are positioned so that the focal position of the lens 101-3 is near their centers. Furthermore, the focal position of the X scanner 122-1 and the Y scanner 122-2 are optically conjugate with the pupil of the subject's eye E. The measurement light source 130 is a super luminescent diode (SLD), a low-coherence light source for illuminating measurement light into the measurement light path. The center wavelength is 855 nm, and the wavelength bandwidth is approximately 100 nm. The bandwidth is an important parameter because it affects the resolution of the resulting tomographic image in the optical axis direction. Although an SLD is selected as the light source here, any light source capable of emitting low-coherence light may be used, such as an ASE (Amplified Spontaneous Emission). Considering that the central wavelength is to be measured on the eye, near-infrared light is suitable. Furthermore, since the central wavelength affects the lateral resolution of the resulting tomographic image, it is desirable for the wavelength to be as short as possible. Reference numerals 123 and 124 denote lenses, and lens 123 is driven by a drive motor (not shown) for focus adjustment.

[0027] Next, we will explain the optical path from the measurement light source 130, the reference optical system, and the spectrometer 20. A Michelson interferometer is made up of the measurement light source 130, optical coupler 125, optical fibers 125-1 to 125-4, lens 151, dispersion compensation glass 152, reference mirror 153, and spectrometer 20. The optical fibers 125-1 to 125-4 are single-mode optical fibers that are connected to and integrated with the optical coupler 125.

[0028] Light emitted from the measurement light source 130 passes through optical fiber 125-1 and is split into measurement light on the optical fiber 125-2 side and reference light on the optical fiber 125-3 side via the optical coupler 125. The measurement light passes through the above-mentioned OCT optical system measurement optical path L3, is irradiated onto the fundus Er of the subject's eye E, which is the observation target, and reaches the optical coupler 125 along the same optical path due to reflection and scattering by the retina.

[0029] On the other hand, the reference light travels through optical fiber 125-3, lens 151, and dispersion compensation glass 152 to reach reference mirror 153 and be reflected. Then, it travels along the same optical path to reach optical coupler 125, where the measurement light and reference light are combined to become interference light. Here, interference occurs when the optical path lengths of the measurement light and the reference light become approximately the same.

[0030] The position of the reference mirror 153 can be adjusted in the optical axis direction by a drive motor and a drive mechanism (not shown). The interference light is guided to the light receiving optical system 20 via an optical fiber 125-4.

[0031] The light receiving optical system 20 includes a lens 201, a diffraction grating 202, a lens 203, and a line sensor 204. Interference light emitted from the optical fiber 125-4 becomes approximately parallel light via the lens 201, is dispersed by the diffraction grating 202, and is then imaged on the line sensor 204 by the lens 203. The line sensor 204 has a configuration in which multiple pixels, i.e., light receiving elements, are arranged in a line, and can read out all the pixels at once using a predetermined clock.

[0032] Although a Michelson interferometer is used as the interferometer in this embodiment, a Mach-Zehnder interferometer or the like may also be used.

[0033] <Capturing a front image> Next, a method for acquiring a front image using the OCT imaging unit 1 will be described.

[0034] Light emitted from an SLO light source (not shown) is reflected by a third dichroic mirror 118, passes through lenses 112 and 111, and is deflected by an X scanner 117-1 and a Y scanner 117-2 to scan the fundus Er of the subject's eye, and the deflected light passes through a pupil of the subject's eye by a lens 101-2 and an objective lens 101-1 to scan the fundus Er. Return light from the fundus Er of the subject's eye travels the same path as the projection light, is reflected by the dichroic mirror 118, and is received by the APD 115. The control unit 105 generates a front image (two-dimensional front image) of the fundus of the subject's eye by associating this light reception signal with the scanning positions of the X scanner 117-1 and the Y scanner 117-2.

[0035] Meanwhile, light emitted from the fixation lamp 115 also passes through the third dichroic mirror 118, similarly passes through the lenses 112 and 111, and is scanned on the fundus Er of the subject's eye by the X scanner 117-1 and the Y scanner 117-2. At this time, by blinking the fixation lamp 115 in accordance with the movements of the X scanner 117-1 and the Y scanner 117-2, it is possible to present a fixation lamp of any shape at any position on the fundus Er of the subject's eye.

[0036] In this embodiment, an SLO image is used as the front image, but the effect of the present invention is not impaired if a fundus camera image is acquired using a fundus camera, etc. When a fundus camera, etc. is used, the fixation lamp may be a conventional fixation lamp for a fundus camera, and since this technology is well known to those skilled in the art, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0037] <Acquisition of tomographic images> Next, a method for acquiring a tomographic image using the OCT imaging unit 1 will be described.

[0038] The control unit 105 controls the X scanner 122-1 and the Y scanner 122-2 to irradiate a desired position within the X imaging range of the fundus Er of the subject's eye E with measurement light. As described above, the returned light is combined with the reference light to become interference light, which is then dispersed by the spectroscope 230 and imaged by the line sensor 204. The spectral distribution of the interference light acquired by the line sensor 231 is converted into a wavenumber distribution and then subjected to a fast Fourier transform (FFT) to obtain an intensity distribution in the depth (Z) axis direction in the subject space. Here, the spectral distribution acquired by the line sensor 204 is called one-dimensional OCT data (A-scan data), and the data is subjected to an FFT and the obtained intensity distribution is converted into pixel values ​​(BW density or color signal information) for display on a monitor, which is called a one-dimensional OCT image (A-scan image). Additionally, two-dimensional data consisting of multiple one-dimensional OCT data arranged in the main scanning (X) direction is called two-dimensional OCT data (B-scan data), and a two-dimensional image consisting of an array of one-dimensional OCT images is called a two-dimensional OCT image (B-scan image). After acquiring B-scan data, the scanning position is sequentially moved at equal intervals in the sub-scanning (Y) direction and another scan is performed in the X direction (so-called raster scanning). The OCT data consisting of multiple two-dimensional OCT data obtained is called three-dimensional volume OCT data, and a three-dimensional image consisting of multiple two-dimensional OCT images is called a three-dimensional OCT image.

[0039] In this embodiment, point-scanning OCT was used to acquire 3D volumetric OCT data, with a raster scan as its scanning pattern. However, any imaging method or scanning pattern may be used as long as it can densely acquire 3D volumetric OCT data from a 2D region on the fundus. For example, dense 3D radial scanning or Lissajous scanning using point-scanning OCT may be used, or line-scanning imaging using line-scanning OCT may be used, or planar imaging using full-field OCT may be used. Line-field OCT is a method of obtaining OCT data by irradiating the subject with a linear measurement beam and receiving signal light resulting from interference between the return beam of this measurement beam and a linear reference beam. The 3D volumetric OCT data is acquired by linearly scanning the measurement beam across the measurement region in a direction intersecting the measurement beam. In this case, the OCT imaging unit 1 need only include a scanner in one direction. In full-field OCT, a measurement beam that spreads two-dimensionally is irradiated onto the subject, and the returned measurement beam interferes with a two-dimensional reference beam to generate signal light, thereby obtaining three-dimensional volume OCT data. This method does not require a scanning means.

[0040] Example 1 As preparation for imaging, the examiner uses an operating means (not shown) to roughly align the subject's eye E with the OCT imaging unit 1. First, the examinee places his / her chin on the chin rest 113, and then adjusts the position of the subject's eye E in the Y-axis direction to a predetermined height using a chin rest drive mechanism (not shown).

[0041] The subsequent operation flow will be described with reference to FIG. 2. In step S101 of FIG. 2, the examiner selects a follow-up examination mode from multiple imaging modes by operating the operation unit 104 using, for example, an imaging mode selection screen (not shown) to compare with a previous examination for follow-up observation. In the next step S102, the data acquisition unit 1a of FIG. 1(c) functions as an examination information acquisition unit and acquires information about the OCT data of the previous examination. In this embodiment, the information about the OCT data of the previous examination includes the OCT data acquired in the previous examination, information about the acquisition position of the OCT data acquired in the previous examination (including the scanning pattern and its position information on the fundus), and a front image when the OCT data was acquired in the previous examination. Here, the OCT data acquired in the previous examination will be described using, as an example, data acquired with the cross-scan scanning pattern 402 shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0042] After completing the rough position adjustment, the examiner presses a preview start button (not shown) in step S103. Upon detecting the pressing of the preview start button, the control unit 105 controls the optical system control unit 1b to start two-dimensional scanning of the subject's eye E using the X scanner 117-1 and Y scanner 117-2 of the imaging optical system 10, and controls the front image acquisition unit 1c to sequentially acquire front images using the imaging optical system 10 and display the front images on the display unit 103. This transition to a so-called preview state occurs. During this preview, the front images are repeatedly acquired and displayed as a moving image. Note that the control unit 105 may also cause the data acquisition unit 1a to acquire fixation target presentation position information, which is the fixation target presentation position relative to the optical axis when OCT data was acquired in a previous examination, and present the fixation target at the same position as in the previous examination based on the information.

[0043] In step S104, the positional deviation calculation unit 1d calculates the positional deviation (ΔX, ΔY) between the front image 401 (FIG. 3(a)) when the OCT data was acquired in a past examination and the current front preview image 403 (FIG. 3(b)). The positional deviation can be calculated, for example, by extracting a partial image including a characteristic portion such as the optic disc from the front image and performing a matching process on the partial image. Note that in this embodiment, the optic disc is used as the characteristic portion, but the intersection of major blood vessels in the fundus may also be used as the characteristic point, and it is also effective to adaptively determine the characteristic portion depending on the acquired front image. Furthermore, instead of performing a matching process on a partial image including the characteristic portion, a matching process on the entire image may also be performed.

[0044] In step S105, the data acquisition region setting unit 1e in FIG. 1(c) sets a new acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data that includes the scanning pattern on the current front preview image and corresponds to the scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data in the previous examination, based on the displacement calculated in step S104. The "scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data in the previous examination" described here refers to the range of data actually acquired on the scanning trajectory when acquiring the OCT data in the previous examination. In other words, it can also be referred to as the acquisition position or acquisition region of the OCT data in the previous examination. The acquisition region for the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data is a two-dimensional region on the fundus (on a plane intersecting the optical axis of the measurement light). It goes without saying that the term "include" used here means "include all of" rather than "include only a portion of the scanning pattern on the fundus in the previous examination." The "3D OCT data" in S105 and S106 in FIG. 2 refers to 3D volumetric OCT data.

[0045] The above operation can be described more specifically as follows. In this embodiment, since the newly acquired 3D volume OCT data is acquired by raster scanning, the first index 404 indicating the acquisition region of the 3D volume OCT data is a rectangle ( FIG. 3( b)). Therefore, the data acquisition region setting unit 1e acquires the horizontal maximum and minimum coordinates Xmax and Xmin and the vertical maximum and minimum coordinates Ymax and Ymin from the coordinates of the trajectory of the scanning pattern on the fundus when the OCT data was acquired in the previous examination, and sets a rectangle with vertices C1(Xmin+ΔX, Ymax+ΔY), C2(Xmax+ΔX, Ymax+ΔY), C3(Xmax+ΔX, Ymin+ΔY), and C4(Xmin+ΔXYmin+ΔY)—in other words, a quadrangle (generally a rectangle) circumscribing the scanning pattern on the fundus when the OCT data was acquired in the previous examination—as the acquisition region of the newly acquired 3D OCT data. If the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data is to be acquired using a dense 3D radial scan, the circumscribed circle can be set as the acquisition region. Of course, the acquisition region for the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data can be determined by calculating a reference region for the newly acquired OCT data acquisition region from the front image used to acquire the OCT data in a previous examination and the current front preview image, taking eye movement into account. A larger region can then be set as the data acquisition region by adding a predetermined margin to this reference region to account for eye movement. Alternatively, if the 3D volumetric OCT data is to be acquired using a raster scan, as in this embodiment, the margin can be adjusted separately for the top, bottom, left, and right, for example, to match a predetermined aspect ratio that is convenient for display. Furthermore, after the data acquisition region setting unit 1e automatically sets the region, it would be useful for the examiner to manually fine-tune it while referring to the front preview image.

[0046] When setting the acquisition region for newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data in step S105, the display control unit 1g can also superimpose a first index 404 indicating the acquisition region for the 3D volumetric OCT data and a second index 402′ indicating the scanning pattern of the OCT data in the previous examination acquired in step S102 on the current front preview image 403 displayed in the display region 502, as shown in the example of the operation screen in FIG. 4. This allows the examiner to clearly understand the relationship between the acquisition region for the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data and the scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data in the previous examination (e.g., whether the acquisition region for the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data includes the scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data in the previous examination, only includes a portion of the scanning pattern, or does not include the scanning pattern at all). Furthermore, fundus tracking can be performed to calculate the amount of positional deviation between the reference front image and the current front preview image and correct the scanning position, allowing acquisition to continue in the newly set acquisition region for 3D OCT data. In this case, the first index 404 indicating the acquisition area of ​​each 3D volumetric OCT data and the second index 402' indicating the scanning pattern of the OCT data from the previous examination are displayed so as to move in accordance with the eye movement of the subject's eye, similar to the current front image displayed on the display unit 103. When tracking the fundus in this manner, a predetermined margin to be added taking into account the eye movement described above may be adaptively calculated for each subject's eye based on the tracking error. Note that the "front preview image" described above refers to the most recent front image among the front images sequentially acquired and displayed as a moving image.

[0047] In step S106, in response to a data acquisition start command from the examiner, the optical system controller 1b raster scans the acquisition region for the 3D volume OCT data set in step S105 using the X scanner 122-1 and the Y scanner 122-2 to acquire new 3D volume OCT data. At the same time, the front preview image of the fundus displayed on the display unit 103 is acquired and saved as a front image for storage.

[0048] In step S107, the image generator 1f generates a tomographic image (B-scan image) at a position corresponding to the scanning pattern (the scanning pattern indicated by the second index 402) used in acquiring the OCT data of the previous examination, acquired in step S102, from the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data. Specifically, the three-dimensional volume OCT image is obtained by first performing an FFT on all A-scan data constituting the acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data to generate an A-scan image. After performing two-dimensional registration on the front image plane using the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT image and the front image saved at the same time as acquiring the OCT data of the previous examination, the scanning pattern (the B-scan image acquisition line in this embodiment) used in acquiring the OCT data of the previous examination is set in the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data as a readout pattern for generating a new tomographic image (the B-scan image in this embodiment). Finally, an A-scan image according to the set readout pattern is extracted from the newly acquired 3D volume OCT data, and each scan interval is positioned to the actual coordinate distance. After that, the A-scan image is stretched (interpolated) or compressed (weighted averaged) as necessary, to generate a tomographic image (B-scan image) at the same position as the scanning pattern (B-scan image acquisition line) used when acquiring the OCT data from the previous examination.

[0049] In step S108, the display control unit 1g displays the tomographic image (first B-scan image) generated by the image generation unit 1f in step S107 and the tomographic image (second B-scan image) acquired in the previous examination side by side on the display unit 103. This makes it possible to compare tomographic images (B-scan images) of the same position on the fundus of the subject's eye even if the scanning pattern of the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data is different from the scanning pattern used to acquire the OCT data in the previous examination, thereby improving diagnostic efficiency in follow-up observation.

[0050] Example 2 In the first embodiment, the amount of positional deviation between the front image when acquiring OCT data from a past examination and the current front preview image was calculated, and the acquisition region for newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data was set, but in this embodiment, the acquisition region for newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data is set from the fixation target presentation position information and measurement light irradiation region position information from the past examination, and the current fixation target presentation position information. Since the preparation before imaging is the same as in the first embodiment, a description thereof will be omitted, and each flow will be described with reference to Figure 5.

[0051] In step S201, similarly to step S101 in the first embodiment, a follow-up examination mode, which is one of the imaging modes, is selected.

[0052] In step S202, the data acquisition unit 1a in FIG. 1(c) functions as an examination information acquisition unit and acquires information related to OCT data of past examinations. In this embodiment, the information related to the OCT data of past examinations includes the OCT data acquired in the past examination, fixation target presentation position information (relative to the optical axis) when the OCT data of the past examination was acquired, measurement light irradiation position information, and a front image. As in the first embodiment, the OCT data acquired in the past examination is OCT data acquired along a cross-scan scanning trajectory.

[0053] In step S203, similarly to step S103, a front preview image is acquired and displayed, and a fixation target is presented.

[0054] In step S204, a new 3D volume OCT data acquisition area is calculated from the fixation target presentation position information (relative to the optical axis) and measurement light irradiation area position information acquired in step S202 when acquiring OCT data from a previous examination, and the current fixation target presentation position information. That is, the relative positional relationship between the measurement light irradiation area and the fixation target presentation position is acquired from the positional information (relative to the optical axis) of the measurement light irradiation area and the fixation target presentation position information from the previous examination, and a reference area for the new 3D volume OCT data acquisition area is determined from the current fixation target presentation position and this relative positional relationship. Furthermore, a predetermined margin is added to this reference area to take eye movement into consideration, and a wider area is set as the new 3D volume OCT data acquisition area. In Example 2, alignment using a front image is omitted, so it is desirable to make the predetermined margin wider than in Example 1.

[0055] The operational flow from step S205 onwards is almost the same as in Example 1, and in step S206, new three-dimensional volume OCT data is acquired in the same manner as in step S106, based on the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition region set in step S205.

[0056] In step S207, the data acquisition area setting unit 1e sets a position for the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data that corresponds to the scanning pattern of the OCT data acquired in the previous examination, based on information regarding the front image when the OCT data was acquired in the previous examination and the position of the acquisition area and front image of the newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data, and the image generation unit 1f generates a tomographic image (B-scan image) of that position.

[0057] In step S208, the display control unit 1g displays, side by side on the display unit 103, the tomographic image (B-scan image) generated from the OCT data acquired in the previous examination in step S202 and the tomographic image (B-scan image) generated in step S207.

[0058] Example 3 In the first and second embodiments, an ophthalmic imaging apparatus was described that actively sets a new acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data so as to encompass the scan pattern of OCT data acquired in a previous examination. This embodiment, however, is an example of an ophthalmic imaging apparatus having a determination unit that determines whether the newly set acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data encompasses the scan pattern of OCT data acquired in a previous examination. The configuration of the apparatus is the same as in the first embodiment, so a description thereof will be omitted. The operational flow of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6 . The determination unit of this embodiment may be used as a monitoring unit when the newly set acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data is manually changed in the follow-up examination mode, which is the scanning mode selected in the first and second embodiments. Alternatively, in other examination modes, the determination unit may constantly monitor a comparison between the scan pattern in the previous examination and the currently set acquisition region for newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data. Therefore, the imaging mode selection process steps S101 and S201 in the first and second embodiments are unnecessary in this embodiment.

[0059] The subsequent steps, steps S302 to S305, are slightly rearranged, but are essentially the same as steps S102 to S105 in the first embodiment. That is, first, in step S302, OCT data from the previous examination and scan pattern information for the OCT data are acquired. Then, in step S305, the acquisition area for the 3D volumetric OCT data, determined by default, is read, and the data acquisition area is set. Of course, the examiner may manually set the acquisition area for the newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data on the operation screen using a GUI (not shown). Note, however, that the setting of this data acquisition area is determined not with respect to the front image, but rather with respect to relative coordinates with respect to the optical axis of the device, and does not follow the movement of the fundus of the examined eye.

[0060] Then, after acquiring a front preview image in step S303, in step S304, a positional deviation calculation unit calculates the positional deviation between the front image when OCT data was acquired in a past examination and the current front preview image, and converts the scanning pattern information of the previous OCT data read out in step S302 into, for example, relative coordinates with respect to the optical axis of the device using this positional deviation. Therefore, these relative coordinates change in response to movement of the fundus of the subject's eye in the front preview image acquired in S303. Note that in this embodiment, although the positional deviation is calculated, there is no fundus tracking function using this.

[0061] In the next step S306-1, a determination unit (not shown) included in the control unit 105 determines whether the acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data newly set in step 305 (e.g., defined in coordinates relative to the device optical axis) includes the scanning pattern of the OCT data acquired in the previous examination (converted to a relative position relative to the device optical axis in step 303). This determination is made in two stages: "NG" if the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition region newly set in step S305 (data acquisition region indicated by first index 404) does not include all positions of the scanning pattern of the OCT data of the previous examination (scanning pattern at the position indicated by second index 402') (i.e., includes only some positions or does not include any positions); and "OK" if the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition region newly set in step S305 includes all of the scanning patterns of the OCT data of the previous examination. If the result is "OK," no warning is issued, and the process waits for an instruction from the examiner to start acquiring 3D volumetric OCT data (step S406-4) while checking whether the acquisition region of the 3D volumetric OCT data has changed in step S306-3. If the result is "NG," the process proceeds to step S306-2, a process for changing the display format.

[0062] In step S306-2, a display mode change process, the display mode is changed to warn that the newly set data acquisition region will not be able to generate a tomographic image for the readout line that was previously acquired and displayed, or that there is a risk that this will not be possible. For example, the display mode is changed by changing the color of the first indicator 404 or blinking it. In this embodiment, the display mode is changed, for example, by changing the color of the first indicator to red if the result is determined to be "NG." Then, in step S306-3, whether the acquisition region for the 3D volumetric OCT data has changed is checked, and in step S306-4, an instruction from the examiner to start acquiring the 3D volumetric OCT data is awaited. If a new front preview image can be acquired during this time, the process returns to step S303, where the front preview image is acquired, and the subsequent steps are repeated. Of course, this warning may be issued in other ways, such as by displaying the above-mentioned on the display unit 103 (including changing the display mode), by audio, sounding a buzzer, or lighting a lamp. Furthermore, whether the judgment unit automatically makes the judgment may be switchable and set before the preview begins in step S303.

[0063] If it is determined in step S306-3 that the acquisition region for the three-dimensional volumetric OCT data has been changed, the process returns to step 305 for setting the acquisition region for the three-dimensional volumetric OCT data. If the acquisition region for the three-dimensional volumetric OCT data has not been changed and the examiner issues an instruction to acquire data, the process proceeds to step S307, where three-dimensional volumetric OCT data is acquired based on the region set in step S305 using a method similar to step S106 in embodiment 1. Thereafter, in steps S308 and S309, tomographic images are generated and displayed similarly to steps S107 and S108, respectively, in embodiment 1.

[0064] The operation of this embodiment will be described in detail below. First, as shown in FIG. 7( a), if the acquisition area of ​​the newly acquired 3D volume OCT data (the area indicated by the first index 404) is significantly deviated from or clearly smaller than the scanning pattern in the previous examination (the scanning pattern indicated by the second index 402′), the judgment in step S306-1 is always “NG,” and the first index 404 is always displayed in red. The examiner understands that if the current examination is performed, it will be impossible to generate a tomographic image at the same position as the tomographic image that was previously observable in the previous examination. To correct this, the examiner either resets the acquisition area of ​​the newly acquired 3D volume OCT data, or, if the purpose of the current examination is different from that of the previous examination and it is not a problem if a tomographic image at the same position as the tomographic image that was previously observable cannot be generated, the examiner operates an operation button (not shown) or the like to issue an instruction to acquire OCT data.

[0065] Next, consider a case where a tomographic image of the same position as that observed in a previous examination, such as a follow-up examination, is to be reproduced. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the newly acquired 3D OCT data acquisition area is set to approximately the same position as the scanning pattern in the previous examination but with a predetermined margin d larger than that of the previous examination. The degree of eye movement varies among individuals, even among healthy individuals, and even more so among diseased eyes. For a patient with stable fixation, the calculated positional deviation is always within the predetermined margin d. Therefore, the determination in step S306-1 is always OK, and the display format of the first indicator 404 (FIG. 7) for the 3D volume OCT data acquisition area set in step S305 is not changed. The examiner confirms this display and instructs the start of 3D volume OCT data acquisition in step S306-3. In this case, 3D volume OCT data from which the tomographic image observed in the previous examination can be reconstructed can be reliably obtained.

[0066] On the other hand, when examining a patient's eye with somewhat poor fixation, the judgment in step S306-1 frequently transitions from OK to NG, and the first indicator 404 of the acquisition area for 3D volumetric OCT data occasionally changes its display to red. The examiner can determine the degree of risk of not being able to acquire a tomographic image at the same position as the previously observed tomographic image by checking the frequency of this red flashing. If the risk is determined to be sufficiently low, the examiner can instruct the start of data acquisition. To mitigate the risk, one method is to have the patient relax and attempt to stabilize their fixation. However, if the patient's fixation is even worse, the judgment will likely remain stagnant at NG. In such cases, since there is no certainty that 3D OCT data capable of reconstructing the previously observed tomographic image can be obtained, the examiner must take appropriate measures, such as increasing the specified margin d.

[0067] As explained above, the device of Example 3 is capable of confirming in advance whether a tomographic image can be generated in the current examination at the same position as the tomographic image that was observable the previous time, regardless of the imaging mode and the scanning pattern used in the previous examination. This reduces errors in setting the acquisition area, allowing the examiner to carry out the next examination with peace of mind.

[0068] The 3D volume OCT data may also be 3D volume OCT motion contrast data. In this case, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is used to repeatedly scan the same area and extract components (differences, changes in signal intensity, etc.) that change over a short period of time between the multiple acquired tomographic images, known as motion contrast. This motion contrast produces a small signal in static structures, but produces a large signal in dynamic structures such as blood flow within blood vessels. Therefore, by extracting and imaging this, it is possible to observe the retinal and choroidal vessels in three dimensions.

[0069] (Transformation example 1) Next, as a modified example of the third embodiment, an example in which a function for determining whether the newly set acquisition area of ​​three-dimensional volume OCT data includes the scanning pattern of the OCT data acquired in a previous examination is applied to the device of the first embodiment with a fundus tracking function will be described with reference to the operation flow diagram of FIG.

[0070] In the device of this modified example, steps S401 to S405 are the same as steps S101 to S105 in Example 1, and in step S404, the amount of positional shift is calculated using the front preview image acquired in step S403, and in step S405, based on the amount of positional shift, the data acquisition area setting unit 1e sets an acquisition area (area indicated by the first index 404) for newly acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data, which includes the scanning position on the current front preview image 403 corresponding to the scanning pattern on the fundus when OCT data was acquired in the past examination and the scanning pattern of the past examination (position indicated by the second index 402'). Here, the acquisition region for newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data is an area obtained by adding a predetermined margin d (see FIG. 7(b)) to the calculated reference region in consideration of eye movement. Furthermore, similar to the first embodiment, the display control unit 1g displays a first index 404 indicating the acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data shown in FIG. 4 and a second index 402′ indicating the scanning pattern of OCT data from a previous examination, superimposed on the current front image 403. Furthermore, since the device of this modified example performs fundus tracking, in the preview state, acquisition of a front preview image in step S403 is repeated until the start of acquisition of 3D OCT data is determined in S406-3. The first index 404 and the second index 402′ move in accordance with the eye movement of the subject's eye together with the current front image 403 displayed in real time. This is performed after the acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data is set in step S405. Furthermore, step S406-1 for determining the acquisition region for 3D volumetric OCT data, similar to the third embodiment, is also repeatedly performed in conjunction with the acquisition of the front preview image in S403.

[0071] In step S306-1, as in the third embodiment, a determination unit (not shown) of the control unit 105 determines whether the acquisition area of ​​the three-dimensional volume OCT data newly set in step 305 includes the scanning pattern of the OCT data acquired in the previous examination. However, there are differences in the determination methods, which will be explained below.

[0072] As previously explained, in step S405, a predetermined margin d (see FIG. 7B) is added to the acquisition region (region indicated by the first index 404) for new 3D volumetric OCT data. Here, if there is no instruction to acquire 3D volumetric OCT data in step S406-4 and the process returns to step S403 to acquire a new front preview image, the occurrence of the positional deviations ΔX and ΔY calculated in step 404 for that image (of course, this positional deviation is used to maintain the scanning position as fundus tracking) indicates that the scanning position on the fundus of the subject's eye performed in the loop from step 403 to step S406-4 has shifted by at least ΔX and ΔY. Therefore, in this modified example, the acquisition region for 3D OCT data is judged as "NG" if ΔX ≥ 0.8xd or ΔY ≥ 0.8xd, and "OK" if ΔX < 0.8xd and ΔY ≥ 0.8xd. 0.8 is a safety factor, empirically determined. If the judgment here is "OK", no particular warning is issued, and in step S306-3, it checks whether the acquisition area of ​​the 3D OCT data has changed, and waits for an instruction from the examiner to start acquiring the 3D OCT data (step S406-4).If it is judged to be "NG", it proceeds to the display form change process step S406-2, as in Example 3.

[0073] Furthermore, when the examiner issues an instruction to acquire data, the process proceeds to step S307, where three-dimensional volume OCT data is acquired based on the region set in step S305 by the same method as in step S106 of embodiment 1. Thereafter, in steps S308 and S309, tomographic images are generated and displayed in the same manner as in steps S107 and S108 of embodiment 1, respectively.

[0074] As described above, the operation of this embodiment is almost the same as that of Embodiment 3. That is, in an eye to be examined with stable fixation, the calculated positional deviation amounts ΔX and ΔY are always equal to or less than the predetermined margin d, so the determination in step S406-1 is always OK, and the display form of the first index 404 ( FIG. 7 ) indicating the data acquisition area set in step S405 is not changed. On the other hand, when an eye to be examined with slightly poor fixation is being examined, the determination in step S406-1 alternates between OK and NG, and in the case of an eye to be examined with poor fixation, the determination will almost always remain in the NG state.

[0075] The present invention has been described above using an ophthalmic device to which the present invention is applied as an example. However, the present invention can also be realized by providing an ophthalmic imaging program that implements one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. The computer may have one or more processors or circuits, and may include multiple separate computers or a network of multiple separate processors or circuits so that the computer reads and executes executable instructions. The processor or circuit may include a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a field-programmable gateway (FPGA). The processor or circuit may also include a digital signal processor (DSP), a data flow processor (DFP), or a neural processing unit (NPU). The present invention can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that implements one or more functions. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. OCT Imaging Department 10. Shooting optical system 20 spectrometer 101 Storage section 012 Personal Computer 103 Display section 104 Operation section 105 Control Unit 110 Optical head 111 Stage Section 112 Base 401 Frontal image when OCT data was acquired in a previous examination 402, 402´ A second indicator showing the scanning pattern when acquiring OCT data from a previous examination 403 Current front preview image 404 The first index indicating the acquisition area of ​​newly acquired 3D volumetric OCT data 502 Display area 1a Data acquisition section 1b Optical system control unit 1c Front image acquisition section 1d Position deviation calculation section 1e Data acquisition area setting section 1f Image generation section 1g Display control unit

Claims

1. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means for scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting means for setting a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; An ophthalmic imaging apparatus having When the scanning pattern included in the information on the OCT data of the past examination is a scanning pattern different from the scanning pattern for acquiring the three-dimensional volume OCT data, The data acquisition area setting means An ophthalmologic imaging apparatus, comprising: a data acquisition area that includes a data acquisition area included in information related to the OCT data of the past examination.

2. The data acquisition area setting means A data acquisition region is set based on fixation target presentation position information and measurement light irradiation position information when the OCT data was acquired in the past examination, which are acquired by the examination information acquisition means, and current fixation target presentation position information.

2. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The ophthalmic imaging apparatus comprises: moreover, a front image acquiring means for sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; a positional deviation amount calculation means for calculating a positional deviation amount between a front image acquired by the front image acquisition means when the OCT data was acquired in the past examination, the front image being acquired by the examination information acquisition means; The data acquisition area setting means A data acquisition area is set based on the calculated positional deviation amount.

2. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus includes: moreover, a front image acquiring means for sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; A display control means, The display control means displays the front images of the subject's eye sequentially acquired by the front image acquisition means, and superimposes a first index indicating a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be acquired and a second index indicating a scanning pattern of the OCT data in a past examination on the sequentially acquired front images of the subject's eye.

4. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a casing.

5. The ophthalmologic photographing apparatus further comprises an image generating means and a display control means, The image generating means includes: generating a tomographic image corresponding to a tomographic image included in the OCT data of the past examination based on a scanning pattern of the OCT data of the past examination from the acquired three-dimensional volume OCT data; The display control means displays the generated tomographic image.

4. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is a casing.

6. The examination information acquisition means acquires a tomographic image acquired according to a scanning pattern of OCT data of a past examination, and The ophthalmologic imaging device according to claim 5, characterized in that the display control means displays side by side a tomographic image corresponding to the generated tomographic image contained in the OCT data of the past examination and a tomographic image acquired according to a scanning pattern of the OCT data of the past examination.

7. 7. The ophthalmologic imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the OCT data is OCT motion contrast data.

8. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means for scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; An ophthalmic imaging apparatus having a determination unit for determining whether or not a data acquisition area of ​​the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition unit includes a data acquisition area included in information on the OCT data of the past examination; 1. An ophthalmic photographing apparatus comprising:

9. 9. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a display control unit that displays a warning when the determining unit determines that the image does not include the image.

10. 9. An ophthalmologic photographing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a data acquisition region setting unit for changing a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data when the determining unit determines that the data acquisition region does not include the three-dimensional volume OCT data.

11. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means for scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition means for acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting means for setting a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired by the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition means; a front image acquiring means for sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; A display control means for controlling an ophthalmologic photographing apparatus, An ophthalmic photography device characterized in that the display control means displays the front images of the test eye sequentially acquired by the front image acquisition means, and superimposes on the sequentially acquired front images of the test eye a first index indicating the data acquisition area of ​​the three-dimensional volume OCT data to be acquired and a second index indicating the scanning pattern of the OCT data in a past examination.

12. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step of scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting step of setting a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired in the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step; An ophthalmic photography program for causing a computer to execute the following: When the scanning pattern included in the information on the OCT data of the past examination is a scanning pattern different from the scanning pattern for acquiring the three-dimensional volume OCT data, The data acquisition region setting step includes: An ophthalmologic photography program, comprising a step of setting a data acquisition area that includes a data acquisition area included in information regarding the OCT data of the past examination.

13. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step of scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; An ophthalmic photography program for causing a computer to execute the following: a step of determining whether or not a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired in the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step includes a data acquisition region included in information related to the OCT data of the past examination. An ophthalmic photography program comprising:

14. a three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step of scanning the subject's eye with a measurement light and receiving interference light between the measurement light and a reference light associated with the measurement light to acquire three-dimensional volume OCT data; An examination information acquisition step of acquiring information regarding OCT data of past examinations; a data acquisition region setting step of setting a data acquisition region of the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquired in the three-dimensional volume OCT data acquisition step; a front image acquiring step of sequentially acquiring front images of the subject's eye; A display control step; An ophthalmic photography program for causing a computer to execute the following: An ophthalmic photography program characterized in that, in the display control step, a front image of the test eye sequentially acquired in the front image acquisition step is displayed, and a first index indicating a data acquisition area of ​​three-dimensional volume OCT data to be acquired and a second index indicating a scanning pattern of OCT data in a past examination are superimposed on the sequentially acquired front image of the test eye.

Images