Head-mounted OCT with Adjustable Mirrors for Self-Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current OCT systems are bulky, costly, and require trained operators for alignment and operation, making them unsuitable for frequent, self-administered, and cost-effective in-vivo measurements of the eye, particularly for conditions like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy that require timely monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted OCT system with a photonic module that includes a frame for coarse alignment, adjustable mirrors for fine axial length adjustment, and a flexible fixation technique, allowing for automatic alignment and scanning without a trained operator, enabling self-administered measurements with communication of scan results to medical professionals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional OCT systems are used, then measurement precision and reliability are achieved, but device complexity, cost, and operator training requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The OCT system is segmented into modular components: a photonic module containing the OCT engine, a separate frame structure for mounting, and integrated alignment mechanisms. This segmentation allows the complex OCT functionality to be packaged in a manageable, head-mounted form factor that reduces overall system complexity while maintaining measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
A beam splitter is introduced as an intermediary optical element to combine the OCT probe beam with a visible fixation beam. This intermediary allows the invisible infrared OCT light to be aligned and targeted using the visible beam, simplifying the alignment process without compromising the precision of the OCT measurements.
2Measurement precision
If conventional OCT systems are used, then accurate eye measurements are obtained, but ease of operation deteriorates due to trained operator requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic alignment and fixation features that enable users to perform OCT measurements on their own eyes without operator assistance. The visible fixation beam guides the user's gaze, and the automatic alignment mechanisms adjust the probe beam to ensure accurate retinal imaging, transforming the system from requiring trained operators to enabling self-service measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a visible fixation beam (different wavelength/color from the infrared OCT beam) to guide alignment. This color/wavelength differentiation allows users to easily distinguish the alignment guide from the measurement beam, simplifying operation while maintaining measurement accuracy.
3Reliability
If conventional OCT systems are used, then reliable diagnostic data is collected, but frequency of use decreases due to medical visit requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions OCT measurements from a clinic-based setting to a home-based setting by mounting the device on the user's head. This dimensional change in deployment location enables frequent measurements to be taken in the comfort of home, increasing productivity and measurement frequency while maintaining the reliability of diagnostic data through consistent measurement protocols.
4Ease of operation
If head-mounted design is implemented, then ease of operation and measurement frequency improve, but device complexity and alignment precision challenges increase
Solution Approach 1:
The frame is pre-configured with mounting structures and the photonic module is pre-aligned during assembly. This preliminary action ensures that when the user wears the device, the OCT probe beam is already correctly oriented toward the eye, eliminating the need for complex real-time alignment adjustments and reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The visible fixation beam acts as an intermediary alignment aid that compensates for tolerances in the head-mounted structure. By providing a visible guide that users can track, the system achieves accurate beam alignment without requiring extremely tight manufacturing tolerances, thus reducing manufacturing precision requirements while maintaining ease of use.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides reliable, accurate, and frequent in-vivo OCT measurements of the eye, reducing the need for frequent medical visits and enabling timely intervention for eye conditions, while being cost-effective and user-friendly.
Implementation Method 1
an interferometer configured to produce optical interference using light reflected from the user's eye
Implementation Method 2
an optical detector disposed so as to detect said optical interference
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention provides a system and method for obtaining ophthalmic measurements whereby the inventive device is configured to be head mountable, automatically axially length aligned with a selected target, and laterally aligned so that light from an OCT source enters through the pupil of the eye under test. The frame of the head mountable OCT is customizable, capable of analyzing both the left and right eye of a subject. The inventive device can be operated by the person undergoing test. Embodiments include mechanisms for eye fixation, lateral, angular and depth scanning of target regions. A variety of embodiments are taught, including the scanning of both eyes of a subject at substantially the same time, and a configuration of a photonic module coupleable with a plurality of frames. Embodiments include a variety of OCT sources, such as MRO, swept source, time domain, and spectral domain.