Optic Nerve Pathway 3D Modeling via MRI and OCT Image Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for early diagnosis of glaucoma, particularly in cases with normal intraocular pressure, face challenges in sensitivity and specificity due to variations in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness among individuals.
Innovation Solution
A method is developed to generate an optic nerve path by matching a corrected OCT cross-sectional image of the eyeball to a low-resolution MRI head image, allowing for three-dimensional modeling of the eyeball and optic nerve path.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If OCT and scanning laser polarimetry are used to measure RNFL thickness for early glaucoma diagnosis, then diagnostic capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to individual variations in RNFL thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from absolute RNFL thickness to relative deformation parameters (eccentricity, curvature, volume changes) of the optic nerve head. This allows detection of glaucoma by comparing an individual's optic nerve deformation against their own baseline or against normative deformation data, rather than relying on absolute thickness measurements that vary by individual.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical measurement of RNFL thickness with indirect detection through optical deformation analysis. By using OCT to capture the deformation pattern of the optic nerve head and comparing it against reference data, the system infers glaucoma presence without requiring precise absolute thickness measurements.
2Ease of operation
If perimetry test is used for glaucoma diagnosis, then objectivity is improved, but detection sensitivity deteriorates because 40% of retinal ganglion cells are already damaged before abnormalities appear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection of glaucoma by analyzing optic nerve head deformation using OCT imaging, which occurs before perimetry test abnormalities appear. The system detects early glaucomatous changes in the optic nerve structure (deformation, eccentricity, curvature) that precede functional deficits measured by perimetry, enabling earlier intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optic nerve head deformation analysis as an intermediary detection method between structural imaging (OCT) and functional testing (perimetry). This intermediary approach detects glaucoma by measuring optical deformation parameters that reflect early neural damage before functional vision loss occurs.
3Ease of operation
If ophthalmoscopy and stereography are used for optic nerve examination, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to subjective evaluation and inability to detect subtle changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective manual examination with objective optical measurement. By using OCT to automatically capture and analyze optic nerve head deformation parameters (eccentricity, curvature, volume), the system eliminates observer subjectivity while maintaining ease of operation through automated image acquisition and analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent detects glaucoma by analyzing changes in the optical characteristics (analogous to color changes) of the optic nerve head. By measuring deformation parameters such as eccentricity, curvature, and volume changes of the optic nerve head, the system identifies subtle glaucomatous changes that are not detectable to the human eye during conventional examination.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for generating an optic nerve pathway, using matches of MRI images and OCT images, in which low-resolution MRI head images capable of showing the eyeball and optic nerve are matched with corrected OCT eyeball cross-sectional images to model the eyeball and optic nerve pathway in a 3D manner and deformed states of individual eyeballs and optic nerves are identified through the eyeball model and optic nerve model constructed through the 3D modeling, whereby the possibility of myopia and glaucoma can be predicted.