Optoretinography OCT Processing with Tissue-Velocity Quality Gating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ORG processing techniques yield unreliable tissue velocity indications due to factors like eye movement, affecting the quality of ORG data and final processing results.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and apparatus process OCT images using image quality and similarity metrics to filter out unreliable velocity indications, compensating for bulk motion and retaining only reliable velocity data for generating accurate ORG data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional ORG processing techniques are used to analyze OCT images, then tissue velocity indications can be obtained, but the reliability and accuracy of the velocity data deteriorate due to eye movement and bulk motion artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes bulk motion artifacts from the OCT image data by calculating motion vectors that represent eye movement and bulk tissue motion. These motion vectors are then used to correct the phase values in the OCT images, effectively separating the harmful bulk motion component from the useful retinal motion signal, thereby improving the reliability of tissue velocity indications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces motion vectors as an intermediary element that mediates between the raw OCT data and the final velocity analysis. These motion vectors serve as a correction factor that compensates for eye movement and bulk motion, allowing the system to maintain accurate tissue velocity measurements despite the presence of harmful motion artifacts.
2Measurement precision
If phase-resolved OCT imaging is used to detect retinal physiological responses, then high measurement precision can be achieved, but the complexity of data processing increases due to the need to compensate for bulk motion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by calculating motion vectors and compensating for bulk motion before the final tissue velocity analysis is performed. This preliminary correction step processes the OCT images in advance to remove the effects of eye movement and bulk motion, thereby simplifying the subsequent velocity analysis and maintaining high measurement precision without excessive processing complexity.
3Quantity of substance
If all OCT images are processed to generate velocity indications, then the quantity of data increases, but the quality of the data deteriorates due to inclusion of unreliable velocity measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating and treating different regions of the OCT data differently based on their reliability. Motion vectors are calculated and applied locally to specific regions where bulk motion artifacts are detected, allowing the system to maintain high reliability in corrected regions while preserving the quantity of useful velocity data. Unreliable regions are corrected or excluded, ensuring that the final velocity dataset has both sufficient quantity and high quality.
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
Improves the reliability and accuracy of ORG data by removing unreliable velocity data, ensuring high-quality processing results.
Implementation Method 1
the phase is very sensitive to movement in the tissue, and many phase-resolved OCT imaging systems are able to resolve displacements smaller than 10 nm
Implementation Method 2
OCT is an imaging technique based on low-coherence interferometry
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method of processing each of a plurality of sets of OCT images in a sequence of OCT images of a portion of a retina to generate a respective indication of a tissue velocity at a position along an axial direction in the OCT images, by performing, for each set: calculating a respective comparison value based on an image quality or similarity of a first OCT image and a second OCT image in the set; using phase information in the first OCT and second OCT image in a calculation of the respective indication of tissue velocity at the position if the comparison value is equal to or greater than a threshold; and omitting the phase information from the calculation if the comparison value is smaller than the threshold.