UHS-OMAG System for High-Sensitivity Blood Flow Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging techniques for assessing blood flow in living tissue are limited by low sensitivity, insufficient resolution for depth information, and long data acquisition times, making them unsuitable for in vivo imaging in humans.
Innovation Solution
The development of an ultrahigh sensitive optical microangiography (UHS-OMAG) system that uses a combination of optical coherence tomography and phase resolved optical Doppler tomography, applying imaging algorithms on the slow scan axis to enhance sensitivity and reduce data acquisition time, allowing for high-resolution 3D imaging of blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If current imaging techniques are used to assess blood flow in living tissue, then structural information can be obtained, but sensitivity to blood flow is low and resolution for depth information is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) for structural imaging with phase-resolved optical Doppler tomography for flow detection into a unified UHS-OMAG system. This merging allows simultaneous acquisition of both structural and functional blood flow information with high sensitivity and depth resolution, resolving the contradiction between measuring precision and information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces phase information as an additional dimension beyond traditional amplitude-based OCT imaging. By utilizing the phase component of the optical signal, the system achieves sensitive blood flow detection while maintaining depth resolution, effectively adding a functional dimension to the structural imaging data.
2Measurement precision
If current imaging techniques are used to obtain blood flow information, then some flow data can be acquired, but data acquisition time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous wave OCT imaging with phase modulation, allowing uninterrupted acquisition of both structural and flow information. The continuous imaging approach eliminates the need for separate acquisition sequences, significantly reducing total data acquisition time while maintaining high blood flow detection sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic phase modulation of the reference arm mirror to encode flow information at a specific frequency. This periodic action allows selective detection of blood flow signals through frequency domain analysis, enabling fast acquisition of flow data without compromising sensitivity.
3Productivity
If imaging algorithms are applied on the fast scan axis, then processing speed may be improved, but sensitivity to slow blood flow is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional approach by applying imaging algorithms on the slow scan axis rather than the fast scan axis. This inversion allows the system to maintain high sensitivity to slow blood flow velocities while achieving acceptable processing speeds through optimized computational methods on the slower-dimension data.
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 UHS-OMAG system achieves high sensitivity and fast data acquisition, enabling the imaging of slow blood flows and providing detailed 3D microvascular images, which is essential for diagnosing and managing pathological conditions in dermatology and ophthalmology.
Implementation Method 1
uses a combination of optical coherence tomography and phase resolved optical Doppler tomography
Implementation Method 2
phase resolved optical Doppler tomography
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments herein provide an ultrahigh sensitive optical microangiography (OMAG) system that provides high sensitivity to slow flow information, such as that found in blood flow in capillaries, while also providing a relatively low data acquisition time. The system performs a plurality of fast scans (i.e., B-scans) on a fast scan axis, where each fast scan includes a plurality of A-scans. At the same time, the system performs a slow scan (i.e., C-scan), on a slow scan axis, where the slow scan includes the plurality of fast scans. A detector receives the spectral interference signal from the sample to produce a three dimensional (3D) data set. An imaging algorithm is then applied to the 3D data set in the slow scan axis to produce at least one image of the sample. In some embodiments, the imaging algorithm may separate flow information from structural information of the sample.