JP7790891B2 - Information processing device and ophthalmic examination device - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an information processing device and an ophthalmic examination device.

Using a tomography imaging device such as an optical coherence tomography (OCT), it is possible to observe the internal structure of the subject's eye in three dimensions. OCT is widely used in ophthalmological examinations because it is useful for more accurate diagnosis of disease.

One type of OCT is TD-OCT (Time Domain OCT), which combines a broadband light source with a Michelson interferometer. TD-OCT moves the reference mirror at a constant speed and measures the interference light obtained by combining the reference light with the backscattered light acquired by the signal arm, thereby obtaining the reflected light intensity distribution in the depth direction of the test eye.

However, with TD-OCT, high-speed image acquisition is difficult because the reference mirror needs to be moved mechanically. Therefore, SD-OCT (Spectral Domain OCT) was developed as a type of OCT that acquires images at higher speeds. It uses a broadband light source to acquire interference light via a spectroscope.

In addition, SS-OCT (Swept Source OCT) has been developed, which can detect high-frequency interference light by temporally dispersing it using a wavelength-swept light source that rapidly sweeps the wavelength. SS-OCT makes it possible to obtain tomographic images with a wide field of view and a deep depth range that include tissues such as the choroid and sclera of the subject's eye.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that, when a tomographic image is acquired with a wide angle of view and a deep depth range, enlarges the tomographic image to full size, making it easier to visualize layer boundaries.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-37170

Here, it is conceivable that in addition to the wide-angle tomographic images with a large depth range as disclosed in Patent Document 1, tomographic images with a narrower angle of view and a large depth range may be acquired. In this case, even though the tomographic image acquired with a narrow angle of view has a large depth range, if it is displayed in the same display area as the tomographic image acquired with a wide angle of view, for example, the area of interest, such as the tissue of the subject's eye or the layer boundaries of the retina, may be crushed in the depth direction, making it difficult to view.

When displaying a tomographic image acquired with a narrow angle of view and a wide depth range in the display area, if the tomographic image is simply enlarged to the same size as disclosed in Patent Document 1, some areas of the tomographic image in a direction that intersects with the depth direction of the subject's eye will not be displayed.

One of the disclosed technologies aims to improve the visibility of the area of interest in the subject's eye.

In addition to the above-mentioned objectives, the achievement of effects derived from the various components shown in the detailed description of the invention described below, which cannot be obtained with conventional technology, can also be considered as another objective of this invention.

The technology disclosed in this specification is
1. An information processing device that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light,
a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light at the subject's eye at a selected angle of view when any of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as an angle of view for acquiring a tomographic image of the subject's eye;
a display control means for displaying a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view in a display area when the first angle of view is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in a second tomographic image acquired at the second angle of view, the partial image having a length in a depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, in a manner that fits the display area when the second angle of view is selected;
Equipped with
the length in the depth direction of the partial image is a length based on the length in the depth direction of a tomographic image acquired by an ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image,
the ophthalmic examination apparatus that has acquired the tomographic image is an SS-OCT that acquires the tomographic image of the test eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the test eye that has been irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
The ophthalmic examination apparatus that is different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image is an SD-OCT that uses interference light acquired through a spectroscope.

The technology disclosed in this specification can improve the visibility of the area of interest in the subject's eye.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an ophthalmologic system according to first to fourth embodiments. 1 is a diagram illustrating a measurement optical system included in the ophthalmic examination apparatus according to Examples 1 to 4. FIG. 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating an example of display of a tomographic image according to Examples 1 to 4. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing device according to first to fourth embodiments. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of the information processing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a display screen according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a photographing screen according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing device according to a third embodiment. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of display of a tomographic image according to Example 4. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation flow of an information processing device according to a fourth embodiment.

Below, illustrative examples for implementing the technology disclosed herein are described with reference to the drawings. Note that the dimensions, materials, shapes, and relative positions of components described in the following examples are arbitrary and can be changed depending on the configuration of the device to which the technology disclosed herein is applied or various conditions.

For example, the depth dimension of the tomographic images acquired by the SD-OCT described in the examples is set to 2 mm, but is not limited to 2 mm. Furthermore, the depth dimension (imaging depth) of the tomographic images used in the examples in the test eye is described as being fixed for each type of ophthalmic examination device, but a single ophthalmic examination device may be configured to acquire tomographic images at multiple imaging depths.

In addition, the same reference symbols are used between drawings to indicate identical or functionally similar elements. Also, some components, parts, and processes that are not important for the explanation may be omitted from each drawing.

Example 1
An ophthalmologic system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. The ophthalmologic system 10 can display a tomographic image by applying different scales depending on either the depth of the acquired tomographic image in the subject's eye or the type of tomographic imaging device that acquired the tomographic image.

When a tomographic image with a long depth or a tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT is selected, only a portion of the depth of the tomographic image, i.e., a partial image, is displayed at a scale that fits the display area. By displaying a partial image that is shorter in depth than the tomographic image as acquired, the tomographic image is not crushed in the depth direction, making it easier to view the area of interest.

The depth length (imaging depth) of a tomographic image acquired by an OCT tomographic imaging device depends on the properties of the measurement light irradiated onto the subject's eye and the properties of the sensor that receives the interference light. Changing the depth length of the acquired tomographic image requires complex changes and adjustments to the optical system configuration, such as changing the light source or sampling rate, so the depth length may not be changeable. In this embodiment, by post-processing the acquired tomographic image, the region of interest can be displayed in an easily visible manner without complex changes and adjustments to the optical system configuration.

(System configuration)
An example of the configuration of an ophthalmologic system 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of the ophthalmologic system 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the ophthalmologic system 10 is a system in which an ophthalmologic control device 110, which is an example of an information processing device, is communicably connected to a tomographic imaging device 100 (also called OCT), a storage unit 120, an input unit 130, and a display unit 140 via interfaces.

The tomographic imaging device 100 is a device that captures tomographic images of a subject's eye, and is equipped with a measurement optical system 101, a stage unit 102, and a base unit 103. The tomographic imaging device 100 described here is an SS-OCT, an ophthalmic examination device that captures tomographic images using interference light obtained by combining reference light with return light from a subject's eye irradiated with measurement light using a wavelength swept light source.

As described below, the ophthalmic control device 110 may be configured to be connectable to an SD-OCT, another example of an ophthalmic examination device. The SD-OCT detects interference light via a spectroscope.

The measurement optical system 101 is an optical system for acquiring anterior eye observation images, SLO fundus images of the subject's eye, and tomographic images. The stage unit 102 allows the measurement optical system 101 to move back and forth and left and right.

The ophthalmic control device 110 is a computer that controls the stage unit 102, alignment operations, tomographic image reconstruction, image display, etc. The storage unit 120 stores tomographic imaging programs (such as imaging patterns), patient information, imaging data and image data from previous examinations, measurement data, etc.

The input unit 130 issues instructions to the computer and specifically consists of a keyboard and mouse. The display unit 140 consists of, for example, a monitor. If a touch panel is used, part or all of the input unit 130 is built into the display unit 140.

(Configuration of tomographic imaging device)
The configuration of the measurement optical system in the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Here, the configuration of SS-OCT will be described as an example.

First, the interior of the measurement optical system 101 will be described. The tomography apparatus 100 has a wavelength swept light source 211 that sweeps the frequency of the emitted light, an OCT interference unit 220 that generates interference light, a detection unit 230 that detects the interference light, and an ophthalmologic control device 110 that acquires information about the fundus of the subject 200 based on the interference light. Furthermore, the tomography apparatus 100 has a measurement arm 250 and a reference arm 260.

The tomographic imaging device 100 may be equipped with a light source 212 for a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (hereinafter referred to as SLO), an SLO optical system 280 for obtaining reflected light from the fundus, and an anterior segment imaging unit 290. The tomographic imaging device 100 may also have the functionality of a fundus camera that illuminates the fundus with visible light and obtains a frontal image of the fundus.

In this embodiment, an example is described in which the subject 200 is a human eye, but this is not limited to this.

The OCT interference unit 220 has couplers 221 and 222. First, the coupler 221 splits the light emitted from the wavelength swept light source 211 into measurement light and reference light that are used to irradiate the fundus. In this embodiment, the split ratio is approximately 2:8, with measurement light:reference light = 2:8.

The measurement light is irradiated onto the fundus of the subject 200 via the measurement arm 250. More specifically, the irradiation light incident on the measurement arm 250 has its polarization adjusted by the polarization controller 251, and is then emitted as spatial light from the collimator 252. The irradiation light then passes through the X-scan scanner 253, lenses 254 and 255, the Y-scan scanner 256, the dichroic mirror 273, the lens 257, the focus lens 258 fixed to the focus stage 259, and the objective lens 276, before being irradiated onto the fundus of the subject 200.

The X-scan scanner 253 and Y-scan scanner 256 are scanning means that have the function of scanning the fundus with irradiation light. The scanning means change the irradiation position of the measurement light on the fundus. The dichroic mirror 103 has the property of reflecting light with wavelengths between 1000 nm and 1100 nm and transmitting all other light.

The backscattered light (reflected light) from the fundus then travels back along the optical path described above and is emitted from measurement arm 250. It then passes through coupler 221 and enters coupler 222. According to the branching ratio described above, 80% of the returning light from the fundus is guided to coupler 222.

Meanwhile, the reference light passes through reference arm 260 and enters coupler 222. More specifically, the reference light that enters reference arm 260 has its polarization adjusted by polarization controller 261, and is then emitted as spatial light from collimator 262. The reference light then passes through dispersion compensation glass 263, optical path length adjustment optical system 264, and dispersion adjustment prism pair 265, and is then incident on an optical fiber via collimator lens 266, and is then emitted from reference arm 260 and enters coupler 222.

The light reflected from the specimen 200 via the measurement arm 250 and the light that has passed through the reference arm 260 are combined by the coupler 222 and interfere. This interference light is then detected by the detection unit 230. The detection unit 230 has a differential detector 231 and an A/D converter 232. First, in the detection unit 230, the differential detector 231 detects the demultiplexed interference light immediately after the interference light is generated by the coupler 222.

The OCT interference signal converted into an electrical signal by the differential detector 231 is then converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 232. In the tomography imaging device 100 of Figure 2, the interference light is sampled at equal optical frequency (equal wavenumber) intervals based on the k-clock signal emitted by the k-clock generating unit incorporated in the wavelength swept light source 211. The digital signal output by the A/D converter 232 is sent to the ophthalmologic control device 110.

The above is the process of acquiring information about a cross section at a single point on the subject 200, and acquiring information about a cross section in the depth direction of the subject in this manner is called an A-scan. Furthermore, the scanning direction for acquiring information about the subject's cross section, i.e., a two-dimensional image, in a direction perpendicular to the A-scan is called a B-scan, and scanning in a direction perpendicular to both the A-scan and B-scan scanning directions is called a C-scan.

When performing two-dimensional raster scanning on the fundus surface to obtain a three-dimensional tomographic image, the high-speed scanning direction is called a B-scan, and the slower scanning direction, in which two B-scans are aligned perpendicular to the B-scan, is called a C-scan. A two-dimensional tomographic image can be obtained by performing an A-scan and a B-scan, and a three-dimensional tomographic image can be obtained by performing an A-scan, a B-scan, and a C-scan. B-scans and C-scans are performed by the X-scan scanner 253 and the Y-scan scanner 256 described above.

The X-scan scanner 253 and Y-scan scanner 256 are composed of deflection mirrors arranged so that their rotation axes are perpendicular to each other. The X-scan scanner 253 performs scanning in the X-axis direction, and the Y-scan scanner 256 performs scanning in the Y-axis direction. The X-axis and Y-axis directions are perpendicular to the ocular axis direction of the eyeball and are mutually perpendicular. Furthermore, the line scanning direction of B-scan and C-scan does not have to coincide with the X-axis or Y-axis direction. Therefore, the line scanning direction of B-scan and C-scan can be determined appropriately depending on the 2D or 3D tomographic image to be acquired.

Light emitted from the SLO light source 212 is irradiated onto the fundus via the SLO optical system 280. More specifically, the light incident on the SLO optical system 280 is emitted into space as parallel light from the collimator 281. The light then passes through the perforated portion of the perforated mirror 271, passes via lens 282, X-scan scanner 283, lenses 284 and 285, and Y-scan scanner 286, and reaches the dichroic mirror 272.

Note that the X-scan scanner 283 and Y-scan scanner 286 are examples of scanning means for SLO, and the X-scan scanner 253 and Y-scan scanner 256 for OCT may also be configured as a common XY-scan scanner. The dichroic mirror 272 has the property of reflecting light in the 760 nm to 800 nm range and transmitting all other light. The light reflected by the dichroic mirror 272 travels the same optical path as for OCT and reaches the fundus of the subject 200.

The measurement light irradiated onto the fundus is reflected and scattered by the fundus, and travels along the optical path described above to reach the perforated mirror 271. The light reflected by the perforated mirror 271 passes through the lens 287 and is received by the avalanche photodiode (APD) 288, converted into an electrical signal, and sent to the computer 110.

Here, the position of the perforated mirror 271 is conjugate with the position of the pupil of the subject's eye, and of the measurement light irradiated onto the fundus, the light that is reflected and scattered and passes through the periphery of the pupil is reflected by the perforated mirror 271.

The anterior segment imaging unit 290 illuminates the anterior segment with an illumination light source 295 consisting of an LED that emits illumination light with a wavelength of 860 nm. Light reflected by the anterior segment reaches the dichroic mirror 275 via the objective lens 276. The dichroic mirror 275 has the property of reflecting light between 820 nm and 920 nm and transmitting all other light. The light reflected by the dichroic mirror 105 passes through lenses 291, 292, and 293 and is received by the anterior segment camera 294. The light received by the anterior segment camera 294 is converted into an electrical signal and received by the ophthalmic control device 110.

The internal fixation light 225 is composed of an internal fixation light display unit 226 and a lens 227. The internal fixation light display unit 226 uses multiple light-emitting diodes (LDs) arranged in a matrix. The lighting position of the LEDs is changed according to the area to be photographed. Light from the internal fixation light display unit 226 is guided to the subject's eye via the lens 227. The light emitted from the internal fixation light display unit 226 is 520 nm, and displays the desired set pattern.

The ophthalmic control device 110 acquires a tomographic image by processing the interference signal converted into a digital signal. Furthermore, an angiographic image may be acquired by analyzing the motion contrast data. Similarly, the ophthalmic control device 110 processes the SLO fundus signal converted into a digital signal sent from the APD 288 to calculate an SLO image. It also processes the signal sent from the anterior eye camera 294 to construct an anterior eye image.

Then, the fundus and anterior segment information obtained as a result of the signal processing is displayed on the display unit 140.

Here, the optical system of the tomographic imaging device 100 has been explained using SS-OCT as an example, but tomographic imaging devices with other configurations, such as SD-OCT, can also be used.

(Display of tomographic image)
Next, the difference in appearance on display caused by arranging tomographic images with different depth lengths in a display area of the same size will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an example of the display of tomographic images obtained from different types of tomographic imaging devices, SD-OCT and SS-OCT, and the images when the entire tomographic images are displayed in a display area of the same size.

Figure 3(a) shows a tomographic image 300 of the fundus of the test eye 200 captured using SD-OCT, which shows the retinal layer 301. In normal eyes, the tomographic image acquired using SD-OCT generally shows an image depicting up to the middle part 302 of the choroid, due to attenuation of the returning light from the choroid below the retinal pigment epithelium.

Figure 3(c) shows a tomographic image 320 of the fundus of the subject's eye 200 captured using SS-OCT. By capturing images using SS-OCT, which can acquire tomographic images over a wide depth range, it is possible to capture an area 321 including the retina and choroid in the tomographic image 320.

When the tomographic image 300 or 320 is displayed on the display unit, the size of the image is changed based on the selected scale. For example, the aspect ratio of the image may be changed according to the type of scale selected, such as a scale where the length of one pixel in the depth direction and the width direction is the same (Real scale), or a scale where the image is enlarged or reduced in the depth direction and width direction to fit the display area (Fit scale).

When tomographic images 300 and 320 are displayed in the same size display area using Fit scale, the retina appears differently due to the difference in aspect ratio of the original images. Figure 3(b) shows tomographic image 310, which displays a tomographic image acquired by SD-OCT. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(d), tomographic image 330, which displays a tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT, is compressed in the depth direction, reducing the visibility of the retina, which is one of the regions of interest.

(Configuration of ophthalmic control device)
Next, the configuration of an ophthalmologic control apparatus 110, which is an example of an information processing apparatus, will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a schematic configuration of the ophthalmologic control apparatus 110. The ophthalmologic control apparatus 110 is connected to the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, an input unit 130, and a display unit 140, and is provided with an imaging control unit 410, an image acquisition unit 420, a storage unit 120, and a display control unit 430.

The ophthalmic control device 110, which is an example of an information processing device, may be, for example, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a mobile terminal. Furthermore, the ophthalmic examination device may be configured to implement the functions of the information processing device disclosed in this specification. The functions of the disclosed information processing device may be implemented by an ophthalmic system in which multiple devices, including an information processing device and an ophthalmic examination device, are communicatively connected. Note that the information processing device is not limited to an information processing device dedicated to ophthalmic examination devices, and may also be connectable to non-ophthalmic examination devices, such as CT or MRI.

The imaging control unit 410 controls the tomographic imaging device 100 to adjust the imaging alignment, perform imaging, and acquire signal data for the captured anterior eye observation images, SLO fundus images, and tomographic images. It also stores the imaging patterns, imaging alignment parameters, SLO fundus images, and other data for the captured tomographic images in the memory unit 120.

Furthermore, the imaging control unit 410 generates a tomographic image by signal processing from the signal data of the tomographic image captured by the tomographic imaging device 100 via the image acquisition unit 420, and stores the image in the memory unit 120. Note that the signal data acquired during imaging alignment is not stored in the memory unit 120, but is sent to the display control unit 410 as a preview image.

Furthermore, if the captured data is an OCTA imaging pattern, the image acquisition unit 420 generates a motion contrast image from a tomographic image scanned at the same position and stores it together with the generated tomographic image in the memory unit 120. The image acquisition unit 420 also analyzes the layer boundaries of the captured tomographic image and stores the analysis results together with the tomographic image in the memory unit 120.

The display control unit 430 causes the display unit 140 to display previews of anterior eye observation images, SLO fundus images, and tomographic images for performing imaging alignment, which are acquired from the imaging device 100 via the imaging control unit 410, as well as the acquired tomographic images and SLO fundus images. Here, the display unit 140 may be, for example, a display or a projector. Note that the display unit 140 does not need to be directly connected to the ophthalmic control device 110, and may be configured to be connectable, for example, via a wired or wireless communication connection, to any information processing device included in the ophthalmic system.

The display control unit 430 also changes the display on the display unit 140 and issues instructions to the imaging control unit 410 based on the content input by the user via the input unit 130. The input unit 130 is, for example, at least one of a mouse, keyboard, and touch pen. Also, a configuration using a touch panel display that has the functions of both the input unit 130 and the display unit 140 may be used.

Furthermore, in response to an instruction from the user via the input unit 130 to select either a tomographic image or an SLO fundus image stored in the memory unit 120, the display control unit 430 displays the selected image on the display unit 140.

The memory unit 120 stores patient information (patient name, age, gender, etc.) and device information (model name, OCT type, etc.) of the tomographic imaging device 110 that captured the image. The memory unit 120 also stores captured tomographic images, motion contrast images, SLO images, imaging pattern information (left and right eye, imaging size, imaging format, number of scans in the X-axis direction, number of scans in the Y-axis direction, number of repeated scans at the same position, etc.), imaging alignment parameter information (fixation light position, imaging position, SLO and OCT focus values, C-Gate position, etc.), and parameters set by the user (brightness contrast adjustment value, imaging failure determination, etc.).

In addition, the images acquired by the image acquisition unit 420, which is an example of an acquisition means, include not only images acquired by the imaging control unit 410 but also imported data stored outside the system. In this case, not only images but also information on the subject's eye, device information, imaging pattern information, imaging alignment parameter information, all information on parameters set by the user, and analysis results are acquired and stored in the storage unit 120. Note that if the imported data is outdated or the analysis results are corrupted, the old information is updated or re-analyzed using the analysis content of the imported ophthalmologic system 10, and the data is stored in the storage unit 120.

(Display screen and enlarged display screen according to this embodiment)
5 and 6, a description will be given of a display when the display control unit 430 of this embodiment displays a tomographic image as a report on the display unit 140. Fig. 5 shows a display screen 500, which is an example of a report, and displays the tomographic image stored in the storage unit 120 and information associated with the tomographic image.

Here, at least one of the following information may be displayed as information accompanying the tomographic image: the scan mode for scanning the measurement light, the left or right eye, the examination date and time, and patient information. Even when there is a lot of information to display on the display unit and the display area for the tomographic image is limited, the area of interest can be made more visible by changing the scale according to the depth direction length of the tomographic image.

In addition, the display screen 500 may display a tomographic image of the selected patient's eye in response to an instruction to select a patient on a patient screen (not shown).

Figure 6 shows the enlarged display screen 600, which displays an enlarged version of one of the tomographic images. The enlarged display screen 600 is displayed by transitioning from one of the tomographic images displayed on the display screen 500 to the enlarged display screen 600.

The display screen 500 has an examination selection list display area 510 and a selected examination content display area 520. In the examination selection list display area 510, the examination data stored in the memory unit 120 is arranged in a list, with each image taken representing one examination. The examinations are grouped by examination date and time, camera model, and left or right eye, and the examinations within each group are arranged in order of the examination date and time at which they were taken. At this time, the examination date and time are arranged in descending order and the examination time in ascending order.

The examination selection list display area 510 can also be switched to a display that groups examinations by imaging pattern. When the user selects one of the examinations displayed in the examination selection list display area 510 as the selected examination 511, examination information such as the tomographic image and imaging pattern information for the selected examination 511 is read from the memory unit 120 and displayed in the selected examination content display area 520.

In the selected examination content display area 520, you can specify an examination display layout for different purposes, such as displaying one examination, displaying both eyes, or comparing past examinations, and images and examination information will be displayed according to the selected examination display layout. The selected examination content display area 520 includes an SLO fundus image display area 521 and a tomographic image display area 522 as areas for displaying images.

The SLO fundus image display area 521 displays the SLO image of the selected examination 511, and the position and direction of the tomographic image displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 are indicated on the SLO image. The tomographic image display area 522 can display at least one tomographic image of the selected examination 511, and displays a tomographic image corresponding to the position and direction indicated in the SLO fundus image display area 521. In addition, scales indicating the actual dimensions of the tomographic image in the depth and X-axis directions are displayed on the tomographic image display area 522.

In addition, in examinations that use multiple tomographic images, such as 3D imaging, which is performed by scanning a specific area on the fundus at equal intervals, the total number of tomographic images and a number indicating which tomographic image is being displayed are displayed in the tomographic image display area 522. In this case, the tomographic image displayed can be changed by scrolling or clicking the mouse in the SLO fundus image display area 521 or tomographic image display area 522. In response to an instruction to change the tomographic image to be displayed, the position of the tomographic image displayed in the SLO fundus image display area 521 and the number indicating which tomographic image is being displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 are changed.

The enlarged display screen 600 is displayed by performing an enlarged screen display operation such as double-clicking in the tomographic image display area 522, using a right-click menu (not shown), or using an enlargement button (not shown). The enlarged display screen 600 has an enlarged tomographic image display area 610 and a tomographic image operation area 620.

The enlarged tomographic image display area 610 has a larger area than the tomographic image display area 522, and displays the tomographic image that was displayed in the tomographic image display area 522. The tomographic image operation area 620 has a tomographic image scale selection area 621, which allows the scale of the tomographic image in the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 to be changed. The scale when the enlarged display screen 600 is displayed is the same aspect ratio (default scale) as when the enlarged screen display operation was performed in the tomographic image display area 522, and the tomographic image displayed in the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 changes depending on the scale selected in the tomographic image scale selection area 621.

(Display flow of tomographic images captured by SS-OCT according to this embodiment)
Next, a flow for displaying a tomographic image captured by SS-OCT according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a flowchart of the operation for displaying a tomographic image according to this embodiment.

When a tomographic image captured with SS-OCT, which has a long depth, is displayed in the same display area, the retina appears fainter than a tomographic image captured with SD-OCT, which has a short depth. Therefore, the display control unit 430 changes the scale depending on either the type of tomographic imaging device 100 that captured the tomographic image or the depth of the tomographic image, so that a highly visible tomographic image can be displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 even when tomographic images with different depth lengths are acquired.

Specifically, in step S701, the user selects the examination to be displayed on the display screen 500, and the display control unit 430 reads the tomographic images acquired in the selected examination from the storage unit 120. At this time, device information and imaging pattern information for the tomographic imaging device 100 that captured the tomographic images are also acquired from the storage unit 120.

In step S702, the display control unit 430 checks the type of tomographic imaging device 100 that captured the tomographic image, such as SD-OCT or SS-OCT, from the device information simultaneously acquired in step S701.

In step S703, the display control unit 430 determines the scale at which to display the tomographic image based on the type of tomographic imaging device 100 confirmed in step S702. Here, if the type of tomographic imaging device 100 is SD-OCT, a Fit scale is selected, which displays the entire tomographic image so that it fits in the tomographic image display area 522. If the type of tomographic imaging device 100 is SS-OCT, a 2 mm Depth scale is selected, which does not display the entire tomographic image, but rather displays a partial image with a length equal to 2 mm, which is the depth length when using the Fit scale for SD-OCT, so that it fits in the tomographic image display area 522.

The depth length of the acquired tomographic image may be confirmed in step S702, and the scale for displaying the tomographic image may be determined in step S703 according to the depth length of the tomographic image. At this time, if the depth length of the tomographic image is a predetermined length, for example, 2 mm or less, the entire tomographic image is displayed to fit within the tomographic image display area 522. If the depth length of the tomographic image is a predetermined length, for example, greater than 2 mm, a partial image having a shorter depth length than the original tomographic image is displayed to fit within the tomographic image display area 522.

Here, we have described 2 mm, the length of the depth range of a tomographic image captured by a typical SD-OCT, as the reference depth length for switching the scale for displaying a tomographic image, but this is not limited to this. Furthermore, the scale may be set by default and then changed later by user operation, or the scale may be set in advance by the user.

In step S704, the display control unit 430 acquires the actual horizontal and depth lengths of the tomographic image read in step S702. The actual horizontal length is acquired from the imaging size in the imaging pattern information, and the actual depth length can be acquired from the device information if it is saved together with the device information, or can be assigned as a fixed value from the type of tomographic imaging device 100 confirmed in step S702. Alternatively, the actual length indicated by one pixel in the original size of the tomographic image and the number of pixels in the tomographic image can be acquired and calculated as image information.

In step S705, the display control unit 430 checks the size of the tomographic image display area 522.

In step S706, the display control unit 430 calculates the zoom ratios in the horizontal and depth directions of the tomographic image from the scale confirmed in steps S703 to S705, the actual length of the tomographic image, and the size of the display area. In the case of Fit scale, the respective magnifications Rx and Rz are calculated using Equation 1.

Here, Tx and Tz indicate the number of pixels in the horizontal and depth directions of the original tomographic image stored in the memory unit 120. Furthermore, Ax and Az indicate the number of pixels in the vertical and horizontal directions of the tomographic image display area 522. In the case of a 2 mm depth scale, the magnifications Rx and Rz are calculated so that the number of pixels for 2 mm in the depth direction becomes the number of pixels in the display area, as shown in Equation 2.

Here, Tx, Tz, Ax, and Az represent the number of pixels in the horizontal and depth directions of the original tomographic image and the number of pixels in the horizontal and depth directions of the tomographic image display area 522, as in Equation 1. Stz represents the actual length in the depth direction of the tomographic image calculated in step S704. Saz represents the actual length displayed in the tomographic image display area 522, which is 2 mm in this case.

Here, if Rz is 1 or greater, the tomographic image is expanded in the depth direction. When expanded in the depth direction, portions of the tomographic image will not fit within the display area. For this reason, a scroll bar is provided to move the position of the tomographic image corresponding to the partial image and to accept instructions to update the display to the partial image to which it has been moved. If a scroll bar is displayed within the tomographic image display area 522, Ax is calculated using a value excluding the number of pixels for the scroll bar. Note that a configuration may also be adopted in which the scroll bar is not provided and portions of the tomographic image that do not fit within the display area are trimmed.

In step S707, the display control unit 430 generates a tomographic image that has been enlarged or reduced at the magnification calculated in S706. The enlarged or reduced tomographic image is generated by performing interpolation using the nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, bicubic method, super-resolution using machine learning, or the like.

In step S708, if the magnification calculated in S706 is 1 or greater, the position of the partial image on the subject's eye to be displayed in the display area is determined. It is desirable to specify a position where the center of the tomographic image is displayed as the partial image as the default position. Furthermore, if the layer boundaries are determined by analyzing the tomographic image, a position may be specified so that the retina is displayed in the center of the partial image.

In the case of tomographic images taken using 3D imaging, the position of the retina differs for each tomographic image, so the position where the retina is central may be specified for the central tomographic image or the tomographic image passing through the center of the macula or the center of the optic disc. The position where the retina is central may also be specified for each tomographic image. Furthermore, since the height of the retina differs even within a tomographic image, the entire retina in the tomographic image can be displayed within the tomographic image display area 522 by specifying that the lowest part of the retina is positioned slightly above the bottom of the tomographic image display area 522 rather than at the center.

In step S709, the display control unit 430 displays the tomographic image generated in step S707 at the position specified in step S708 within the tomographic image display area 522. At this time, a scroll bar may be displayed so that the depth position of the tomographic image displayed in the tomographic image display area 522 in the subject's eye can be changed in accordance with a user instruction. In other words, by operating the scroll bar, the position of the subject's eye displayed as a partial image can be changed from the default position, and the display of the partial image can be updated to display a different partial image.

According to the present embodiment described above, the region of interest can be more easily viewed even when a tomographic image long in the depth direction, such as that captured by SS-OCT, is displayed in the display area. Furthermore, there is no need for the user to change the scale of the tomographic image or display the enlarged display screen 600 in order to make the retina appear larger, thereby improving usability.

Note that tomographic images taken with SD-OCT may be displayed enlarged by displaying them in Fit scale in the enlarged tomographic image display area 610 of the enlarged display screen 600. Even when performing a similar display with a tomographic image taken with SS-OCT, by selecting the 2 mm depth scale in the tomographic image scale selection area 621, the image can be displayed in the same appearance as the Fit scale display of SD-OCT, as shown in Figure 6(b).

In addition, in steps S702 and S703, the display scale was set based on the type of tomography imaging device 100, but it is also possible to link a specified initial display scale to each examination in advance and use that information to determine the scale. For example, when creating an imaging pattern, the initial display scale can be set as examination information, allowing for linking.

The 2mm Depth scale may be set only when the tomography device 100 is a type that captures wide-angle, deep-penetration tomographic images, such as SS-OCT. Furthermore, by setting 2mm Depth to the initial state when using a narrow-angle imaging pattern, it is possible to set the inspection conditions, including display, for both narrow-angle and wide-angle imaging before imaging.

In addition, when displaying tomographic images with a narrow field of view rather than for each examination, a 2 mm depth scale may be automatically set. In this case, images with a field of view equal to or smaller than the preset angle of view can be switched to narrow-field tomographic images.

In addition, regardless of the type of tomographic imaging device 100, the display control unit 430 may be configured to set the scale according to the depth of the acquired tomographic image. For example, if the depth of the tomographic image is longer than a certain length, only a partial area of the tomographic image may be displayed, and if the depth of the tomographic image is equal to or less than the certain length, the entire tomographic image may be displayed. Specifically, if the depth of the tomographic image exceeds 2 mm, only an area with a depth of 2 mm may be displayed, and if the depth of the tomographic image is 2 mm or less, the entire tomographic image may be displayed. The boundary for switching the display scale may be set as appropriate.

In addition, in this embodiment, the depth length is obtained in step S704, and the magnification is calculated using that length in step S706. However, this is not limited to this method, as long as the actual size per pixel on the display is the same. For example, even if the imaging depth of each tomographic imaging device is not available, if the ratio between the sizes of one pixel can be found, the magnification can be calculated by substituting the ratio into Sta/Stz in Equation 2.

This time, we have described a method of displaying a 2mm depth scale when viewing examinations taken with a narrow angle of view, but it would also be acceptable to display a 2mm depth scale when taking wide-angle images. In this case, the display may be configured to enlarge not only the depth direction but also the X-axis direction to a scale that matches the SD-OCT angle of view. Diagnostic efficiency can be improved by switching between displaying a wide-angle bird's-eye view tomographic image and a narrow-angle tomographic image similar to that of conventional SD-OCT.

Furthermore, in the examples, the type of tomographic imaging device with a long imaging depth is described as SS-OCT, and the type of tomographic imaging device with a short imaging depth is described as SD-OCT, but both SD-OCT with a long imaging depth and SD-OCT with a short imaging depth may also be used.

Example 2
In this embodiment, an example will be described in which, in a configuration capable of simultaneously displaying multiple examinations, a scale is determined according to the examination to be compared when the type of tomography imaging apparatus 100 that captured the examination to be compared is different. The multiple examinations displayed include not only the selected examination 511 selected in the examination selection list display area 510, but also examinations that can be selected to be compared with the selected examination 511. In this case, it is desirable that the appearance of the tomographic images be the same even if the examinations to be compared were performed by different types of tomography imaging apparatuses 100.

In this embodiment, when displaying multiple tomographic images taken with different types of tomographic imaging devices, the aspect ratios of the tomographic structures are similar, which is referred to as the same appearance. However, the images do not have to look exactly the same, as long as the tomographic structures are easy to compare visually.

(Tomographic image comparison display screen according to this embodiment)
An example of a screen displaying a plurality of different examinations displayed by the display control unit 430 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 shows a tomographic image comparison display screen 800 displaying two examinations, each including a tomographic image stored in the storage unit 120, side by side.

Like the display screen 500, the tomographic image display screen 800 has an examination selection list display area 810 and a selected examination content display area 820. A selected examination 811 is selected from the examination selection list display area 810 and displayed in the selected examination content display area 820. Note that if the examinations stored in the memory unit 120 include examinations taken with multiple types of tomographic imaging devices 100, the type or model name of the tomographic imaging device 100, or an icon or symbol indicating the type or model name, may be displayed.

The selected examination content display area 820 displayed in the examination selection list display area 810 allows multiple examinations to be displayed by specifying a comparison report, such as a comparison between the left and right eyes or a comparison between past examinations. The comparison report can display a selected examination display area 823 and a comparison examination display area 822, each of which can display examination information such as the date and time of imaging, the left or right eye, and the type of tomographic imaging device 100, as well as an SLO fundus image and a tomographic image.

The selected examination display area 823 displays the examination information and images of the selected examination 811 selected from the examination selection list display area 810. The comparison examination display area 822 displays examinations with the same shooting pattern taken in the past. The examination to be compared can be specified by the user, and by selecting the comparison examination selection button 821, one or more past examinations can be specified from the comparison examination selection screen (not shown), and displayed side by side in the comparison examination display area 822. Note that the previous examination with the same shooting pattern closest to the selected examination 811 may be automatically displayed as the initial display.

(Display flow of comparison images captured by different tomographic imaging apparatuses according to this embodiment)
A flow of displaying tomographic images in the present embodiment in which the comparison target image is an SS-OCT tomographic image and the comparison source image is an SD-OCT tomographic image and the tomographic images are displayed side by side will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 shows a flowchart of the operation for displaying the comparison target tomographic image in the present embodiment.

When tomographic images captured using different types of tomographic imaging devices 100 are displayed side by side, even if the images are captured using the same imaging pattern, the vertical resolution in the depth direction and the actual length of the captured tomographic images are different, so the tomographic images are displayed with different thicknesses in the depth direction. Therefore, the display control unit 430 sets the scale of the tomographic image to match the types of the tomographic imaging devices 100 used for comparison and the scale of the tomographic image to be compared, thereby allowing the tomographic images to be displayed side by side with the same appearance even if the types of tomographic imaging devices 100 are different.

Specifically, in step S901, the display control unit 430 acquires from the storage unit 120 the tomographic image and examination information of the examination selected by the user or the examination selected as the comparison target examination for initial display. In step S902, the display control unit 430 confirms the type of the selected examination 811 to be used as the comparison source and the type of tomographic imaging device 100 of the comparison target examination selected in step S901.

In step S903, the display control unit 430 determines the scale of the tomographic image of the comparison target examination based on the type confirmed in S902 and the scale displayed in the tomographic image of the comparison target examination. If the tomographic imaging device 100 type is the same for the comparison target examination and the comparison target examination, the same scale is selected. If the tomographic imaging device 100 type is different for the comparison target examination and the comparison target examination, the scale is determined according to the scale of the comparison target examination so that the actual length of one pixel in the tomographic images of the comparison target examination and the comparison target examination is the same in both the vertical and horizontal directions.

For example, if the comparison source examination was taken with an SD-OCT and the tomographic images are displayed on the Fit scale, and the comparison target examination was taken with an SS-OCT, the 2mm Depth scale will be selected, as the tomographic image display area will be the same length as the depth direction of the SD-OCT. Also, if the comparison source examination was taken with an SS-OCT and the tomographic images are displayed on the 2mm Depth scale, and the comparison target examination is an SD-OCT, the Fit scale will be selected; if the comparison source SS-OCT tomographic images are displayed on the Fit scale, the 5mm Depth scale will be selected for the comparison target SD-OCT tomographic images.

From step S904 to step S909, the tomographic image of the comparison target examination is displayed in the comparison target examination display area 822 using the scale set in step S903. The display method is the same as in steps S704 to S709. Note that the position of the scroll bar in step S908 may be set to the same position based on the layer boundary information of the tomographic image of the comparison source examination.

According to the present embodiment described above, when comparing and displaying tomographic images of different types taken by the tomographic imaging device 100, multiple tomographic images can be displayed with the same appearance. This is highly desirable as it allows multiple tomographic images of different types taken by the tomographic imaging device 100 to be viewed with the same appearance without the need for user operation to adjust the display.

Note that while this example is limited to the case where the imaging size is the same, this is not limiting. Even if examinations with different imaging sizes are selected, steps S906 to S908 calculate the same zoom ratio for the horizontal direction of the tomographic image as for the depth direction in equation 2, rescale the tomographic image, and determine the position of the scroll bar so that it is in the same position as the original tomographic image, allowing the images to be displayed with the same appearance.

In addition, while this embodiment describes the flow for displaying the comparison target examination, even if the display scale of the comparison source is changed, the display of the comparison target tomographic image can be made to look the same by performing steps S902 to S909 with the scale type changed. Furthermore, even if the display scale of the comparison target is changed, the display of the comparison target tomographic image can be made to look the same by performing steps S902 to S909 with the comparison source and comparison target swapped.

In addition, while this embodiment describes a comparison of SS-OCT and SD-OCT tomographic images as images taken with different types of tomographic imaging devices, this is not limited to this. Even when displaying tomographic images from an SD-OCT device with a long imaging depth and an SD-OCT device with a short imaging depth side by side, multiple tomographic images can be displayed with the same appearance by selecting the scale of the tomographic image to be compared based on the imaging depth and the display scale type of the tomographic image to be compared.

Example 3
In this embodiment, an example of a preview display of a tomographic image when a narrow-angle tomographic image is captured using a wide-angle, deep-penetration tomographic imaging apparatus 100 will be described. When capturing an image using the same capturing pattern as SD-OCT using a wide-angle, deep-penetration tomographic imaging apparatus 100 such as SS-OCT, it is desirable to be able to capture an image with the same appearance as SD-OCT.

In this embodiment, when displaying multiple tomographic images taken with different types of tomographic imaging devices, the aspect ratios of the tomographic structures are similar, which is referred to as the same appearance. However, the images do not have to look exactly the same, as long as the tomographic structures are easy to compare visually.

(Tomographic image comparison display screen according to this embodiment)
An example of an imaging screen for capturing a tomographic image, which is displayed by the display control unit 430 of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 shows a tomographic image imaging screen 1000 for capturing and acquiring a tomographic image from the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 via the imaging control unit 410.

The tomographic image capture screen 1000 has a capture pattern display area 1010 and a capture preview display area 1020. The capture pattern display area 1010 displays the left and right eyes, adjustment mode, scan mode, fixation light type, etc. The user can change the scan mode and fixation light type using the input unit 130, such as a mouse.

The imaging preview display area 1020 has an anterior eye preview display section 1021, an SLO preview display section 1022, and a tomographic preview display area 1023, and displays the anterior eye preview image, SLO preview image, and tomographic preview image acquired from the tomographic imaging device 100 as live images in real time on each display section. The SLO preview display section 1020 displays the imaging pattern and fixation light position of the tomographic image on the SLO preview image.

The user can also change the size and position of the imaging pattern of the tomographic image and the position of the fixation light via the input unit 130. When the imaging pattern is changed, the imaging control unit 410 changes the content of the tomographic preview image acquired by the tomographic imaging device 100 in accordance with the change, and the changed tomographic preview image is displayed on the tomographic preview display unit 1023.

(Display flow of tomographic images when performing narrow-angle imaging with SS-OCT according to this embodiment)
The display flow of a tomographic image when narrow-angle imaging similar to SD-OCT is performed using the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 capable of acquiring wide-angle and deep-depth range tomographic images such as the SS-OCT according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 11. Figure 11 shows a flowchart of the operation for displaying a tomographic image when narrow-angle imaging is performed using the SS-OCT according to this embodiment.

When capturing a narrow-angle tomographic image using SS-OCT, the tomographic preview display area 1023 displays a tomographic image with a narrow angle of view, a depthwise long image with a thin retina portion. Here, the display control unit 430 changes the scale of the tomographic preview image during narrow-angle capture, allowing the tomographic preview image captured using SS-OCT to be displayed with the same appearance as the tomographic preview image captured using SD-OCT.

Specifically, in step S1101, the user selects a shooting pattern in the shooting pattern display area 1010 via the input unit 130. Note that after selecting a shooting pattern, the size of the shooting pattern can also be changed on the SLO preview display.

In step S1102, the display control unit 430 determines whether the imaging pattern specified in step S1101 has a narrow angle of view. For example, if the angle of view is less than 10 mm, which is the imaging angle of view for SD-OCT, it is determined to be a narrow angle of view.

In step S1103, the display control unit 430 determines the scale based on the determination result of step S1102. If the angle of view is narrow, the 2 mm depth scale is set, and if the angle of view is not narrow, the fit scale display is set. In other words, when displaying a tomographic image captured with a narrow angle of view, a partial image of the tomographic image that is short in the depth direction is displayed. In this case, in the case of a cross imaging pattern in which images are captured vertically and horizontally, the angle of view may differ for each, but the scale may be set by determining whether each is a narrow angle of view, or if even one angle of view is determined to be narrow, all may be unified and set to the scale for a narrow angle of view.

In step S1104, the display control unit 430 checks the actual length and width of the tomographic preview image obtained from the tomographic imaging device 100. The actual length in the horizontal direction is determined from the imaging pattern set in step 1101, and the actual length in the depth direction is determined from information stored in advance in the tomographic imaging device 100 or from information obtained by communicating with the tomographic imaging device 100.

In step S1105, the display control unit 430 checks the number of pixels in both the vertical and horizontal directions of the tomographic preview display area 1023.

In step S1106, the display control unit 430 checks the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the tomographic preview image acquired from the tomographic image acquisition device 100. The number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the tomographic preview image is either pre-stored as information from the tomographic image acquisition device 100, or information acquired by communicating with the tomographic image acquisition device 100 is used.

In step S1107, the display control unit 430 calculates the vertical and horizontal zoom ratios of the tomographic preview image from the scale confirmed in steps S1103 to S1106, the actual size of the tomographic preview image, the size of the display area, and the size of the tomographic preview image. The calculation method is the same as in step S706.

In step S1108, the imaging control unit 410 acquires a tomographic preview image from the tomographic imaging device 100 via the image acquisition unit 420 and passes it to the display control unit 430.

In step S1109, the display control unit 430 generates a tomographic image that has been enlarged or reduced at the magnification calculated in S1107. The enlarged or reduced tomographic image is generated by performing interpolation using the nearest neighbor method, bilinear method, bicubic method, super-resolution using machine learning, or the like.

In step S1110, if the magnification calculated in S1107 is 1 or greater, a default position for the tomographic preview image is determined. The default position is specified as a position where the center of the tomographic image is displayed as a partial image. Note that since tomographic images tend to become darker in the depth direction, a position may be set that allows for capturing a bright portion with a narrow angle of view without the retina being included. The position may also be changed depending on the subject being captured, such as in choroid observation mode.

Note that if the tomographic imaging device 100 has the function of automatically determining the position at which the tomographic image is displayed, the position at which the tomographic image is displayed may be set to match the initial display position, or to match the position currently displayed in the tomographic preview display area 1023.

In step S1111, the display control unit 430 displays the tomographic preview image generated in step S1109 in the tomographic preview display area 1023 at the position specified in step S1110.

The display control unit repeats steps 1109 to S1111 while continuously acquiring tomographic preview images as a video from the tomographic imaging device 100 via the imaging control unit 410 and image acquisition unit 420. During this time, the display position in step S1110 remains in the previous state. Even if the display position is changed by the user, the tomographic preview image is displayed while maintaining the changed position.

According to the present embodiment described above, the tomographic preview display of the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, which acquires tomographic images that are long in the depth direction, such as those obtained using SS-OCT, can be displayed in the same appearance as when images are captured using SD-OCT. This improves the visibility of the region of interest in the subject's eye, such as the retina.

Furthermore, when a narrow angle of view is determined, the SLO preview image is enlarged and displayed within the same range as SD-OCT, allowing for more precise adjustment of the position of the imaging pattern, improving usability.

Note that in step S1102, a narrow angle of view was determined based on the angle of view of the shooting pattern. However, it is also possible to set in advance whether the shooting pattern selected in step S1101 is a narrow angle of view mode, and then determine the narrow angle of view based on the setting.

Example 4
The ophthalmologic system 10 of this embodiment can display a tomographic image by applying different scales depending on the angle of view of the tomographic image acquired by the tomographic imaging apparatus 100, which is an example of an ophthalmologic examination apparatus.

When a tomographic image captured with a narrow angle of view is selected, only a portion of the depth of the tomographic image, i.e., a partial image, is displayed at a scale that displays it in the display area. By displaying a partial image that is shorter in the depth direction than the tomographic image as acquired, it is possible to make the area of interest, such as the retina, more visible.

The depth length (imaging depth) of a tomographic image acquired by an OCT tomographic imaging device depends on the properties of the measurement light irradiated onto the subject's eye and the properties of the sensor that receives the interference light. Changing the depth length of the acquired tomographic image requires complex changes and adjustments to the optical system configuration, such as changing the light source or sampling rate, so the depth length may not be changeable. In this embodiment, by post-processing the acquired tomographic image, the region of interest can be displayed in an easily visible manner without complex changes and adjustments to the optical system configuration.

The device configuration is the same as in Examples 1 to 3, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

Using Figure 12, we will explain how tomographic images are displayed when capturing images using the tomographic imaging device 100 by switching between wide-angle and narrow-angle imaging.

By using a tomographic imaging device 100, such as an SS-OCT, it is possible to capture tomographic images with a wide field of view and a large depth range, as shown in Figure 12(a). By acquiring tomographic images with a wide field of view and a large depth range, it is possible to observe a wide area of the retina and discover abnormalities at locations far from the macula.

Here, it is conceivable that by acquiring a tomographic image with a narrower angle of view, a tomographic image with higher lateral resolution than a tomographic image with a wide angle of view can be acquired. In this case, if the entire tomographic image with a narrow angle of view and a wide depth range is displayed in the same display area as the tomographic image in Figure 12(a), the depth direction will be blurred, and it may be difficult to visually recognize the retina, which is an example of a region of interest.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 12(b), a partial image that is shorter in the depth direction than the tomographic image as acquired is displayed. At this time, a configuration may be adopted in which a region not displayed as a partial image is newly displayed in response to a user instruction using a scroll bar or the like. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which a trimming process is performed in advance on the region not displayed as a partial image.

Using Figure 13, we will explain the operational flow for controlling the tomography device 100 to acquire a tomographic image and changing the display scale depending on the angle of view of the tomographic image.

In step S1301, the user selects or changes the shooting pattern for capturing images. The shooting pattern includes the angle of view. Other settings for the shooting pattern may include the left or right eye, shooting size, shooting format, number of scans in the X-axis direction, number of scans in the Y-axis direction, and number of repeated scans of the same position.

In step S1302, the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 is controlled to acquire a tomographic image based on the imaging pattern set in S1301. Next, in step S1303, the angle of view of the acquired tomographic image is confirmed. At this time, the information on the angle of view associated with the tomographic image may be confirmed, or the angle of view of the tomographic image set in the tomographic imaging apparatus 100 may be confirmed.

In step S1304, the display scale of the tomographic image is determined according to the angle of view. At this time, if a tomographic image taken with a narrow angle of view is selected, it is displayed at a scale that displays only a portion of the depth direction of the tomographic image, i.e., a partial image, in the display area. On the other hand, if a tomographic image taken with a wide angle of view is selected, it is displayed at a scale that displays the entire image in the display area. For example, it may be set to 2 mm Depth for a narrow angle of view and Fit scale for a wide angle of view.

The image processing and display operation flow in steps S1305 to S1310 is the same as in Example 1, so a detailed description will be omitted.

Note that a report displaying tomographic images may display multiple tomographic images acquired at different angles of view side by side, as shown in Figure 12, or may display only tomographic images acquired at the same angle of view. The display method for displaying multiple other tomographic images is the same as in Example 1, and therefore will not be described here.

<Other Examples>
Examples 1 to 4 of this specification may be implemented in appropriate combination.

The technology disclosed in this specification can also be realized by providing software (programs) that achieve one or more of the functions of the various embodiments described above to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having the computer in that system or device read and execute the programs. 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 to read and execute computer-executable instructions.

In this case, 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).

Claims (19)

1. An information processing device that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light,
a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light at the subject's eye at a selected angle of view when any of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as an angle of view for acquiring a tomographic image of the subject's eye;
a display control means for displaying a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view in a display area when the first angle of view is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in a second tomographic image acquired at the second angle of view, the partial image having a length in a depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, in a manner that fits the display area when the second angle of view is selected;
Equipped with
the length in the depth direction of the partial image is a length based on the length in the depth direction of a tomographic image acquired by an ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image,
the ophthalmic examination apparatus that has acquired the tomographic image is an SS-OCT that acquires the tomographic image of the test eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the test eye that has been irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
The information processing device is an SD-OCT that uses interference light acquired through a spectroscope, and the ophthalmic examination device that is different from the ophthalmic examination device that acquired the tomographic image is different from the SD-OCT that uses interference light acquired through a spectroscope. 1. An information processing device that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light,
an acquisition means for acquiring the selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select at least one of a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the subject's eye and a second tomographic image having a depth length longer than that of the first tomographic image in the depth direction of the subject's eye;
a display control means for displaying the first tomographic image in a display area when the first tomographic image is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in the second tomographic image, the partial image having a length in the depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, so as to fit the partial image in the display area when the second tomographic image is selected;
An information processing device comprising: The information processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measurement light is irradiated by a wavelength swept light source. an acquisition means for acquiring a selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select at least one of a first tomographic image acquired by SD-OCT using interference light acquired through a spectroscope and a second tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT, which acquires a tomographic image of the subject's eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
a display control means for displaying the first tomographic image in a display area when the first tomographic image is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in the second tomographic image, the partial image having a length in the depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, so as to fit the partial image in the display area when the second tomographic image is selected;
An information processing device comprising: An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the display control means updates the display of the partial image in the second tomographic image to display a partial image different from the partial image in response to a user instruction. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the display control means displays the partial image obtained using information about layer boundaries obtained by analyzing the second tomographic image so as to fit the partial image within the display area. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display control means causes the display unit to display at least one of the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image as a report, and further causes the display unit to display at least one of a scan mode for scanning the subject's eye with measurement light, the left or right eye, the examination date and time, and patient information. The information processing device according to claim 7, wherein the display control means, in response to a user instruction to select at least two of a plurality of tomographic images including the first tomographic image and the second tomographic image as a comparison source image and a comparison target image, causes the display unit to display the comparison source image and the comparison target image side by side so that the lengths of the displayed regions of the comparison source image and the comparison target image in the depth direction in the subject's eye are the same. The information processing device described in claim 7 or 8, wherein the display control means causes the display unit to display at least one of the first tomographic image and the partial image as a live image. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the display control means further causes the display unit to display a front image of the subject's eye as a live image. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, which acquires a tomographic image of the fundus of the subject's eye as the tomographic image of the subject's eye. An ophthalmic system in which the information processing device described in any one of claims 1 to 11 and an ophthalmic examination device equipped with a detection means for detecting the interference light are communicatively connected. An ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye by using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light,
a control means for controlling a scanning means for scanning the measurement light at the subject's eye at a selected angle of view when any of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as an angle of view for acquiring a tomographic image of the subject's eye;
a display control means for displaying a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view in a display area when the first angle of view is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in a second tomographic image acquired at the second angle of view, the partial image having a length in a depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, in a manner that fits the display area when the second angle of view is selected;
Equipped with
the length in the depth direction of the partial image is a length based on the length in the depth direction of a tomographic image acquired by an ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image,
the ophthalmic examination apparatus that has acquired the tomographic image is an SS-OCT that acquires the tomographic image of the test eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the test eye that has been irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
The ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image is an SD-OCT ophthalmic examination apparatus that uses interference light acquired through a spectroscope. The ophthalmic examination device of claim 13, wherein the depth of the acquired tomographic image in the subject's eye cannot be changed when the first tomographic image is acquired at the first angle of view and when the second tomographic image is acquired at the second angle of view. An ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye by using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light,
an acquisition means for acquiring the selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select at least one of a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the subject's eye and a second tomographic image having a depth length longer than a depth length of the first tomographic image in the subject's eye;
a display control means for displaying the first tomographic image in a display area when the first tomographic image is selected, and for displaying a partial image included in the second tomographic image, the partial image having a length in the depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, so as to fit the partial image in the display area when the second tomographic image is selected;
An ophthalmic examination apparatus comprising: A control method for an ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye by using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light, comprising:
When one of a plurality of angles of view including a first angle of view and a second angle of view narrower than the first angle of view is selected as an angle of view for acquiring a tomographic image of the subject's eye, controlling a scanning unit that scans the subject's eye with the measurement light at the selected angle of view;
a step of displaying a first tomographic image acquired at the first angle of view in a display area when the first angle of view is selected, and displaying a partial image included in a second tomographic image acquired at the second angle of view, the partial image having a shorter length in a depth direction of the subject's eye than the second tomographic image, in a manner that fits the display area when the second angle of view is selected;
Including,
the length in the depth direction of the partial image is a length based on the length in the depth direction of a tomographic image acquired by an ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image,
the ophthalmic examination apparatus that has acquired the tomographic image is an SS-OCT that acquires the tomographic image of the test eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the test eye that has been irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
A method for controlling an ophthalmic examination apparatus, wherein the ophthalmic examination apparatus different from the ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquired the tomographic image is an SD-OCT that uses interference light acquired via a spectroscope. A control method for an ophthalmic examination apparatus that acquires a tomographic image of a subject's eye by using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light and reference light, comprising:
acquiring the selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select at least one of a plurality of tomographic images including a first tomographic image of the subject's eye and a second tomographic image having a depth length longer than a depth length of the first tomographic image in the subject's eye;
a step of displaying the first tomographic image in a display area when the first tomographic image is selected, and displaying a partial image included in the second tomographic image, the partial image having a length in a depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, so as to fit the partial image in the display area when the second tomographic image is selected;
A method for controlling an ophthalmic examination apparatus comprising: a step of acquiring a selected tomographic image in response to a user's instruction to select at least one of a first tomographic image acquired by SD-OCT using interference light acquired through a spectroscope and a second tomographic image acquired by SS-OCT, which acquires a tomographic image of the subject's eye using interference light obtained by combining return light from the subject's eye irradiated with measurement light by a wavelength swept light source and reference light;
a step of displaying the first tomographic image in a display area when the first tomographic image is selected, and displaying a partial image included in the second tomographic image, the partial image having a length in a depth direction of the subject's eye shorter than that of the second tomographic image, so as to fit the partial image in the display area when the second tomographic image is selected;
A control method for an information processing device including: A program causing a computer to execute the control method described in any one of claims 16 to 18.