Device, system and method for functional imaging of episcleral vessels

1. A method for identifying one or more target treatment areas in an eye of a living subject for subsequent performance of a glaucoma surgical treatment, said method comprising:

obtaining or providing an imaging probe system which comprises a laser microendoscope having an intraocular tip, a processor and a feedback device;

introducing a liquid contrast agent into the eye such that the liquid contrast agent flows through episcleral aqueous outflow vessels;

positioning the intraocular tip of the laser microendoscope in contact with the eye;

using the laser microendoscope to image the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within a plurality of regions of interest as those episcleral aqueous outflow vessels are perfused with the liquid contrast agent;

causing image data to be transmitted from the laser microendoscope to the processor;

causing the processor to quantify flow of the liquid contrast agent through the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within each of the plurality of regions of interest;

causing the feedback device to indicate differences in flow of the liquid contrast agent through the plurality of regions of interest; and

using the differences in flow indicated by said feedback device to identify said one or more target treatment areas for subsequent performance of said glaucoma surgical treatment on the basis of the differences in flow of the liquid contrast agent through the plurality of regions of interest indicated by the feedback device,

wherein the laser microendoscope emits, from the intraocular tip, laser energy capable of penetrating through scleral tissue to a penetration depth of 30 microns,

wherein the processor is configured to apply a vessel segmentation algorithm to the image data obtained by the laser microendoscope from the plurality of regions of interest of the eye and to quantify flow of liquid contrast agent through episcleral aqueous outflow vessels located within each of the plurality of regions of interest,

wherein the feedback device is configured to indicate the differences in flow of the liquid contrast agent through the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within each of the plurality of region of interest, and

wherein said glaucoma surgical treatment comprises at least one of i) ablating or forming an opening in trabecular meshwork tissue and ii) implanting a stent or aqueous drainage facilitating device to facilitate aqueous drainage from the eye.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using the laser microendoscope to image the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within said plurality of regions of interest as those episcleral aqueous outflow vessels are perfused with the liquid contrast agent comprises moving the laser microendoscope so as to acquire images at 15 degree intervals along a limbus of the eye.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid contrast agent fluoresces.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid contrast agent comprises fluorescein.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid contrast agent comprises indocyanine green.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microendoscope is positioned substantially 1 mm behind a limbus of the eye.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of positioning the intraocular tip of the laser microendoscope in contact with the eye comprises forming a flap incision in the eye and positioning the intraocular tip of the laser microendoscope within the flap incision.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of using the laser microendoscope to image the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within said plurality of regions of interest as those episcleral aqueous outflow vessels are perfused with the liquid contrast agent is performed about 7 minutes after the step of introducing the liquid contrast agent into the eye such that the liquid contrast agent will outflow through the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels of the eye.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback device comprises a visual display which indicates variations in outflow through the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within the plurality of regions of interest by displaying a composite image of each of the plurality of regions of interest, wherein the composite image includes a first indicator representing a centerline of each of the episcleral aqueous outflow vessel and a second indicator representing a border of each of the episcleral aqueous outflow vessel.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising causing said glaucoma surgical treatment to be performed at the one or more target treatment areas identified on the basis of differences in flow of the liquid contrast agent through the plurality of regions of interest.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the laser microendoscope is held stationary while imaging the episcleral aqueous outflow vessels within said plurality of regions of interest as those episcleral aqueous outflow vessels are perfused with the liquid contrast agent.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the microendoscope is positioned between 0 and 3 millimeters behind a limbus of the eye.