Device and method for imaging the ear using optical coherence tomography
View Patent ↗A method of forming an image of tissue. The method includes non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient's ear canal and acquiring OCT data from ear tissue while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal. The method also includes converting the OCT data into at least one image.
1. A method of forming an image of ear tissue, comprising:
non-invasively inserting a fiber-based device into a patient's ear canal;
illuminating the ear tissue at a focal region of a broadband optical signal;
acquiring OCT data from the ear tissue, from a region extending beyond the focal region, while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal; and
converting the OCT data into at least one image.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising performing further data analysis on the image while the fiber-based device is in the ear canal.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the further data analysis includes enhancing the image.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the further data analysis includes classifying the ear tissue imaged using the OCT data.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the OCT data is run through classification algorithms so as to classify the ear tissue imaged.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the classification algorithms analyze the OCT data and classify the ear tissue imaged using an optical property which is derived from the OCT data.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the optical property is one of a refractive index, a scattering profile, a scattering coefficient, an anisotropy factor, birefringence, a spectral shift, texture, a Doppler shift, a phase resolution, a phase-resolved Doppler measurement, a phase-resolved spectroscopic measurement, a light scattering parameter, and spectroscopic absorption.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fiber-based device is coupled to an otoscope.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ear tissue includes a biofilm.
10. A system for imaging ear tissue in real-time comprising:
a core imaging unit which generates a low-coherence broadband optical signal; and
a fiber-based device connected with an otoscope, wherein the fiber-based device is in communication with and receives the low-coherence broadband optical signal from the core imaging unit, illuminates ear tissue at a focal region and transmits scattered light from the ear tissue back to the core imaging unit for generating an interferometry signal; and
a processor for receiving the interferometry signal and for generating therefrom an image of the ear tissue from a region extending beyond the focal region.
11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a core software unit which receives the interferometry signal OCT data and performs further data analysis on the interferometry signal.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the further data analysis includes enhancing the image of the ear tissue.
13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the core software unit includes classification algorithms.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the classification algorithms analyze the interferometry signal and classify tissue imaged using an optical property which is derived from the interferometry signal.
15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the otoscope is a pneumatic otoscope which comprises an ear speculum connected with a head unit.
16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the fiber-based device is positioned to receive light which enters the ear speculum.
17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the core imaging unit is integrated with the otoscope.
18. A method of analyzing ear tissue comprising:
beginning a non-invasive procedure on a patient exposing middle ear tissue;
illuminating the ear tissue at a focal region of a broadband optical signal; and
acquiring OCT data from a region of the middle ear tissue extending beyond the focal region.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: analyzing the OCT data; and
classifying the ear tissue upon analyzing the full-field OCT data.
20. The method of claim 18 further comprising upon classifying the ear tissue, indicating to a user the type of ear tissue classified.
21. The method of claim 18 further comprising ending the non-invasive procedure after the classifying of the ear tissue.
22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the ear tissue is living.
23. A method of examining a patient's ear, comprising:
illuminating the ear tissue at a focal region of a broadband optical signal.
non-invasively acquiring OCT data from a region of the patient's middle ear extending beyond the focal region; and
analyzing the OCT data for the presence of a biofilm in the patient's middle ear.
24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising indicating to a user the presence or absence of the biofilm.
25. A method of examining a patient's ear, comprising:
illuminating the ear tissue at a focal region of a broadband optical signal;
non-invasively acquiring OCT data from a region of the patient's middle ear extending beyond the focal region; and
analyzing the OCT data for the patient's middle ear condition.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the analyzing of the data comprises analyzing the data for the patient's tympanic membrane condition.
27. The method of claim 25 , wherein the analyzing of the OCT data comprises forming an image of at least a portion of the patient's middle ear.
28. An apparatus for examining a patient's ear, comprising:
(a) a core imaging unit for illuminating tissue at a focal region and acquiring OCT data of from a region extending beyond the focal region, and
(b) a fiber-based device, adapted for selecting as the tissue the patient's middle ear, connected to the core imaging unit.
29. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the fiber-based device is adapted for insertion into the patient's ear canal.
30. The apparatus of claim 28 , further comprising an indicator used to indicate to a user a type of tissue which has been imaged.