IP Library Granted Patent US 12,440,097
Granted Patent B2
US 12,440,097 · App. 17/640,674 · Granted Oct 14, 2025

OCT device

Inventors: Ai Takaya (Gamagori, JP); Norimasa Satake (Gamagori, JP); Yukihiro Higuchi (Gamagori, JP)
Assignee: NIDEK CO., LTD.
A61B3/102A61B3/1005A61B3/12A61B3/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,440,097
App. No.
17/640,674
Granted
Oct 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An OCT device includes an OCT optical system and a controller that also serves as an image processor. The controller acquires the OCT data of the fundus by processing the spectral interference signal output from the OCT optical system. In addition, the controller adjusts the position of the high accuracy region, which is the depth region where relatively high accuracy OCT data is obtained, by controlling the OCT optical system in accordance with the curvature level of the fundus image in the photographing range of the OCT data. This makes it possible to acquire good OCT data regardless of the curvature level of the fundus.

Claims (15)

1. An OCT device comprising:

an OCT optical system that includes a beam splitter for splitting a beam from an OCT light source into a measurement optical path and a reference optical path and an optical path length adjuster configured to change an optical path length of at least one of the measurement optical path and the reference optical path, the OCT optical system being configured to detect a spectral interference signal between measurement light guided to a fundus of an examinee's eye via the measurement optical path and reference light from the reference optical path;

a processor programmed to:

acquire ocular axial length information that is a measurement of an ocular axial length value of the examinee's eye,

acquire OCT data of the fundus by processing the spectral interference signal output from the OCT optical system; and

determine whether to set a zero delay position on a shallower layer side than a retina in a central region of the fundus of the examinee's eye or on a deeper layer side than a choroid in the central region of the examinee's eye based at least on a comparison of the measured ocular axial length information to a predetermined threshold, wherein the zero delay position is located where the optical path lengths of the measurement optical path and the reference optical path coincide with each other.

2. The OCT device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to control and move a mechanism to optically change a view angle in the OCT optical system, and

wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether to set the zero delay position at a position on the shallower layer side than the retina in the central region of the fundus of the examinee's eye or at a position on the deeper layer side than choroid in the central region of the examinee's eye based on both the ocular axial length information and the view angle.

3. The OCT device according to claim 1 , wherein

the processor is further programmed to set the zero delay position at a position on the shallower layer side than the retina in the central region of the fundus of the examinee's eye when the ocular axial length is longer than the predetermined threshold, and set the zero delay position at a position on the deeper layer side than the choroid in the central region of the examinee's eye when the ocular axial length is shorter than the predetermined threshold.

4. An OCT method comprising:

controlling an OCT optical system that includes a beam splitter to split a beam from an OCT light source into a measurement optical path and a reference optical path, change an optical path length of at least one of the measurement optical path and the reference optical path, and detect a spectral interference signal between measurement light guided to a fundus of an examinee's eye via the measurement optical path and reference light from the reference optical path;

acquiring ocular axial length information that is a measurement of an ocular axial length value of the examinee's eye,

acquiring OCT data of the fundus by processing the spectral interference signal output from the OCT optical system; and

determining whether to set a zero delay position on a shallower layer side than a retina in a central region of the fundus of the examinee's eye or on a deeper layer side than a choroid in the central region of the examinee's eye based at least on a comparison of the measured ocular axial length information to a predetermined threshold, wherein the zero delay position is located where the optical path lengths of the measurement optical path and the reference optical path coincide with each other.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE'S ADDRESS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 062298 FRAME 0589. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Jan 20, 2023
From: TAKAYA, AI; SATAKE, NORIMASA; HIGUCHI, YUKIHIRO
To: NIDEK CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062444/0900 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 6, 2023
From: TAKAYA, AI; SATAKE, NORIMASA; HIGUCHI, YUKIHIRO
To: NIDEK CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 062298/0589 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-161606 · Sep 4, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220322932A1 · Oct 13, 2022
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