IP Library Granted Patent US 12,633,039
Granted Patent B2
US 12,633,039 · App. 18/354,092 · Granted May 19, 2026

Visualization system with stereo-volumetric intraoperative OCT and stereoscopic camera

Inventor: Steven T. Charles (Memphis, TN)
Assignee: Alcon Inc.
G06T15/08G06T2207/10012G06T2207/10101G06T2207/30041
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,633,039
App. No.
18/354,092
Granted
May 19, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A visualization system includes a housing assembly having a head unit configured to be at least partially directed towards a target site. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) module and a stereoscopic camera are located in the housing assembly. A controller is in communication with the OCT module and the stereoscopic camera. The controller is adapted to acquire left OCT data and right OCT data of the target site, via the OCT module, and synchronously acquire left camera data and right camera data of the target site, via the stereoscopic camera. The controller is adapted to generate volume-rendered images, including: first and second OCT images based on the OCT data and first and second camera images based on the camera data. The first and second OCT images and the first and second camera images have matching parallax.

Claims (40)

1 . A visualization system comprising:

a housing assembly having a head unit configured to be at least partially directed towards a target site;

an optical coherence tomography (OCT) module and a stereoscopic camera located in the housing assembly;

a controller in communication with the OCT module and the stereoscopic camera, the controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded;

wherein the controller is adapted to acquire left OCT data and right OCT data of the target site, via the OCT module, and synchronously acquire left camera data and right camera data of the target site, via the stereoscopic camera;

wherein the controller is adapted to generate volume-rendered images, including: first and second OCT images respectively based on the left OCT data and the right OCT data, and first and second camera images respectively based on the left camera data and the right camera data;

wherein the controller employs a transparency-based channel to display the volume-rendered images from the OCT module in grayscale;

wherein the transparency-based channel has a maximum scale indicating approximately full transparency and a minimum scale indicating approximately full opacity; and

wherein the first and second OCT images and the first and second camera images have matching parallax.

2 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the target site is an eye.

3 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the volume-rendered images are respectively aligned in perspective and scaling.

4 . The visualization system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a display unit in communication with the controller; and

wherein the controller is adapted to display the volume-rendered images adjacent to one another on the display unit.

5 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to use a variable gamma factor as a function of depth to display the volume-rendered images.

6 . The visualization system of claim 5 , wherein the target site is an eye and the variable gamma factor is selected such that a cornea and/or lens of the eye is substantially transparent and a retina of the of the eye is substantially opaque in the volume-rendered images from the OCT module.

7 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the OCT module includes a single light source.

8 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the OCT module includes at least two light sources.

9 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the OCT module includes a light source outputting a spectrum with a series of frequency sweeps each incorporating a plurality of pulses.

10 . The visualization system of claim 9 , wherein the series of frequency sweeps are spaced apart equally.

11 . The visualization system of claim 9 , wherein the OCT module includes a mode-locked laser.

12 . The visualization system of claim 9 , wherein the OCT module includes a laser with a coherence length between about 30 mm and 50 mm.

13 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the controller incorporates a graphics processing unit using a multiple-instruction-multiple-data (MIMD) technique.

14 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to obtain the volume-rendered images based at least partially on ray casting.

15 . The visualization system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is adapted to respectively obtain the volume-rendered images by:

projecting respective voxels from a 3D dataset onto a 2D viewing plane to generate respective projections; and

creating a composite with the respective projections superimposed on each other, the respective projections being estimated based in part on a Gaussian splat.

16 . A visualization system comprising:

a housing assembly having a head unit configured to be at least partially directed towards a target site;

an optical coherence tomography (OCT) module and a stereoscopic camera located in the housing assembly;

a controller in communication with the OCT module and the stereoscopic camera, the controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded;

a display unit in communication with the controller;

wherein the controller is adapted to acquire left OCT data and right OCT data of the target site, via the OCT module, and synchronously acquire left camera data and right camera data of the target site, via the stereoscopic camera;

wherein the controller is adapted to generate volume-rendered images, including: first and second OCT images respectively based on the left OCT data and the right OCT data, and first and second camera images respectively based on the left camera data and the right camera data;

wherein the first and second OCT images and the first and second camera images have matching parallax, the volume-rendered images being respectively aligned in perspective and scaling;

wherein the controller is adapted to use a variable gamma factor as a function of depth to display the volume-rendered images; and

wherein the controller is adapted to display the volume-rendered images adjacent to one another on the display unit.

17 . The visualization system of claim 16 , wherein:

the controller employs a transparency-based channel to display the volume-rendered images in grayscale; and

the transparency-based channel has a maximum scale indicating approximately full transparency and a minimum scale indicating approximately full opacity.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2023
From: CHARLES, STEVEN T., DR.
To: ALCON RESEARCH, LLC
Reel/Frame 064297/0433 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 18, 2023
From: ALCON RESEARCH, LLC
To: ALCON INC.
Reel/Frame 064297/0492 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63400276 · Aug 23, 2022
Related Publication 20240070970A1 · Feb 29, 2024
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