KR101663376B1

KR101663376B1 - Method and apparatus for mapping retinal vessels

Info

Publication number: KR101663376B1
Application number: KR1020140143892A
Authority: KR
Inventors: 김성민; 김윤택; 이상준; 정재훈
Original assignee: 동국대학교 산학협력단; 이화여자대학교 산학협력단
Priority date: 2014-10-23
Filing date: 2014-10-23
Publication date: 2016-10-06
Also published as: WO2016064089A1; KR20160047695A

Abstract

The present invention relates to an optical retinal vascular imaging apparatus and a retinal vascular mapping method using the same. The method and apparatus for retinal vessel mapping of the present invention are non-invasive and can accurately measure the extent of retinal ischemia in a short time, and can be applied to patients having medium opacity.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001]

The present invention relates to an optical retinal vascular imaging apparatus and a retinal vascular mapping method using the same.

Retinal vascular disease, including diabetic retinopathy, exudative age related macular degeneration, premature retinopathy and vascular occlusion, is a major cause of visual impairment and blindness. These disease groups are the focus of intensive research to identify new therapeutic modalities to prevent or mitigate pathological ocular angiogenesis. For example, in diabetic retinopathy, diabetic retinopathy leads to deformation of the capillary vessels of the retina, eventually resulting in the withdrawal of the capillary vessels and the progression of ischemia resulting therefrom, the development of new blood vessels as a response thereto, , And fibrosis, resulting in blindness.

Fluorescein angiography using fluorescein is the imaging method that is mainly used in clinical practice as an evaluation of retinal ischemia. This is a method of intravenous injection of a fluorescent contrast agent called fluorescein and then observing the process of circulation of the fluorescent contrast agent in the blood vessels of the retina / choroid. In case of blood vessel leakage such as neovascularization due to fluorescein, Which is widely used. However, since this method is an angiography, it is easy to observe capillary loss, but it is difficult to evaluate ischemia itself, it takes a considerable time to test, injection of contrast agent is required, There is a disadvantage in that it can even cause death.

In order to overcome these disadvantages, adaptive optics, which can enhance the resolution of images and allow observation of fine blood circulation, has been considered. However, the time required for the examination per subject is considerable, However, it is not possible to observe changes of the arterioles / vein below the ischemia itself, and it is difficult to observe ischemia itself when there is media opacity (cataract, etc.).

Therefore, there is a need to develop a new method for measuring retinal ischemia, which is capable of functional assessment, is non-invasive, and complements safety issues.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide an optical retinal vascular imaging device.

Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a method of mapping retinal vessels to provide information necessary for ischemic diagnosis of the retina.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting device including: a light irradiating unit for generating a light source; A light receiving unit for receiving a light source reflected from a fundus oculi; A light absorbance measuring unit for measuring an absorbance of the light source received by the light receiving unit; A calculator for calculating the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the measured absorbance data; A conversion unit for converting the calculated result into fundus capillary blood vessel distribution data; And an image acquiring unit acquiring the capillary blood vessel distribution data image.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further include a display unit that displays the capillary blood vessel distribution data in real time.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light irradiating unit may further include a light source adjusting unit for adjusting the intensity of the light source, and the apparatus may further include a first filter for converting the light source into a red light or a wavelength range of infrared light .

According to one embodiment, the light source may be selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof, wherein the red light has a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm and the infrared light has a wavelength of 850 nm to 1000 nm Lt; / RTI >

According to one embodiment, the light irradiating unit may be selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes, organic light emitting diodes, laser diodes, and carbon nanotube lamps.

According to one embodiment, the conversion to capillary blood vessel distribution data may be to quantify the presence of hemoglobin and to image the capillary distribution of the retina from the values.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further comprise data storage means for storing capillary blood vessel distribution data.

According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit may further include a second filter for reducing noise generated from the light source.

Another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for obtaining absorbance data of a capillary blood vessel through fundus photography of a subject; And quantifying the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the obtained absorbance data and imaging the capillary distribution of the retina from the numerical value to provide information necessary for diagnosis of retinal ischemia .

According to one embodiment, the fundus photography may be performed by a light source selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof, the red light having a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm, the infrared light having a wavelength of 850 nm It may have a wavelength of 1000 nm.

According to one embodiment, the imaging may be imaging of the capillary through color differences with surrounding tissue when hemoglobin is present.

The method and apparatus for retinal vessel mapping of the present invention are non-invasive and can accurately measure the extent of retinal ischemia in a short time, and can be applied to patients having medium opacity.

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus for measuring retinal ischemia according to an embodiment of the retina of an optical retinal vascular imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an image photograph in which capillaries of the retina are mapped using an apparatus and a method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The terms used in this specification will be briefly described and the present invention will be described in detail.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Also, in certain cases, there may be a term selected arbitrarily by the applicant, in which case the meaning thereof will be described in detail in the description of the corresponding invention. Therefore, the term used in the present invention should be defined based on the meaning of the term, not on the name of a simple term, but on the entire contents of the present invention.

When an element is referred to as "including" an element throughout the specification, it is to be understood that the element may include other elements as well, without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the present invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and like parts are denoted by similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 illustrates an apparatus for measuring retinal ischemia according to an embodiment of the retina of an optical retinal vascular imaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a light emitting device comprising: a light irradiation part (10) for generating a light source; A light receiving portion 20 for receiving a light source reflected from a fundus oculi; A light absorbance measuring unit 30 for measuring the light absorbance of the light source received by the light receiving unit; A calculation unit 40 for calculating the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the measured absorbance data; A conversion unit (50) for converting the calculated result into fundus capillary blood vessel distribution data; And an image acquisition unit (60) for acquiring the capillary blood vessel distribution data image.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a light irradiation unit 10 for generating a light source.

According to one embodiment, the light irradiation unit 10 is a device for generating a light source for irradiating a light source to a fundus of a subject, and the light source may be selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof. The red light and the infrared light are the light sources in which the absorbance difference between oxidized hemoglobin and deoxygenated hemoglobin occurs. The distribution of red blood cells in the fundus can be confirmed by the presence of hemoglobin, and the distribution of the capillaries of the retina through the distribution of red blood cells .

According to one embodiment, the red light may have a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm, and most preferably a wavelength of 650 nm to 670 nm. According to one embodiment, the infrared light may have a wavelength of 850 nm to 1000 nm, and most preferably a wavelength of 900 nm to 940 nm.

According to one embodiment, the light irradiating unit 10 may further include a light source adjusting unit 11 for adjusting the intensity of the light source. The first light source 12 may be a first filter 12 for converting the light source into a red light or a wavelength range of infrared light ).

The apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can obtain the capillary blood vessel distribution image with the desired brightness by adjusting the intensity of the light source irradiated to the eye fundus of the subject through the light source control unit 11, 12 to convert the light source to a wavelength desired by the inspector and obtain an optimized image.

According to one embodiment, the light irradiating unit 10 may be selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, an organic light emitting diode, a laser diode, and a carbon nanotube lamp. However, the light irradiating unit 10 may generate a light source, Any light source can be applied as long as it is a light source that does not give fatigue to the eyes of the subject.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a light receiving portion 20 for receiving a light source reflected from a fundus.

The light source irradiated from the light irradiation part 10 is scattered and reflected by the skin, soft tissue and other blood components as well as the hemoglobin of the fundus, and is accommodated in the light receiving part 20 which receives the reflected light. According to one embodiment, the light receiving unit 20 may further include a second filter 21 for reducing noise generated from the reflected light source.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an absorbance measurement unit 30 for measuring the absorbance of the light source accommodated in the light receiving unit 20.

The absorbance measurement unit 30 according to one embodiment can measure the absorbance of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is classified into oxidized hemoglobin and deoxidized hemoglobin depending on whether it is oxidized. Generally, oxidized hemoglobin is combined with oxygen to appear as a bright red color, and deoxidized hemoglobin appears as a dark red color. Since hemoglobin is known to have a high absorbance characteristic when light of a specific wavelength passes through it, portions of the hemoglobin having a higher absorbance than other tissues are less scattered in light than the surrounding tissues. Therefore, the presence of red blood cells can be confirmed only by detection of hemoglobin without discrimination of oxidation / deoxygenated hemoglobin.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a calculation unit 40 for calculating the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the measured absorbance data.

In the calculating unit 40 according to the embodiment, a difference in absorbance is generated according to which part of the fundus is reflected by the light source reflected from the fundus. Therefore, the light source reflected from the fundus is decomposed according to the spectrum, I.e., hemoglobin) can be calculated.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include a conversion unit 50 for converting the calculated result into capillary blood vessel distribution data of the fundus.

In the conversion unit 50 according to one embodiment, a portion where hemoglobin exists in the fundus is converted into capillary blood vessel distribution data of the fundus from the calculated result, on the assumption that blood vessels are present in the area where the flow of red blood cells (i.e., hemoglobin) can do.

According to one embodiment, the conversion to capillary blood vessel distribution data may be to quantify the presence of hemoglobin and to image the capillary distribution of the retina from the values. The imaging of the retinal capillary distribution can be, for example, indicated by a difference in color or brightness from surrounding tissue, but not limited thereto, in order to distinguish the capillaries from other parts.

The apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention may include an image acquisition unit 60 for acquiring the capillary blood vessel distribution data image.

The image acquiring unit 60 can borrow a known configuration as an apparatus for acquiring images of the converted capillary blood distribution data. For example, the image acquisition unit 60 may be a camera incorporated in a commonly used digital camera or smartphone, but is not limited thereto.

The apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a display unit 61 for displaying the capillary blood vessel distribution data in real time.

The display unit 61 may display at least one selected from the group consisting of the absorbance data, the fundus capillary blood vessel distribution data, and the capillary blood vessel distribution data in real time. The display unit 61 is constructed by borrowing a known configuration. The display unit 61 may be configured to display the absorbance data, capillary blood vessel distribution data of the fundus, and capillary blood vessel distribution data in real time. For example, A display device incorporated in a camera or a smart phone, but is not limited thereto.

According to one embodiment, the apparatus may further comprise data storage means (70) for storing capillary blood vessel distribution data.

The data storage means 70 according to one embodiment may store the absorbance data, the capillary blood vessel distribution data of the fundus, the images of the capillary blood vessel distribution data, and the like directly or in the form of digital data. The data storing means 70 is a concept including various kinds of devices and systems capable of performing the above-mentioned functions. For example, the data storing means 70 includes an Internet server, a cellular phone, a personal computer, Can be interpreted as a broad concept.

The apparatus of the present invention further includes a flash light source delivery unit 80 for transmitting the flash light source so that the image obtained from the image acquisition unit 60 can be displayed more clearly and clearly on the display unit 61, And a selective transmissive reflector 91 for preventing interference with the light source irradiated from the light irradiating unit 10 in transmitting the flash light source.

The retinal vessel mapping method according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail as follows.

According to one embodiment, the method comprises obtaining absorbance data of capillary blood vessels through fundus photography of the subject.

The fundus photographing of the subject is performed by irradiating a light source to the fundus of the subject from the light irradiation unit 10 of the optical retina vein imaging apparatus according to one embodiment and irradiating the light source reflected from the fundus capillary blood vessel of the subject through the reflector 90, (20).

According to one embodiment, the fundus photography may be performed by a light source selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof, and the red light preferably has a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm, And preferably from 650 nm to 670 nm. In addition, the infrared light may preferably have a wavelength of 850 nm to 1000 nm, and most preferably have a wavelength of 900 nm to 940 nm.

The absorbance of all parts of the fundus is measured by the absorbance measuring part 30 of the apparatus according to one embodiment through the funduscopic imaging and the absorbance of the capillary blood having a difference in absorbance with other tissues of the fundus is calculated through the calculating part 40 Data can be acquired.

According to one embodiment, the method may include quantifying the presence of hemoglobin from the absorbance data obtained, and imaging the capillary distribution of the retina from the numerical value.

Quantification of the presence of hemoglobin and imaging of the capillary distribution of the retina may be performed in a conversion unit 50 of an apparatus according to one embodiment, wherein the imaging may be performed in the presence of hemoglobin, The capillaries can be imaged through the difference in brightness, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

The imaging may be performed through the image acquisition unit 60. When capturing is performed from the image acquisition unit 60, the capillary blood vessel distribution image of the retina can be directly checked through the display unit 61, and the image can be stored through the data storage unit 70. [

In general, the ischemic retina is the first to change capillary vessels such as capillary dislocation and capillary vasculature. Therefore, if capillaries are not distributed or an abnormality is found, it indicates that there is retinal ischemia. Thus, capillary blood vessels of the retina can be mapped by the above method to confirm whether the retina is ischemic.

FIG. 2 is an image photograph in which capillaries of the retina are mapped using an artificial eye according to an apparatus and method according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to directly and easily confirm the ischemic state of the retina from the image through the apparatus and the method of the present invention. Thus, it is possible to provide a retinal ischemia, retinal inflammation, retinal edema, traction retinal detachment, traction retinopathy, It can be effectively used to prevent or treat traumatic maculopathy.

The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all differences within the scope of equivalents thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.

10:
11: Light source control unit
12: first filter
20:
21: second filter
30: Absorbance measurement part
40:
50:
60:
61:
70: Data storage means
80: a flash light source delivery portion
90: reflector

Claims

A light irradiating unit for generating a light source, the light irradiating unit including a first filter for converting the red light or the infrared light into a wavelength range of red light or infrared light.
And a second filter for reducing noise generated from the light source, the light receiving unit including a light source reflected from a fundus oculi;
A light absorbance measuring unit for measuring an absorbance of the light source received by the light receiving unit;
A calculator for calculating the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the measured absorbance data;
A conversion unit for digitizing the presence or absence of hemoglobin and imaging the capillary blood distribution data of the retina from the above values and converting the data into capillary blood vessel distribution data of the fundus by making a difference in color or brightness from surrounding tissue; And
And a digital camera or a smartphone built-in camera that acquires the capillary blood vessel distribution data image.

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a display unit for displaying the capillary blood vessel distribution data image in real time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises a light source conditioning unit for adjusting the intensity of the light source.

delete

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light source is selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 or 5, wherein the red light has a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm.

The device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the infrared light has a wavelength of 850 nm to 1000 nm.

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the light irradiating unit is selected from the group consisting of light emitting diodes, organic light emitting diodes, laser diodes, and carbon nanotube lamps.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conversion to capillary vascular distribution data quantifies the presence of hemoglobin and imaged the capillary distribution of the retina from the values.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises data storage means for storing the capillary blood vessel distribution data.

delete

Obtaining absorbance data of the capillary through the fundus photographing of the subject;
Quantifying the presence or absence of hemoglobin from the obtained absorbance data and imaging the capillary distribution of the retina from the above value through color difference with surrounding tissues in the presence of hemoglobin, A method of mapping retinal vessels to provide the necessary information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the fundus photography is performed by a light source selected from the group consisting of red light, infrared light, and combinations thereof.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the red light has a wavelength of 630 nm to 780 nm.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the infrared light has a wavelength of 850 nm to 1000 nm.

delete

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises: a flash light source delivering a flash light source; And a selective transmissive reflector to prevent interference with a light source irradiated from the light irradiating unit in the flash light source delivery.