RETINAL TRACKING FOR ENHANCED OCT IMAGING

提出了一项第一阶段的研究计划，以证明结合光学相干断层扫描（OCT）和视网膜位置跟踪两种新兴技术的可行性。OCT已经成为一种出色的工具，可以对视网膜组织进行毫米深度的三维成像，在所有三个维度上都有几十微米的分辨率。然而，在图像采集过程中不自主的眼球运动目前限制了该技术的临床应用。物理科学公司之前已经开发出一种方法，利用辅助光束锁定视网膜特征并跟踪其运动，并在诊断过程中同步引导诊断光束来补偿眼球运动。这项技术已经被证明能够以高达200度/秒的角速度跟踪眼球运动（同时视网膜和角膜），并具有所需的精度，并且计划将先进的开发提高到500度/秒。在第一阶段，跟踪技术将被整合到商业OCT系统的开发版本中，并对OCT性能的改进进行评估。这项工作将为第二阶段奠定基础，其中将建立一个组合系统的原型，并用于获取人类受试者数据，展示改进仪器的临床价值。拟议的商业应用：OCT正在发现越来越多的应用于定量神经纤维层成像，以检测青光眼的发病，以及检测和表征视网膜的病理变化，如黄斑厚度的变化，这可能是糖尿病的早期指标。将视网膜跟踪器与OCT相结合，有望迅速导致新一代OCT仪器的出现，这将显著提高视网膜成像和诊断能力。

A Phase I research program is proposed to demonstrate the feasibility of combining two emerging technologies, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Retina Position Tracking. OCT has emerged as an outstanding tool for three-dimensional imaging of retinal tissues to depths of millimeters, with resolution of tens of microns in all three dimensions. However, involuntary eye movements during image acquisition currently limit the clinical applications of this technology. Physical Sciences Inc. has previously developed a means for utilizing an auxiliary light beam to lock onto a retinal feature and track its motions, and con-currently steer a diagnostic beam to compensate for eye movements during a diagnostic procedure. This enabling technology has been proven capable of tracking eye movements (simultaneous retina and cornea) at angular velocities up to 200 deg/s with the required precision, and advanced development is planned to increase this speed to 500 deg/s. In Phase I, the tracking technology will be incorporated into a developmental version of a commercial OCT system, and improvements to the OCT performance will be evaluated. This work will lay the foundation for Phase II, wherein a prototype of the combined system will be built and used to acquire human subject data demonstrating the clinical value of the improved instrument. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: OCT is finding increasing application to quantitative nerve fiber layer imaging for detection of glaucoma onset, and to detection and characterization of pathological changes to the retina, such as macular thickness changes that can be an early indicator of diabetes. Combining a retina tracker with OCT, as proposed, is expected to lead rapidly to a new generation of OCT instrumentation that will significantly enhance retinal imaging and diagnostic capabilities.