Fast retinal imaging by parallel projections (Technion)
- Summary
- The present invention relates to a device and method for fast retinal imaging and extraction of medical parameters from these retinal images.
One of the main difficulties in ophthalmology is the lack of a good tomographic device which will give an instant picture of large parts of the retina and provide depth information at the same time. Current technologies (optical coherence tomography, slit lamps, scanning laser confocal microscopes) take multiple scans, measuring one retinal point or slice at a time, and try to combine them in software. However, the patient's patience is taxed: the eye moves during scanning, resulting in morphological errors and discontinuous images. The small imaged volume makes it near impossible to locate and re-scan it during follow-up tests. Thus, the need arises for a method which will enable a single picture of the retina in depth, the image being taken at such a speed that the eye does not move during picture acquisition.
The present invention provides an imaging system that takes a single shot of the retina at various depths, obtaining retinal depth information immediately, providing fast information and continuity of data. By projection of multiple diverse images on the retina, and their diverse observation, it is possible to perform tomographic measurements of the retina. If all projections and measurements are performed instantly, a single-shot image of the retinal depth can be obtained, allowing ophthalmologists to observe retinal diseases without inconvenience to the patient.
The expected price of the system should be less than optical coherence tomography systems, and only slightly more than fundus cameras. One of the most dynamic medical markets in the world, the ophthalmic device market was estimated at roughly $1.5 billion in 2005.
- ID No.
- MED-0835
- Country/Region
- Israel
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