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EP-4233689-B1 - OPHTHALMOLOGICAL OBSERVATION DEVICE, OPHTHALMOLOGICAL IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

EP4233689B1EP 4233689 B1EP4233689 B1EP 4233689B1EP-4233689-B1

Inventors

  • YAMADA, KAZUHIRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211013

Claims (19)

  1. An ophthalmic observation apparatus for observing a subject's eye, comprising: a moving image generating unit (10) configured to photograph the subject's eye to generate a moving image, in the following referred to as first moving image; an image processor (211, 503) configured to create a plurality of processed images by applying first image processing using a plurality of different values of a predetermined image parameter to a still image included in the first moving image; a display controller (201, 502) configured to display the plurality of processed images on a first display device (3, 504); and an instruction receiving unit configured to receive an instruction for selecting at least one processed image from among the plurality of processed images displayed on the first display device (3, 504), characterized in that the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply second image processing to a second moving image, the second image processing being image processing based on at least one value of the image parameter corresponding to the at least one processed image, and the second moving image being an image generated by the moving image generating unit after selection of the at least one processed image is performed using the instruction receiving unit, and the display controller (201, 502) is configured to display the second moving image to which the second image processing has been applied on a second display device (3, 504); the ophthalmic observation apparatus further comprises a recording unit (212) configured to record the one value of the image parameter used in the second image processing; and an attribute information acquiring unit (222) configured to acquire attribute information that indicates an attribute of medical practice for the subject's eye, wherein the recording unit is configured to record the one value of the image parameter in association with the attribute information acquired by the attribute information acquiring unit (222).
  2. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply image processing to the second moving image as the second image processing if one processed image of the plurality of processed images is selected using the instruction receiving unit, the image processing being performed using one value of the image parameter corresponding to the one processed image.
  3. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply image processing to the second moving image as the second image processing if two or more processed images of the plurality of processed images are selected using the instruction receiving unit, the image processing being performed using one value of the image parameter corresponding to one processed image of the two or more processed images.
  4. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 1, wherein if two or more processed images of the plurality of processed images are selected using the instruction receiving unit, the image processor (211, 503) is configured to determine one value based on two or more values of the image parameter respectively corresponding to the two or more processed images, and is configured to apply image processing using the one value to the second moving image as the second image processing.
  5. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 4, further comprising an identifier receiving unit configured to receive an identifier of a user, wherein the recording unit (212) is configured to record the one value of the image parameter in association with the identifier received by the identifier receiving unit.
  6. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a selecting processor configured to select at least one value from among values of the image parameter recorded by the recording unit (212) in the past, wherein the image processor is configured to apply image processing based on the at least one value selected by the selecting processor to a third moving image generated by the moving image generating unit.
  7. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 6, wherein the recording unit (212) is configured to record a photographing condition applied to generation of the second moving image, in association with the one value of the image parameter, and the selecting processor further is configured to select a photographing condition that is associated with the at least one value selected by the selecting processor, the ophthalmic observation apparatus further comprising a determining processor configured to determine a value of the image parameter based on the photographing condition and the at least one value both selected by the selecting processor, wherein the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply image processing using the value of the image parameter determined by the determining processor to the third moving image.
  8. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply the first image processing to a partial image that is a part of the still image included in the first moving image to create a plurality of processed partial images as the plurality of processed images, and the display controller (201, 502) is configured to display a plurality of images respectively including the plurality of processed partial images on the first display device (3, 504).
  9. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the image processor (211, 503) includes a first partial image identifying processor configured to identify the partial image by applying segmentation for identifying an image of a predetermined site of the subject's eye to the still image included in the first moving image.
  10. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first partial image identifying processor is configured to apply the segmentation to the second moving image to sequentially identify a plurality of partial images of a plurality of still images included in the second moving image, and the image processor (211, 503) is configured to apply the second image processing sequentially to the plurality of partial images identified from the plurality of still images included in the second moving image.
  11. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 8, wherein the display controller (201, 502) is configured to display the first moving image or a still image included in the first moving image on the first display device or the second display device (3, 504), the ophthalmic observation apparatus further comprising a graphical user interface for designating a partial region in the first moving image displayed or a partial region in the still image included in the first moving image, wherein the image processor (211, 503) is configured to determine the partial image based on the partial region designated using the graphical user interface.
  12. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of claim 11, wherein the image processor (211, 503) includes a second partial image identifying processor configured to sequentially identify a plurality of partial images, each corresponding to the partial region, of a plurality of still images included in the second moving image, and the image processor is configured to apply the second image processing sequentially to the plurality of partial images identified from the plurality of still images included in the second moving image.
  13. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the display controller (201, 502) is configured to align and display two or more processed images of the plurality of processed images or thumbnails of the two or more processed images on the first display device (3, 504).
  14. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the display controller (201, 502) is configured to display two or more processed images of the plurality of processed images or thumbnails of the two or more processed images one-by-one on the first display device (3, 504).
  15. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a monitoring processor configured to monitor a movement of the subject's eye, wherein the display controller (201, 502) is configured to change a display state of the plurality of processed images based on output from the monitoring processor.
  16. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 15, further comprising an abnormality detecting processor configured to detect an abnormality of the subject's eye, wherein the display controller (201, 502) is configured to change a display state of the plurality of processed images based on output from the abnormality detecting processor.
  17. The ophthalmic observation apparatus of any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the image parameter includes one or more of a color tone parameter, a brightness parameter, a contrast parameter, a gain parameter, a gamma parameter, a color temperature parameter, a white balance parameter, an RGB balance parameter, a gray balance parameter, an edge enhancement parameter, a shadow enhancement parameter, a sharpening parameter, and a high dynamic range parameter.
  18. A computer-implemented method of processing an ophthalmic image, the method when executed on a computer comprising receiving a first moving image of a subject's eye; creating a plurality of processed images by applying first image processing using a plurality of different values of a predetermined image parameter to a still image included in the first moving image; displaying the plurality of processed images; receiving an instruction for selecting at least one processed image from among the plurality of processed images displayed; receiving a second moving image of the subject's eye after selection of the at least one processed image is performed based on the instruction; applying second image processing based on at least one value of the image parameter corresponding to the at least one processed image to the second moving image; and displaying the second moving image to which the second image processing has been applied; recording the one value of the image parameter used in the second image processing; and acquiring attribute information that indicates an attribute of medical practice for the subject's eye, wherein the one value of the image parameter is recorded in association with the attribute information.
  19. A computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing a program causing a computer to execute the method of claim 18.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD] The present disclosure relates generally to an ophthalmic observation apparatus, an ophthalmic image processing method, and a recording medium. [BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION] An ophthalmic observation apparatus is an apparatus for observing an eye of a patient (which will be referred to as a subject's eye hereinafter). Ophthalmic observation is conducted to grasp the condition of the subject's eye in various situations such as examination, surgery, and treatment. Conventional ophthalmic observation apparatuses are configured to provide a user with a magnified image formed by an objective lens, a variable magnification optical system, etc. via an eyepiece. In recent years, some ophthalmic observation apparatuses are configured to photograph a magnified image formed by an objective lens, a variable magnification optical system, etc. with an image sensor, and display the photographed image obtained (such an ophthalmic observation apparatus will be referred to as an ophthalmic observation apparatus of the first aspect). Examples of such ophthalmic observation apparatuses include slit lamp microscopes, surgical microscopes, and fundus cameras (retinal cameras). In addition, various kinds of ophthalmic examination apparatuses such as refractometers, keratometers, tonometers, specular microscopes, wavefront analyzers, and microperimeters are also provided with the function of the ophthalmic observation apparatus of the first aspect. Furthermore, some ophthalmic observation apparatuses of recent years use optical scanning (such an ophthalmic observation apparatus will be referred to as an ophthalmic observation apparatus of the second aspect). Examples of such ophthalmic observation apparatuses include scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (SLOs), and optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatuses. Generally, an ophthalmic observation apparatus is configured to provide a moving image of a subject's eye to a user (e.g., a health professional (health care practitioner) such as a doctor). A typical ophthalmic observation apparatus of the first aspect is configured to perform photographing of a moving image using infrared light and/or visible light as illumination light, and real-time display of the moving image obtained by the moving image photography. On the other hand, a typical ophthalmic observation apparatus of the second aspect is configured to perform data collection (data acquisition) by repetitive optical scanning, real-time image reconstruction based on datasets sequentially collected, and real-time moving image display of images sequentially reconstructed. The real-time moving image provided in these ways is called an observation image. Image quality adjustment is required for providing a good observation image. However, desired image quality differs from user to user, and also differs depending on the types and phases of examination or surgery. For example, some doctors may prefer an image with a reddish tint, while others may prefer an image with a greenish tint. In addition, cataract surgery, which is one of the most common type of ophthalmic surgery, involves the phases (processes, steps) of alignment, incision creation, ocular viscoelastic agent injection, continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC), phacoemulsification aspiration, lens cortex aspiration, intraocular lens (IOL) insertion, IOL centering, ocular viscoelastic agent removal, and incision closure. However, image quality desired by doctors may vary depending on the phases of cataract surgery. Further, there are cases in which a doctor wants to selectively enhance the quality of the image of a site of interest. In addition, desired image quality may differ depending on the conditions or states of the subject's eye. While desired quality of observation images varies as described above, image quality adjustment of typical conventional ophthalmic observation apparatuses has been manually conducted each time needed. Such manual adjustment is very complicated and time-consuming, and has been one of the factors that have caused the lengthening of the time required for examination and/or surgery. On the other hand, it may be conceivable to automatically perform image quality adjustment. However, considering the large variety of desired image quality, the adjustment has to be done manually after all. [PATENT DOCUMENT 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-310556[PATENT DOCUMENT 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2009-118955 WO 2019/240257 A1 discloses a medical image processing device which is configured to perform processing of an input image, e.g. of a subject's eye, using several image quality enhancement engines created by machine learning with different learning data to generate a plurality of high quality images, and to display the high quality images. US 2019/099226 A1 discloses an ophthalmic system comprising a surgical suite which processes and displays a variety of distinct surgical vi