US-20260123881-A1 - OCT Guided Therapy

US20260123881A1US 20260123881 A1US20260123881 A1US 20260123881A1US-20260123881-A1

Abstract

Systems and relative method of monitoring the state of a subject's retinal disease employ remote based OCT imaging of a subject's retina. A method includes receiving optical coherence tomography (OCT) image data of a retina of a subject for each of a series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina. The OCT image data of the retina is processed to determine a series of measured extent values. Each of the one or more measured extent values is indicative of a respective extent of the retinal disease.

Inventors

Amit Pascal
Kester Nahen
Hanoch Gideon Benyamini
Omer Rafaeli
Yair Alster
Moshe Havilio
Yael Alon
Elad BERGMAN

Assignees

NOTAL VISION LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251008

Claims (20)

1 . A method of tracking progress of a retinal disease of a subject, the method comprising: receiving, by a computing system, optical coherence tomography (OCT) image data of a retina of an eye of a subject for each of a series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina having an imaging frequency of 2 weeks or less; processing, by the computer system, the OCT image data of the retina to determine a series of measured extent values, wherein each of the one or more measured extend values is indicative of a respective extent of the retinal disease; and outputting, by the computer system, an output indicative of the series of measured extent values.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of OCT imaging sessions is conducted over a time span of at least one month.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of OCT imaging sessions has an imaging frequency of at least once every 3 days, wherein the series of OCT imaging sessions is conducted over a time span of at least one month.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the series of measured extent values is indicative of a length of an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina, a depth of an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina, a volume of an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina, a length of a sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina, a depth of a sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina, or a volume of a sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing, by the computer system, at least one of the series of measured extent values with a respective threshold extent value; and in response to at least one of the series of measured extent values equaling or exceeding the respective threshold extent value, transmitting, by the computer system, a communication to a treating professional when at least one of the series of measured extent values exceeds the respective threshold extent value.
6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing, by the computer system, at least one of the series of measured extent values with a respective threshold extent value; and in response to at least one of the series of measured extent values equaling or exceeding the respective threshold extent value, inducing, by the computer system, remote treatment of the retinal disease via operation of an implanted pump to inject a therapeutic compound into the eye.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the computer system, at least one of the series of measured extent values to a treating professional to enable tracking of progress of the retinal disease by the treating professional.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, at least one fluid present interval, within the treatment interval, during which an intra-retinal fluid volume is detected via each of the OCT imaging sessions of the retina accomplished within the fluid present interval.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, a fluid regression interval, within the treatment interval, during which an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina is reducing in volume during the treatment interval.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, a fluid increase interval, within the treatment interval, during which an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina is increasing in volume during the treatment interval.
11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and determining, by the computer system, a maximum thickness of an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina during the treatment interval.
12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and determining, by the computer system, a maximum volume of an intra-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina during the treatment interval.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, at least one fluid present interval, within the treatment interval, during which a sub-retinal fluid volume is detected via each of the OCT imaging sessions of the retina accomplished within the fluid present interval.
14 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, a fluid regression interval, within the treatment interval, during which a sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina is reducing in volume during the treatment interval.
15 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and calculating, by the computer system, a fluid increase interval, within the treatment interval, during which a sub retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina is increasing in volume during the treatment interval.
16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and determining, by the computer system, a maximum thickness of an sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina during the treatment interval.
17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: storing, by the computer system, a first date of treatment for a first treatment of the retinal disease; storing, by the computer system, a second date of treatment for a second treatment of the retinal disease, wherein the second treatment of the retinal disease is subsequent to and consecutive with the first treatment of the retinal disease, and wherein a treatment interval extends from the first date of treatment to the second date of treatment; and determining, by the computer system, a maximum volume of a sub-retinal fluid volume detected via the OCT imaging sessions of the retina during the treatment interval.
18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the OCT imaging data comprises imaging date data indicative of a date of occurrence of each of the OCT imaging sessions of the retina, and wherein the method further comprises: processing, by the computer system, the imaging date data to monitor for non-compliance by the subject with a specified schedule for conducting the OCT imaging sessions of the retina, and in response to detecting non-compliance by the subject with the specified schedule for conducting the OCT imaging sessions of the retina, transmitting, by the computer system, a reminder to the subject to comply with the specified schedule for conducting the OCT imaging sessions of the retina.
19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the computer system, a severity score indicative of a severity of the retinal disease based on the OCT imaging data.
20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating, by the computer system, a recommendation for a treatment of the retinal disease based on the OCT imaging data, wherein the recommendation for the treatment comprises a recommended date for an injection of a therapeutic compound into the eye, a recommended volume of a therapeutic compound for injection into the eye, or a recommended composition of a therapeutic compound for injection into the eye.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/132,567 filed Apr. 10, 2023 (Allowed); which is a Continuation of PCT/IB2021/059250 filed Oct. 8, 2021; which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/089,404 filed Oct. 8, 2020, the disclosures which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. BACKGROUND Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States of America. In macular degeneration, the central portion of the retina (a.k.a., the macula) deteriorates. When healthy, the macula collects and sends highly detailed images to the brain via the optic nerve. In early stages, macular degeneration typically does not significantly affect vision. If macular degeneration progresses beyond the early stages, vision becomes wavy and/or blurred. If macular degeneration continues to progress to advanced stages, central vision may be lost. Although macular degeneration is currently considered to be incurable, treatments do exist that may slow the progression of the disease so as to prevent severe loss of vision. Treatment options include injection of an anti-angiogenic drug into the eye, laser therapy to destroy an actively growing abnormal blood vessel(s), and photodynamic laser therapy, which employs a light-sensitive drug to damage an abnormal blood vessel(s). Early detection of macular degeneration is of paramount importance in preventing advanced progression of macular degeneration prior to treatment to inhibit progression of the disease. Early detection of macular degeneration can be accomplished using a suitable retinal imaging system. For example, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging technique relying on low coherence interferometry that can be used to generate a cross-sectional image of the macula. The cross-sectional view of the macula shows if the layers of the macula are distorted and can be used to monitor whether distortion of the layers of the macula has increased or decreased relative to an earlier cross-sectional image to assess the impact of treatment of the macular degeneration. BRIEF SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is not intended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or to delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. In many embodiments, short-interval monitoring of the state of a subject's retinal disease, for example on a daily basis, using optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of a retina of a subject is used to provide valuable information to a treating physician. In many embodiments, OCT image data of the retina is generated by an affordable OCT based ophthalmic imaging devices that can be used by a subject at home on a short-interval basis to monitor the state of the subject's retinal disease. The short-interval monitoring enables more accurate tracking of the state of the subject's retinal disease and the development of treatment approaches that are based on day to day changes in the state of the subject's retinal disease as opposed to hit or miss treatment approaches that can be employed when the state of the subject's retinal disease is checked on typical current intervals (e.g., once a month, once each 5 weeks, once each 6 weeks, etc.). In many embodiments, the short-interval monitoring enables improved scheduling of the application of a treatment (e.g., the injection of a therapeutic compound into the subject's eye) for the subject's retinal disease. In some embodiments, the short-interval monitoring can be used to formulate a customized treatment regime for a subject based on observed progression of the subject's retinal disease and/or observed response of the subject's retinal disease to one or more prior treatment applications. Thus, in one aspect, a system for tracking the state of a retinal disease of an eye of a subject includes a communication unit, at least one processor, and a tangible storage device storing non-transitory instructions. The communication unit is configured to receive optical coherence tomography (OCT) image data of a retina of a subject for each of a series of OCT imaging sessions of the retina having a suitable imaging frequency (e.g., at least once every two weeks, at least once a week, at least once every three days, at least once every two days, at least once every day). The non-transitory instructions are executable by the at least one processor to cause the at least one processor to process the OCT image data of the retina to determine a series of measured extent values. Each of the series of measured extent values is indicative of a respective exten