University of Tsukuba

Olympus Corporation

Olympus Optical Company, Ltd.

Masahide Itoh

Yoshiaki Yasuno

Hiroshi Ishiwata

Toyohiko Yatagai

Lian Duan

Myeong Jin Ju

Youngjoo Hong

A Jones matrix OCT offers improved image stability, image quality, and depth range of image, wherein light from a wavelength-scanning light source is split into two optical paths, and a reference arm is provided along one optical path, while a probe arm that irradiates and reflects light onto the measuring target to generate object light is provided along the other optical path. The probe arm has a polarization delay unit that linearly polarizes the light and then splits it into S-wave component and P-wave component, where the S-wave component and P-wave component are superimposed through optical paths of different optical path lengths, respectively, after which optical detectors are used to detect different spectral interference beams in the depth direction of the measuring target corresponding to the vertically polarized component and horizontally polarized component, which respectively correspond to the S-wave component and P-wave component, to obtain four spectral interference signals.

Jones matrix OCT system and program for carrying out image processing on measured data obtained by said OCT

From OCT-measured data, only the image data of the choroidal vascular network present in the layer of the choroidal layer is selectively extracted, thereby accurately obtaining the thickness of the choroidal vessels and thickness of the choroidal vascular network from the image data, to allow for quantitative evaluation of the choroidal vascular network. The optical coherence tomography apparatus has an optical coherence tomography device, and a computer that processes the three-dimensional OCT tomographic images obtained based on the OCT-measured data acquired by the optical coherence tomography device. The computer functions as a means for selectively separating out only the images of the choroidal vessels from the three-dimensional OCT tomographic images to acquire image data of the choroidal vessels, and also as a means for obtaining the data to be used in the quantitative evaluation of the shape of the choroidal vessels based on the image data of the choroidal vessels.

Optical coherence tomography apparatus for selectively visualizing and analyzing vascular network of choroidal layer, and image-processing program and image-processing method for the same

In an embodiment, a computer, which generates tomographic images based on spectral interference signals detected by a light detectorfrom overlaid reference light emitted by a swept-source type light sourceof a SS-OCT, split, and then reflected by a fixed reference mirroron one hand and object light reflected by an object to be measuredon the other, is caused to function to apply rough correction using a first correction means and then apply detailed correction using a second correction means, to stabilize the phases of the SS-OCT. The phases can be stabilized by eliminating, without adding any expensive, complex hardware, the jitter between the wavelength scanning of a light source of SS-OCT and the timing of collecting the scan data with the light detector as spectral interference signals.

Swept source optical coherence tomography and method for stabilizing phase thereof

A detection apparatus includes a differential interference contrast microscope, a device for changing the amount of retardation between the two polarized components, a device for photographing the image of an object to be observed, and a device for performing a calculation with respect to the image captured by this photographing device. In the detection apparatus, amounts of retardation between two polarized components split in an illumination optical system of the differential interference contrast microscope are detected to form two differential interference contrast images relative to the object in which the amounts of retardation between the polarized components are equal, but have different signs. Subsequently, in the two differential interference contrast images, a differential calculation and a summed calculation are performed with regard to respective corresponding pixels to obtain a differential image and a summed image. The ratio of image information between the differential image and the summed image is calculated, and from the result of this calculation, image information in a predetermined range is extracted. In this way, the phase of the object can be detected.

Method for detecting physical amount of object and optical apparatus using the same

A microscope apparatus that has an electronic image pickup device arranged on an image surface of an imaging optical system, a component for separating light from a light source into two portions, a device for changing a phase difference between the two portions of light, a device for storing information on the images picked up by the image pickup device, and information processor for processing the information of images. The images are picked up by the electronic image pickup device as the phase difference is changed, and the information on the images is multiplied by a periodic function, as a weight function, which is given the phase difference as variable, and a resultant product is integrated so that a differential interference microscope apparatus capable of accurately obtaining a phase distribution of the object or a phase-contrast microscope apparatus capable of effectively enhancing a resolving power without lowering an image contrast is obtained.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Masahide Itoh