Fundus observation apparatus

Abstract

A fundus observation apparatus that is capable of assisting an examiner in judging the presence or absence of abnormality in an examinee's eye based on a fundus tomographic image. The fundus observation apparatus includes an optical coherence tomography device that has an optical scanner for setting an image pickup position on a fundus of an examinee's eye, and is arranged to obtain a tomographic image of the fundus, and an information display unit that is arranged to display on a monitor the tomographic image obtained by the optical coherence tomography device and assisting information for assisting an examiner in performing judgment on the tomographic image, and the information display unit is arranged to change the assisting information based on image pickup information on the tomographic image.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fundus observation apparatus comprising:
 an optical coherence tomography device that has an optical scanner for setting an configured to set image pickup position positions on a fundus of an examinee's eye, and is arranged eye and to obtain a tomographic image of the fundus  according to any one of a plurality of photographing modes, each mode corresponding to a distinct image pickup position of the image pickup positions; 
 an information display unit that is arranged to display on a monitora display that displays the tomographic image obtained by the optical coherence tomography device and assisting information for assisting an examiner in performing judgment on the tomographic image; and 
 a front fundus image pickup device configured to obtain a front image of the fundus; 
 a first non-transitory computer readable medium storing a first program for use with a processor, the first program causing the processor to execute steps comprising:
 receiving an instruction signal by the examiner to select one photographing mode among the plurality of photographing modes,  
 an arithmetic analysis unit that is arranged to detectdetecting information on layers of the fundus in the tomographic image through image processing, and determines 
 the tomographic image by determining analyzing the detected layer information by a given determination criterion, in the tomographic image and performing a judgment as to whether the tomographic image satisfies a determination criterion, 
 changing the determination criterion depending on the selected photographing mode, 
 changing the assisting information based on the selected photographing mode and the display displays a first determination result as the assisting information, 
 detecting brightness information on the front image obtained by the front fundus image pickup device through the image processing, and 
 determining the front image by determining the detected brightness information by the determination criterion; and 
 
 a second non-transitory computer readable medium storing a second program for use with a controller, the second program causing the controller to execute a steps comprising:
 controlling driving of the optical scanner to change the image pickup position on the fundus based on the photographing mode that is selected by the instruction signal,  
 
 wherein the information display unit is arranged to change the assisting information based on image pickup information on the tomographic image; 
 the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to change the determination criterion based on at least the image pickup information; and 
 the information display unit is arranged to display a first determination result obtained by the arithmetic analysis unit as the assisting information on the monitor
 controlling a fixation position depending on the photographing mode in controlling the driving of the optical coherence tomography device depending on the photographing mode, and 
 emitting visible light toward the examinee's eye and guiding a line of sight of the examinee's eye by adjusting the position at which the visible light is projected on the fundus such that, when the optical coherence tomography device is in macula portion photographing mode, the fixation position is moved to a position corresponding to a position of the macula, and, when the optical coherence tomography device is in papilla portion photographing mode, the fixation position is moved to a position corresponding to a position of the papilla. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the arithmetic analysis unit uses performing the judgment as to whether the tomographic image satisfies the determination criterion includes using a normal eye database as the determination criterion. 
     
     
       3. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising: a control unit that is arranged to control driving of the optical scanner to change the image pickup position on the fundus, wherein the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to specify the first program further causes the processor to execute specifying an abnormal portion in the tomographic image based on the first determination result or specify specifying a characteristic portion in the tomographic image through the image processing, and
 the control unit is arranged to adjust second program further causes the controller to execute adjusting the image pickup position so as to obtain the tomographic image including one of the abnormal portion and the characteristic portion that are specified by the arithmetic analysis unit. 
 
     
     
       4. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control unit is arranged to obtain second program further causes the controller to execute obtaining a first tomographic image of a wide range of the fundus by two-dimensionally scanning measurement light on the fundus using the optical scanner,
 the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to specifythe first program further causes the processor to execute specifying one of the abnormal portion and the characteristic portion in the first tomographic image, and 
 the control unit is arranged to obtain second program further causes the controller to execute obtaining a second tomographic image by scanning the measurement light in a scanning range corresponding to the portion specified by the arithmetic analysis unit specified portion. 
 
     
     
       5. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to determine first program further causes the processor to execute determining the second tomographic image and obtain obtaining a second determination result, and
 the information display unit is arranged to display displays the first and second tomographic images and the first and second determination results that are obtained by the arithmetic analysis unit. 
 
     
     
       6. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is arranged to set second program further causes the controller to execute setting the scanning range for obtaining the second tomographic image to be a scanning range that is narrower than the scanning range for obtaining the first tomographic image and includes the whole specified portion. 
     
     
       7. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is arranged to set second program further causes the controller to execute setting a scanning pattern of the measurement light according to the specified portion. 
     
     
       8. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to specify first program further causes the processor to execute specifying a region corresponding to a the macula portion in the first tomographic image through the image processing, and perform determination appropriate to the specified region. 
     
     
       9. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to specify first program further causes the processor to execute specifying a region corresponding to a the papilla portion in the first tomographic image through the image processing, and perform determination appropriate to the specified region. 
     
     
       10. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is arranged to set second program further causes the controller to execute setting the scanning range for obtaining the second tomographic image by obtaining a scanning position of the optical scanner corresponding to the specified portion based on a relation between the first tomographic image and a scanning position of the optical scanner. 
     
     
       11. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control unit is arranged to perform second program further causes the controller to execute performing matching between a tomographic image corresponding to the specified portion in the first tomographic image and a tomographic image images obtained when obtaining the second tomographic image through the image processing, and correct correcting a scanning position of the optical scanner so as to obtain a matching topographic image among the tomographic images obtained when obtaining the second tomographic image at a substantially matching position. 
     
     
       12. The fundus observation apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a front fundus image pickup device that is arranged to obtain a front image of the fundus, wherein   the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to detect brightness information on the front image obtained by the front fundus image pickup device through the image processing, and determine the front image by determining the detected brightness information by a given determination criterion.   
     
     
       13. The fundus observation apparatus according to claim  12  1, wherein
 the arithmetic analysis unit is arranged to specify first program further causes the processor to execute specifying one of a targeted image pickup portion and the abnormal portion based on determination results of the tomographic image and the front image that are obtained by the arithmetic analysis unit through the image processing, and 
 the control unit is arranged to adjust second program further causes the controller to execute adjusting the image pickup position so as to obtain the tomographic image including the specified portion. 
 
     
     
       14. The fundus observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of photographing modes comprises a mode for photographing both a macula portion and a papilla portion. 
     
     
       15. The fundus observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second program further causes the controller to execute controlling a scanning position of the optical scanner depending on the photographing mode in controlling the driving of the optical coherence tomography device depending on the photographing mode. 
     
     
       16. The fundus observation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the displayed assisting information includes the presence or absence of an abnormality in the image pickup positions related to the photographing modes.