Computer assisted retinal laser photocoagulation Laser photocoagulation of the retina has become an established and important treatment modality for diabetic retinopathy, age-related maculopathy, neovascular complications after vascular occlusion, and a variety of other eye pathologies. Some of these diseases have an enormous social and economic impact. Current setups to deliver laser photocoagulation typically consist of a slit lamp equipped with a laser unit, where the ophthalmologist aims the laser beam manually. Computer assistance offers the potential for improvements for such a setup with respect to accuracy, individualized spot patterns, execution time, safety, and therefore treatment efficiency. The general goal of this project is to develop an integrated computer assisted retinal laser photocoagulation system. The videos example-1 and example-2 demonstrate the real time co-registration algorithm that is used in the frame of this project. The algorithm computes the co-registration between the planning modality (the fundus mosaic shown in the background) and the live video stream originating from the laser delivery device. A Scanning Digital Ophthalmoscope (SDO) has been used in this case as a delivery device.
home university
>
medizinische fakultät
>
artorg center for biomedical engineering research
>
research units
>
ophthalmic technology
>
research
|
Research
Current Research Topics
Computer assisted proton beam radiotherapy and radioactive plaque
therapy for intraocular tumors A challenging topic in ophthalmology is
the treatment of intraocular tumors by irradiation. Melanoma of the choroid and
ciliary body, such as the posterior uveal melanoma, are the most common primary
intraocular malignant tumors of the eye, and they are life-threatening if left
untreated. Proton beam irradiation is an established treatment modality for
intraocular tumors. In order to deliver the necessary radiation dose to the
tumor tissue but sparing the surrounding tissue, precise planning and delivery
of the charged particle beam are mandatory. Different image modalities such as
fundus photographs, ultrasound images, and computed tomography or magnetic
resonance image data are combined to develop the treatment plan. To co-register
the different image modalities and to position the patient’s eye for
irradiation, often tantalum marker elements are sutured to the globe in a
preceding operation. The relative position of the tantalum markers and their
distance to the limbus are important parameters for the therapeutic plan and
are usually measured intraoperatively by a pair of compasses. This project is
aiming at the development of an advanced planning/navigation system for proton
beam radiotherapy and radioactive plaque therapy by employing state of the art
image co-registration and tracking techniques.
Statistical modeling of the retina
Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive technology used for
imaging the layers of the retina. This imaging technology has revolutionized
the early detection and also follow-up examination of retinal pathologies such
as macular holes, epiretinal gliosis, macular edema and also optic disc
pathologies. The introduction of high speed and spectral domain OCT devices
allows a faster image acquisition and offers a better image resolution in the
daily clinical practice. However, the continuous growth of image data for
diagnosis demands sophisticated data processing strategies to help the
ophthalmologist focussing on potentially pathological structures while screening
the huge amount of data. In addition, objective quantification of pathologies
(thickness measurements, detection of changes in reflectivity of certain
structures, loss of layers in degenerative pathologies) is an indispensable tool
to diagnose disease progression and also regression as a basis for effective
treatment strategies. The objectives of this project are twofold: first to
analyze the potential of statistical shape and appearance models in the
context of OCT segmentation and second to implement, test, and validate new
segmentation strategies to reliably identify individual structures of the
retina, and localize potentially pathological areas within the retina that
will need the attention of the investigator.
System to monitor the development of visual acuity of blind patients
The purpose of this project is to develop a system that allows monitoring the
progression in visual acuity over time in blind patients wearing a retinal
prosthesis. The project will be developed in collaboration with the Boston
Retinal Implant Project. The patient will have to conduct certain every day
tasks in a confined spatial environment. The system will allow for both, an
objective quantification of the time required solving the problem as well as the
precision with which the patient achieved an individual task. It features a
configurable task definition environment. The system records the results from
each individual training session and will provide means for subsequent
statistical evaluation.
University of Bern |
ARTORG Center |
Murtenstrasse 50 |
CH-3010 Bern |
+41 31 632 7575 |
+41 31 632 7576
