VISUALIZATION OF OCULAR LENS BASED ON TILTED OCT IMAGING

Application No. 18/934,491

• Filed: Nov 01, 2024
• Priority: Nov 03, 2023 — provisional 63/596,055
• Examiner: GAGNON, GRANT A
• Assignee: Alcon Inc.
• OA Round: 1 (Non-Final)

Office Action

DETAILED ACTION

Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .

Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS’ filed to date have been considered.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –

(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.

Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bello (US 20230073778) herein after referred to as D1.

With regard to claim 1, D1 teaches a system of visualizing an eye ([0035]; eye) using an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) device, In at least (Fig. 2; and [0001]) the system comprising: a controller ([0065]; CPU) having at least one processor ([0015; computer processor) and at least one non-transitory, tangible memory ([0065]; memory) ([0065]; memory) on which instructions ([0072]; instructions) are recorded; wherein the OCT device ([0005]; OCT) produces an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) defined by an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis), execution of the instructions ([0072]; instructions) by the processor ([0015; computer processor) causing the controller ([0065]; CPU) to: receive a first dataset ([0067; A-scan) captured with the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a first tilt angle (Fig. 4C, element 43; and [0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) from a first visual axis (Fig. 5A) of the eye ([0035]; eye); receive a second dataset ([0067; B-scan) captured with the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a second tilt angle (Fig. 4C, element 44; and [0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye) from a second visual axis (Fig. 5B) of the eye ([0035]; eye); generate a plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) based on the first dataset ([0067; A-scan) and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan); and generate a lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) based in part on the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens).

With regard to claim 2, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the controller ([0065]; CPU) is adapted to perform redundant surface mapping ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans”) of the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) to generate the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted).

With regard to claim 3, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first dataset ([0067; A-scan) is captured with the eye ([0035]; eye) focused on a first side (fig. 5A) and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a temporal region (claim 6) adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye) on a second side (Fig. 5B).

With regard to claim 4, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 3, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first dataset ([0067; A-scan) includes volumetric data ([0067]; sample makes up a data volume or cube) captured as the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is rotated around the first visual axis ([0035]; optical axis) while maintaining a magnitude of the first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle).

With regard to claim 5, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 3, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) is captured with the eye ([0035]; eye) focused along a third side (Fig. 5c) and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a nasal region adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye).

With regard to claim 6, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 5, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) includes volumetric data ([0067]; sample makes up a data volume or cube) captured as the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is rotated around the second visual axis ([0035]; optical axis) while maintaining a magnitude of the second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye).

With regard to claim 7, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) and the second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye)) are each between about 25 degrees and about 45 degrees ([0056]; any of multiple scan angles).

With regard to claim 8, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) and the second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye)) are each between about 30 degrees and about 35 degrees ([0056]; any of multiple scan angles).

With regard to claim 9, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first dataset ([0067; A-scan) and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) are respectively captured when a pupil of the eye ([0035]; eye) is naturally dilated ([0003]; dialysis).

With regard to claim 10, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) are captured when a pupil of the eye ([0035]; eye) is chemically dilated ([0003]; dialysis).

With regard to claim 11, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the controller ([0065]; CPU) is adapted to adjust a longitudinal axis ([0037]; orthogonal to the optical axis) of the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) to match a predefined reference axis ([0035]; optical axis).

With regard to claim 12, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 1, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the controller ([0065]; CPU) is further adapted to generate first and second corner ([0011]; outer edge region) portions of the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted).

With regard to claim 13, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 12, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); wherein the first and second corner ([0011]; outer edge region) portions of the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) are generated using an artificial neural network ([0041]; Neural Networks trained to recognize the above-listed diagnoses based images using the present imaging techniques) selectively executable by the controller ([0065]; CPU).

With regard to claim 14, D1 teaches a method visualizing an eye ([0035]; eye) using an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) device with a system having a controller ([0065]; CPU) with at least one processor ([0015; computer processor) and at least one non-transitory, tangible memory ([0065]; memory), the method comprising: receiving a first dataset ([0067; A-scan)captured with an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) from a first visual axis ([0035]; optical axis), the OCT device ([0005]; OCT) producing an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) defined by the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis); receiving a second dataset ([0067; B-scan) captured with the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye) from a second visual axis ([0035]; optical axis); generating a plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) based on the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan); and generating a lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) based in part on the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens).

With regard to claim 15, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); further comprising: performing redundant surface mapping ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans”) of the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) to generate the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted).

With regard to claim 16, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); further comprising: capturing the first dataset ([0067; A-scan) when the eye ([0035]; eye) is focused on a first side and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a temporal region adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye) on a second side, the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)including volumetric data ([0067]; sample makes up a data volume or cube) captured as the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) is rotated around the first visual axis ([0035]; optical axis).

With regard to claim 17, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 16, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); further comprising: capturing the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) when the eye ([0035]; eye) is focused along a third side (Fig. 5c) and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a nasal region adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye), the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) including the volumetric data ([0067]; sample makes up a data volume or cube) captured as the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) is rotated around the second visual axis ([0035]; optical axis)

With regard to claim 18, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); further comprising: selecting the first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) and the second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye) to be between about 25 degrees and about 45 degrees ([0056]; any of multiple scan angles); and capturing the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) respectively when a pupil of the eye ([0035]; eye) is dilated ([0003]; dialysis).

With regard to claim 19, D1 teaches all of the claimed limitations as have been outlined above with respect to claim 14, wherein D1 further teaches an eye ([0035]; eye) (Fig. 1, element 100) visualization system, in at least (Fig. 2); further comprising: adjusting a longitudinal axis ([0035]; optical axis) of the lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) to match a predefined reference axis ([0035]; optical axis); and generating first and second corner ([0011]; outer edge region) portions of the lens profile ([0041]; The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) using an artificial neural network ([0041]; Neural Networks trained to recognize the above-listed diagnoses based images using the present imaging techniques) selectively executable by the controller ([0065]; CPU).

With regard to claim 20, D1 teaches a system of visualizing an eye ([0035]; eye) using an optical coherence tomography (“OCT”) device, the system comprising: a controller ([0065]; CPU) having at least one processor ([0015; computer processor) and at least one non-transitory, tangible memory ([0065]; memory) on which instructions ([0072]; instructions) are recorded; wherein the OCT device ([0005]; OCT) produces an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) defined by an OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis), execution of the instructions ([0072]; instructions) by the processor ([0015; computer processor) causing the controller ([0065]; CPU) to: receive a first dataset ([0067; A-scan)captured with the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) from a first visual axis ([0035]; optical axis) of the eye ([0035]; eye); receive a second dataset ([0067; B-scan) captured with the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) axis ([0035]; optical axis) at a second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye) from a second visual axis ([0035]; optical axis) of the eye ([0035]; eye); generate a plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) based on the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)and the second dataset ([0067; B-scan); and perform redundant surface mapping ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans”) of the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens) and generate a lens profile ([0041];The present invention may also be used to help determine the precise power of an intraocular lens (IOL) to be implanted) based in part on the plurality of lens segments ([0067]; “multiple A-scans and B-scans” used to fully scan in segments and construct an image of the eye including the lens); wherein the first dataset ([0067; A-scan)is captured with the eye ([0035]; eye) focused on a first side and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a temporal region adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye) on a second side; wherein the second dataset ([0067; B-scan) is captured with the eye ([0035]; eye) focused along a third side (Fig. 5c) and the OCT beam ([0005]; direct a beam to measure) is directed from a nasal region adjacent to the eye ([0035]; eye); and wherein the first tilt angle ([0012]; first light beam from an ophthalmic imaging system at an optimized angle) and the second tilt angle ([0014]; second imaging beam for imaging the eye (e.g., imaging the exterior region, the cornea, or retina of the eye) are each between about 25 degrees and about 45 degrees ([0056]; any of multiple scan angles).

Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.

Macnamara (US 20180136486), Light Field Processor system, discusses OCT and measurements taken at multiple angles including generating a lens profile

Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GRANT A GAGNON whose telephone number is [phone]. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at [phone]. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GRANT A GAGNON/Examiner, Art Unit 2872

/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872

Prosecution Timeline

• Nov 01, 2024: Application Filed
• Aug 17, 2026: Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)