title: Aligning scan acquisition circles in optical coherence tomography images of the retinal nerve fibre layer.
abstract: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is widely used in the assessment of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) in glaucoma. Images are typically acquired with a circular scan around the optic nerve head. Accurate registration of OCT scans is essential for measurement reproducibility and longitudinal examination. This study developed and evaluated a special image registration algorithm to align the location of the OCT scan circles to the vessel features in the retina using probabilistic modelling that was optimised by an expectation-maximization algorithm. Evaluation of the method on 18 patients undergoing large number of scans indicated improved data acquisition and better reproducibility of measured RNFLT when scanning circles were closely matched. The proposed method enables clinicians to consider the RNFLT measurement and its scan circle location on the retina in tandem, reducing RNFLT measurement variability and assisting detection of real change of RNFLT in the longitudinal assessment of glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Visual Science, City University London, London, UK. haogangzhu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Haogang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Crabb
authors.forename: Patricio G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Schlottmann
authors.forename: Gadi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wollstein
authors.forename: David F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Garway-Heath
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D010363:Pattern Recognition, Automated / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013382:Subtraction Technique; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*