Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a converter configured to convert an analog signal obtained from detected interference light into a digital signal and a clock generator configured as an interferometer including an optical path through which part of light emitted from a light source passes, the optical path being split into a first optical path and a second optical path having an optical path length difference therebetween, to generate a clock used by the converter sampling the analog signal at a frequency corresponding to the optical path length difference. The converter includes n A/D converters, n being an integer of at least 2, and is configured to change phases of n clocks obtained from the clock to produce a phase difference therebetween, and to generate a clock having an n-times frequency from the n clocks and n analog signals obtained from the analog signal using the n A/D converters.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an imaging apparatus, includes a selection unit configured to select an image-capturing site of a subject to be examined, a control unit configured to control adjustment of a member of the imaging apparatus, according to the selected image-capturing site, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform the adjustment or not in response to a change of image-capturing sites through the selection by the selection unit, based on image-capturing conditions for the image-capturing sites before and after the change of the image-capturing sites.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an imaging apparatus, includes a selection unit configured to select an image-capturing site of a subject to be examined, a control unit configured to control adjustment of a member of the imaging apparatus, according to the selected image-capturing site, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform the adjustment or not in response to a change of image-capturing sites through the selection by the selection unit, based on image-capturing conditions for the image-capturing sites before and after the change of the image-capturing sites.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an imaging apparatus, includes a selection unit configured to select an image-capturing site of a subject to be examined, a control unit configured to control adjustment of a member of the imaging apparatus, according to the selected image-capturing site, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform the adjustment or not in response to a change of image-capturing sites through the selection by the selection unit, based on image-capturing conditions for the image-capturing sites before and after the change of the image-capturing sites.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a converter configured to convert an analog signal obtained from detected interference light into a digital signal and a clock generator configured as an interferometer including an optical path through which part of light emitted from a light source passes, the optical path being split into a first optical path and a second optical path having an optical path length difference therebetween, to generate a clock used by the converter sampling the analog signal at a frequency corresponding to the optical path length difference. The converter includes n A/D converters, n being an integer of at least 2, and is configured to change phases of n clocks obtained from the clock to produce a phase difference therebetween, and to generate a clock having an n-times frequency from the n clocks and n analog signals obtained from the analog signal using the n A/D converters.

Abstract: In an OCT apparatus for obtaining a tomogram using optical interference between signal light and reference light, a first distance between a specific image and a coherence gate is obtained from a first tomogram obtained by imaging. The coherence gate is moved by a set moving distance along a predetermined moving direction. The positional relationship between the specific image and the coherence gate is determined based on the position of the specific image in a second tomogram obtained by imaging after movement of the coherence gate and the position of the specific image in the first tomogram.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus having a simple configuration capable of correctly detecting malfunction of an OCT apparatus by detecting the states of a light source and a sensor. An image pickup apparatus includes a switching unit that switches between a first mode in which a combined light beam of a return light beam from a specimen and a reference light beam is detectable by a detecting unit and a second mode in which the reference light beam is detectable by the detecting unit. The image pickup apparatus is switchable to the first mode on the basis of an intensity of the reference light beam detected by the detecting unit in the second mode.

Abstract: In an OCT apparatus for obtaining a tomogram using optical interference between signal light and reference light, a first distance between a specific image and a coherence gate is obtained from a first tomogram obtained by imaging. The coherence gate is moved by a set moving distance along a predetermined moving direction. The positional relationship between the specific image and the coherence gate is determined based on the position of the specific image in a second tomogram obtained by imaging after movement of the coherence gate and the position of the specific image in the first tomogram.

Abstract: An imaging control apparatus capable of causing a first imaging unit to capture a fundus image of a subject's eye and causing a second imaging unit to capture a tomographic image of the subject's eye includes a control unit configured to cause the first imaging unit to capture an image of the fundus of the subject's eye in a limited area smaller than the fundus image, a detection unit configured to detect a positional deviation of the fundus of the subject's eye based on an image of the area acquired according to the control, and a correction unit configured to correct an image capturing position of the tomographic image captured by the second imaging unit based on the detected positional deviation.

Abstract: In order to place a coherence gate as close as possible to a object, provided is a tomographic image photographing apparatus including: a moving unit for moving the coherence gate corresponding to a difference between an optical path length of measuring light and an optical path length of reference light; and a control unit for controlling the moving unit so as to further move the coherence gate from a second position based on first combined light and second combined light of the object, which are respectively acquired at a first position of the coherence gate and the second position at which the coherence gate is placed after being moved from the first position to the object side by the moving unit.

Abstract: Provided is an image acquisition apparatus for acquiring a 3D retinal image with high resolution, which is capable of reducing a time period required for data transmission. In the image acquisition apparatus: a blink of a subject is detected; acquisition of image taking data is suspended thereafter until a line of sight becomes stable; and the data transmission to a computer is started at a timing at which a blink has been detected, thereby avoiding acquiring unnecessary data, allowing a capacity of a data buffer to be smaller, and making the data transmission efficient.

Abstract: An ophthalmologic apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a fundus image of a subject's eye, a displacement acquisition unit configured to acquire the displacement of an imaging position between the fundus images acquired by the acquisition unit, and a display control unit configured to display on a display unit the fundus image acquired by the acquisition unit and a region of interest which is an area where a tomogram of the fundus is captured, in which the display control unit performs display control to display the fundus image and the region of interest on the display unit based on the displacement acquired by the displacement acquisition unit so that the region of interest is positioned at a predetermined position of the fundus image, and stops the display control based on the position of the subject's eye.

Abstract: An imaging control apparatus capable of causing a first imaging unit to capture a fundus image of a subject's eye and causing a second imaging unit to capture a tomographic image of the subject's eye includes a control unit configured to cause the first imaging unit to capture an image of the fundus of the subject's eye in a limited area smaller than the fundus image, a detection unit configured to detect a positional deviation of the fundus of the subject's eye based on an image of the area acquired according to the control, and a correction unit configured to correct an image capturing position of the tomographic image captured by the second imaging unit based on the detected positional deviation.

Abstract: A control apparatus of an imaging apparatus, includes a selection unit configured to select an image-capturing site of a subject to be examined, a control unit configured to control adjustment of a member of the imaging apparatus, according to the selected image-capturing site, and a determination unit configured to determine whether to perform the adjustment or not in response to a change of image-capturing sites through the selection by the selection unit, based on image-capturing conditions for the image-capturing sites before and after the change of the image-capturing sites.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus having a simple configuration capable of correctly detecting malfunction of an OCT apparatus by detecting the states of a light source and a sensor. An image pickup apparatus includes a switching unit that switches between a first mode in which a combined light beam of a return light beam from a specimen and a reference light beam is detectable by a detecting unit and a second mode in which the reference light beam is detectable by the detecting unit. The image pickup apparatus is switchable to the first mode on the basis of an intensity of the reference light beam detected by the detecting unit in the second mode.

Abstract: Provided is an image acquisition apparatus for acquiring a 3D retinal image with high resolution, which is capable of reducing a time period required for data transmission. In the image acquisition apparatus: a blink of a subject is detected; acquisition of image taking data is suspended thereafter until a line of sight becomes stable; and the data transmission to a computer is started at a timing at which a blink has been detected, thereby avoiding acquiring unnecessary data, allowing a capacity of a data buffer to be smaller, and making the data transmission efficient.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus disclosed in this invention has first and second line sensors. The output from the first line sensor is compressed by a first compression circuit, and the output from the second line sensor is compressed by a second compression circuit. Furthermore, control is made to output image data for one page compressed by the first compression circuit, and thereafter, to output image data for one page compressed by the second compression circuit. The first compression circuit can operate at a higher speed than the second compression circuit.

Abstract: An image display system for display image information obtained by accessing an image data base or the like which was stored in an electronic filing device. The system has: an electronic filing device to store a plurality of pieces of information; a plurality of terminal devices; a common image information memory such as a video RAM to store the image information read out of the electronic filing device on the basis of an instruction from at least one of the terminal devices; and a distributor to distribute and transfer the image information stored in the VRAM to any or all of the terminal devices in accordance with an image transfer instruction from such terminal device(s). A ferroelectric liquid crystal or other display panel which can hold the image information for a predetermined time may be used as a display. The display information can be individually effectively accessed from the electronic filing device by each terminal device while commonly using a single VRAM.

Abstract: An image registering method and apparatus for recording an image in a recording medium include reading an image of an original to which a bar code is added, storing the read image of the original in a memory, rotating the image stored in the memory by 90 degrees, detecting the bar code from the image, which has been rotated, and decoding detected bar code information and forming an index file indicating a relationship between the decoded bar code information and a recording address of the image of the original, which is recorded in the recording medium.

Abstract: An image storing method includes the steps of: reading an image of an original including index information to provide image information; recording the image information on a recording medium; reading out the image information recorded on the recording medium; detecting the index information included in the image information which is read out from the recording medium; and generating an index file showing the relationship between the detected index information and a storage address of the image information recorded on the recording medium. Also disclosed is an image storing apparatus which records on a recording medium image information of an original including index information, which is provided from an image reading device.