High-responsiveness and -precision 3D NIR visual-assisted eye-pupil tracking robot for free-style ophthalmic OCT imaging

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has revolutionized noninvasive imaging in ophthalmology, enabling high-resolution, three-dimensional visualization of tissue microstructures. However, conventional ophthalmic OCT devices depend heavily on patient cooperation and operator expertise, hindering further applications, especially ophthalmic imaging for the disabled. Here we proposed a high-responsiveness and -precision three-dimensional (3D) near-infrared visual-assisted eye-pupil tracking robot for free-style ophthalmic OCT to address these limitations. This system incorporates 3D pupil tracking for automatic gaze alignment with a multi-functional and -wavelength scanning pod, enabling precise, real-time 3D tracking and alignment of the OCT scanning pod to the human eye pupil in customized orientations and positions. Our system achieves a response time of 21.26 ms for visual perception and 21.64 ms for robotic motion, with lateral accuracy of 14.15 μm, axial accuracy of 27.09 μm, and rotational accuracy of 0.26 degrees for free-style human ophthalmic OCT imaging. Our robotic system overcomes the scenario limitations of fixed devices, the high operator demands, and the imaging instability of handheld devices. It is expected to significantly expand the application scenarios and target groups for ophthalmic OCT imaging, improving the quality of ophthalmic healthcare services and enhancing patient experience.