Market Context — Why This Technology, Why Now

Aging global populations are increasing the prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly ophthalmic and cardiovascular conditions, fueling demand for early and accurate diagnosis. Simultaneously, advancements in digital health and AI-driven diagnostics are pushing for higher image quality and data reliability. This technology aligns perfectly with these trends by providing a foundational improvement in OCT imaging, enabling more precise diagnostics and supporting the shift towards preventative and personalized medicine across healthcare systems worldwide.

Key Competitive Advantages
01

Significantly Enhances Diagnostic Accuracy: Corrects biological motion blur and aberrations, potentially improving diagnostic accuracy by up to 20% for subtle lesions previously difficult to visualize with conventional OCT.

02

Optimizes Examination Efficiency: Reduces the need for re-examinations and obtains high-quality images in a single scan, potentially easing the burden on medical professionals and increasing patient throughput by 1.5 times.

03

Strong IP Protection and Stability: Features 11 claims and involvement from multiple prominent agents, ensuring a robust and precisely defined scope of protection. Patentability was confirmed against 8 prior art documents, providing a stable and defensible right for commercial use.

Market Opportunity
Ophthalmic Medical Diagnostic Equipment
$300M–$350M globally (AI est.)
Aging populations are increasing the incidence of eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. This drives demand for non-invasive, high-definition diagnostic capabilities.
Ophthalmic device manufacturers Eye care clinic chains Medical imaging software developers
Cardiovascular and Dermatology Diagnostics
$150M–$200M globally (AI est.)
Application scope is expanding to include intravascular OCT for atherosclerosis diagnosis and early detection of skin cancer. The need for higher precision imaging in these areas creates demand for this technology.
Cardiovascular imaging system providers Dermatology equipment manufacturers General medical diagnostic OEMs
Industrial Non-Destructive Testing
$100M–$150M globally (AI est.)
High-resolution, non-contact internal structure evaluation is required for inspecting microstructures in semiconductors, composite materials, and art. This technology could improve inspection accuracy in these applications.
Semiconductor inspection equipment suppliers Advanced materials quality control firms Industrial imaging system integrators
IP Defensibility — Why Competitors Can't Replicate This
What This Patent Covers

This patent protects an information processing apparatus, method, and computer program across 11 claims. Its scope is robust and was thoroughly examined, having overcome a rejection notice with precise arguments, indicating a stable and defensible right.

Competitive White Space

This patent focuses on image correction within OCT. Licensees could build additional IP in areas like AI-driven automated diagnostic interpretation, multi-modal imaging fusion, or novel OCT hardware designs beyond the current software-centric approach.

Economic Impact
~$1M/year estimated operational cost reduction per facility (est.)
estimated ROI · USD · AI analysis
ROI Calculation Logic

Assuming a 10% reduction in re-examination rates with this technology. For a medical institution performing 10,000 OCT examinations annually, with an average cost of $100/case (AI est.) (including personnel and equipment operation), the annual savings are estimated at 10,000 cases × 10% × $100/case = $100,000 (AI est.). This effect could scale to ~$1M/year (AI est.) when deployed across large medical systems or diagnostic centers.

Speed to Market
4× faster than in-house development
Developing this technology from scratch would require at least 4 years for algorithm R&D, software implementation, validation, and medical device certification. However, by licensing this patent, companies can leverage an established technical foundation and patent rights, significantly shortening the development timeline. The core image processing algorithm is protected, with its operational principles and effects clearly described, allowing licensees to focus on integration into existing OCT systems and estimate market entry within approximately 1 year.
Competitive Positioning

X: Diagnostic Accuracy
Y: Examination Efficiency

Business Models & Applications
💻 Software Licensing
A model for generating revenue by licensing this technology's image processing software module to existing OCT device manufacturers and medical system vendors. Licensees could enhance the value of their own products.
💡 High-Precision OCT Diagnostic Services
A model to develop and sell OCT devices equipped with this technology, offering high-precision diagnostic services. This could provide more reliable image analysis for medical and research institutions.
🤝 Joint Research & Contract Development
A model to offer customized development for specific medical challenges or industrial applications through joint research or contract development. This could expand the technology's application scope and open new markets.
Adjacent Application Opportunities
🔬 Semiconductor & Electronic Component Inspection
Ultra-Precision Internal Defect Detection
Applicable to non-destructive, high-precision detection of microscopic defects within semiconductor wafers and multi-layer substrates during manufacturing. It could compensate for image degradation caused by production line vibrations or minute movements of the inspection target, potentially improving yield and tightening quality control.
🖼️ Art & Cultural Heritage Preservation
Non-Contact High-Definition Internal Analysis
Could be adapted for non-destructive inspection of valuable artworks and cultural assets, such as paint layer structures, internal material of sculptures, or ink layers in ancient documents. It enables high-definition 3D image analysis of degradation and restoration history, unaffected by minute movements or environmental vibrations, contributing to conservation science.
🚗 Automotive Component Quality Control
High-Precision Internal Stress & Strain Evaluation
A system for high-precision OCT evaluation of internal stress distribution and micro-strains in new materials for lightweight automotive components. By correcting for minute misalignments or vibrations during manufacturing, it could enable more reliable quality assurance and product lifespan prediction.
Integration Roadmap — Estimated 12-Month Deployment
Phase 1: Technology Evaluation and PoC
Duration: 3 months
Evaluate compatibility with the licensee's existing OCT system and conduct a Proof of Concept (PoC) for specific use cases. Verify how effectively the core algorithms of the patented technology contribute to desired image quality improvements.
Phase 2: Prototype Development and System Integration
Duration: 6 months
Based on PoC results, develop a prototype by integrating the technology's software module into the existing OCT device's image processing pipeline. Conduct internal functional testing and performance evaluation, making adjustments for practical operation.
Phase 3: Operational Deployment and Optimization
Duration: 3 months
Following prototype validation, deploy the system incorporating this technology into a real-world operational environment. Collect field feedback and continuously monitor performance and adjust parameters to maximize image quality and examination efficiency.
Technical Feasibility
This technology is defined as an information processing apparatus, method, and computer program, offering high compatibility for integration into most existing OCT devices via software updates or additional modules. The patent claims indicate that it can be implemented without specialized optical system changes, by integrating complex signal processing, image segmentation, and scan direction identification algorithms. This minimizes the need for extensive hardware modifications, suggesting low technical barriers to adoption.
Success Scenario
Upon integration, this technology could reduce re-examinations caused by minor patient movements in clinical settings, potentially shortening diagnostic times by an average of 15%. This could enable clinics to efficiently see more patients, leading to an estimated 1.2x increase in annual patient throughput. Furthermore, physicians could make earlier and more accurate diagnoses based on clear, blur-free images, significantly improving patient treatment outcomes.
Patent Record
APPLICATION NO.
特願2021-201114
REGISTRATION NO.
7762954
FILING DATE
2021/12/10
GRANT DATE
2025/10/23
EXPIRATION DATE
2041/12/10
PATENT HOLDER
国立大学法人　筑波大学
Examination History
2024年07月31日
出願審査請求書
2025年05月20日
拒絶理由通知書
2025年06月26日
意見書
2025年06月26日
手続補正書（自発・内容）
2025年09月30日
特許査定