Retina-Tracking Adaptive-Optic Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop and fabricate a new retina-Tracking Adaptive-optic Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (TASLO) system based on high-resolution adaptive optics aberration correction by means of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) deformable mirror and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor, with fast retina tracking by means of optoelectronic joint Fourier transform correlation. TASLO's high-speed tracking and high-resolution imaging capability will overcome the limitations of current systems imposed by eye aberrations and eye movement. The goal of this Phase II project is to develop a complete engineering TASLO prototype ready for testing and validation in research laboratories and in a clinical environment. The novel TASLO design, based on the Phase I feasibility demonstration, will produce a robust, compact, and simple-to-use system for extremely fast, noninvasive in situ and in vivo tomographic imaging of the retina with high resolution and contrast, as well as image stabilization. The TASLO device can contribute to early diagnosis of macular degeneration and other degenerative vascular diseases of the retina and choroids, which is crucial to the prevention of blindness and for general eye health care. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The proposed retina-Tracking Adaptive-optic Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (TASLO) system offers a simple optical design and is based on commercially available electro-optical components to integrate the adaptive-optic (AO) aberration correction and joint Fourier transform correlation (JFTC) retina tracking with a state-of-the-art scanning laser ophthalmoscope. Current commercial ophthalmic imaging systems have low transverse resolution and little or no axial resolution, and they do not provide stable measurements due to uncontrollable involuntary patient's eye movements during the measurements. The proposed TASLO applies adaptive optics, optical correlation, and DSP technologies to improve reliability, transverse resolution (from 10 ltm to 2 ltm), and axial resolution (from 300 ltm to 30 ltm) while achieving image stabilization via a novel eye-tracking approach.