Adaptive Optics OCT/Fluorescence Small Animal Imager

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Physical Sciences Inc. proposes to develop a new, integrated multimodal adaptive optics small animal imager, including AO-OCT and AO scanning laser fluorescence (fAOSLO), and to demonstrate its applications to detectingpathology in the retinas of rodent models of eye disease. The imaging platform includes novel design elements such as adaptable wavefront sensing methods enabling dynamic and static AO correction in selected layers; integrated Badal optometer system withpath-length-locked OCT reference arm for flexible AO-OCT-guided imaging, and co-scanning AO-OCT/fAOSLO rasters for enhanced fluorescence sensitivity and co-registration in anesthetized rodents. Together with collaborators at Children's Hospital Boston (CHB), we propose to demonstrate the imaging platform in a GFP mouse (B6.129P-Cx3cr1tm1Litt/J mice) model of STZ-induced diabetic retinopathy. The rapidly growing array of small animal models of human eye disease has significantly increased the need for new in