HUMAN CONE PIGMENT KINETICS

描述（改编自申请人摘要）：长期目标是 了解正常人视力的初始阶段，以及他们的 视网膜色素上皮（RPE）和外层 视网膜。 为了实现这一点，光学测量将用于研究 人类视觉的初始阶段：光的体内捕获和吸收 能量来自人类的锥体。 视锥细胞收集和引导光线的能力 是由它们的直径，形状，和指数的差异， 光感受器和细胞外基质之间的折射。 在 相反，视锥细胞吸收光线的能力是由细胞的 外节中的色素量，以及 圆锥体来引导外部段内的光子。 阐明本 光锥结构和光捕获之间的相互作用， 将研究波导特性随波长的变化， 视网膜位置和年龄 这些测量结果将与体内测量结果进行比较。 使用散斑干涉测量法进行的锥体间距测量。 变化 光收集和引导功能应该指示严重的病理， 包括大量相邻光感受器的死亡。 的 年龄相关性视锥细胞物理特性的变化 将检查黄斑变性（AMD），以确定何时以及何种类型 光感受器的变化发生在视力丧失之前。 这些变化 将使用感光器对准反射计测量。 视锥细胞朝向瞳孔的排列是一个主动的过程，然而， 用于对准刺激是未知的。 光学质量的变化 眼睛在瞳孔上的光学特性将与 视锥细胞来测试视锥细胞朝向瞳孔排列的假设， 最大化图像的光学质量。 它将被测试是否 视网膜问题解决后的视锥细胞重新排列是由 眼睛的光学质量。 在视锥细胞中维持完整的色素补充是一种积极的 过程，需要视锥细胞的功能，视网膜色素 上皮细胞和营养物质从脉络膜的流动。 所有这些都是 受到老化和AMD的影响。 使用低相干干涉测量法， 在体内漂白和再生动力学的染料将是 测定了 这不仅有助于理解正常的漂白， 和再生，还有视网膜疾病中的问题， 最终，它是否可以通过治疗逆转。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from applicant's abstract): The long-term goal is to understand the initial stages of vision in normal humans, as well as their alteration by diseases of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and outer retina. To achieve this, optical measurements will be used to study the initial stages of human vision: the in vivo capture and absorption of light energy by human cones. The ability of the cones to collect and guide light is controlled by their diameter, shape, and the difference in the index of refraction between the photoreceptors and the extracellular matrix. In contrast, the ability of the cones to absorb light is controlled by the amount of the photopigment in the outer segment, and the ability of the cones to guide the photons within the outer segments. To elucidate the interaction between cone structure and light capture, the variation in cone waveguide properties will be investigated with changes in wavelength, retinal location, and age. These measurements will be compared to in vivo measurements of cone spacing made using speckle interferometry. Changes in light collection and guiding functions should indicate severe pathology, including death of significant numbers of adjacent photoreceptors. The changes in the physical properties of the cones of patients with age-related macular degeneraion (AMD) will be examined to determine when and what sort of changes to the photoreceptors occur before vision is lost. These changes will be measured using photoreceptor alignment reflectometry. The alignment of the cones towards the pupil is an active process, yet the stimulus for alignment is not known. The variation in optical quality of the eyes' optics across the pupil will be compared with the alignment of the cones to test the hypothesis that the cones align towards the pupil to maximize the optical quality of the image. It will be tested whether the realignment of cones after resolution of retinal problems is guided by the optical quality of the eye. Maintaining the full complement of photopigment in the cones is an active process, requiring the function of the cones, the retinal pigment epithelium, and the flow of nutrients from the choroid. All of these are impacted by aging and also by AMD. Using low coherence interferometry, the in vivo bleaching and regeneration kinetics of the photopigments will be measured. This should facilitate understanding not only normal bleaching and regeneration, but also what goes wrong in retinal disease and eventually, whether it can be reversed by treatment.