Low-Cost, High Resolution Clinical Retinal Imager

描述(申请人提供)：主要目标是展示一种临床上可行的自适应光学高分辨率眼底相机，该相机易于使用，即与当前眼底相机的操作一致，具有当前眼底相机的典型视野(30度或更高)，与现有临床仪器相比分辨率提高了五到十倍，并且价格将在当今临床设备的范围内。其具体目标是量化低阶和高阶像差在没有已知眼睛或全身疾病的受试者样本中的作用；通过展示每个人的眼睛像差导致眼底图像的空间分辨率损失来模拟这些测量到的像差的影响；以及设计和展示像差计和低成本自适应光学系统的闭环系统的性能，该系统将测量像差并校正低阶项。研究人员试图在高空间分辨率下更深入地了解视网膜和视盘的机制，这将使毛细血管和神经纤维束等结构(4至8微米)能够可视化。视网膜图像质量下降的主要来源是人眼内的像差。由于衍射效应，这些眼像差的存在限制了可实现的分辨率和小图像细节的对比度，其中许多是随机和不确定的。为了克服这些基本限制，研究人员一直在应用自适应光学技术来校正像差。今天，基于变形镜的自适应光学设备已经开发出来，以克服标准眼底相机的局限性，但价格超过50万美元。Vision Quest提出的这种设备实现了与上述研究级自适应光学仪器相同的一些目标，但由于它与当前的视网膜摄影技术相似，而且成本更低，因此最终将更适合临床使用。我们提出的装置通过采用独特且显著便宜的波前测量和像差校正技术，避免了高成本、复杂性和有限的视场。Vision Quest将把展示先进成像技术的目标与为医疗保健系统提供有效和低成本诊断工具的目标结合起来。用于诊断视网膜疾病或监测视网膜疾病的治疗和/或进展的视网膜成像是护理的标准。大大改进的视网膜图像，特别是成本与目前的眼底相机相当的价格，将对患有三种主要眼病(即老年性黄斑变性、糖尿病视网膜病变或青光眼)的个人的早期发现和护理产生重大影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The principal objective is to demonstrate clinically a commercially viable, adaptive optics high resolution fundus camera that is easy to use, i.e. consistent with the operation of current fundus cameras, has a field of view that is typical of current fundus cameras (30 degrees or more), has a factor of five to ten improvement in resolution as compared to existing clinical instruments, and will be priced in the range of today's clinical devices. The specific aims are to quantitate the contribution of low- and high-order aberrations in a sample of subjects with no known ocular or systemic disease; to model the effects of these measured aberrations by demonstrating the loss of spatial resolution in a fundus image due to each individual's ocular aberrations; and to design and demonstrate the performance of an aberrometer and close-loop operation of a low-cost adaptive optics system that will measure aberrations and correct for the low order terms. Researchers have sought to gain greater insight into the mechanisms of the retina and the optic disc at high spatial resolutions that would enable the visualization of structures (4 to 8 micrometers) such as capillaries and nerve fiber bundles. Major sources of retinal image quality degradation are aberrations within the human eye. The presence of these ocular aberrations, many of them random and non deterministic, limits the achievable resolution and the contrast of small image details due to diffraction effects. To overcome these fundamental limitations, researchers have been applying adaptive optics techniques to correct for the aberrations. Today, deformable mirror based adaptive optics devices have been developed to overcome the limitations of standard fundus cameras, but at prices in excess of $500,000. The device proposed by Vision Quest addresses some of the same goals as the above research grade adaptive optics instruments but does so in a manner which will ultimately be better suited for clinical use because of its similarity to current retinal photographic techniques and its lower cost technology. Our proposed device avoids the high costs, complexity and limited FOV by adopting unique and notable less expensive wave front measurement and aberration correction techniques. Vision Quest will integrate the goal of demonstrating an advanced imaging technology with that of providing an effective and low cost diagnostic tool to the healthcare system. Retinal imaging for the purposes of diagnosis of retinal diseases, or for monitoring the treatment and/or progression of retinal diseases is standard of care. Greatly improved images of the retina, especially at costs that are comparable to current fundus cameras, would have a significant impact on the early detection and care of individuals with any of the three major eye diseases, i.e. age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or glaucoma.