Long Stroke Wavefront Correctors for Retinal Imaging

描述(由申请人提供)：本提案描述了一项计划，以开发适合于商业眼科自适应光学使用的长行程MEMS可变形反射镜。他们的设计将允许在至少90%的人类人口中通过扩大的瞳孔进行衍射限制的视网膜成像。在第一阶段研究中展示的静电致动器设计和制造工艺将被用作这些MEMS-DM的基础，这些MEMS-DM将使用硅片批量制造来生产。根据以前的研究，估计补偿眼睛的像差将需要高达12？m的波前补偿(在MEMS-DM校正之前补偿焦点和散光)。由于镜面变形因反射而在波前加倍，这将需要在每个致动器处具有至少6？m行程的DM。第二个目标将是在拥有眼睛光学像差的人类受试者中展示衍射受限的视网膜成像，该像差涵盖了人群中发现的90%以上的范围。长行程MEMS可变形反射镜将与第一阶段工作中展示的光学倍增器相结合，以实现12？m的有效可变形反射镜运动，相当于24？m的波前校正，并将集成到经过验证的自适应光学扫描激光检眼镜设计中。将光学倍增器添加到系统中将允许变形镜校正低阶(散光)像差。这种大行程，再加上巴达尔验光仪的设计，将不再需要为每个受试者的眼睛使用矫正镜片，并允许前所未有的人类视网膜活体成像。由于眼睛像差限制了成像分辨率，研究人员和临床医生一直无法看到人类视网膜的关键特征。拟议项目的成功完成将为人类视网膜比以往任何时候更好的分辨率成像提供使能组件。这种图像质量的改善将使临床医生能够检测和诊断糖尿病视网膜病变和黄斑变性，并在药物研究中确定药物的疗效。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal describes a plan to develop long stroke MEMS deformable mirrors suitable for use in commercial ophthalmic adaptive optics. They will be designed to permit diffraction-limited retinal imaging through dilated pupils in at least 90% of the human population. Electrostatic actuator design and manufacturing processes demonstrated in Phase I research will be used as a foundation for these MEMS-DMs, which will be produced using silicon wafer batch-manufacturing. Based on prior research, it is estimated compensation of aberrations of the eye will require up to 12¿m of wavefront compensation (with focus and astigmatism compensated before MEMS-DM correction). Because mirror deformation is doubled in the wavefront by reflection, this will require a DM with at least 6¿m of stroke at each actuator. A second goal will be to demonstrate diffraction-limited retinal imaging in human subjects possessing optical aberrations of the eye that encompasses more than 90% of the range found in the population. The long-stroke MEMS deformable mirror will be combined with the optical doubler demonstrated in the Phase I effort to achieve an effective deformable mirror motion of 12¿m, corresponding to 24¿m of wavefront correction, and will be integrated into a proven adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscope design. Adding the optical doubler to the system will allow for the deformable mirror to correct for low order (astigmatic) aberrations. This large stroke, combined with a Badal optometer design, will eliminate the need to use corrective lenses for each subject eye and allow unprecedented in vivo imaging of the human retina. Researchers and clinicians have been unable to see critical features in the human retina due to ocular aberrations that limited imaging resolution. A successful completion of the proposed project will provide the enabling component for better resolution imaging of the human retina than ever before. This improvement in image quality will allow clinicians to detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration as well as to determine the efficacy of drugs in drug studies.