Adaptive Optics Instrumentation for Advanced Ophthalmic Imaging

描述(申请人提供)：该生物工程研究伙伴关系是由6个实验室组成的联盟，这些实验室正在制造自适应光学扫描激光眼底镜(AOSLO)，并将它们应用于活着的正常和疾病视网膜的显微镜检查。首席研究员是大卫·威廉姆斯(罗切斯特大学)，他将第一批成功的自适应光学仪器引入视觉科学。其他牵头调查人员包括：史蒂夫·伯恩斯(印第安纳大学)，激光扫描眼底镜的国际领先者；约翰·弗兰纳里(加州大学伯克利分校)，视网膜变性和视网膜生物标记物开发专家；奥斯汀·罗达(加州大学伯克利分校)，设计了第一台自适应光学扫描激光眼底镜；大卫·阿拉索恩(蒙大拿州立大学)，他为AOSLOS中的眼睛跟踪带来了强大的数学技能和软件开发工具；以及R.丹尼尔·弗格森(物理科学公司)。他的专长是创新眼球跟踪系统的光学工程。在前一个供资期间的第1至第5年，该伙伴关系设计和建造了四个小岛屿发展中国家的文书，另有两个文书正在建造中。这些设备已经在活体眼睛中产生了许多微观结构的第一张图像，包括RPE细胞马赛克，流动在最小的视网膜毛细血管中的单个白细胞，以及荧光标记的神经节细胞树突、轴突和细胞体。此外，从人类到啮齿动物的眼睛成像的技术挑战已经被克服。该伙伴关系现在提议在6-10年内继续提供资金，为这些仪器开发新的能力，例如采用硬件和软件相结合的方法来减少眼睛运动对高分辨率视网膜成像的影响。我们还将开发具有特殊功能的新一代仪器，例如能够在不使用荧光染料的情况下对活体人眼中的神经节细胞进行成像，以及能够光学记录特定视网膜细胞的神经反应。与公共健康相关：这项应用将开发一种名为自适应光学扫描激光眼底镜的技术，用于拍摄活体眼睛内部的极其清晰的图像，如此清晰，以至于可以看到单个细胞。这项技术将用于研究老年性黄斑变性和青光眼等疾病。它可以更早地发现视网膜疾病，更好地跟踪疾病进展，以及视网膜疾病治疗的有效性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Bioengineering Research Partnership is a consortium of 6 laboratories that are building adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopes (AOSLOs) and applying them to microscopic examination of the living normal and diseased retina. The principal investigator is David Williams (University of Rochester) who introduced the first successful adaptive optics instruments to vision science. Other lead investigators include: Steve Burns (Indiana University) an international leader in laser scanning ophthalmoscopy, John Flannery (UC, Berkeley) an expert in retinal degeneration and the development of retinal biomarkers, and Austin Roorda (UC, Berkeley) who designed the first adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopes, David Arathorn (Montana State University) who brings strong mathematical skills and software development tools for tracking the eye in AOSLOs, and R. Daniel Ferguson (Physical Sciences, Inc.) whose expertise is in the optical engineering of innovative eye tracking systems. During years 1-5 of the previous funding period, the partnership designed and built four AOSLO instruments and two more instruments are under construction. These devices have produced the first images ever of numerous microscopic structures in the living eye including the RPE cell mosaic, single leucocytes flowing in the smallest retinal capillaries, and fluorescently-labelled ganglion cell dendrites, axons and cell bodies. In addition, technical challenges for imaging eyes ranging in size from human to rodent have been overcome. The partnership is now proposing continued funding for years 6-10 to develop new capabilities for these instruments such as a combined hardware and software approach to reduce the effects of eye motion on high resolution retinal imagery. We also will develop a new generation of instruments with special capabilities, such as the ability to image ganglion cells in the living human eye without the use of fluorescent dyes, and the ability to optically record neural responses from specific retinal cells. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This application will develop a technology, adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, for taking extremely sharp pictures of the inside of the living eye, so sharp that individual cells can be seen. This technology will be used to study diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. It may allow the earlier detection of retinal disease, better tracking of disease progression, and the efficacy of therapies for retinal disease.