Adaptive Optics Instrumentation for Advanced Ophthalmic Imaging

描述（由申请人提供）：这个生物工程研究伙伴关系是一个由6个实验室组成的联盟，他们正在建造自适应光学扫描激光检眼镜（AOSLOs），并将其应用于活体正常和病变视网膜的显微检查。首席研究员是大卫·威廉姆斯（罗切斯特大学），他首次成功地将自适应光学仪器引入视觉科学。其他主要研究人员包括：Steve Burns（印第安纳大学）是激光扫描检眼镜的国际领导者，John Flannery（加州大学伯克利分校）是视网膜变性和视网膜生物标志物开发方面的专家，Austin Roorda（加州大学伯克利分校）设计了第一个自适应光学扫描激光检眼镜，David Arathorn（蒙大拿州立大学）带来了强大的数学技能和软件开发工具，用于跟踪AOSLOs中的眼睛，R. Daniel Ferguson(物理科学，他的专长是创新眼动追踪系统的光学工程。在上一个资助期的第1-5年，该伙伴关系设计并建造了4台AOSLO仪器，另外2台仪器正在建造中。这些设备已经产生了活体眼睛中许多微观结构的第一张图像，包括RPE细胞马赛克，在最小的视网膜毛细血管中流动的单个白细胞，荧光标记的神经节细胞树突，轴突和细胞体。此外，从人类到啮齿类动物的各种尺寸眼睛成像的技术挑战也已被克服。该伙伴关系现在提议在6-10年内继续为这些仪器开发新功能，例如结合硬件和软件方法，以减少眼球运动对高分辨率视网膜图像的影响。我们还将开发具有特殊功能的新一代仪器，例如在不使用荧光染料的情况下对活人眼睛中的神经节细胞进行成像的能力，以及光学记录特定视网膜细胞神经反应的能力。公共卫生相关性：该应用程序将开发一种自适应光学扫描激光检眼镜技术，用于拍摄活体眼睛内部的极其清晰的照片，如此清晰以至于可以看到单个细胞。这项技术将用于研究年龄相关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，以及治疗视网膜疾病的疗效。

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.