Low-Cost Device for Digital Retinal Imaging

描述(申请人提供)：这项研究的目标是提供一种低成本的数字视网膜成像设备，激光扫描数字相机，作为糖尿病视网膜病变筛查的组成部分。这种设备将非常便宜，提供的图像对比度至少与目前临床使用的图像一样高。它最终将提供数码相机的易用性，最大限度地减少目前的培训问题。这项新技术将为基础研究人员和临床医生提供一种期待已久的工具，以廉价和敏感的方式早期发现糖尿病视网膜病变。与目前现场故障率超过30%的设备不同，我们预计每个患者都可以使用，而不会出现严重的角膜问题或严重的白内障。激光扫描数码相机使用我们独特的混合系统--狭缝扫描照明，并通过带有电子孔径的二维阵列进行检测，主要使用低成本的现成组件。我们使用新演示的电子孔径进行共焦成像，它减少了来自平面外结构的散射光，从而提高了图像对比度。我们将测试电子孔径的灵活性，以提供散射光，即暗场成像，以及图像平均和图像锐化。由于小的入口/出口分离的光瞳系统和近红外线的光线，这款相机可以使用未放大的瞳孔。所有临床上重要的视网膜血管变化和黄斑水肿现在都可以用更高端的设备进行可视化，包括微动脉瘤和深色眼睛的特征。立体成像最近被证明不需要检测黄斑水肿，因此我们将提供高对比度图像来获得判断黄斑水肿的线索。我们将从高端设备上实施我们的技术：散射光成像。目标一是完成激光扫描数码相机的研制，包括电子孔径提供的新的成像模式。AIM 2将开始现场工作，对正常人和中度非增殖性糖尿病视网膜病变患者进行重复性研究和眼部色素沉着比较。我们将利用电子组态来优化光学共焦孔宽。目的3研究共焦近红外成像技术，包括实时孔径变化、图像锐化和散射光成像，应用于糖尿病患者视网膜全面变化的人群。我们期待增强对水肿性病变的检测能力，例如黄斑囊样水肿。目标4是实现静止的共焦扫描激光成像，但仍保留聚焦所需的可移动部分，并将此方法与目标3中使用的方法进行比较。我们还将包括一个非常便宜的前段成像组件，因为患有深色眼睛的糖尿病患者虹膜中可能会有新的血管生长，从而导致疼痛和威胁视力的青光眼。这也将记录眼睛的颜色，并通过给出瞳孔直径来帮助进行质量控制。虽然该项目专注于人类的糖尿病视网膜病变，但未来的应用包括在人类和动物模型中的其他视网膜疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research is to provide a low cost device for digital retinal imaging, the Laser Scanning Digital Camera, as an integral part of screening for diabetic retinopathy. This device will be unusually inexpensive and provide images with contrasts at least as high as those now used clinically. It will eventually provide the ease of use of a digital camera, minimizing current problems with training. This new technique will provide a long-awaited tool to basic researchers and clinicians alike for detecting diabetic retinopathy early, in an inexpensive and sensitive manner. Unlike recent devices with more than 30 % failure rate in the field, we anticipate use with every patient without severe corneal problems or severe cataracts. The Laser Scanning Digital Camera uses our unique hybrid system of slit-scanning the illumination, and detection by a 2- dimensional array with electronic aperture, using primarily low cost, off-the shelf components. We perform confocal imaging using a newly-demonstrated electronic aperture, which reduces scattered light from out-of-plane structures and thereby improves image contrast. We will test the flexibility of the electronic aperture to provide scattered light, i.e. dark field, imaging, as well as image averaging and image sharpening. The camera works with an undilated pupil, due to the small entrance/exit split pupil system and near infra-red light. All clinically important retinal vascular changes and macular edema have now been visualized by us with higher end devices, including microaneurysms and features in darkly pigmented eyes. Stereo imaging was recently shown to be unnecessary for detecting macular edema, and therefore we will provide high contrast images to obtain cues for judging macular edema. We will implement our technique from high end devices: scattered light imaging. Aim 1 is to complete the development of the Laser Scanning Digital Camera, including new imaging modes provided by the electronic aperture. Aim 2 will begin field work, with reproducibility studies and eye pigmentation comparisons in normal subjects and initial tests in patients with moderate nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. We will use the electronic configuration to optimize the optical confocal aperture width. Aim 3 investigates confocal near infra-red imaging techniques, including real-time variation of aperture, image sharpening, and scattered light imaging, as applied to a population with the full range of retinal changes found in patients with diabetes. We anticipate enhanced detection capability for edematous lesions, e.g. cystoid macular edema. Aim 4 is to achieve motionless confocal scanning laser imaging, but still retain the movable part needed for focus, and compare this method to that used in Aim 3. We will also include an anterior segment imaging component, which is extremely inexpensive, as diabetic patients with dark eyes can have new vessel growth in the iris that leads to painful and sight-threatening glaucoma. This will also document eye color and provide help with quality control by giving the pupil diameter. While this project focuses on diabetic retinopathy in humans, future applications include other retinal disorders in both humans and animal models.