High resolution retinal imaging with a compact adaptive optics spectral domain optical coherence tomography system

Abstract

Adaptive optics (AO) is used to correct ocular aberrations primarily in the cornea, lens, and tear film of every eye. Among other applications, AO allows high lateral resolution images to be acquired with scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO) and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT) is a high-speed imaging technique that can acquire cross-sectional scans with micron-scale axial resolution at tens to hundreds of kHz line rates. We present a compact clinical AO-SDOCT system that achieves micron-scale axial and lateral resolution of retinal structures. The system includes a line scanning laser ophthalmscope (LSLO) for simultaneous wide-field retinal viewing and selection of regions-of-interest. OCT and LSLO imaging and AO correction performance are characterized. We present a case study of a single subject with hyper-reflective lesions associated with stable, resolved central serous retinopathy to compare and contrast AO as applied to scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography. The two imaging modes are found to be complementary in terms of information on structure morphology. Both provide additional information lacking in the other. This preliminary finding points to the power of combining SLO and SDOCT in a single research instrument for exploration of disease mechanisms, retinal cellular architecture, and visual psychophysics.