Retinal functional imager (RFI): Non-invasive functional imaging of the retina

Abstract

Retinal functional imager (RFI) is a unique non-invasive functional imaging system with novel capabilities for visualizing the retina. The objective of this review was to show the utility of non-invasive functional imaging in various disorders. Electronic literature search was carried out using the websites www.pubmed.gov and www.google.com. The search words were retinal functional imager and non-invasive retinal imaging used in combination. The articles published or translated into English were studied. The RFI directly measures hemodynamic parameters such as retinal blood-flow velocity, oximetric state, metabolic responses to photic activation and generates capillary perfusion maps (CPM) that provides retinal vasculature detail similar to flourescein angiography. All of these parameters stand in a direct relationship to the function and therefore the health of the retina, and are known to be degraded in the course of retinal diseases. Detecting changes in retinal function aid early diagnosis and treatment as functional changes often precede structural changes in many retinal disorders.