New microscopic pushbroom hyperspectral imaging system for application in diabetic retinopathy research

To aid ophthalmologists in determining the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and in evaluating the effects of medication, a microscopic pushbroom hyperspectral imaging system is developed. 40 healthy Wistar rats of half gender are selected in this study. They are divided into three groups (six rats failed to be models). 10 normal rats as the normal control group, 12 diabetic rats without any treatment as the model control group, and another 12 diabetic rats treated with LCVS1001 as the LCVS1001 group. The microscopic hyperspectral image of each retina section is collected and processed. Some typical spectrum curves between 400 and 800 nm of the outer nuclear layer are extracted, and images at various wavelengths are analyzed. The results show that a small trough appears near 522.2 nm in the typical spectrum curve of the model control group, and the transmittance of it is higher than that of the normal control group. In addition, the spectrum of the LCVS1001 group changes gradually to the normal spectrum after treatment with LCVS1001. Our findings indicate that LCVS1001 has some therapeutic effect on the diabetic retinopathy of rats, and the microscopic pushbroom hyperspectral imaging system can be used to study the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy.