Adaptive optics with pupil tracking for high resolution retinal imaging.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Engineering

Background:

• Adaptive optics (AO) significantly enhances retinal imaging resolution by correcting ocular aberrations in real time.
• Current AO systems are complex and costly, hindering clinical translation for high-resolution retinal imaging.
• Photoreceptor mosaic visualization is crucial for understanding retinal diseases and developing treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, real-time adaptive optics control method for retinal imaging.
• To demonstrate the efficacy of pupil tracking for aberration correction without a wavefront sensor.
• To enable practical, high-resolution retinal imaging for clinical applications.

Main Methods:

• Implemented a novel real-time deformable mirror control system based on pupil tracking measurements.
• Utilized the system's default camera for eye alignment, eliminating the need for extra hardware.
• Conducted experiments using a compact adaptive optics flood illumination fundus camera on a model eye and in vivo.

Main Results:

• Successfully compensated for higher-order aberrations in a moving model eye and in vivo in real time.
• Demonstrated that pupil tracking effectively controls adaptive optics without a wavefront sensor.
• Achieved high-resolution retinal images revealing the photoreceptor mosaic, comparable to research-grade systems.

Conclusions:

• Pupil tracking is a viable, low-cost adaptive optics tool for high-resolution retinal imaging.
• Eye movements are a significant factor in ocular wavefront dynamics and can be leveraged for correction.
• This approach simplifies AO systems, paving the way for more accessible clinical retinal imaging.