Adaptive optics retinal imaging--clinical opportunities and challenges

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Retinal Imaging Technology

Background:

• Therapeutic options for retinal diseases are expanding, necessitating better understanding of disease etiology and improved diagnostic tools.
• Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides retinal visualization but has limited lateral resolution due to ocular aberrations.
• Ophthalmic adaptive optics (AO) corrects these aberrations to achieve near diffraction-limited resolution, enabling cellular-level imaging of the retina.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current status of AO retinal imaging.
• To discuss existing and potential future clinical applications of AO retinal imaging.
• To identify research needs for facilitating broader clinical adoption of AO technology.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on adaptive optics retinal imaging.
• Analysis of technological capabilities and limitations of AO systems.
• Discussion of clinical case studies and research findings.

Main Results:

• AO imaging provides cellular resolution of the living retina, surpassing conventional OCT.
• AO technology is a powerful research tool, but clinical adoption is hindered by clinician uncertainty.
• Specific research needs are identified to bridge the gap between AO research and clinical practice.

Conclusions:

• Adaptive optics retinal imaging holds significant promise for diagnosing and monitoring retinal diseases with unprecedented detail.
• Addressing current limitations and demonstrating clear clinical utility are crucial for widespread adoption.
• Continued research and development are essential to fully realize the clinical potential of AO in ophthalmology.